GAMBLING
Gambling will be the focus of debate today on the House floor with a proposed constitutional amendment and a couple of bills. HCR 5022 would allow the citizens of Kansas to vote to amend the Kansas Constitution to provide for privately owned casinos and/or destination casinos and prohibit state-owned casinos. The legislature would provide for a gaming oversight authority who would conduct a feasibility study before approving the licensing and construction of any casino. Also, a county in which a casino would be located would have to approve the constitutional amendment by a majority vote, and 2/3 of counties surrounding a county in which a casino will be located must also approve the amendment. There is also a provision that would prohibit these privately owned casinos from being built within a 50-mile radius of any tribal casinos.

HCR 5023 is another gaming resolution, but it would establish the Kansas Commission on expanded gaming. The purpose of this commission would be to study expanded gaming. The commission would conduct an in-depth study and report its findings to the legislature, which would provide the necessary information needed for legislators to make an informed vote on state vs. privately owned expanded gaming.

The most controversial bill being debated today is SB 66. This bill deals with the Kansas lottery; however, it is not the actual bill but the anticipated amendments to the bill that are causing the controversy. Kansas for many years has been successful in preventing extended gaming, but this year the gaming lobbyists have worked very hard to undermine this effort. The gaming industry has 20 full time lobbyists, all making 6 digit incomes and a promise of hefty bonuses for passing bills favoring gambling and extended gaming. Many legislators have been caught by these individuals and are now being used to forward this unwanted agenda. There is one legislator who has been influenced by these lobbyists and is planning to introduce a 75 page amendment that was written by the lobbyists and no one will be allowed to see it until it comes to the floor. The supporters of this amendment have released some of the information, but the general plan is to have state owned casinos that would most likely be operated by outside individuals. There will definitely be a battle fought on this issue today and hopefully the outcome will be Kansas continuing to prevent extended gaming.

SPENDING
House Republicans held the line on spending last week by preventing the state’s budget from increasing beyond $5.95 billion. House members debated the House Appropriations Committee spending recommendations, which was $60 million less than the Governor’s recommended budget. During the debate there were 39 amendments offered, many by Democrats, and most were voted down with only a little more than a million being added to the base budget of $5.9 billion in State General Funds and another $2.4 million in All Funds. At the end of the debate, House Republicans had voted down more than $36 million in new spending and passed the bill on Friday, March 16, 2007. The Senate debated the budget this week and the two versions will now go to a six-member committee, which will work out the differences.

ZERO TOLERANCE
Our Zero Tolerance bill was passed out of the Federal and State Affairs Committee this week in essentially the same form as it was passed out of the sub committee. It will go to the floor sometime next week.

HEALTH CARE
The House health care plan has been put into a Senate bill, now SB 11. It has also been passed out of committee and scheduled to go to the floor next week.