Lawmakers returned to the Kansas Statehouse on Monday with a lengthy to-do list: seven vetoes from Gov. Laura Kelly, school funding and several high-profile bills left unresolved when they departed for spring break earlier in April. They wrapped up many of the matters in four days. But there’s still more to be done. On May […]
Kansas Legislature
Posted inKansas State Government
Redistricting will impact Kansas for the next decade. Here’s how it works.
Lawmakers redrew boundaries in 2022 for congressional districts, state legislature districts and state board of education districts.
Posted inKansas State Government
‘This isn’t about athletics:’ Bill banning transgender athletes from school teams vetoed by Gov. Kelly
Editor’s note: We updated this story on April 19 to reflect that Rep. Susan Estes was absent for the April 1 vote on Senate Bill 160. Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a ban on transgender female athletes on Friday, striking down the hot-button issue for the second year and setting up a possible showdown with supporters […]
Posted inKansas State Government
What passed? What didn’t? A recap of the Kansas regular legislative session
Update: Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed Senate Bill 160, which bans female transgender students from athletics, on April 18. On April 25, Wyandotte County District Judge Bill Klapper ruled that a map setting new boundaries for the state’s four congressional districts is unconstitutional. Long hours, late nights and short tempers marked the chaotic end of the regular session […]
Posted inKansas State Government
Who represents me in the Kansas Legislature?
The residents of Sedgwick County are represented at the Kansas Statehouse by 32 lawmakers — a mix of attorneys, small-business owners, former educators, veterans, engineers and retirees from aviation and aerospace industries. Even a farmer and the owner of a liquor store. The Sedgwick County delegation — nearly 20% of the legislature’s 165 members — […]
Posted inEducation, Kansas State Government
‘Black Friday in August’: Kansas lawmakers hope to pass new school tax holiday
To compete with neighboring states, some Kansas legislators want to host a back-to-school sales tax holiday. Under a proposal in the Kansas Senate, SB 432, school-related sales of clothing, clothing accessories, school supplies and instructional materials, art supplies, computer software, school computers and computer supplies would be exempt from sales taxes for four days in August. […]
Posted inKansas State Government, Watchdog
‘Knocked down over and over again’: How a Kansas bill loosening SNAP restrictions failed
Andrew Hubbard, faced with barrier after barrier when trying to restart his life, said he started to question why he even bothered. A three-time felon, Hubbard struggled to climb his way to sobriety with so many obstacles — lacking a valid driver’s license, finding housing with 11 evictions on his record and struggling to pay […]
Posted inEducation, Kansas State Government
Kansas lawmakers file bills about transgender athletes, remote learning, vaccines and parents’ rights
Proposals also include back-to-school tax holidays and benefits for retired teachers.