Weekly Legislative Update
This week’s highlights:
Top News - Dysfunction reigned supreme as members of the newly formed Freedom Caucus clashed with Senate leaders over the Republican caucus's priority of initiative petition reform. The Senate floor witnessed fiery exchanges, a historic motion, and a filibuster that left observers wondering who, if anyone, emerged victorious.
Missouri Update - Some good news out of Washington, DC this week as Missouri Congressman Jason Smith, Chairman of the US House Ways & Means Committee, and Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, Chairman of the US Senate Finance Committee, jointly announced an agreement on a $78 billion plan to implement a new child tax credit and extend business tax breaks through 2025.
Kansas Update - The Legislature began its second week of work on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday. Bitter cold temperatures and more snow, however, kept some legislators at home another day, making this another short week. While a few committee meetings were canceled on Tuesday, it was mostly business as usual as lawmakers were eager to fast-track a tax bill to the Governor’s desk by the end of the week.
Additional Highlights - Edunomics Lab is a Georgetown University research center that explores and models complex education finance decisions to inform policymakers.