There is nothing quite like seeing a sore loser in action, especially when this sore loser is threatening to put the citizens and the future of Kansas at risk.

Today the Kansas Senate voted to keep a new version of Brownback’s tax plan in committee in order to seek further compromise between the House and Senate and create a fiscally responsible bill that will not completely bankrupt the state like the current version which is sitting on Brownback’s desk right now.

However the House has refused to go any further in negotiations leaving the future of our great state hanging in the balance.

After not getting his way time and time again this legislative session Governor Brownback has threatened to sign the reckless $4.5 Billion dollar tax cut for businesses and rich Kansans and now he has a choice to make.

The tax cut will absolutely destroy Kansas as we know it – leaving a $2.7 Billion crater in the budget by 2018 – and the only person who can stop it is Sam Brownback.

Schools, highways, prisons, services for the elderly and disabled…all suffered deep cuts over the last several years that will never be restored if the Governor signs this bill. State employee pay will suffer. 

Unless Sam Brownback vetoes this tax cut.

And while businesses and rich Kansans enjoy their income tax cuts the rest of Kansas will see property and sales taxes go up and up and up.

Governor Brownback’s office can be reached by calling 877-579-6757. Tell him to veto the reckless tax cut bill HB 2117. 

The labor movement has a long, proud history of standing up for fair and equal treatment for all workers. Marriage equality is a union issue, an economic justice issue, and a social justice issue.

Same-sex couples take a financial hit because their relationships aren’t recognized under federal law; they have less ability to care for and support their families in times of need; and it is a social justice issue, in recognizing equality for LGBT people.
As the Massachusetts state supreme court found in 2004, addressing the disparities between civil union and civil marriage, “Separate is seldom, if ever, equal.”

Federal laws grant 1,138 rights, benefits and responsibilities triggered by the word “marriage”. Many people may be unaware that same-sex couples receive disparate rights and benefits under current law – both because of lack of marriage rights at the state level, but also because of the federal DOMA or so-called Defense of Marriage Act.

Regardless of state laws, the federal DOMA means that same-sex couples are denied:
 Pension benefits for their surviving spouse/partner
 Social security survivor benefits
 FMLA or bereavement leave for their same-sex partner
 The right to sponsor their spouse / partner for immigration

State DOMA laws have also been used to undermine collective bargaining, such as in Michigan when the DOMA law was used to try to bar fairly-negotiated domestic partner benefits. (‘Designated beneficiary” language is now often used to eliminate or at least limit the DOMA issues.)

In addition, same-sex couples must pay federal taxes on health care benefits for their spouse or domestic partner – because their relationships are not recognized under federal law. So even in states with marriage equality, those couples may file jointly at the state level and then must file as individuals at the federal level.

Issues with the Fire Administration have been multiplying over the past few years, as the Wichita Fire Administration has violated it’s Memorandum of Agreement with IAFF on multiple occasions. Other issues include giving significant raises to select members of his key staff, during a time where units were taken out of service due to alleged lack of funding.  Removing Training Officers and creating civilian positions that are inconsistent with the best interests of Citizen Safety, making numerous decisions against the direction of the City Manager and City Council, making serious errors in the promotional process, and having misplaced budget priorities.

Stand with Wichita’s firefighters! Click here to read the original article and email your city council member to tell them you also have no confidence in the current Fire Administration.

The Kansas Legislature has reached its 90th Day…the last day of the session. Of course they haven’t passed a budget yet. And they haven’t passed new legislative district boundaries yet.

So seeing as they are still here, the Kansas Chamber is marshalling their forces and rallying support among legislators for their newest attack on Kansas families: the Price Gougers Protection Act (HB 2797).

Kansas law protects you today against out-of-state or even foreign corporations fixing prices on everything you buy from gasoline to bread and milk to shoes and clothes.

The Chamber’s Price Gougers Protection Act would strip you of your right to take on price fixers as part of a class along with other Kansans being screwed by these unseupulous companies.

Price fixing is cheating. It hurts you and working familes because everything you buy could eventually end up costing you more so that some out-of-state company can squeeze even more of a profit out of your pocket.

Price fixing also hurts local Kansas businesses who play by the rules. It protects them against anti-competitive shenanigans from companies who only see Kansas as a place to pad their bottom line and could care less for the people and families who call it Home.

While we had hoped to bring you news today on a budget agreement we are now watching another one of the Kansas Chamber’s underhanded and devious legislative attacks that will let corporations walk away with even more of your paycheck and threatens honest and fair Kansas businesses at the same time.

Last night we told you about the unprecedented procedural moves by Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal and House conservatives that sent HB 2117, a massive corporate tax break bill, to Governor Brownback for his signature.

Reactions to HB 2117 from press, lawmakers and analysts statewide have painted a grim picture for the future of Kansas.

“Wednesday’s tax-cut duel under the dome made it official: The legislative process in Topeka is bankrupt. Soon the state could be, too.” Wichita Eagle, Political Thuggery, May 10, 2012

“Passage of the plan set off a firestorm of complaints that the tax package would leave gaping holes in the state budget and lead to severe cuts in services.” Kansas City Star, Kansas House passes $3.7 billion tax-cut plan, May 10, 2012

“As the House speaker passed a tax-cut bill that promises to wreck the state’s finances, he also junked the legislative process. First O’Neal blocked any debate on the specifics of a bill so significant as to end 80 years of balanced tax policy. Then he even cut off lawmakers’ explanation of their votes.” Wichita Eagle, Political Thuggery, May 10, 2012

“It sends our state to hell in a handbasket. It’s a travesty, it’s just terrible tax policy.” Sen. Anthony Hensley, Senate Minority Leader, Topeka

“The bill headed for his [Gov. Brownback's] desk would leave the state $2.7 billion in the red in 2017 and undermine efforts to restore state funds cut in recent years from K-12 schools and social services.” Wichita Eagle, Political Thuggery, May 10, 2012

“If you look at that kind of deficit, it would be devastating to education, to corrections, to our social services, go on down the list,” Sen. Steve Morris, Senate President, Hugoton

“This is a story about public schools not getting their cuts restored, people dying on the waiting list because there’s no money, public safety at risk when we’re already shipping prisoners all over the state. This is about the people of Kansas being put at risk.” Rep. Jim Ward, Wichita

So what does all this mean for you?

1. Less money for education means fewer teachers and overcrowded classrooms.
2. Property and sales taxes statewide are going to go up dramatically.
3. Higher taxes make it harder for families living paycheck to paycheck to make ends meet.

The impact of this reckless plan will put Kansas at risk for years to come, and does absolutely nothing to help the hard working Kansas families in our state.

HB 2117 passed yesterday afternoon on a roll call vote 64 – 59. Below is the break down of the vote.


Yeas: Alford, Arpke, Boman, Brown, Bruchman, Brunk, Burgess, Calloway, Carlson,Collins, Crum, DeGraaf, Denning, Donohoe, Fawcett, Garber, Goico, Goodman,Gordon, Gregory, Grosserode, Hayzlett, Hedke, Hermanson, Hildabrand, Hoffman, C.Holmes, M. Holmes, Howell, Huebert, Kelley, Kerschen, Kiegerl, Kinzer, Kleeb, Knox,Landwehr, Mast, McLeland, Meigs, Mesa, Montgomery, O’Brien, O’Hara, O’Neal,Osterman, Patton, Peck, Powell, Prescott, Rhoades, Rubin, Ryckman, Scapa, Schwab,Schwartz, Seiwert, Siegfreid, Smith, Suellentrop, Tyson, Vickrey, Weber, B. Wolf.


Nays: Aurand, Ballard, Bethell, Billinger, Bowers, Brookens, Burroughs, Carlin,Cassidy, Colloton, Davis, Dillmore, Feuerborn, Finney, Flaharty, Frownfelter, D.Gatewood, S. Gatewood, Gonzalez, Grange, Grant, Henderson, Henry, Hill, Hineman,Johnson, Kelly, Kuether, Lane, Loganbill, Mah, McCray-Miller, Meier, Moxley, Otto,Pauls, Peterson, Phelps, Phillips, Pottorff, Proehl, Roth, Ruiz, Schroeder, Shultz,Slattery, Sloan, Spalding, Swanson, Tietze, Trimmer, Victors, Ward, Wetta, Williams,Winn, K. Wolf, Wolfe Moore, Worley.

In a series of unprecedented procedural moves today Kansas House Speaker Mike O’Neal and House conservatives sent a massive corporate tax break to Governor Brownback for his signature.

The tax break specifically exempts all business income passed through on individual income tax returns by corporations large and small.

Meanwhile, the poorest Kansans will actually see a tax increase.

Not that details like those were actually discussed on the House floor as Speaker O’Neal shut down debate abruptly and even refused to let some House Democrats explain their votes.

But the impact of this reckless plan will reach far beyond the offshore accounts wealthiest Kansans and the executive boardrooms of the Kansas corporations. After Governor Brownback signs this bill the other shoe will drop. Under this plan Kansas is projected to be billions of dollars in the hole within three years.

So in order to cut $3.7 Billion out of the budget before 2018 to give away in tax cuts 40% of the State General fund will be cut.

Public education will be gutted, costing teachers their jobs, forcing more schools to close and increasing class sizes for Kansas children.

State agencies will be slashed, costing state employees their jobs and asking those who remain to do more – and serve more Kansans – with dramatically less.

And absolutely nothing in this tax bill will address the tax that impacts more working families than any other: property tax. In fact this tax bill guarantees that property and sales taxes will go up across Kansas.

Look-up your representative below and find out how they voted on this tax giveaway to corporations and wealthy Kansans.

Governor Brownback is missing the point. If he wanted to cut taxes for EVERY Kansan he would be pushing for property tax relief.

But he doesn’t want to cut your taxes. His idea of a tax cut will actually cause your tax bill to go up.

And it comes at the expense of the schools that you and families in your community depend on. It puts even more of our most vulnerable at risk. It means state workers won’t see a decent paycheck any time soon.

Contact your legislator today and tell them to support tax relief for ALL Kansans. Tell them to focus on property tax relief, and to forget about Brownback’s income tax cuts that will cost most Kansans more than they pay today.

ENTER A KANSAS ADDRESS TO FIND YOUR REPS.

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Kim Bobo, the Executive Director of Interfaith Worker Justice reminds us “Workers are an integral part of the fabric of our congregations and communities, yet too many barely make ends meet or are living in poverty. As people of faith, we are called to fight for worker justice and make sure all workers have access to jobs that pay a living and just wage.”

Kim will be in Wichita on May 16 speaking at University United Methodist Church, N. Yale and 21st Street, at 3:00 p.m. Please join us.

Interfaith Worker Justice and its affiliates around the country are leading efforts to stop wage theft, educate workers on workplace safety and push for the creation of just jobs. We need your help to carry out this work. You can make a contribution to Interfaith Worker Justice Kansas. Mail your check to IWJKansas, 5214 Pembrook Circle, Wichita, KS 76220. Thank you.

Rev. David Hansen, PH.D.
Executive Director/Organizer
Interfaith Worker Justice Kansas

Last week we went to a meeting.  In our meeting we sat down with a representative of the Senate leadership, Kansas Sec. of Labor Karin Brownlee, representatives for several business interests (such as the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas NFIB, Kansas SHRM) and representatives of multiple Unions. The purpose of our meeting was to first provide some understanding as to the need for this bill, and second to see if any compromise could be made between Brownlee/ the business community and the representatives of workers on SB 413.

As a reminder SB 413 is another version of Brownback Secretary of Labor Karin Brownlee’s court-packing scheme (Hb 2531). It gives employers 5 members of the 7 member nominating committee for work comp and UI judges, the 6th member is a “public employee representative” hand picked by the Sec. of Labor and the 7th is the Kansas AFL-CIO.  Which means at best, when a pro-worker Sec. of Labor is in office, the nominating commission is stacked 5 to 2 against workers and in the current climate it would be 6 to 1. The proposed court packing scheme does not even attempt to display fairness. It is a pure political power grab that will have devastating consequences on the integrity of the workers compensation system and the unemployment system.

The current system for the selection of the Appeals Board members for workers compensation has been in effect since 1993.  Essentially, when vacancies occur, the Kansas Chamber and Kansas AFL-CIO meet and send a nominee to the Secretary of Labor.  The appointment is for four years, and the Appeals Board members are permitted to reapply.  The system worked so well that it was extended for the selection of Administrative Law Judges, or ALJs.

Brownlee’s argument for this change to the current balanced process is that “organized labor only represents 7.6% of workers” (The Kansas DOL later tweeted 10.1% so there seems to be some interbal confusion on the facts, no surprise there).  Brownlee feels that business interests should also have an opportunity to represent their employees in a system where the employee is making a claim against said business. While Brownlee’s logic is interesting, it’s completely wrong. Here’s the facts.

Kansas is a right to work state.  Which means Unions are lawfully mandated to represent all workers in any type of negotiations, whether that worker is a dues paying member or not they are represented by the Union. You can’t have it both ways and say that Unions only represent 7.6% (or 10.1%) of the workforce while lawfully mandating them to represent everyone. Every worker is a member, dues paying or otherwise.

Brownlee attempted to make an appeal about other Union organizations not being represented in the process. Specifically asking “What about the communications workers? Don’t they deserve a voice in this?”  Come to find out Brownlee didn’t actually know that CWA is a member of the AFL-CIO or even know what the AFL-CIO is, she had no idea that the AFL-CIO is a Union of Unions. Interesting.

A few thing were made abundantly clear in the meeting.

1) There would be no compromise, Brownlee quickly shut down that possibility, she wants SB 413 to come flying out of committee just as she wrote it, ensuring that Kansas workers won’t have a fair shot for years to come.

2) The Kansas Secretary of Labor, going into her 2nd year on the job, had no idea what the AFL-CIO is. Only further showing that since Brownlee took office the Kansas Department of Labor hasn’t represented a single worker’s interest and has only been catering to the Kansas Chamber’s extremist anti-worker agenda.

3) Brownlee and the other business representatives in the room failed to name a single issue with the current process. SB 413 is a solution in search of a problem that doesn’t exist.

Yesterday the Kansas Legislature returned for the final part of the Legislative session with a lot left to do. Including passing a budget, drawing the district maps fot this year’s elections and let’s not forget the conference committee of SB 416 (which you can read about here) that we will be keeping you up to date on in the near future.

Every year in late April, the unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew our efforts for safe workplaces.  This year we the struggle continues to create good jobs in this country that are safe and healthy and to ensure the freedom of workers to form unions and, through their unions, to speak out and bargain for respect and a better future.  It’s time for our country to fulfill the promise of safe jobs for all.

Four decades ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, promising every worker the right to a safe job.  Unions and our allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality—winning protections that have made jobs safer, saved hundreds of thousand of lives and prevented millions of workplace injuries and illnesses.

But our work is not done.  Many job hazards are unregulated and uncontrolled.  Some employers, like Massey Energy and BP, cut corners and violate the law, putting workers in serious danger and costing lives. Each year thousands of workers are killed and millions more injured or diseased because of their jobs.

The Obama administration has moved forward to strengthen protections with tougher enforcement on serious violators and proposed new safeguards for workplace hazards.  But business groups and the Republican majority in the U.S. House of Representatives are attacking these stronger measures, falsely claiming they kill jobs. They are pushing legislation to make it difficult, if not impossible, to issue needed safeguards to protect workers and the public.

We cannot and will not let them turn back the clock and destroy the progress we have made to make jobs safer and save lives. Safety laws and regulations don’t kill jobs—but unsafe jobs do kill workers.

Please join the Wichita / Hutchinson Labor Federation as we commemorate Workers Memorial Day with our annual dinner on Thursday April 19th, 6pm at the Machinist Hall – 3830 S. Meridian, Wichita. We will have a free catered dinner from Stroud’s Fried Chicken as we remember those Kansas Workers who lost their lives on the job and renew our commitment to fight for good, SAFE, jobs.