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Kansas House Speaker touts Republican supermajority’s ‘people-first agenda’
Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins underscored the force of the Republican supermajority and its 2025 policy wins in his response to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s final State of the State address.
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TOP TAGS
Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Kansans support marijuana legalization, but lawmakers won’t bite
A wide majority of Kansans support legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, but a group of legislators assigned to weigh medical marijuana legalization declined to push the issue in the 2025 session.
This election, thousands of new U.S. citizens will vote for the first time in Kansas
Kansas isn’t a battleground state nationally, but several key races are on the ballot, including the makeup of the entire state Legislature. Experts say the thousands of Kansans who become new citizens each year could play a decisive role.
Survey finds most Kansans support Medicaid expansion and abortion access
More than 7 in 10 Kansans support expanding Medicaid, according to a new survey, and more than 6 in 10 Kansans say women are better-positioned than politicians to make the decision about whether to get an abortion.
2024 election guide for Lawrence and Douglas County voters
Big questions and representation at the local, state and national levels are on Lawrence voters’ ballots for the Nov. 5 general election. Here’s our key need-to-know election info, all in one place.
Psychiatric care in Kansas inaccessible to kids who need it most, study finds
The number of psychiatric treatment beds for kids in Kansas has increased overall in the past five years, but those with specialized needs continue to face hurdles when accessing care, a recent state study found.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Survey: Kansas voters support legalizing marijuana, oppose current direction of the country
New survey data gives a look at how people in Kansas feel about key issues including marijuana legalization, abortion and gender-affirming care for transgender kids.
Task force: Kansas schools should ban cellphones for all students
An advisory group created by the Kansas State Board of Education is recommending that schools ban cellphones for students at every grade level.
Here are the major unopposed races on Lawrence voters’ ballots
The four Kansas House districts that represent the bulk of Lawrence were decided months before the Nov. 5 election, as were a handful of county-level races.
Gov. Laura Kelly predicts Democrats will break Republican supermajorities in Kansas Legislature
Gov. Laura Kelly expressed optimism a group of quality Democratic candidates and influence of her $2 million PAC would break the partisan supermajorities held by Republicans in both the House and Senate.
Meet the candidates for Kansas Senate District 19
Patrick Schmidt (D) and Tyler Wible (R), both of Topeka, shared the top issues motivating them to run to represent Kansas Senate District 19, their views on local control and much more.
Meet the candidates for Kansas Senate District 2
Incumbent Sen. Marci Francisco (D) will face David Miller (R) in the Nov. 5 general election for Kansas Senate District 2. Francisco shared her views on bodily autonomy, school financing and more.
Meet a candidate for Kansas Senate District 3
Democrat Dena Sattler is running to represent parts of Lawrence, southwestern Douglas County and three other counties included in Senate District 3. Sattler shared her views on reproductive care, school funding, gun safety and more.
Meet a candidate for Kansas House District 47
Democrat Mary T. Williams is running to represent parts of northwestern Douglas County and parts of Jackson and Jefferson counties included in Kansas House District 47. She shared her views on foster care, legalization of cannabis and more.
Meet a candidate for Kansas House District 42
Democrat Eddy Martinez is running to represent parts of Eudora and eastern Lawrence, Jefferson and Leavenworth counties included in House District 42. Martinez shared his perspective on property taxes, the “anti-woman agenda” and more.
Meet a candidate for Kansas House District 5
Democrat Henry Johns is running to represent Baldwin City, much of southern Douglas County and parts of Franklin, Johnson and Miami counties that make up House District 5. He shared his views on LGBTQ+ rights, gun safety and more.
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