Kansas lawmakers are likely going to act on medical marijuana in the 2025 session. Maybe. Medical marijuana is becoming a perennial debate in Topeka, and it’s annually unclear how likely it is for a bill to pass. “I have sat through, I don’t know, three interim committee meetings,” said Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park […]
Laura Kelly
Posted inKansas
Kansas Legislature prepares for another round of property tax cuts
Kansas lawmakers started debating tax plans in early 2024 and didn’t agree to a cut until the summer sun shone all across Kansas. The governor vetoed three tax cut bills, and lawmakers returned for a special session where they came to terms on $1.2 billion in cuts over three years. But lawmakers still left disappointed. […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas Republicans will try again to ban gender-affirming care for minors
Kansas Republicans plan to try to ban gender-affirming care for minors again. That means cutting off access to puberty blockers and hormone treatments for children with gender dysphoria, and banning gender-affirming surgery for minors, which is incredibly rare. The GOP has tried and failed to pass this ban. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly consistently vetoes the […]
Posted inKansas
Kansas Republicans gain even more control over abortion, taxes and transgender rights
Kansas Republicans have an even tighter grip on state politics after dominating in local legislative elections. Republicans expanded their supermajority in the state Legislature in Tuesday’s elections. Democrats failed to unseat Republicans in the Kansas City suburbs and lost key races in Hutchinson, Leavenworth and Manhattan. Democrats had seen this cycle as their best chance […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas might use STAR bonds to lure Chiefs and Royals. Here’s how they worked on other projects
Kansas lawmakers have returned to Topeka for a special tax-cutting session and are expected to vote on a STAR bond proposal to finance a new stadium.
Posted inState Government
Kansas lawmakers pass tax cuts. Here’s how they compare to past plans
This article was updated after the governor signed the bill. Kansans will see income and property tax relief after a tax cut plan became law. Passing taxes has been a headache all session, but lawmakers returned to Topeka on Tuesday and approved a plan that was negotiated by the Democratic governor and Republican leaders in […]
Posted inKansas State Government
Kansas budget approves millions for mental health workforce development
Finding mental health professionals in Kansas is hard. Crisis teams that talk down suicidal Wichitans struggle to fill evening shifts and mental health hospitals that can rescue someone from a crisis have open beds they can’t use because they don’t have enough staff. States across the country can’t hire enough workers for critical mental health […]
Posted inEducation, Kansas State Government
Kansas colleges aren’t sweating new law threatening $10,000 fines for certain DEI policies
Takeaways: Requiring job candidates to talk about diversity, equity and inclusion during the hiring process could subject public universities in Kansas to $10,000 fines. A new law bans colleges from requiring statements of support or opposition to political ideologies or movements during admission, hiring or promotion processes. In practice, that means colleges can’t require staff […]
Posted inState Government
A Kansas ban on gender-affirming care couldn’t overcome a veto last year. Things are different now
Takeaways: Conservative Kansas lawmakers couldn’t ban gender-affirming care for transgender children last year after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill and Republicans fell short on an override vote. This year, they’ve passed a more restrictive ban and run into another veto from Kelly. Yet a veto override that would outlaw puberty blockers, hormone treatments […]
Posted inHealth, Kansas State Government
A Kansas ban on gender-affirming care couldn’t overcome a veto last year. Things are different now
Takeaways: Conservative Kansas lawmakers couldn’t ban gender-affirming care for transgender children last year after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill and Republicans fell short on an override vote. This year, they’ve passed a more restrictive ban and run into another veto from Kelly. Yet a veto override that would outlaw puberty blockers, hormone treatments […]