Kansas City Democrat concerned about items not included in supplemental appropriations bill

(From Rep. Ingrid Burnett, D-Kansas City)

HB 2014, the Supplemental Budget bill was introduced to a nearly empty chamber on Wednesday after having cleared the Senate earlier in the day, which also passed HB 2456, the Federal Reimbursement Allowance (FRA) bill that morning.

Both were then sent to the Governor on the 8th, and he approved the Supplemental bill on April 10th. 

HB 2014 provides the governor additional spending authority for the remainder of the current fiscal year, which ends June 30. In addition to other purposes, the bill provides $6.32 billion in overall spending authority with $5.6 billion in spending authority related to the pandemic. 

However, only about $2.7 billion of that spending authority is expected to be backed up by actual dollars. The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 28-1 and the House voted 147-4 to send it to the governor. The FRA bill allows hospitals to draw down additional federal funds through the Medicare program. Hopefully, the governor will approve that one as well.

It’s important to note that legislative appropriation provides the state with the legal authority to spend money, and an appropriation doesn’t mean there will be sufficient money in the state treasury to cover the authorized spending. 

By over-appropriating funds anticipated from the recently enacted federal stimulus package the Legislature has provided Gov. Parson flexibility to determine how that money should be allocated within yet-to-be finalized federal guidelines. 

It’s a risky move, but our general consensus was that it was necessary because of the lack of direction from the federal level. It means we will need to be vigilant.

Also, some of the federal money will be used to back-fill state general revenue cuts, particularly for colleges and universities, Parson imposed last week as state revenue collections slow to a trickle with much of the economy shut down due to the pandemic. 

In addition, the excess spending authority will position the administration to spend additional federal dollars that Congress might send to the states in the coming weeks.

What I find particularly alarming about the appropriations in HB 2014 is what is NOT in there. 

Things like appropriations to be used to protect fair and safe voting practices. There also is no allocation for County Health Departments or FQHC facilities like Samuel U Rogers, KC Care Clinic and Swope Health Centers who are responding to the pandemic with testing and treatment. 

There is $1.5M “for distributions of charter school closure refunds” with no guidance of who receives the refund. I was not allowed to offer an amendment over three weeks ago that would have provided a grant stream for schools to contract with food banks to provide meals to students on free and reduced lunch status. There isn’t a stream for rent and mortgage assistance. 

It seems to me that these are things we should have done right up front to provide a safety net until a more structured approach got developed. 

I don’t know what the anticipation of need is for the extra funding for the National Guard, and I pray that it is for help with food distribution, maybe assistance with mobile testing units?

There are good appropriations in this bill also that come from the CARES Act Funding including Community Development Block Grants to get quarantine/treatment/testing/mobile testing, and delivered meals to quarantined people; Suicide Prevention Programs, HIV/AIDS Assistance, Meals and Supportive Services to agencies on aging, Homeless Assistance, and Domestic Violence Victim grant funds. There are more, and I am happy to have conversations and communications with people who wish to know more. Contact me and we can set up a time to have a conversation.