STATE
The 2022 Kansas Legislative Session got off to start with a focus on redistricting, an economic incentive bill, relaxation of worker qualifications for understaffed hospitals and long-term care facilities, and the Governor’s bill to create a 0% state rate for sales and use taxes for sales of food.

Of note is introduction of SB386, created by the KAB and Kansas Press Association and introduced by Senator McGinn. SB386 concerns the Kansas open records act; relating to copies of records; limiting fees charged for copying and staff time; providing for waiver or reduction of such fees. We hope this bill will minimize unreasonable fees from being assessed to Kansas journalists who are reporting on stories in the public’s interest. The bill was referred to the Committee on Transparency an Ethics, and we hope a hearing will be scheduled soon. To that end, we are seeking journalists to provide testimony. If you have experienced unreasonable fees upon a KORA request, please email allison@kab.net.

We are still monitoring the progress of bills which would legalize sports wagering–both House and Senate Federal and State Affairs Committees have held presentations on the topic and hearings will likely occur soon. This initiative failed in the House last session after crossing over from the Senate.

FEDERAL
On the Federal Level, the KAB is gearing up to visit our members of Congress in early March to discuss issues important to our industry. Recently, we have emailed our members’ offices asking them to oppose the American Music Fairness Act which would assess another music licensing fee to broadcasters. Fortunately, 3 out 4 of our House members and 1 of 2 Senators have already co-sponsored the Local Radio Freedom Act–which directly opposes new fees.

Your KAB worked hard in 2021 to advocate for you. Below is a recap of our 2021 FCC Filings. 

• Reject any effort to shift from voluntary to mandatory filing requirements in the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS).
• Expand both the types and numbers of parties charged FCC regulatory fees to include all beneficiaries of FCC services, including large technology companies and equipment manufacturers that benefit from selling devices which use unlicensed spectrum and/or are allowed access to the U.S. market only because they have been FCC-certified.
• Reject the proposed reinstatement of FCC Form 395-B, which requires broadcast stations to report annually to the FCC their employee workforce categorized by race, ethnicity, gender and job category.
• Oppose the FCC’s proposed increase in broadcast regulatory fees for 2021.