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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.
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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 House completes override of Gov. Kelly’s veto of congressional redistricting map
The Kansas House ratified action of their brethren in the Kansas Senate to complete Wednesday an override of Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of the congressional redistricting map that moves Lawrence to the rural 1st District.
GOP-led Kansas Senate reverses course to override governor’s veto of congressional redistricting map
The Kansas Senate on Tuesday succeeded in overriding Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a congressional redistricting map shifting Lawrence to the rural 1st District.
Kansas Senate fails to override governor’s veto of GOP-drawn congressional map
Despite their supermajority, Republicans failed to gather the 27 votes necessary to override the governor’s of a GOP-drawn congressional map.
Kansas House convenes hearing on bill enabling broad use of hearsay at felony preliminary hearings
The Shawnee County DA’s office is lead advocate of a bill allowing hearsay evidence, permitting remote testimony and doing away with a 2-week deadline for felony preliminary hearings.
Kirsten Kuhn: Prohibitionist Kansas GOP should advance adequate medical cannabis laws (Column)
“Once again, backwards Kansas legislators are standing in the way of progress and freedom. … The current proposed medical cannabis bill leaves much to be desired,” Kirsten Kuhn writes in this column.
Kansas governor vetoes GOP congressional map, calls for bipartisan compromise
Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday vetoed a GOP-drawn congressional map that would divide the Kansas City metro and place Lawrence into a rural district that stretches to the Colorado border.
Senate panel’s debate on ending Kansas food sales tax focuses on finances
One of two Kansas bills eliminating the state sales tax on food and groceries raised concerns in a Senate committee Tuesday over what potential hits to the state highway fund and local and county economies mean for the long-term viability of the tax cut.
Kansas Rep. Suzi Carlson jailed after drunk driving citation in Topeka
Rep. Suzi Carlson was arrested late Monday and booked into Shawnee County Jail for driving under the influence of alcohol and failing to maintain a single lane, Topeka police said Tuesday.
Kansas lawmakers rebrand complaints with public education in push for ‘school choice’
Lawmakers in the Kansas House began laying the groundwork last week for redirecting taxpayer money from public to private schools by holding a two-hour hearing on complaints two parents have with diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Suzanne Perez / Kansas News Service
A bill would let Kansas schools shift to online learning, but it may not get far
As a growing number of Kansas schools cancel classes because of COVID outbreaks or staff shortages, one lawmaker wants to let districts avoid shutdowns by using online learning.
Hands-free cellphone policy sorely needed for Kansas drivers, bill backers say
A bill under consideration in the Kansas Senate Transportation Committee would create a hands-free cellphone policy for Kansas drivers under 18, plus all drivers in a construction zone or school zone during designated hours.
Carter Gaskins / Lawrence Times file photo
Longtime Lawrence school board member explains how district’s budget crisis has unfolded
Lawrence school board Vice President Shannon Kimball took the board commentary portion of Monday’s meeting as an opportunity to provide some insight into the history of USD 497’s funding woes.
Kansas Republican defends gerrymandering and partisan politics as ‘just things that happen’
Rep. Steve Huebert during a four-hour House debate Tuesday defended an obvious attempt by Republicans to gain an upper hand in congressional races through redistricting as simply “a political process.” Lawrence reps are displeased.
Law enforcement officers, legislators resist Kansas House bill banning no-knock warrants
Advocates for Kansas legislation prohibiting no-knock search warrants on Monday triggered indignation and rebukes from legislators with experience as investigators, attorneys and judges in Kansas.
Clay Wirestone: Like Quantrill’s violent raiders, GOP legislators in Kansas aim to stifle Lawrence progressives (Column)
“(Legislators are) perfectly willing to exploit (Lawrence) for their own purposes. They just don’t want to allow its residents to choose U.S. representatives,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
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