Back to web version
Voter ID bill sent to Kansas governor
TOPEKA | Lawmakers have passed a bill requiring Kansans to provide photo identification when they vote — starting in 2010 — but some Democrats expect a veto from Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
The governor’s office was noncommittal about House Bill 2019, but Rep. Tom Sawyer of Wichita said he expected Sebelius to veto voter ID as she has in the past.
The bill sailed through the Senate 27-3, but the House vote was 67-56, far short of a veto-proof majority. The legislation exempts people with disabilities, voters 65 and older and active-duty military personnel and their families.
Vehicle fees: It will cost a little more to obtain a license plate or renewal sticker under a bill approved Wednesday.
The bill will add $4 to the current $35 license registration fee starting Jan. 1, raising $10 million next year. It will pay for a new computer system that will do a better job of tracking vehicles.
Sen. Les Donovan, a Wichita Republican, said law enforcement agencies, for example, have a hard time tracking partial license-plate numbers. Also, revenue officials would be able to tell whether someone was attempting to evade registering a vehicle and avoid property tax payments.
Nuclear energy: Lawmakers have sent to the governor a bill allowing utilities to recover from ratepayers the cost of planning for a nuclear-power-generating facility.
The House approved it on a 101-22 vote, and the Senate endorsed it a few minutes later, 29-3.
Supporters say the bill is needed if utilities are going to seriously consider nuclear power. Opponents said it will mean higher bills for customers.
The measure also gives the Kansas Corporation Commission oversight over any nuclear proposal.