News
Governor moves to defund Legislature's operations budget over pay raises
4+ hour, 18+ min ago (93+ words) Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the Legislature's entire operation budget in response to lawmakers not giving a "meaningful" pay raise to state employees. The governor's veto defunds the Legislature's $24. 7 million budget for fiscal year 2027, which starts July 1. The veto does…...
UPDATED: Governor vetoes budget items restricting student walkouts, across-the-board cuts
5+ hour, 7+ min ago (84+ words) (Updated to clarify that the governor vetoed the Legislature's operations budget) Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly grudgingly signed the state spending plan approved by the Legislature, calling it a "bad budget that went through a bad process." The Legislature approved a…...
Legislative audit targets out-of-state food assistance spending
23+ hour, 33+ min ago (94+ words) Sunflower State Journal State auditors estimate that Kansas distributed federal food-assistance benefits worth as much as $1. 2 million to as many as 1, 800 beneficiaries who may live out of state. A new legislative audit released Wednesday shows that the Department for Children…...
Governor vetoes property tax bill; unveils her own property tax plan
18+ hour, 13+ min ago (101+ words) Sunflower State Journal Gov. Laura Kelly on Wednesday vetoed the Legislature's attempt to lower property taxes, rejecting a bill that would have given power to voters to block a local government budget if it spent more than the previous year....
Audits question lack of photo ID on public assistance cards
18+ hour, 1+ min ago (12+ words) Sunflower State Journal...
Governor agrees to revamp prisoner review board after trooper's murderer paroled
1+ day, 14+ hour ago (104+ words) Sunflower State Journal Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill that will overhaul the state Prisoner Review Board, which came under fierce criticism last summer when it paroled the murderer of a state trooper in 1978. The bill expands the size of…...
Kansas school district, cities run into bond troubles in face of property tax bill
1+ day, 18+ hour ago (105+ words) Sunflower State Journal Plans for a south central Kansas school district and two cities to issue bonds have been delayed after the Legislature passed a bill limiting the ability of local governments to raise new property tax revenue. Officials from…...
Kelly vetoes bill prohibiting local government regulation of electric fences
2+ day, 6+ hour ago (98+ words) Sunflower State Journal Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday vetoed a bill that would prohibit local governments from regulating battery-charged security fences, a bill sought by businesses to guard against crime. "I've always believed that local elected officials are best…...
Governor vetoes in-state tuition bill for immigrants living in U. S. unlawfully
2+ day, 16+ hour ago (94+ words) Sunflower State Journal Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday vetoed bill eliminating in-state tuition at higher education institutions for students who don't live in the country legally. Backed by Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach, the bill came out of the…...
Former Supreme Court justice passes away after battle with ALS
4+ day, 14+ hour ago (110+ words) Sunflower State Journal Former Kansas Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Wilson died Saturday after resigning from the high court last year when she was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. The court announced her death in a short statement from Chief Justice…...