kansas leg

A 2022 Kansas law made it illegal to "represent oneself as an election official," but voting rights groups said it could potentially outlaw voter registration drives. The GOP-supported law was part of a wave of voting suppression legislation passed after the 2020 election.

The law went into effect July 1 after passing nearly unanimously in the 2024 legislative session.

New laws passed by the GOP-led Kansas Legislature will change rules for pornographic websites, overhaul civil asset forfeiture, and ban public universities from requiring diversity pledges.

Sedgwick County looked poised to clear the way for the Chisholm Trail solar project. But nearby residents expressed concerns about pollution, pushing regulators to extend a temporary ban on utility-scale solar developments.

Missouri House Majority Leader Jon Patterson called the Kansas legislation — which could provide hundreds of millions of dollars for new Chiefs and Royals stadiums — a "wakeup call. He anticipates that Missouri lawmakers will craft a response to keep the two teams.

In Kansas, issues like abortion restrictions and transgender rights might hinge on whether Republicans can keep their powerful majorities in the Statehouse. Democrats have set their sights on breaking the supermajority. Plus: Problems with Boeing are causing anxiety in Wichita, where aviation is a big industry.

In the two years following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned abortion protections nationwide, the practice was almost entirely banned in Missouri. Meanwhile, clinics in Kansas have seen out-of-state abortion patients skyrocket.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said she will sign the bipartisan compromise to cut Kansas income and property taxes, as well as eliminate taxes on Social Security benefits.

STAR bonds, or sales tax and revenue bonds, pay for tourist attractions and then use the sales taxes collected at those attractions to pay off the construction debt. But Kansas has a mixed record on STAR bond projects, and the state has never used them to subsidize an NFL or MLB team before.

Under a bill being considered during the Kansas special legislative session, the Chiefs and Royals could receive more than $750 million to help finance stadium projects if they move to Kansas.

The offer would be available to all professional sports franchises ready to build stadiums costing at least $1 billion. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said the state would develop a “competitive” count if Kansas stepped forward with a package.

Ahead of Tuesday's special legislative session, the deal between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the GOP leaders of the Kansas Senate and House would collapse the personal income tax structure to a two-rate system. Kelly previously vetoed a single-tier flat tax plan, calling it too expensive.