Sam Brownback asking Kansas businesses to identify bureaucracy and regulation they don’t want
Kansas lawmakers are making headlines this week for prodding school districts seeking extra state funding to make it known how they have “used efficiencies to improve outcomes in the classroom.”
The 38 school districts that have applied to get a share of a $12 million pie of K-12 aid earmarked for “extraordinary needs,” including those in Olathe and Kansas City, Kansas, have until the close of business on Friday to respond.
Meanwhile, the state is taking a softer line of questioning with Kansas businesses. Kansas business owners this month should expect a letter from Gov. Sam Brownback asking how the state can make life easier for them.
The governor’s office has invited every business on file with the Kansas Secretary of State to take an employer survey that is “targeted to identify possible bureaucracy and outdated or unnecessary regulations that businesses may encounter.”
The survey is a joint effort among Brownback’s office, the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office, the Kansas Department of Administration and something Brownback calls the Office of the Repealer.
We asked Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley for some more context about this survey, but she hasn’t gotten back to us. So we called a toll-free number listed in Brownback’s letter to get some answers. The number takes a caller to the Kansas Department of Labor.
“This survey is basically designed to gauge an employer’s satisfaction with the government,” a polite woman answering the phone told us.
We asked: “If there are regulations that we don’t like, can we make it known in that survey?”
“Yes, absolutely,” the woman at the Kansas Department of Labor said. “That’s what it’s designed for.”
We aren’t a Kansas business, so we couldn’t take the survey. Which means we don’t know if there’s a question about whether businesses in Kansas desire strong school systems and a well-educated workforce.
Here’s the full text of the letter.
The Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors, a group of business men and women appointed by the Governor, has a keen interest in understanding the reality of the current business regulatory environment. They understand that compliance with regulations is important, but duplicate or onerous regulations and requirements can impact a business’s bottom line. To understand this on a factual basis versus an anecdotal basis, the Governor’s Council in concert with the Kansas Secretary of State and Department of Administration Secretary Jim Clark in his capacity as head of the Office of the Repealer, has developed a targeted survey so as to garner this information. The Office of the Repealer and Economic Advisors reached out to the Departments of Labor, Commerce, Agriculture, Health & Environment, and Revenue to prepare the survey. Each agency has provided input and questions to help them evaluate their interaction with businesses. This survey is targeted to identify possible bureaucracy and outdated or unnecessary regulations that businesses may encounter.
Therefore, we request your input and guidance to help us factually understand the true nature of this business component. Please go to https://admin.ks.gov/repealer-survey click the link and enter your survey ID listed below to proceed. In order for you to be able to submit your response, please ensure that you have responded to all the pertinent questions in the survey.
The results will be presented in aggregate so that no individual response will be identifiable in the published results. Responses from employers in all industries and size classes are important to the production of high quality information.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter. Your input can have a direct impact on making Kansas a better place to do business.
Survey ID: Your Businesses’ FEIN number is your Survey ID.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call 866-270-2873
Sam Brownback
Governor of Kansas
