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Kansas Legislature jolts to life with newcomers and generation of new policy agendas
The 2026 session of the Kansas Legislature burst to life Monday as Republicans and Democrats staked out public policy priorities, welcomed members to fill unexpired terms and awaited Gov. Kelly’s final State of the State speech.
Kansas Legislature jolts to life with newcomers and generation of new policy agendas
The 2026 session of the Kansas Legislature burst to life Monday as Republicans and Democrats staked out public policy priorities, welcomed members to fill unexpired terms and awaited Gov. Kelly’s final State of the State speech.
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MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Kansas Republicans force special session to deal with federal vaccine mandates
Republican leaders announced Thursday they had gathered the signatures necessary to force a special session for the week of Thanksgiving to respond to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Stephen Koranda / Kansas News Service
Here’s what it would take to remove a Kansas lawmaker charged with domestic battery
Kansas state Rep. Aaron Coleman could face a second legislative complaint after a domestic battery charge. And it appears less likely he’d emerge with a simple reprimand like he did last time.
Kansas lawmakers plan special session for response to vaccine mandates
Senate President Ty Masterson says “motions are underway” to call a special session for Nov. 22 to address legislation dealing with COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Kansas gubernatorial candidates push Legislature to eliminate or reduce food sales tax
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and Attorney General Derek Schmidt are calling on the Legislature to eliminate or reduce the state sales tax on food in Kansas.
Anti-masker’s profane outburst targeting Kansas Reflector editor restored to video recording
An anti-masker’s profane outburst targeting Kansas Reflector editor Sherman Smith is now posted online after initially being edited out of a video of a Kansas legislative committee meeting, prompting concerns about the legislature’s transparency.
Rabbi, Democratic legislator urge Kansas GOP to denounce COVID-19 critiques tied to Holocaust
Rabbi Mark Levin and Democratic state Rep. Dan Osman requested Thursday the Kansas Republican Party condemn comparisons of mask or vaccination mandates to the genocidal campaign by Nazis to murder 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust.
House members, domestic violence organization pressure Coleman to resign
Six women serving in the Kansas House and a statewide domestic violence organization Tuesday urged Democratic Rep. Aaron Coleman to resign immediately from the Legislature after he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery.
Kansas state Rep. Coleman arrested, jailed on domestic violence allegation
State Rep. Aaron Coleman was booked into the Johnson County Jail on Sunday on suspicion of domestic battery.
Grim Reaper of COVID-19 vaccine skeptics takes swipe at government, drug companies, media
Carrie Wallace, of Eudora, stood out among people expressing outrage Saturday with imposition of a federal mandate for government employees and contractors to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and the intense pressure campaign to compel inoculation of children.
Kansas attorney general tells ‘overreach’ panel he will challenge federal vaccine mandate
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt told lawmakers Friday he plans to file a lawsuit challenging President Joe Biden’s vaccine requirement for employees of federal contractors.
Kansas legislators to host second round of redistricting town hall meetings in November
Kansas lawmakers announced Tuesday they will hold a second round of town hall meetings to gather public input on the redistricting process, but they won’t attend the meetings in person.
Kansas senator makes plea deal in DUI case after driving wrong direction on I-70
Sen. Gene Suellentrop entered a no contest plea to two misdemeanor charges Monday that stemmed from an incident in March in which he drove for miles in the wrong direction on Interstate 70 before stopped by law enforcement officers.
Abigail Censky / KCUR
Why new political maps could give more power to Kansas college towns
For decades, college towns like Lawrence, Manhattan and Emporia lost the political power of their students when it came to state legislative districts. For the first time in more than 30 years, Kansas will count all of its college students in the towns where they go to school for redrawing state legislative districts next year.
Thirteen-year quest for payment of child support exposes Kansas bureaucracy, incompetence
A mother’s testimony about failure of the state’s child support collection system to deliver more than $53,000 owed by her daughter’s father inspired a rousing assault by legislators on state contractors Maximus and YoungWilliams.
Kansas lawmaker wants more input on criminal justice reform before final report
A state representative hopes to bring in community stakeholders and organizations to provide additional insights for a criminal justice reform panel’s recommendations.
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