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Minutes for HB2144 - Committee on Education
Short Title
Budget and taxing authority of community colleges; articulation of credits; and student residency requirements.
Minutes Content for Tue, Feb 12, 2019
Chairperson Huebert opened the hearing on HB2144 at 1:30 and asked Revisor Jason Long to provide an overview of the proposed legislation.
Representative Williams introduced the bill as legislation focused on the taxing, transparency, budget authority, and residency requirements for community colleges. She described the situation in Butler County as an example of what she believes needs to change. Local residents fund community colleges through their property taxes. If these colleges were funding the cost of post-secondary education for local students, this would be of little concern. However, the average percentage of in-county students is just over 30%. HB2144 expands local control by allowing for protest petitions for budget increases and capital expenditures over $250,000, requires community colleges to follow existing statue and lower local property tax based on increases in state aid, requires student fees to be used and designated for specific purposes, and requires notification and transparency of data that impacts local taxpayers. Williams urged the Committee to give more power back to local residents, voters, by passing this bill out of Committee.
There was a brief discussion with Representative Williams and the Committee.
Proponent Patrick Vogelsberg supports the protest petition option, as good public policy, that strengthens the community and therefore has positive impact upon property values and local economic development. (Attachment 2)
Written only Proponent Testimony:
Mark Murphy, Chairman, Butler County Board of Commissioners (Attachment 3)
Tim Johnson, Private Citizen, Butler County (Attachment 4)
Eric Grooms, Private Citizen, Butler County (Attachment 5)
Terry Malone, Williams & Malone, PA, Dodge City (Attachment 6)
James Franko, Vice President, Kansas Policy Institute (Attachment 7)
Opponent Linda Fund spoke on behalf of 19 community colleges in Kansas. These diverse colleges reflect the communities they are in. She feels HB2144 has an unclear goal. If the goal is to lower local appropriation through property taxes, there are other ways to do this. There is a system of having a student's home taxing district contribute to the college, in addition to state subsidy. The colleges Fund represents believe in transparency and accountability, however this bill does not increase the present fair situation. The trustees of these institutions are elected. Changes can be made through this process. The conferee believes this legislation damages the institution of community colleges and encouraged the Committee to reject HB2144. (Attachment 8)
There was a brief period of questions and answers.
The Chairperson closed the hearing on HB2144 at 2:30.
