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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.
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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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Kansas lawmaker urges more protections for Native American children in state welfare system
Rep. Christina Haswood, a Lawrence Democrat and member of the Navajo Nation, wants to solidify Indigenous rights in the state’s child welfare system, attempting to reduce inequality in a system long beset by racial and cultural disparities.
Lawrence’s plastic bag ban goes into effect Friday; here’s what you should know
The City of Lawrence ordinance banning single-use plastic bags goes into effect Friday. Here are answers to what it means, where you can get reusable bags, who could face fines and more.
Kansas Republicans introduce new anti-abortion bills, including prison time for ‘coercion’
House and Senate Republicans — in their latest attempts to weaken the state’s constitutional right to bodily autonomy — have introduced legislation to require prison time for coercing a pregnant person into getting an abortion and to mandate ultrasounds before terminating a pregnancy.
DEI audit of state universities shows $9M in state funds spent widely
An audit instigated because of Republican suspicion over state public universities’ equity programs found the programs used $9 million in state dollars during the 2022-2023 school year.
Lawrence teens work to alleviate period poverty for Kansans, cement legacy of their nonprofit
Even if Kansas legislators don’t pass bills this session in alignment with a Lawrence nonprofit’s mission, they’ve opened up a conversation on period equity, and that’s a win for a group of local teens.
Voting rights groups ask Kansas Supreme Court to block law they say impedes voter registration
A Kansas law that makes it a crime to impersonate an election official unconstitutionally interferes with voter outreach efforts, voting rights groups told the state Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Kansas House bill invites chaplains to deliver Godly counseling to public school students, staff
Rep. Bill Rhiley proposed the Kansas House pass a bill granting public school districts the opportunity to hire unlicensed chaplains to serve as trusted Biblical advisors and counselors to students, teachers and staff in school buildings.
KHP, KDOT laud Senate bill altering ‘move-over’ law to cover all vehicles along Kansas roads
A Kansas Senate bill would amend the state law to require motorists to move over a lane or significantly slow down when passing any vehicles stopped on the side of a road with signs of distress, not just emergency responder vehicles.
Kansas Senate eager to alter state laws on internet porn, death benefit, train travel
The Kansas Senate voted to support a 50% increase in the lump-sum death payment for retirees in KPERS and elevation to 20% the maximum amount of the pension system’s portfolio tied to alternative private equity or infrastructure investments.
Kansas lawmakers want school library books rated for ‘appropriateness’
Though he wouldn’t name the specific books, Rep. Adam Thomas knows objectionable material lurks on the shelves of Kansas’ public school libraries.
Kansas bill would require abortion seekers be asked for reasons before terminating pregnancy
Kansas abortion providers would have to ask patients why they are terminating pregnancies under legislation critics argue represents an effort to “harass, intimidate and shame” abortion seekers.
Lawmakers talk banning soft drinks, candy for Kansans receiving food assistance
Legislation that would prevent Kansans from purchasing soft drinks and candy with food stamps met resistance Tuesday, continuing a series of hearings over what changes are needed to help the state’s most vulnerable residents.
House panel passes bill altering county commission elections when boards go to 5 members
Controversy in Pottawatomie and Douglas counties about expansion of county commissions to 5 members surfaced Monday with a Kansas House committee backing a bill mandating new seats be filled at the next general election.
Kansas prosecutors seek right to enter evidence of prior bad acts in domestic violence trials
Prosecutor Will Hurst said the scourge of domestic violence was so alarming that Kansas lawmakers ought to allow admission of evidence of a defendant’s prior bad acts to better hold domestic abusers accountable.
Kelly signs bill boosting job prospects for people with disabilities with tax credits, wage grants
Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation expanding a tax credit to incentivize purchase of services or goods from vendors employing people with disabilities and creating a program to help businesses pay people with disabilities at least minimum wage.
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