Resolution No. 7005

Opposition to House Bill 2123

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 Understanding, 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 House Bill 2123 violates Article XII, Section 5, part d, of the Kansas Constitution, which clearly states, "Powers and authority granted cities pursuant to this section shall be liberally construed for the purpose of giving to cities the largest measure of self-government”, and;

this Governing Body of the City of Lawrence, Kansas believes that if Kansas House Bill 2123 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,

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 House Bill 2123 and/or any other similar measures.

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Robert J. Schumm, Mayor

ATTEST:

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Jonathan M. Douglass, City Clerk        Date