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Kansas champions of administrative reform at public universities offer concessions to calm skeptics
The Republican majority leader of the Kansas House and the governor’s chief of staff worked Thursday to resolve objections to a bill designed to make the state’s three largest public universities more financially efficient by removing layers of administrative red tape.
Kansas champions of administrative reform at public universities offer concessions to calm skeptics
The Republican majority leader of the Kansas House and the governor’s chief of staff worked Thursday to resolve objections to a bill designed to make the state’s three largest public universities more financially efficient by removing layers of administrative red tape.
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MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Supreme Court of Kansas explores constitutionality of revised congressional redistricting map
Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court stepped into an explosive legal and political drama Monday triggered by the Legislature’s decision to split the state’s most diverse county between two congressional districts and relegate Lawrence to the rural conservative 1st District reaching into western Kansas.
Arguments pit process vs. result in Kansas Supreme Court debate over legislative maps
Attorney General Derek Schmidt began proceedings Monday asserting to the Kansas Supreme Court that new boundaries for Kansas House and Senate districts violated no law.
Kelly vetoes infectious disease, Medicaid and election bills
Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill allowing autonomous vehicles to operate on Kansas roads and vetoed legislation restricting public health officials’ response to all infectious disease outbreaks, a mandate imposing a no-bid contract for Medicaid services and limitations on the executive branch’s enforcement of election law.
Kansas thinks maybe you’re accidentally buying vegetarian ‘meat,’ so it passed a law
The power of the Kansas cattle industry means grocery shoppers in the state won’t be buying anything called sausage or burger unless it’s made of animal parts.
Kansas saw the nation’s second-highest increase in drug deaths last year
Kansas is one of just a few states without a good Samaritan law that encourages people to call 911 when they witness a drug overdose, and it doesn’t permit syringe service programs that provide sterile injection equipment.
Kansas legislative leaders argue district court erred by ruling congressional map unconstitutional
The Republican-controlled Legislative Coordinating Council’s legal brief to the Kansas Supreme Court rejects a lower court decision that the 2022 congressional map was unconstitutional, arguing that judge’s ruling amounted to partisan overreach and parroted unproven claims by plaintiffs.
Analysis: How the Kansas Legislature avoids public scrutiny by hiding in darkness
The Kansas Legislature shields itself from public scrutiny through secrecy, confusing shell games and silenced opposition.
Kelly signs bipartisan legislation creating state tax incentive for housing construction
Gov. Laura Kelly signed bipartisan legislation Thursday creating incentives in the form of state income tax credits for investors in construction of residential housing that contributes to economic development in Kansas.
Late-night deal rewrites Kansas public health laws on masks, vaccines and quarantines
The Kansas Legislature approved a rewrite of the state’s public health laws, disregarding bipartisan concerns the bill was too restrictive. For example, no governmental body or public official could mandate face masks to prevent the spread of any infectious disease.
Celia Llopis-Jepsen / The Kansas News Service
Public defenders in Kansas got more pay, but still have the same crushing workloads
The Kansas Legislature didn’t approve money for additional public defenders, but it did support pay raises.
Overturn of Roe v. Wade raises stakes for Kansas abortion rights battle in August
The stakes for the August vote over a Kansas constitutional amendment on abortion access were made clear by the leak of a draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion striking down federal abortion rights.
Kansas Attorney General argues fairness of congressional map is off limits for state court
AG Derek Schmidt’s office says the Kansas Supreme Court has no business evaluating the fairness of redrawn congressional districts, despite a district court’s ruling that the map is heavily biased toward Republicans and dilutes minority votes.
As opioid overdoses spike in Kansas, senators block fentanyl test strip provision
Senators chose last week to send a bill clearing FDA-approved cannabis medication back to a conference committee over a provision that would allow for legal fentanyl test strips.
‘Until we meet again’: Kansas representatives say goodbye as they prepare to exit Legislature
Rep. Ron Highland has announced he will not seek reelection. He is among several state representatives stepping back after at least 10 years in the Statehouse.
Kansas Supreme Court to say if Republicans gerrymandered the state’s congressional map
The Kansas Supreme Court will consider if district court judge correctly followed the state constitution when ruling the Republican-led Kansas Legislature drew a racially and politically gerrymandered congressional map.
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