House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for SB229 - Committee on Ethics, Elections and Local Government
Short Title
County elections commissioners; appointment by county commission.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 13, 2018
Chairperson Bowers opened the hearing on SB229. Mike Heim, staff revisor, presented a briefing on the bill and answered questions from the Committee.
Senator Anthony Hensley testified in support of SB229 stating the problem with current law is county commissioners must fund the operations of a county office over which they have no authority. Senator Hensley indicated SB229 would hold county commissioners accountable to the taxpayers for efficient and secure elections and for the funding to make sure that happens. Senator Hensley responded to questions from Committee members. (Attachment 1)
Melissa Wangemann testified in support of SB229 stating this bill removes the Kansas Secretary of State as the appointing authority for the election commissioners in the urban counties and inserts the Board of County Commissioners as the appointing authority. Ms. Wangemann addressed questions from the Committee. (Attachment 2)
Bryan Caskey testified in opposition of SB229 stating the current process keeps politics out of the appointment of the election commissioners to the extent possible. Mr. Caskey indicated current law has been the procedure in this state since 1947 and it has worked well. Mr. Caskey addressed questions from the Committee. (Attachment 3)
Written testimony in support of SB229 was submitted by:
James M. Crowl, Shawnee County Counselor, on behalf of the Board of County Commissioners of Shawnee County (Attachment 4)
Mike Taylor, Public Relations Director, Unified Government Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas (Attachment 5)
Chairperson Bowers closed the hearing on SB229.
