By Anna Kaminski, Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson promised to reduce property taxes, streamline government processes and enact anti-abortion and anti-trans legislation in his Wednesday rebuttal to Gov. Laura Kelly’s State of the State address.
In a six-and-a-half-minute prerecorded response, Masterson, whose time as Senate president has aligned with Kelly’s tenure, addressed the governor’s agenda rather than her speech. Masterson, an Andover Republican, promised to work with the Democratic governor and “draw the line against her administration’s more radical policies.”
“While the controversial differences certainly garner the most headlines, the vast majority of our work is bipartisan in nature — and that’s a good thing,” Masterson said of his relationship with Kelly.
Entering a new legislative session this week with expanded supermajorities in both chambers, Republicans have almost unbridled authority to further their own agenda and override the governor’s vetoes. Masterson said the agenda must begin with tax relief.
Republicans have expressed an intention to target property tax reductions to alleviate economic pressures. Kelly, however, has warned Republicans not to do too much, too soon.
“Property taxes can drive our seniors from their homes and prevent younger Kansans from enjoying the dream of home ownership,” Masterson said. “For too long it’s just been a political talking point. We must act.”
He said Republican legislators will work on a constitutional amendment to address tax hikes, simplify the tax code, reduce taxes for Kansans and heed President-elect Donald Trump’s proposal to eliminate taxes on tips.
Commitment to Trump’s agenda expands from there. Masterson encouraged public feedback via the newly established Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, which took inspiration from the incoming president’s new Department of Government Efficiency.
He also expressed “strong support” for Trump’s border security efforts and deportation of immigrants lacking permanent legal status, and he vowed to reintroduce a bill to secure “land around our military installations from foreign adversaries, like China,” which the governor vetoed last year.
As Kelly promised to fully fund public education, Masterson agreed and highlighted Republicans’ desire to move toward “a student-focused system that maximizes opportunities for parents, so their kids have the best chance to succeed and achieve their dreams.” School vouchers are expected to appear in Republican legislation in the coming weeks.
On health care, Masterson implied opposition to Medicaid expansion, which Kelly favors.
“The governor continues to push removing able-bodied adults from private insurance and putting them on the government dole, undoing the progress we’ve made and harming the most vulnerable people for whom the Medicaid safety net was intended,” Masterson said. “We will not let that happen.”
He also expressed interest in reducing the frequency of abortions in the state.
Masterson capped off his speech with criticism of “the extreme trans agenda,” citing last year’s attempt to pass a bill banning gender-affirming care, which he referred to as the “permanent mutilation of minors.”
“Unfortunately, the governor has sided with the radical left on this topic and vetoed the bill, which we were not able to override by two votes,” he said. “You fixed that problem in this last election.”
