Government Writing
Planting the seed: 2018 Farm Bill starts with farmers at K-State
February 24, 2017
The gavel fell for the first hearing of the 2018 Farm Bill just minutes after 2 p.m. in Kansas State’s McCain Auditorium.
K-State hosted the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, chaired by Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Dodge City, for “Hearing from the Heartland: Perspectives on the 2018 Farm Bill from Kansas.”
Eighteen producers and professionals in the agriculture industry gave three-minute testimonies about what is and is not working in the current Farm Bill and what they believe should be the priorities of the 2018 Farm Bill.
“Together we will blaze a trail to a new Farm Bill,” Roberts said.
Tax increase fails veto override in Senate
February 23, 2017
Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto of House Bill 2178, “the largest tax increase in Kansas history,” stands after the Legislature fell three votes short of what was needed to override the governor.
The House voted to override the governor 85-40, which was one vote over the required two-thirds majority, and the senators voted 24-16, which was three votes short of what was needed to override the veto.
The bill would have raised more than $1 billion over two years through increasing income tax rates and ending an exemption for more than 330,000 business owners.
“This tax bill would have fixed what is called the LLC loophole,” Sen. Tom Hawk, D-Manhattan, said.
Brownback challenges universities to make $15K degree, proposes K-State budget cut
January 20, 2017
Students might be wishing they waited to attend a Kansas institution after Gov. Sam Brownback challenged institutions across the state of Kansas to develop a bachelor’s degree that would cost only $15,000 in his State of the State address on Jan. 10.
Currently, one semester at Kansas State costs the average 14-credit-hour student $8,411 plus course fees. Based off the 2016-2017 tuition rates, a four-year degree costs about $36,000 in tuition.
For K-State, meeting Brownback’s challenge would require over a 55 percent drop in tuition.
“I trust that Kansas colleges and universities are fully capable to rise to this call,” Brownback said. “Kansans deserve access to an affordable college option.”