KASB is urging Kansas school board members to stay up-to-date on the 2023 legislative session, which begins Monday, January 9.
Many issues affecting public education will be considered by lawmakers this year.
KASB members have adopted the 2023 KASB State Resolution and the 2023 Resolution on Federal Issues that will guide the Advocacy Team during the legislative session.
The KASB Advocacy Network offers access to special briefings and information that will help members represent public schools at home, in Topeka and Washington, D.C. Members can apply here.
In addition, the KASB Advocacy Team conducts weekly podcasts to review the past week in the Legislature and preview what’s up next. You can hear The Advocate podcast here. The Advocacy Team will also host nightly Facebook Live updates from the Statehouse.
Sign up for KASB Advocacy Alerts to receive important and timely information on your mobile devices.
Here are some of the major issues that are likely to be addressed in this session:
Special Education Funding
Kansas has failed to fulfill its statutory obligation to provide 92% of the excess costs of special education services, which caused districts to use general fund dollars to pay for special education services. KASB and other education groups are calling for an increase in special education funding to bridge this gap.
Vouchers
For several years, legislators and other groups have tried to pass laws that send public tax dollars to private and home schools through vouchers or education savings accounts. KASB opposes vouchers, education savings accounts and tuition tax credits because they divert public funding from public education to schools. These schools are not required to serve all students, such as disadvantaged or disabled students with the greatest needs.
Teacher Recruitment and Retention
Many Kansas districts struggle to recruit and retain teachers and other school staff. There will be proposals to incentivize more people to enter the teaching profession.
“Parents’ Bill of Rights”
Last year, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a bill that would have required policies that guaranteed parents' rights to challenge learning materials in public schools. Many parents testified against the bill saying they already had those rights, and Kelly said the legislation was politically divisive.
Below is the 2023 legislative calendar:
January
9 – House and Senate convene.
11 – Governor Laura Kelly's State of the State address (6:30 p.m.)
16 – Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, no session.
30 – Last day for individual legislators to request bill drafts.
February
6 – Last day for non-exempt committees to request drafts
8 – Last day for introduction of bills by individual members
10 – Last day for non-exempt committees to introduce bills
21 – Last day for morning and afternoon committees to meet
22, 23 – On the House and Senate floor all day
24 – Turnaround Day: Last day for consideration of bills by non-exempt committees in the house of origin
25-28 – No session
March
24 – Last day for bills to be considered by non-exempt committees
29 – Last day for non-exempt bills to be considered in either chamber
30-April 2 – No session, conference committees may meet
April
3-5 – Conference committees meet
6 – "Drop Dead Day" for non-exempt bills, first adjournment
24-25 – Pro-forma days
26 – Veto session starts
29 – 90th day, possible last day of the session
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