From her E-News Letter
On the House FloorMotions to Concur or NonConcur
To convene a conference committee, the House must vote to concur or nonconcur on the Senate’s
Uber employs ordinary people to provide transportation services similar to taxis, but more efficient and affordable. Many legislatures are dealing with this entrepreneurial effort due to liability and safety issues. H Sub SB 117 requires Uber (and Lyft) drivers to carry $1,000,000 in insurance coverage and pass a background check. When background checks are required by statute, they must be conducted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, at a cost of $42 each.
Uber sent an alert to its Kansas subscribers to oppose these requirements and so many emails were sent to legislators that it crashed the state system and it took a day or two to get back to normal. I received thousands of emails on this subject, let alone the emails I receive on other issues in a given day. I was happy to hear from everyone – after all, the most important part of my job is to listen to and communicate with my constituents.
The bill passed the House 107-16 and the Senate 35-2 and is on its way to the governor’s desk. We want our state to be attractive to small business and we spend a lot of time and energy encouraging entrepreneurship. However, this bill is a perfect example of how legislatures are not flexible to the fast-changing needs of an entrepreneurial economy. I voted NO.
