Committee on General Government Budget advances most agency budgets, delays ethics commission decision

The Committee on General Government Budget voted to advance the budgets for a number of small state agencies and deferred action on the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission after members asked staff to research how the commission’s fines are handled.

The committee approved, by voice vote, budget recommendations for the Board of Barbering; the Kansas Board of Cosmetology; the Judicial Council; the Kansas Dental Board; the Kansas Human Rights Commission; the Board of Examiners for fitting and dispensing hearing instruments; the Office of Administrative Hearings; the Board of Examiners in Optometry; the Pooled Money Investment Board; the Real Estate Appraisal Board; and the Kansas Real Estate Commission. Most motions to “accept the budget as presented” were made by individual representatives, seconded, and passed without recorded roll-call tallies.

Representative Turk praised the new cosmetology director during the cosmetology item, saying, “She’s earned some some some grace, and I think that the budget as presented should be passed out,” and moved to advance that agency’s budget. That motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Members pressed staff for clarification on technical points during several items. Representative Picker noted that statutes require printing certain professional certificates and suggested the committee refer that statutory issue to the legislative modernization committee so agencies could digitalize certificates when permitted. Staff and members agreed to add that request to committee comments.

Discussion around the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission (often called Kansas Ethics) proved the most substantive. Representative Reilly asked whether fines levied by the commission had been transferred to the State General Fund, saying the point had come up in prior years and expressing concern that a fee-funded commission might have an incentive to pursue fines. “I do not want this agency, this commission to be making money on fines,” Representative Reilly said. Committee staff said their understanding was that fines had been moved to the State General Fund in prior discussions but that the record was not clear in committee briefing materials.

Because the committee lacked a clear, cited answer in the briefing, the committee’s reviser recommended waiting so staff could research and report back. Representative Turk moved to postpone the Public Disclosure Commission budget decision to tomorrow to allow that research; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote, delaying final action on that single agency.

The meeting concluded after members confirmed the day’s approvals and the chair adjourned the committee. The committee is scheduled to resume consideration of the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission budget at its next sitting when staff can report on the reviser’s findings.