Chairwoman Warren opened the hearing on HB2593.
Natalie Scott, Revisor's Office, provided an overview of the bill and stood for questions. (Attachment 1)
Kris Kobach, Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, provided testimony in support of the bill and the amendment he submitted. He stated this will restore the strong, effective protections needed to safeguard Kansas sovereignty and ensure that litigation undertaken by political subdivisions remains within proper constitutional boundaries. (Attachment 2), (Attachment 3)
Mr. Kobach stood for questions, as he had another commitment.
Eric Stafford, President & CEO Kansas Chamber, provided testimony in support of the bill. He stated if a company or industry, has truly caused collective harm to residents of our state, the Attorney General should be the lone voice in acting against those companies. (Attachment 4)
Roger Gibboni, Institute for Legal Reform, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, testified in support of the bill. He stated the Attorney General was elected by the people of Kansas to make precisely these typed of decisions and to act as the State's litigator. To undermine his judgement on these types of State powers issues would be a significant overreach and carry unintended consequences.(Attachment 5)
The remaining proponent conferees stood for questions.
Shannon Kimball, Government Relations Specialist, Kansas Association of School Boards, provided testimony in opposition to the bill. She stated a foundational principle of effective school board governance is local control, a principle deeply rooted in the Kansas Constitution and central to Kansas Association of School Boards member-adopted permanent and annual legislative policies. (Attachment 6)
Blake Shuart, Hutton & Hutton Law Firm, testified in opposition to the bill. He states towns and cities know their own business, and they are heavily accountable to their citizens on issues of local importance. He stated there is no amendment which could be made to this bill to make it beneficial for Kansas municipalities or Kansas citizens. (Attachment 7)
Opponent conferees stood for questions.
Written only opponent testimony was submitted by the following:
Kimberly Svaty on behalf of City of Wichita (Attachment 8)
Joseph Molina on behalf of Kansas Bar Association (Attachment 9)
Ruth French, Sharp Law (Attachment 10)
Michael Fleming, Kapke | Willerth (Attachment 11)
Callie Denton, Executive Director, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association (Attachment 12)
Brandon Henry, Wagstaff & Cartmell (Attachment 13)
Colin Duffy, Deputy City Manager, City of Shawnee (Attachment 14)
John Goodyear, General Counsel, League of Kansas Municipalities, provided neutral testimony for the bill. He stated this bill would require cities to submit certain contingent fee contracts for legal services to the Attorney General for review and approval. As a general matter, the League is concerned that this requirement represents an unnecessary intrusion into local decision-making and limitation on a city's long-standing authority to contract for professional services. We agree that there is room for collaboration and coordination where genuine statewide interests are at stake. (Attachment 15)
Michael Koss, City Attorney, City of Overland Park, provided neutral testimony. He stated that although the City believes the bill is unnecesary, several amendments make in the House Committee on Judiciary improved the legislation. (Attachment 16)
Neutral conferees stood for questions.
Chairwoman Warren closed the hearing on HB2593.