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Open enrollment, childhood literacy included in Kansas’ $6.4 billion education budget
Kansas lawmakers did not include the additional $30 million in special education funding Gov. Laura Kelly requested.
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Lawmakers want to expand eligibility for free community college in Kansas
Less than a year into offering free community college for Kansas students in some high-demand fields, the state legislature is proposing adjustments to expand access. While 663 students received the Kansas Promise Scholarship during the first semester of the new program, according to an early 2022 report to the Kansas Legislature, nearly 75% of those who applied didn’t receive an…
Follow the money: How Kansas lawmakers are spending $3.1 billion in budget surplus
Editor’s note: The story was revised to clarify that the state’s 2022 budget has a $2.7 billion surplus and a projected $3.1 billion surplus for the 2023 budget. In a stark turn from its more austere budgetary past, the state of Kansas will likely close out the fiscal year in June with a larger-than-expected $2.7…
Here’s what happened during the Kansas Legislature’s veto session. But lawmakers aren’t done yet.
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…
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.
‘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…
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…
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 —…
‘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. …
‘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…
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.
Child restraints, no-knock warrants, survivor benefits: Kansas justice reform bills to watch
Kansas legislators introduced several bills in the opening weeks of the legislative session that would bring reform to the state’s criminal justice system, such as prohibiting the use of restraints on children in hearings and setting a new standard for search warrants. The 2022 legislative session opened on Jan. 10. The Wichita Beacon is highlighting…
Vaccine mandates, teacher pay and scholarships: Kansas education bills to watch
Kansas legislators have introduced more than a dozen bills regarding K-12 and higher education in 2022, covering topics such as teacher pay, COVID vaccines and course materials. The Kansas Legislature went into session Jan. 10 and lawmakers will likely continue to add new legislation to the list. The mix of education-related legislation also includes some…
‘We’ve become the substitute state hospital’: Four years later, Sedgwick County still calling for state mental health hospital
For decades, the Sedgwick County Jail has been overcrowded. A federal lawsuit in 1986 that capped the jail population and required a plan to deal with overcrowding at the facility was only the start. Since, multiple expansions and facilities have been built in an attempt to alleviate the numbers. But throughout 2021, the jail continued…
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