Democrats are accusing Kansas Senate Republicans of political retaliation after their unsuccessful attempt to defund a highway project north of Topeka.
Late on Tuesday night, the budget negotiators of the Senate proposed a proviso to eliminate funding for the proposed expansion of US-75 highway to four lanes north of Holton. This particular area is represented by Senator Dennis Pyle, who hails from Hiawatha and belongs to the Republican party.
During the meeting’s livestream at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Senator Rick Billinger, R-Goodland, put forward the proviso. As this occurred, Senator J.R. Claeys, R-Salina, could be seen smiling and holding up a paper, obscuring his mouth from those attending in person. He then seemed to silently mouth the words, “Pyle, it’s Pyle.”
According to Claeys, the current allocation of funding for Highway 75, which is part of the IKE program, would be shifted to the US-400 project. This reallocation would enable the expansion of US-400, making it a four-lane road from Garden City to the east. The project would be undertaken with a budget of $190 million.
Pyle has been engaged in a longstanding feud with Senate Republican leadership. In 2022, he made the decision to leave the Republican party and ran for governor as an independent. This move was seen as an attempt to divert votes from Republican nominee Derek Schmidt. However, in preparation for the 2024 elections, Pyle has now reconnected with the Republican party. It is expected that there will be a three-way GOP primary for his Senate seat.
According to a text message sent by Jackson County Democrats on Wednesday morning, the action taken by Sen. Pyle is being seen as a retaliation against his defiance of the Republican establishment. This situation is a prime example of the complex nature of politics and the dynamics at play.
The Kansas Department of Transportation, along with Governor Laura Kelly, announced 17 highway projects on March 7. One of these projects is the US-75 highway project, which is part of the development pipeline of the Eisenhower Legacy Transportation Program, also known as IKE.
Seventeen projects across the state amounted to a staggering $932 million.
“More: A $126 million project has been announced to widen the US-75 highway to four lanes north of Holton.”
KDOT’s northeast district office has announced that a total of $186 million will be allocated for various road expansion projects in Kansas. Among these projects, $126 million will be used to expand US-75 to four lanes between Holton and K-20. Additionally, a $25 million project in Johnson County and a $35 million project in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties will further contribute to the region’s infrastructure development.
According to Claeys, Senate Republicans were planning to defund all of them by stripping away $190 million.
According to the regional news release, Kelly expressed her appreciation for Pyle’s long-standing efforts in advancing this project, along with the contributions of local community leaders.
In the news release, Pyle expressed pride in the successful community efforts to raise awareness of transportation needs along the US-75 corridor in northeast Kansas.
According to Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, he expressed his disapproval of legislators allocating funds for specific transportation projects. He then asked Claeys to provide an explanation for the Senate’s insistence on including such a provision. In response, Claeys emphasized that the intention behind this provision was to prioritize the project in southwest Kansas.
According to Claeys, their plan is to prevent the allocation of those dollars to 75 and instead redirect them towards US-400 in southwest Kansas.
Representative Henry Helgerson, a Democrat from Eastborough, inquired about any issues with the US-75 project.
According to Claeys, the senators seemed to prioritize the southwest Kansas highway over the one on 75, raising concerns about the prioritization of different highway projects.
Helgerson emphasized that legislators entrusted the responsibilities to experts at KDOT with the intention of minimizing political involvement.
Claeys expressed strong dissatisfaction with the notion that he is not considered an expert in this field. However, he and his team have conducted extensive research and have concluded that they favor the southwest Kansas project over the one on 75.
Waymaster later declined to accept the proviso, expressing concerns about the potential consequences of legislators making decisions on transportation project funding. He cautioned against “opening Pandora’s box.” However, as negotiations carried on into the late hours of the night, Billinger noted that the Senate remained steadfast and unyielding in their position.
Waymaster criticized the policy, deeming it as terrible.
After several days of deadlock, the impasse persisted when lawmakers reconvened on Wednesday. However, Senate negotiators ultimately reached a consensus to finalize the budget without including that provision.
According to Waymaster, the US-75 highway project is currently in progress. It has a projected cost and the necessary steps, such as obtaining right of ways and easements, have already been taken.
