Brief(1)
S.B. 283 would amend the Campaign Finance Act to prohibit all unified school districts from using public funds, vehicles, machinery, equipment, supplies, or other property to expressly advocate the nomination, election, or defeat of any candidate for any state or local office. The prohibition would not apply to the use of property of any governmental agency regarding the holding of public forums, debates, or events to which all candidates have equal access.
Current law covers employees and officers of the state, unified school districts having 35,000 or more pupils, cities of the first class, and the Kansas City Board of Public Utilities. Violation of the provisions of the current law are a class C misdemeanor.
Background
Senator Laurie Bleeker testified that the law needed to apply equally to all school districts, not just to the Wichita school district which is covered under existing law.
All school districts, except the Wichita district, are covered by a local campaign finance act (K.S.A. 25-901 et seq.), which does not currently address the use of public funds and school property to promote or oppose candidates for elective office.
The Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government made a technical amendment to the bill.
The Division of the Budget fiscal note states that there would be no fiscal impact on the state budget.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html