Kansas Legislative Day

On Wednesday, Jan. 25, KCHBA and other members of the Kansas Building Industry Association (KBIA) gathered in Topeka for Kansas Legislative Day. The afternoon was spent visiting legislators from in and around Johnson County and discussing issues of importance to the housing industry. Notable meetings included Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman, Senator Barbara Bollier, Senator Julia Lynn, Representative Stephanie Clayton, Representative Erin Davis, and more. The HBA made a point to meet with several newly elected legislators such as Representative Tom Cox and Representative Joy Koesten.

The HBA’s immediate priority in the Kansas Legislature is protecting the sales tax exemption on labor as it relates to new construction and residential remodeling. Any addition of a sales tax on labor services would dramatically increase the cost of building a new home, make it more difficult to qualify for mortgage financing, curtail new growth and risk losing business across the state line.

The ability of HBA members to meet with legislators face to face presented a valuable opportunity to discuss the harmful effect that taxing labor would have on Kansas business owners on a personal level. Other topics of discussion included the ongoing labor shortage, the need to fully fund technical education and apprenticeship programs, and curbing unnecessary regulations at the federal level.

In the evening, members attended a reception held by KBIA that was open to all Kansas legislators. There was a strong showing of Senators and Representatives, giving members the chance to continue to build relationships with elected officials who are regularly making decisions that impact the housing industry.