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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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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Kansas Senate budget ties $4 million to ending DEI, use of preferred pronouns in emails
The Kansas Senate’s budget committee wants to hold $4 million hostage from Gov. Laura Kelly until state agencies proved they eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion jobs and programs as well as ended use of pronouns in email signatures.
Kansas Democratic unity fractures with fetal child support debate in Senate
Republican legislation to establish child support for pregnancy costs — and, in turn, establish “fetal personhood” — revealed tension among legislators as a Democratic senator representing part of Lawrence inserted a bipartisan tax credit provision.
Kansas legislation would sever perceived influence of global treaty organizations
Members of a House committee on Wednesday weighed a bill that would declare the World Health Organization, the United Nations and the World Economic Forum have no power to enforce any mandates in Kansas or any governing body in the state.
A Kansas tax credit can help build thousands of affordable homes. Lawmakers want to cut it
Critics of the affordable housing tax credit argue it is costing Kansas too much. Supporters say it’s helping construct new homes amid a housing shortage that’s driving up costs of homes and contributing to homelessness.
Kansas Senate adopts plan to elect Supreme Court justices, a step toward overturning abortion rights
The Kansas Senate adopted a resolution that calls for the election of justices to the Kansas Supreme Court by popular vote. The House now has a choice: Accept the Senate’s resolution, pass an alternative, or table the issue for another year.
Kansas ‘back to work act’ would force state employees to return to offices
Thousands of state employees who once worked in office buildings in Kansas’ capital and frequented downtown businesses for lunch and happy hour now work from home all or part of the time. They could be called back to the office under proposed legislation.
Voters would elect Kansas Supreme Court justices under proposed change
Kansas Senators advanced a constitutional amendment Wednesday that would convert Kansas’ method for selecting state supreme court justices from a merit-based system to an elections system.
Kansas Republican’s pleas for decorum at anti-trans hearing met with cries of ‘fascist!’
For Joanna Herrmann and 100-plus other opponents who spoke at a Kansas House hearing or submitted testimony, SB 76, which would forbid school employees from using preferred pronouns without parental consent, is both personal and hurtful.
Kansas Republicans punt immigration bill after kicking opponents out of hearing
A Republican-led Senate committee declined Monday to take action on a bill that would prohibit people in Kansas without permanent legal status from receiving public benefits, including in-state tuition, and permit higher bond prices for those charged with crimes.
Freshman Kansas senator ‘trying to stop bad stuff’ while pressing for property tax relief
The way freshman Sen. Patrick Schmidt sees it, a shorter legislative session isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The Topeka Democrat said the shortened timeline for passing bills could work in Democrats’ favor.
Should pregnant Kansans get child support for fetuses? State lawmakers will decide
Anti-abortion groups and reproductive rights advocates sparred in a Kansas legislative committee room this week over a bill that opponents say would give embryos and fetuses the same legal rights as pregnant women — a legal concept known as fetal personhood.
Kansas Senate bill would address conflicts of interest in local government — but not in Legislature
Proponents see a bill prohibiting local government officials from voting on major development projects in which they have a “substantial interest” as increasing transparency; opponents are concerned with what they view as overly broad language and hypocrisy.
Kansas House Democrat proposes filing a formal complaint against GOP colleague
A Democratic state rep. has requested the filing of a formal complaint and appointment of a special investigative committee to examine allegations that a Republican rep. engaged in “inappropriate” conduct on the House floor.
Court fees and traffic fines cost thousands of Kansans their licenses every year. A new law gives drivers some latitude
Advocates say Kansas laws have left thousands without legal means to drive — sometimes for years — just because they’re unable to pay fines. New reforms to suspended license rules have now gone into effect. Here’s what they mean for drivers.
Kansas advocates condemn U.S. House budget tied to Republicans’ proposed Medicaid cuts
Kansas organizations advocating for sustained funding for Medicaid services said hundreds of billions of dollars in proposed federal budget cuts to the national health program can be deadly to vulnerable people with disabilities as well as seniors and children.
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