TOPEKA — A fledgling association of construction contractors led by two political lobbyists is developing a plan to persuade the Kansas Legislature to make an unprecedented seven-year, $315 million investment to shrink the academic building repair backlog at the state’s six public universities.
Without official endorsement of the campaign by the Kansas Board of Regents, lobbyists Ed McKechnie and David Kensinger have worked behind the scene to enlist commercial contractors and an assortment of subcontractors to christen the University Contractors Association of Kansas. This newfound association would finance the partners’ lobbying at the Capitol while they seek passage of a $45 million per year plan to address antiquated, wrong-sized academic buildings on campuses in Manhattan, Lawrence, Wichita, Hays, Emporia and Pittsburg.
The state Board of Regents is standing by its request that the 2022 Legislature appropriate an extra $25 million annually to chase building maintenance, rehabilitation and demolition projects at the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University and Emporia State University.
The proposal being shopped by the budding association of contractors, according to an internal association memo, would culminate in a $1.2 billion investment in upgrading campus facilities. The plan calls for the cost to be covered by addition of legislative appropriation, a surge in contributions by universities and growth of an existing statewide property tax levy dedicated to building needs.
The memorandum said the association’s strategy was to secure $45 million annually in new state funding for seven consecutive years during the legislative session starting in January. The six universities would be expected to contribute matching funds of $45 million annually for seven years from either tuition or endowed giving.
That total would be combined with a minimum of $45 million per year from the Educational Building Fund, or EBF, which has provided university building maintenance support through a 1 mill property tax. The EBF is expected to grow to $53 million within 10 years. In years eight, nine and 10 of the program, the universities would increase their self-funded building maintenance budgets to match whatever was produced by the EBF.
Bottom line of the association’s blueprint: $1.28 billion for university building upgrades through 2032.
“If you’re going to get something passed, this is probably the year to get it done,” said McKechnie, a lobbyist from the Pittsburg area who served as a Democrat in the Kansas House and as a member of the state Board of Regents. “We’re looking for a few legislators to begin that conversation.”
His preference for action during the 2022 session was based on awareness of the state government sitting on approximately $1 billion in federal economic and coronavirus relief funding. At the same time, Kansas’ tax collections have surpassed expectations to the extent that Republicans and Democrats have been preparing to debate tax cuts.
Lukewarm response
McKechnie formed the bipartisan university lobbying partnership with Kensinger, who served as a campaign manager and chief of staff to Sam Brownback when the GOP lawmaker sought and won election as governor and U.S. senator. Both operate lobbying firms.
A brief profile of McKechnie said one of his achievements was helping the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association secure $3,500 annual tax credits for every mile of railroad track maintained by Watco, his former employer. In 2008, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts won re-election and declared Kensinger the Kansas GOP’s “pit bull without lipstick, whose expertise in this new and very different world of political campaigns is unrivaled.”
In an interview, McKechnie said about 10 contracting companies with a vested interest in commercial-scale multimillion-dollar projects at state universities had been approached about joining the association’s single-issue bid to land state funding for university building maintenance. He didn’t identify those companies, but the list appeared to include the heating, ventilation and air conditioning company Trane Technologies. Documents outlining the association’s agenda contained the Trane name and logo on the pages.
That association memo said six subcontractors had signed on to the university lobbying approach modeled after Economic Lifelines, a coalition of companies and organizations supportive of comprehensive state transportation program spending.
Some companies solicited by the lobbying duo have been reluctant to join, including J.E. Dunn Construction, McCownGordon Construction and Hutton Construction.
