Kansas Legislature

Kansas state Sen. Brad Starnes, a Republican from Riley and a former district superintendent, wants K-12 public school students to learn about “communist and socialist regimes and ideologies," and take a civics exam to graduate high school.

Republican lawmakers will try to override the Democratic governor’s veto and put the ban into law. It penalizes individuals who use restrooms that don’t match the sex they were assigned at birth.

After enthusiasm swelled behind the idea, the policy has hit several major bumps on its way to becoming law.

Kansas lawmakers say that requiring driver's licenses to list legal status would reduce noncitizen voting — something that is exceedingly rare. One study says suspected cases happen just 0.0001% of the time.

Suicide deaths crept up last year in Johnson County, Kansas, but officials warn the numbers are preliminary and don’t signify a trend. Public health authorities say they will adjust their efforts to focus more closely on access to guns, mental health care, and the social factors that might lead a person to take their own life.

Victims of a former chiropractor were shocked when a judge released the man on bond after he was charged with 51 counts of sexual assault. They're supporting a bill endorsed by a Senate committee that requires convicted felons to be held behind bars before sentencing.

A Kansas Senate committee is considering a bill to pressure Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration to comply with the federal government’s request for the data, including social security numbers. Kansas is one of more than 20 states rebuffing the request.

Kansas is one of 12 states that haven’t passed Erin’s Law. Advocates want that to change.

Federal law requires schools to verify free and reduced lunch eligibility for a random sample of recipients, but a new bill would require it for every student who receives a free lunch. One school official says the change would turn two months of work into a year-round responsibility.

House Bill 2352 adds ordained ministers to a list including social workers, doctors, emergency medical workers and others to the list of those required to report physical, mental or emotional abuse of children.

Government entities — including schools — could be held liable for allowing transgender Kansans to use bathrooms based on their gender identity.

In ongoing debates over the NFL team’s planned move to Kansas, Republicans and Democrats are forming rare alliances on both sides of the issue.