Post by Logan on May 6, 2016 1:23:58 GMT -6
Senate vice president, who rejected budget deal citing KPERS payment delay, won't seek re-election
A top GOP state senator said he won’t seek re-election, an announcement coming on the heels of the approval of a budget deal he voted against because of concerns over setbacks to the state’s pensions system.
Senate Vice President Jeff King voted against the legislation on Monday. During the vote, he condemned a new plan contained within the deal to further delay a nearly $100 million payment to KPERS.
In a lengthy statement Thursday, King, of Independence, said his 10 years in the Legislature was coming to an end and said the veto session had shown the “harm of putting politics over good government.” He didn’t directly reference the debate over KPERS, but cited disputes over tax breaks for businesses, which he wanted rolled back.
His no vote on the budget put him at odds with the rest of the chamber’s top Republican leadership, as concern mounted that Kansas was, in at least a small way, headed in the wrong direction on its pension system after extensive efforts in the early years of Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration to turn around the underfunded system.
Read more: cjonline.com/news/2016-05-05/senate-vice-president-who-rejected-budget-deal-citing-kpers-payment-delay-wont-seek
A top GOP state senator said he won’t seek re-election, an announcement coming on the heels of the approval of a budget deal he voted against because of concerns over setbacks to the state’s pensions system.
Senate Vice President Jeff King voted against the legislation on Monday. During the vote, he condemned a new plan contained within the deal to further delay a nearly $100 million payment to KPERS.
In a lengthy statement Thursday, King, of Independence, said his 10 years in the Legislature was coming to an end and said the veto session had shown the “harm of putting politics over good government.” He didn’t directly reference the debate over KPERS, but cited disputes over tax breaks for businesses, which he wanted rolled back.
His no vote on the budget put him at odds with the rest of the chamber’s top Republican leadership, as concern mounted that Kansas was, in at least a small way, headed in the wrong direction on its pension system after extensive efforts in the early years of Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration to turn around the underfunded system.
Read more: cjonline.com/news/2016-05-05/senate-vice-president-who-rejected-budget-deal-citing-kpers-payment-delay-wont-seek