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Committee approves Troop C relocation proviso with option to bond; senators debate use of State Highway Fund
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Summary
Senators approved a proviso to fund construction, equipment and relocation of Kansas Highway Patrol Troop C to Salina (roughly $28.6 million) with language offering expenditures from the State Highway Fund or bonding authority; members debated whether SHF or SGF should pay and whether to bond the work.
The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a high-profile proviso to fund construction, equipping and relocation of the Kansas Highway Patrol's Troop C headquarters in Salina, amending the motion to permit either direct expenditure from the State Highway Fund (SHF) or the provision of bonding authority repaid from SHF.
Senator Owens argued building the Troop C facility alongside a new communication center under construction in Salina would save millions by combining construction, architecture and site costs. He proposed deleting a prior $2.4 million allocation for tasers and adding $28.6 million from the State Highway Fund to construct and equip the Troop C headquarters. Opponents cautioned that drawing large sums from SHF could drain funds earmarked for road and bridge projects under the IKE plan; Senator Petty urged the committee to prefer the State General Fund or bonding rather than taking SHF resources.
During debate, several senators suggested bonding as an alternative to preserve cash in the SHF. Senator Owens amended the proviso (with the second's approval) to add bonding authority from SHF as an alternative funding mechanism; the committee voted to approve the amended language. Senator Fagg and others expressed concern about the cumulative effect of multiple transfers and projects on SHF; proponents noted the committee had just added a small fee increase that would put more dollars into SHF.
The committee also approved a separate proviso transferring State Highway Fund dollars to cover a 2.5% pay-progression increase for Highway Patrol employees. A later motion added $505,000 for Highway Patrol cloud/IT mitigation work.
With the proviso passed, committee members said they would continue to discuss project financing choices as the budget moves to conference, including potential bonding terms, amortization schedules and the final source of repayment.
