State government
Latest
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.
Want more state government news?
You can read Associated Press coverage of Kansas stories and more online for free here.
KCUR also has paywall-free news from around the state at this link.
We post many, but not all, stories from the Kansas Reflector. Read more of their coverage here.
We also frequently post stories from the Kansas News Service. Read more of their coverage here.
TOP TAGS
Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Kelly signs COVID-19 disaster declaration, executive orders due to medical staff shortages
Gov. Laura Kelly responded to mounting staff shortages at Kansas hospitals and nursing homes by issuing a new COVID-19 disaster emergency declaration and companion executive orders temporarily suspending laws and regulations on health care providers.
Legislature embarks on tumultuous redrawing of political maps with skeptical public watching
The task of serving interests of nearly 3 million Kansans falls to the state’s 125 representatives, 40 senators and one governor. The annual legislative session starts Monday and redistricting must be done by June.
Lobbyists form contractor alliance to seek $315 million for university building repair backlog
A fledgling association of construction contractors led by two political lobbyists is developing a plan to persuade the Kansas Legislature to make an unprecedented seven-year, $315 million investment to shrink the academic building repair backlog at the state’s six public universities.
Tax council testimony: Kansas sales tax burden creates regressive system
Nearly 38% of Kansas’ tax revenue comes from sales taxes, according to Donna Ginther, director of the Institute for Policy and Social Research at KU.
Shortage of substitute teachers in Kansas opens door to temporary change in license rules
Dramatic shortage of substitute teachers in Kansas public schools due to the COVID-19 pandemic is prompting the Kansas State Department of Education to consider temporarily modifying license requirements for people seeking part-time work in classrooms, officials said Tuesday.
Mac Moore / KSHSAA Covered
Lawrence school board hears details about budget impact, support for gymnastics; approves legislative priorities and more
Budget cuts were the central focus of district staff as well as the public commenters who called for reductions of administrators’ six-digit salaries at Monday’s Lawrence school board meeting.
Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service
Kansas judge throws out abortion regulations, saying they infringed on women’s access to care
Abortion regulations in a law passed by the Kansas Legislature in 2011 have been thrown out by a Shawnee County judge who said they infringed on women’s access to care.
Screenshot
Clint Smith explains ‘critical race theory boogeyman’ in Lawrence talk
Vocal opponents of critical race theory aim to perpetuate the myth of meritocracy and the single story of American exceptionalism, author Clint Smith told the crowd at Liberty Hall Monday night.
Hearing on critical race theory in Kansas schools veers into sex, religion and supposition
A state education official told lawmakers Wednesday they need to “stop calling everything under the sun” critical race theory if they want to work together to improve student achievement.
Kansas legislators drill into state Board of Education’s tweak to district accreditation rules
House and Senate education committee members chiseled away at the Kansas State Board of Education’s latest revision to school district accreditation rules and regulations, alleging objective measures were dropped in favor of subjective language not effective in promoting student achievement.
Kansas attorney general accuses KU, KSU of violating new vaccination exemption law
The attorney general notified Kansas State University and the University of Kansas that both were in violation of a new state law broadening access to religious or medical exemptions to federal COVID-19 vaccination mandates.
House Democrats file complaint seeking investigation, sanction of state Rep. Coleman
Six Democratic state reps filed a formal complaint Monday to initiate a special Kansas House investigation of the back-to-back arrests of state Rep. Aaron Coleman for allegedly driving under the influence and in relation to a domestic dispute.
Kansas Democrats, advocates offer alternate issues for special session focused on COVID-19 mandates
Democratic legislators criticized the Kansas special session last week, calling the measures considered a waste of taxpayer money, and pointing to issues like the food sales tax and the criminal justice system in need of a closer look.
Aaron Coleman For Kansas / Contributed Photo
Kansas representative who is facing domestic violence charge arrested on suspicion of DUI in Lawrence
Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman, of Kansas City, was arrested Saturday in Douglas County on suspicion of driving under the influence, jail records show.
Special session offers hint of what awaits Kansas lawmakers in 2022 legislative session
Expect the Legislature to grapple with an assortment of coronavirus bills, including one taking away authority of private businesses to mandate employees get a COVID-19 vaccination. Another proposal would add COVID-19 vaccination status to the list of prohibited forms of employment discrimination along with race, religion, color, sex, disability, ancestry, national origin and age.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
