RESOLUTION NO. 7109

Opposition to SB 212/HB 2096

WHEREAS, The City of Lawrence, Kansas was founded in 1854 in an effort to keep the Kansas territory free from slavery.  The city has a rich history in regards to protecting the rights of its citizens, and;

WHEREAS, The City of Lawrence, Kansas has an elected Governing Body consisting of five duly elected Lawrence Citizens who serve on the City Commission, with one of its members acting as the mayor.  The Governing Body passes resolutions and ordinances, establishes policies for the City, approves the budget and hires the City Manager, and; 

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Governing Body of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, not to come under the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4321 et. seq., generally known as the Kansas Public Employee Employer Relations law, and; 

WHEREAS, the Governing Body of the City of Lawrence fully subscribes to the precept of Home Rule as delineated in Article XII, Section 5 of the Kansas Constitution, in that employee relations are most suitably conducted at the local level, and;

WHEREAS, The City of Lawrence has operated under city resolution 6817 for over 30 years.  The resolution grants certain rights to its employee groups, Lawrence Police Officers’ Association (LPOA) and the International Association of Firefighters Local 1596 (IAFF Local 1596) to negotiate in good faith, wages, benefits and working conditions.  These agreements have been documented in a Memorandum of Understandings, which bind the city and the employee groups to an agreement for a specific time period.

NOW, THEREFORE, it is the belief of this Governing Body of the City of Lawrence, Kansas that if Kansas SB 212/HB 2096 were to pass and be signed into law by the Governor of Kansas it would directly interfere with the duty of the Governing Body of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, which is to provide services to the citizens of Lawrence, Kansas by and through its employees, and may compromise the “powers and authority” granted to it by Article XII, Section 5, part d, of the Kansas Constitution, which “shall be liberally construed for the purpose of giving to cities the largest measure of self-government,” and,

it is the petition of the Governing Body of the City of Lawrence, Kansas  that the elected Representatives of the State of Kansas should respect the City of Lawrence’s right to self-govern and will vote against SB 212/HB 2096 and/or any other similar measures.

ADOPTED by the Governing Body of the City of Lawrence, Kansas, this 24th of March, 2015.

 PASSED:

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Mike Amyx

Mayor

ATTEST:

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Diane Trybom, Acting City Clerk

APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:                   

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Toni R. Wheeler

City Attorney

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NOTICE TO PUBLISHER

Publish one time and return one Proof of Publication to the City Clerk and one to the City Attorney.