Mazzie Boyd – District 2 Capitol Report, February 23, 2023
To the Great Constituents of District 2,
Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.
-Robert Louis Stevenson
This week went by extremely fast due to Presidents Day. The House approved and sent two bills HB 417 and HB 640 & 729 on to the Senate.
HB 417 would allow the Department of Economic Development to award grants to qualifying employers for each employee or prospective employee who obtains upskill credentials. Credentials that could be eligible under the program include manufacturing technology, cybersecurity, blueprint reading, medical assistants, pharmacy technician and medical records coding. Under the bill, the department could award up to $6 million per fiscal year for upskill training. Each employer could receive up to $2,000 for each employee who obtains upskill credentials. The bill would cap the total an employer could receive at $30,000 per fiscal year. This bill also ensures the funding, which is subject to appropriation, is distributed evenly among small, medium, and large employers. It would reserve one-third of the funding for small businesses with up to 50 employees and another third for medium employers with 51 to 200 employees. Any amount that is reserved and not awarded by March 1 of the fiscal year would be issued to any qualifying employer eligible for an award.
HB 640 & 729 helps Kansas City Police Department attract and retain the very best law enforcement personnel by offering better pay to officers and the Chief of Police. The legislation would eliminate the current authorized salary ceiling for the Kansas City police chief and allow the Board of Police Commissioners to establish a salary ceiling by resolution. The bill would also eliminate the existing salary ceilings for police officers, computed according to rank, and empower the board to use the salary minimums as a base in pay ranges for officers in crafting their comprehensive pay schedule program.
Last week, I filed a bill, HB 1159, which would prohibit the state librarian from disbursing funds to libraries that offer obscene/pornographic materials to children. We have to protect children’s innocence at all costs. My bill would also allow the general revenue fund that the Secretary of State disburses to public libraries to be used for maintenance and repair of library facilities. I think this will be a HUGE help to our small libraries that struggle with the maintenance of their buildings.
It’s a pleasure to serve and as always if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to my office at (573) 751-4285 or email me at [email protected].
Some of the things I have helped people navigate this year have been:
- Helping with Unclaimed Property
- Finding Income Taxes
- Dealing with License/Titling Information
- Helping Navigate the Department of Transportation
- Helping with Unemployment Benefits
It’s a pleasure to serve and as always if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to my office at (573) 751-4285 or email me at [email protected].
All my Best,
Mazzie Boyd, State Representative for District 2