Brief(1)
H.B. 2457 would strike the local option provision of the Kansas Public Employer-Employee Relations (PEER) Act. Under current law, local governments by a majority vote of the governing body must elect to come under the provisions of the PEER Act.
The House Committee amendment was technical.
Background
The bill was supported by the Kansas Association of Public Employees (KAPE), a labor law attorney, and representatives of Local 304 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, a law enforcement officer for Topeka USD 501 school district, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 5 of Wichita, Local 179 of the International Association of Firefighters of Hutchinson, and the Service Employee Union. Proponents said the current law was inequitable since it denied the right of large numbers of local government public employees to organize and be represented by labor unions since the local entities' governing body had to opt to be covered by the law. Under current state law, most state employees and teachers in the public school system are covered by the PEER Act or the Professional Negotiations Law for teachers.
Opponents included the League of Kansas Municipalities and the Kansas Association of Counties. Written testimony opposing the bill was submitted by Labette County. Opponents of the bill said the law would undercut city and county home rule powers and local self-determination and would result in added costs as a result of another state mandate. Local governing bodies were said to be responsive to local needs and conditions.
The fiscal note estimates that implementation of the bill would result in added State General Fund expenditures of $454,000 and an indeterminable fiscal impact on local governments.
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.