Legislative Platform
2002 LEGISLATIVE POSITIONS
(Approved by the Board of Directors,
December 18, 2001)
The Olathe Chamber of Commerce works with its member
businesses, the City of Olathe and the Olathe School
District in pursuit of a common vision for the Olathe
community. The Chamber and its partners support a full
service community with a diversified tax base, full
employment and exceptional quality of life. The Chamber
and its partners believe that this vision is best achieved
by effectively funding targeted economic development
activities, efficient municipal services and
infrastructure and quality schools. Although the Chamber
sets legislative priorities on an annual basis, prior to
each session of the Legislature, it relies on this vision
as a basis both for its own activities and advocacy of
governmental action.
The Chamber supports the efforts of the following
entities and generally concurs with their legislative
platforms.
- Olathe School District 233
- City of Olathe Platform
For up-to-date information about the
Legislature's actions, click
here.
Top Priority Legislative Objectives
The chamber will take a primary role in
actively promoting these issues.
- Support continued investment in quality education
The Chamber believes that a high quality public
education system is a building block for economic
development. The Legislature should remain committed to
providing adequate school funding from the state general
fund. The Chamber recognizes the recommendations of the
school finance Coalition, Governor’s Task Force and
the State Board of Education’s Task Force as a
starting point for improving the school finance formula
and funding for education. Further, it is important to
recognize differences among the 305 school districts in
Kansas. The Chamber supports flexibility in local school
district governance as a way of accommodating at least
some of these differences.
- Support review of state highway funding to include
support for crucial Olathe projects
The Chamber supports implementation of the 1999
Comprehensive Transportation Plan. It also seeks a
review of funding for current projects so that excess
allocations can be used for Olathe projects. Located
on the I-35 corridor and positioned as one of the
state’s fastest growing cities, Olathe has earmarked
two projects as critical to address its growth: a new
interchange at 159th St./I-35 and an overpass at 127th
St./I-35. These two projects are essential to
alleviate congestion on and around the I-35 corridor
and accommodate growth not only in Olathe, but
throughout the metropolitan area and the region. The
Chamber further supports allocation of any available
federal, state, and county funding for these projects.
- Support dedication of Lottery Revenues to Economic
Development Initiatives Fund (EDIF)
The Chamber supports continued dedication of
lottery revenues to EDIF for the purpose of supporting
measurable statewide economic development projects and
programs.
- Support improved funding for state tourism promotion
To compete successfully with Nebraska, Iowa,
Arkansas, and Oklahoma for tourism, it is important for
the State of Kansas to increase its funding of
advertising that attracts visitors to Kansas. The
Chamber supports legislation that improves such funding
while maintaining a careful balance in other areas of
the budget.
- Support legislation that will improve collection of
local taxes
The Olathe community has experienced problems in
recent years with the enforcement of the transient guest
tax and with the allocation of retail sales tax. To
minimize the loss of tax dollars, we support legislation
to improve collection of taxes on the local level.
- Support health care initiatives
The Chamber recognizes the importance of health care
to Kansas employers and residents and supports each of
the below-listed items for an enhanced health care
delivery system in Kansas.
- Review of KHIA risk pool and proposed action to
establish business/health care partnerships in
support of long term stability.
- Legislation providing for medical savings accounts
(sometimes referred to as medical IRAs) and
continued exploration of health care cost
containment methods such as the current Medicaid
managed care pilot programs and health care
purchasing cooperatives for small employers.
- Repeal of the Collateral Source Rule to allow
presentation of evidence of a plaintiff’s existing
medical coverage in a court case involving injury.
- Careful scrutiny of any legislation, which would
expand, mandated benefits or limit a health plan’s
ability to be selective in choice of providers.
- Review proposed activity of Business Health
Partnership to encourage the use of the private
insurance industry versus the creation of additional
government bureaucracy in offering health insurance
alternatives to small business employers.
Additionally, the Chamber will monitor legislature
pertaining to the privacy of patient information and
the establishment of state standards in this area. The
Chamber recognizes the potential impact of this issue
on its members.
STANDING POSITIONS
Ongoing Legislative Priorities the
Chamber will continue to monitor and support
- Support import/export assistance
To encourage Kansas companies to establish and increase
export sales, the Chamber recommends consideration of
changes and additions to state export assistance and
incentive programs including but not limited to the
following:
- Expansion of trade show assistance to include
other types of marketing programs
- Training and counseling on exporting to various
markets
- Income tax credits based on increases in export
sales
- Continued support of the Department of Commerce
and Housing in hosting trade missions and shows
- Direct and indirect financing support of export
receivables through lender guarantees
- ISO 9000 training and certification support to
help meet requirements of many foreign customers
- Dollar amounts of incentive programs be generally
related to income taxes generated
Oppose concealed weapons
The Chamber opposes any initiatives to authorize the
carrying of concealed weapons in Kansas.
Support reduction of personal property taxes on
business machinery and equipment
Because it significantly hinders economic
development, discourages needed investments in new
technology, and limits competitiveness, the Chamber
supports a phased reduction in personal property taxes
on business machinery and equipment, achieved through
rate reductions, tax credits or by increasing the tax
"floor" and balanced against needs of local
governments to maintain stable tax structures.
Oppose unfunded State mandates
The Chamber opposes legislation that hampers local
units of government in their response to taxpayers’
needs. Unfunded mandates place unjustified financial
burdens on local jurisdictions.
Support economic development initiatives
The Chamber supports the initiatives that provide a
better climate for business and industry and enhance
economic development efforts in Kansas.
Oppose restrictions on tax abatements
Although the Chamber agrees that tax abatements
should be used with discretion, this important economic
development tool should remain an option for Kansas
cities. The Chamber opposed legislation that would place
unreasonable restrictions on the use of tax abatements.
Support tax increment financing
The Chamber supports legislation that would continue
to improve the state’s tax increment financing law,
especially legislation that simplifies and streamlines
the use of this important economic development.
Oppose spending lids for state and local government
The Chamber urges a thorough review of the state
budget and strongly urges fiscal restraint. The Chamber
opposes a constitutional spending lid amendment for
state and local governments. A spending cap would deter
infrastructure improvements and impede government’s
ability to respond appropriately to growth and economic
development.
Oppose repeal of state sales tax on food
The Chamber opposes repealing the state sales tax on
food because of the negative fiscal impact it would have
on local government. Repealing this tax narrows the tax
base and could result in tax increases in other areas.
Oppose expansion of legalized gambling
For long-range economic stability in the state of
Kansas, the Chamber opposes expanding legalized gaming
activities in the state of Kansas.
Support formulation of statewide energy policy
The Chamber encourages the careful formulation of a
comprehensive statewide energy policy to address issues
related to retail wheeling, natural gas, and wind energy
and the impact on tax revenues.
Support existing Worker’s Compensation Legislation
The Chamber opposes changes in the current
legislation because overall the current system works
well and changes to the system could have a significant
detrimental affect on Kansas businesses.
Support funding for the historic Mahaffie Stagecoach
Stop and Farm
The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop and Farm—the last
existing stagecoach stop on the Santa Fe Trail open to
the public—is a significant historical attraction for
northeast Kansas. The Chamber supports legislation to
provide funding to preserve and enhance the Mahaffie
site as both an important regional tourist attraction
and a site of great historic value.
Copyright © 2004 Olathe Chamber of Commerce
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