Kansas House

Two likely competing bills in the Kansas Legislature would either green light the legally questioned for-profit veterans benefits consultants, or effectively ban them.

Kansas U.S. Senator-elect Adam Hamilton says that after his victory, he feels a "deep sense of responsibility to make sure that we actually change things for the better." He spoke with KCUR's Up To Date, along with election experts and several congressional winners from Missouri, about what led to the Democratic wave in Tuesday's election.

Democrats needed to pick up five seats statewide to break Republicans' two-thirds majority in the Kansas House. Unofficial results show they gained at least 20, with a majority of those coming from Johnson County seats.

The Kansas Department of Insurance regulates insurance companies that sell policies in Kansas. Voters will decide in November who will lead the department for the next four years.

Of the seven races a Democratic campaigning organization has targeted to hold or flip in Kansas, six are in the Kansas City area.

One Kansas bill earned bipartisan support for encouraging easier processes for building “middle housing." But another would ban cities and towns from passing laws that require landlords to accept federal housing vouchers.

The bill prohibits state and local governments from requiring centers perform abortions, counsel clients in favor of abortion, and hire people “who do not affirm the center’s mission or pro-life ethic.” Gov. Laura Kelly can veto the bill, sign it or let it become law without her signature.

Public ownership of the new Chiefs stadium would shield bonds for the project from the federal income tax.

Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican who is running for secretary of state, and Rep. Paul Waggoner, a Hutchinson Republican, also want to require driver’s licenses to indicate citizenship status, in an effort to stamp out the already-rare instances of noncitizen voting.

Under pressure from President Trump, some Kansas Republicans want to gerrymander congressional maps in order to oust Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids. But Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins said he's about 20 votes short.

Kansas Republicans have a veto-proof supermajority in both the House and Senate, meaning they can steamroll Democrats on any issue — and override the governor's veto — if they stand united. But Democrats could change that by flipping seats in Johnson County.

Johnson County has a number of competitive down-ballot races, including elections for sheriff and district attorney. But the county also has competitive races in the Kansas House and Senate, which could determine if Republicans preserve their total control of the legislature.