Regents Approve Kansas Higher Ed Tuition Hikes June 19, 2013

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – The Kansas Board of Regents has approved tuition increases at public universities that will have some students paying nearly 9 percent more this fall.

The increases approved Wednesday by the board are expected to raise an additional $34 million during the fiscal year beginning in July.

The universities want to boost faculty salaries and pursue other initiatives, but the increases in tuition also would partially offset cuts in state funding enacted by legislators.

Out-of-state graduate students at Pittsburg State University would see the biggest increase at 8.8 percent. The smallest increase, 3 percent, would be for out-of-state veterinary medical students at Kansas State University.

For undergraduates from Kansas, tuition would rise 7 percent at Kansas State and almost 5 percent at the University of Kansas.

KCC Chief Dumped After Scathing Audit June 14, 2013

The Topeka Capital Journal is reporting the Executive Director of the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), Patti Petersen-Klein, “is no longer employed by the KCC as of today”, according to a KCC spokesman,cited in the article.
The KCC regulates some of the sate’s biggest utilities in Kansas, including electricity, oil and natural gas and phone service.
Last month, the newspaper reported on a management audit that was critical of how KCC operates on a day-to-day basis. In it, auditors reported Peterson-Klein used a management style called “Theory X”.
“Theory X” developed at MIT, assumes employees are naturally lazy and can only be compelled to do their work through if management stays on top of their every move.
The audit reports Petersen-Klein’s management style was hurting KCC employee morale, and leading to some workers leave the agency.
The authors did not think the rift between the Director and the KCC staff could be mended.

Brownback to Sign Tax Cut Package in Johnson County Thursday June 13, 2013

Brownback

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback will be in Johnson County Thursday to sign the contentious tax but bill that tied the Kansas Legislature into knots and forced a lengthy overtime session by lawmakers.
The bill extends the sales tax extension lawmakers approved three years ago, but at a reduced rate.
Governor Brownback wanted the entire extension, keeping the state sales tax rate at 6.3% continued. The republican Governor said the extension was needed to compensate for his tax cuts package enacted in 2012.
Some members of his own party, however, resisted that move.
Some members of the House, in particular, had promised voters they would roll the entire extension back when it expires this summer.
The sales tax rate was to return to 5.7% at the first of July. The compromise that broke the tax cut deadlock drops the sales tax rate to 6.15%.
The Governor also did not get his entire plan of additional tax cuts passed.
Brownback proposed dropping the state’s top tax bracket rate to 3% from 4.9% by 2017
He also proposed lowering the bottom tax rate from 3% to 1.9% by 2016.
Instead, lawmakers reduced the top bracket to 3.9% and the lowers rate to 2.3%
The tax plan raises $777 million. The state, under the plan, would not see revenues drop until 2018.
Although the Governor did not get the plan he sought from the GOP dominated lawmakers, he praised its passage as “a pro-growth budget”.
Brownback also has a signing ceremony set in Wichita today.

Brownback’s Communication Director is Leaving in July June 7, 2013

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s long-time Communications Director is moving on.
Sherriene Jones-Sontag is moving to the Kansas Lottery where she will be Deputy Director. She’ll tyake that job in early July.
Jones-Sontag joined the Brownback for Governor campaign in 2009. Before that she had been in the communications business and was a television reporter in Topeka.
““I am grateful for Sherriene’s hard work and dedication to our administration and the state of Kansas,” Governor Brownback said. “She has been a trusted adviser, and has done a fabulous job leading our administration’s communications team and overseeing the messaging of multiple agencies and commissions”, Brownback said in a news release that came out of Jones-Sontag’s shop.
““It has been a privilege to work for Gov. Brownback and Lt. Gov. Colyer and the citizens of Kansas in the Governor’s office. We have made great progress on the Governor’s road map goals,” she said.
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Kansas Regents Call College Budget Cuts a “Nightmare” June 7, 2013

The Kansas Board of Regents blasted the just-passed budget for state colleges and universities Thursday, according to the Topeka Capital Journal,
The state’s governing board for higher education called the cuts “a public policy nightmare”, according to the report.
Kansas legislators cut almost $22 million dollars from the state’s higher education fund.
That includes a 4.2% to the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
The $4.25 million reduction for the Medical Center is the biggest reduction in dollars.
By percentage, Emporia State’s budget took the biggest hit, 4.8%; or $1.48 million.
Kansas State University funding was cut by 3.5%.
Wichita State’s funding was reduced by 3.1%
The University of Kansas budget got a 2.4% haircut.
“It’s never good public policy to cut higher education,” vice chairman Fred Logan said according to the newspaper. “It’s not a pro-growth budget — that needs to be said.”