A deeply divided Kansas Senate debated the budget throughout the day in caucus and on the floor until Senate Republicans called for a do-over, reverting the bill to near original state and motioning to refer the bill in the most bare form to the Conference committee for final say.
Senate Republicans stood at a strange divide, in which many Republicans found themselves advocating for conference process which may end up putting the senate at the mercy of a small number of negotiators, including their own negotiator, who took time to ridicule the body.
"Stop acting like Children!" exclaimed an exasperated Les Donovan, R-Wichita, "This is ridiculous." Donovan, who chairs the committee in charge of the process noted, "I'm sick of everyone having ideas on this and running off on their own.." in a pointed reference to conservative Republicans Sen. Pyle, Abrams, Melcher and others who have so far resisted Donovan's offerings.
Donovan, who had previously offered proposals over the weekend found them to go down after a 3 hour plus debate 30-9. Now, he will be tasked to represent the sense of the senate in a conference committee.
Jeff Melcher, Republican of Johnson County, took time to point out what he feels are tax inequities in the system. Speaking to an amendment offered by Jacob LaTurner, R-Pittsburg, Melcher argued that the effort was "Stupendous" and backed it whole heartedly, noting the importance of local control over property tax issues. He continued with his ongoing argument over the taxation of farm properties.
Senator McGinn, (R-Sedgewick County), noted that she was unsure of where Sen. Melcher came to the assumption that farmers paid no taxes, which immediately brought Melcher to rise "Ok, fine.. you avoid 98.8% of all taxes, so I will commend you for paying the 1.2% of the taxes normal people would pay."
While Sen. Melcher, Sen. Smith, Sen. Abrams and Sen. Pyle spoke against the motion to amend and pass to a conference committee from a conservative viewpoint, their key argument in the end was not necessarily wrong.
The Kansas Senate concluded on a budget which addresses $33M of the $400M expected shortfall. "How do you expect a $33M cork to fill a $ 400M hole?" challenged Melcher. His key point was clear: the senate by moving forward toward conference committee was sending in a bill which failed to meet any of the constitutional requirements and any legislation that would move to the floor would be untested and force a first time final action vote.
Melcher, who has needled Sen. Donovan and the plans from the beginning - commenting yesterday that the plans and forced action seemed like a last minute pitch from a used car salesman late at night (Donovan is a car dealer); and today followed that up with the assertion that the bill as it stands is a "lemon" that is likely to break down before the year is complete, leaving the body to walk to get to where they are going.
Invoking communist car makers and failed vehicles, Melcher challenged point by point the assertion that the Senate conferees were in any way prepared to represent the sense of the senate.
On this point, Melcher - despite disagreements of many - had a clear argument that mattered. Sen. Bruce (R-Reno County), the Majority Leader, argued that he accepted Melcher's point but would vote "YES" anyway, noting that if they didn't like what came back from conference committee they could vote "NO" on final action.
A vote "NO" on a conference report would start everything all over, and likely leave the body further away than they stand now.
The motion to move to conference proceeded 21-18, however final action on the bill has not yet occurred. In a joke to the body, Sen. Donovan noted on final reports that he had not yet met with his conference committee, leading one of the "NO" Republicans to hurredly note that without final action, Sen. Donovan had no such authority to make those comments or to engage a conference committee in any way until a vote was taken.
The vote is scheduled for tomorrow morning, 10 AM after a technical amendment. They will require 21 votes to close and move to a conference committee.
Democrats and hardened conservatives remain "no" votes for different reasons - while Republicans looking to get out of town voted "YES".
The senate will need those 21 votes to pass a conference committee report in whole in order to seal a budget that can be signed by the governor. The close vote to send to conference may signal that there aren't enough members with a clear belief they have any ownership in this bill to vote "YES" for the expected tax increases that will come along with the conference Report.
Both House Rep Ryckman (R-Olathe) and Sen. Donovan (R-Wichita) have advanced varying plans with tax initiatives that have been considered and refused by overwhelming numbers in the senate. In order for the conference committee to succeed, members in both bodies must view Rep. Ryckman and Sen. Donovan as fair brokers of the sense of both bodies - and right now, the sense of the senate is a magic 8-ball that only reads "unsure: try again later".
Tue Jun 02, 2015 at 8:07 PM PT: Tomorrow night: AMA StateHouse Edition
Tomorrow night, through Twitter & DailyKos we are holding an "Ask me Anything" edition of Kansas Statehouse.. If you need an answer from a representative or senator, I'll try to run it down, but mostly anything you want to know from the floor about the session and the current budget issues.