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Melissa Rooker  |  Kansas House

Dear Subscriber

Happy New Year!  The 2015 legislative session is set to begin on Monday with our swearing-in ceremony, and there is already much news to report.

Committee Assignments

House committees were announced just before Christmas. While I am very pleased with the assignments I received, it was bittersweet to learn that I was removed from the House Education Committee. I was highly effective at building a coalition to stop a variety of damaging proposals in the last two years and believe the committee is now structured for those bills to come roaring through to the House floor. Rest assured, I will continue to focus my efforts on education policy and finance for the good of our children and will do my work in the Committee of the Whole.

The upside is that I was placed on the powerful Transportation and Transportation & Public Safety Budget Committees, which are both closely watched by the engineering and manufacturing industries in Johnson County and across the state. The Department of Transportation has a dedicated revenue stream provided by the gas tax, and this “bank” is often raided to bolster lagging revenues in other parts of the budget. Given the budget crisis we face, expect these committees to be in the epicenter of debate. Additionally, the Johnson County Gateway project is critical to our region’s future. These two new committee assignments place me in a position to protect the integrity of projects in the TWORKS program, and advocate for quality maintenance of our transportation infrastructure and public safety.

I am delighted to continue to serve on both the Vision 2020 and Children & Seniors Committees.

Shawnee Mission LOB Election

Watch your mailbox! The ballots for the SMSD bond election are on their way. I urge you to vote YES on both questions. Neither will require a change in your property tax mill levy. The first will allow the district to maintain the current LOB, while the second will authorize the district to issue bonds for some much needed upgrades to our schools. Because of the current bond repayment schedule, the new bonds will not increase your property tax assessment. 

Check these SMSD and Prairie Village Post links for much more detail. When making up your mind on the bond, please remember current state law prohibits the use of bond monies to pay salaries or other operating expenses. They can only be used for capital improvements. Basic operational funding must come from the state – that is the money we are battling over in court.

Gannon School Finance (Adequacy) Opinion

Last week, a three-judge panel in the Shawnee District Court issued its opinion on Gannon II (School Finance Adequacy).

My comments on the issue were featured on KCUR and in the Kansas City Star and Prairie Village Post.

History

The Supreme Court was handed Gannon v. Kansas after two years of legal battles claiming the state had not upheld its constitutional requirement for “suitable provision for finance of the educational interests of the state.” In April, the Supreme Court divided the case into two components – equity and adequacy – and issued a decision on equity requiring additional appropriations to make up for funding disparities between districts. The legislature complied with HB 2506 at the end of last session. They sent the adequacy question to a 3-judge panel for consideration. 

Summary

The panel ruled that the state is abdicating its constitutional responsibility by pushing funding increases to local school districts.  The decision came as no surprise to me. Each successive ruling in the long legal battle has affirmed, and reaffirmed, the constitutional duty our state has to adequately fund our public school system. The opinion makes clear that schools have lost nearly 10% of their buying power due to inflation just since 2009 and are having difficulty meeting their mission to prepare our students for college and career. Of additional significance for Johnson County is the court’s opinion that LOB funds cannot be counted on to supplant state effort, and when the state co-opted those funds to “count” as state aid, local districts were deprived of their local control over those funds. 

Missing from calls to rewrite the formula is recognition that our current total spending has once again been declared inadequate and unconstitutional. While there may well be room to improve upon the current formula, the obligation to provide additional funds has been upheld. Those who seek to reduce the education footprint on the state budget in order to pay for tax cuts will push for policy reforms and formulaic changes, but it is abundantly clear that in order to truly serve the best interests of our children, we need to deal with economic reality.

For me, one of the most compelling passages in the entire opinion appears on page 115:

"Nevertheless, we understand the self-imposed fiscal dilemma now facing the State of Kansas, both with or without this Opinion. Since the obligations here declared emanate from our Kansas Constitution, avoidance is not an option. However, the affirmative path to compliance and its duration may well rest in sincerity, practicality, and reasonable accommodation."

The court acknowledges the fiscal problems the state faces, and leaves the door open to a reasonable path forward rather than demanding immediate restitution.  I stand ready to work on a comprehensive plan to stabilize our state budget so that we can responsibly meet our constitutional obligation to our children.

Other Resources

Topeka Capital-Journal: Judges rule school finance inadequate
Wichita Eagle: Court rules school funding is inadequate under Kansas Constitution
Kansas NEA release: KNEA Supports Full Constitutional Funding
Kansas Association of School Boards: Response to school finance ruling should focus on what is best for students

This story is only just beginning, so watch for periodic updates from me, as there is news to share. Until then, here’s to 2015 and all the challenges and opportunities it is certain to hold!

It is my honor and pleasure to represent you, Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,






Rep. Melissa Rooker
State Representative, District 25

CONTACT MELISSA

 
In Topeka: 
State Capitol Room 168-B
Topeka, KS 66612
melissa.rooker@house.ks.gov
785-296-7686

At home in Fairway
4124 Brookridge Drive
Fairway, KS 66205
melissa@melissarooker.com
913-961-1555

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Melissa Rooker | 4124 Brookridge, Fairway, 66205
Paid for by Melissa Rooker for State Representative, Sheila Davis, Treasurer
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