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Kansas governor doubtful GOP legislators can pull off congressional redistricting
Gov. Laura Kelly predicted Tuesday the 2026 Legislature wouldn’t muster enough political support to implement a new congressional district map splitting Johnson County and making it easier to defeat U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the midterm election.
Kansas governor doubtful GOP legislators can pull off congressional redistricting
Gov. Laura Kelly predicted Tuesday the 2026 Legislature wouldn’t muster enough political support to implement a new congressional district map splitting Johnson County and making it easier to defeat U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the midterm election.
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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Kansas Senate secures GOP petition signatures to call special legislative session
The president of the Kansas Senate said Monday a sufficient number of Senate Republicans signed a petition to call a special session of the Legislature to consider new congressional district boundaries.
Lawrence school board to consider approving district priorities for Kansas Legislature
The Lawrence school board on Monday will consider approving a list of several requests the district will ask the Kansas Legislature to honor this year, including fully funding special education, protecting local control and more.
Kansas navigates post-Dobbs world with state abortion restrictions in limbo
The Kansas abortion trial with wide-reaching implications for state lawmakers and health care providers wrapped with arguments over the two sides’ differing definitions of pain, humanity and consciousness.
University of Kansas chancellor profiles hurdles for higher education, outlines KU achievements
KU Chancellor Doug Girod says dismantling of federal funding of university research, lukewarm state budgets, a precipitous drop in college-age students, rise of AI and inflation threaten the future of higher education.
Kansas abortion trial resumes with state’s witnesses testifying about regretful decisions
Two women testified in a trial Wednesday that they regretted their abortions. However, their abortions took place before the state laws at the center of the case, which impose requirements on abortion providers and patients, were in effect.
Personal attacks derail interim Kansas legislative committee hearing on election reform
Rep. Alexis Simmons waited until conservative Earl Glynn finished a presentation of proposed reforms to Kansas election law before raising objections with colleagues about the partisan approach of a committee assigned to work on campaign-finance transparency.
After racist Kansas Young Republicans chats leak, Gov. Kelly calls out posts from state GOP
Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is volleying fresh criticism at posts made by the state GOP after Politico exposed leaders of the Kansas Young Republicans exchanging racist and homophobic messages.
Kansas redistricting ‘hellscape’ and presumed special session get spotlight in Johnson County forum
Castle Brazil sat alone Monday night in the back of a church sanctuary in Lenexa as he processed the “insane” revelations about Republican plans for a special session on redistricting. Legislators could vote on new congressional maps as soon as Nov. 7.
Kansans resume changes to gender markers on driver’s licenses after two-year legal battle
Wednesday marked the first day in two years that transgender Kansans were able to change the gender markers on their drivers licenses after the Kansas Supreme Court denied Attorney General Kris Kobach’s appeal in a long legal battle.
Kansas Republicans shift focus from gerrymandering to anti-trans law in quest for a special session
Republican legislative leaders are urging lawmakers to support their push for a special session where they can both ban Kansans from altering gender markers on their driver’s licenses and redraw congressional maps.
Kansas disability service providers say conflict of interest rule could cause ‘massive’ problems
Complying with a federal policy designed to avoid conflicts of interest could cause “massive system disruption” for Kansans who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, an advocate told legislators.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
Kansas Legislature closer to special session for partisan remapping of U.S. House districts
Kansas Republicans’ goal of convening a special redistricting session in November prompted U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids to dust off the playbook used to fend off the last attempt to gerrymander her out of office.
Kansas governor’s office disputes accuracy of Kobach’s claims about SNAP funding
The federal government’s plan to withhold $10 million from a Kansas food assistance program won’t affect recipients and will be delayed while the state files an appeal, the Kansas governor’s chief of staff said Monday.
Kansas legislators question business and affordable housing tax credit programs over data and costs
Two tax credit program audits were met with skepticism from the Legislative Post Audit committee, one because it lacked data about usage and the other about concerns the state will lose as much as $1 billion in income tax in the coming years.
Kansas School for the Deaf struggles with national shortage of specialized teachers
Lack of a Kansas-based bachelor’s degree program to prepare specialists in teaching of deaf or hard of hearing students complicates the challenge of hiring fully qualified staff at the Kansas School for the Deaf.
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