Kelly Silent on Whether She Will Sign Tax Cut Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Major tax cuts are headed to Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s desk, although she's not saying whether she will sign the bill. The Kansas News Service reports that the three-year, $1.6 billion tax cutting package passed with bipartisan support after the House and Senate struggled for weeks to reach a deal. It would condense the state’s three income tax brackets into just two. Those making up to $23,000 would be taxed at 5.15%. Income beyond that would be taxed at 5.55%. Republican Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson urged his colleagues to support the bill, saying “...this plan is a compromise. It’s fair, and it’s time.” Kelly supports some parts of the bill, like state property tax relief. But it’s unclear if she will accept the income tax changes. She has up to 30 days to sign or veto the bill.
(–Related–)
Kansas Legislature Passes Income Tax Overhaul
TOPEKA, Kan. (KCStar) - The Kansas Legislature passed an overhaul of the state’s income tax early Saturday, condensing the three current tax brackets into two, but it’s unclear whether Gov. Laura Kelly will sign the measure. The Kansas City Star reports that the proposal would tax income at rates of 5.55% in the top bracket and 5.15% in the bottom bracket. For individuals, $23,000 a year in taxable income marks the dividing line between the two rates; $46,000 for married couples filing jointly.
The Senate passed the bill 24-9 just before 1 a.m. Saturday morning. The House followed, sending the legislation to Kelly in a 119-0 vote at about 2:30 a.m.. The measure was the last bill the Legislature approved before beginning its spring break. Lawmakers will return to Topeka on April 25.
The bill’s passage came a day after a tax compromise supported by the Senate ran into opposition in the House. The compromise, which maintained the three-bracket tax system, had Kelly’s approval. But Kelly may be hesitant to sign the new deal. The Democratic governor didn’t immediately comment on the legislation, but her chief of staff, Will Lawrence, shared with reporters concerns about the size of the package.
The measure is expected to cost roughly $635 million in revenue in the first year, and roughly $460 million each year after. During tax negotiations, Kelly has generally wanted to limit annual costs to about $425 million.
The proposal also eliminates taxes on Social Security income, lowers the statewide mill levy for schools from 20 mills to 19.5 mills and accelerates the elimination of the state sales tax on food to July 1, six months ahead of current law.
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Lawmakers Criticize a Big Pay Raise for Themselves Before Passing a Big Spending Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators approved on Friday another year's worth of funding for most state agencies and services after a few lawmakers staged a last-minute public protest over a 93% pay increase for themselves coming next year.
The Republican-controlled Senate approved, 26-12, a bill with about $19 billion in spending for the state's 2025 budget year, which begins July 1. It covers most of the spending outside of aid to the state's public schools, which is in a separate measure that has stalled.
The Senate's action came hours after the GOP-controlled House approved the bill, 78-44, so the measure goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. She's likely to sign the bill, but the state constitution allows her to veto individual spending items, which she has done regularly in the past.
The bill would provide a 5% pay increase for all state government workers, plus larger increases for public safety workers and workers whose pay has lagged behind their counterparts in the private sector. But those increases are far short of the pay raise for lawmakers taking effect at the start of 2025 under a law enacted last year that didn't require them to vote on the increase.
Critics of the pay raise managed to get the Senate to include in its version of the next state budget a provision delaying the pay raise at least another year. House and Senate negotiators didn't include it in the final version of Friday's spending bill, prompting opponents to complain about the gap between the 93% raise for lawmakers and the 5% raise for most state workers.
“People don't trust politicians,” said Sen. Rob Olson, a Kansas City-area Republican. “This is why.”
Kansas is flush with tax revenues and under the spending approved Friday is on track to have more than $3.7 billion in excess funds at the end of June 2025.
Kelly and top Republicans brokered a deal earlier this week income, sales and property tax cuts, but the House scuttled it Thursday. Lawmakers planned to adjourn Friday for a three-week spring break, postponing another push on tax cuts until after they return April 29 for the last few days in session this year.
Legislators also haven't approved a bill with $6 billion in spending for the K-12 public school system. The state's 286 districts will see an increase in aid between $240 million and $320 million, or between 4.9% and 6.5%. However, disagreements over special education policies led the Senate to reject one bill Thursday 12-26, forcing lawmakers to draft a new version.
The bill funding other parts of the budget included provisions from GOP senators aimed at forcing Kelly to provide help to Texas in its border security fight with the Biden administration and restrict diversity programs on college campuses.
House and Senate negotiators decided not to delay the legislative pay raise.
A bipartisan commission of mostly former legislators concluded last year that lawmakers are underpaid and that low pay keeps younger and less wealthy people and people of color out of the Legislature. The law creating the commission allowed the raise to take effect unless both chambers rejected it by early February, which they didn't.
The increase will be nearly $28,000 a year for rank-and-file legislators, boosting their total compensation from $30,000 to nearly $58,000, including daily expense reimbursements in session. Legislative leaders get additional payments because of their duties, and the House speaker and Senate president will make more than $85,000 a year, up from $44,000.
During the House's debate, Republican Rep. Chuck Smith, of southeastern Kansas, backed the pay raise by praising the work of the chairs of the House budget committee and a committee on K-12 spending.
“We ought to be thanking these people for what they do,” Smith said. “It's unbelievable, the quality of people we have in here.”
The tone was far different in the Senate. Facing a barrage of questions from Olson and Sen. Dennis Pyle, a northeastern Kansas Republican, Billinger acknowledged that he doesn't think the big pay raise is appropriate.
“Something's very, very wrong,” Pyle said. “It's a sad day for Kansas.”
Pay for lawmakers varies widely by state, according to National Conference of State Legislatures data. New Hampshire’s salary is $100 a year — the same as in 1889 — while New Mexico pays $202 to cover lawmakers’ expenses in session but no salary.
Alaska lawmakers’ salaries rose by 67% from $50,400 to $84,000 at the start of their annual session this year, and New Jersey legislators will see their pay increase in 2026, also by 67%, from $49,000 to $82,000. New York lawmakers received a 29% raise at the start of 2023, making their pay the highest in the nation at $142,000 a year.
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GOP Leaders Want Money to Send Kansas National Guard Troops to Aid Texas in Border Dispute
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Republican leaders in Kansas want to use state tax dollars to help enforce immigration laws at the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. The Kansas News Service reports that lawmakers approved a budget that includes nearly $16 million to send Kansas National Guard troops to Texas amid its border dispute with the federal government. The dispute centers around a Texas law permitting officers to arrest migrants suspected of entering the U.S. illegally. Republican supporters say it’s necessary to combat drug and human trafficking. But Democrats, like Representative Henry Helgerson, say enforcing immigration law is up to the feds. “The federal government has plenty of money – can make more money if it needs it. And so does Texas. We have our own problems,” he added. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly is unlikely to support the measure. She has the power to veto specific items within the budget.
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Kansas Senate Rejects K-12 Public School Budget
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas Senate rejected a budget for K-12 public schools Thursday night after opposition from public education groups. The bill included more than $77 million in new money for special education but changed the way the state calculates special-ed spending. Public school advocates, including the state’s largest teachers union, opposed the measure. They said the new accounting would underfund classrooms. The Kansas House narrowly passed the bill earlier. Republican Rep. Kristey Williams said it was fair and generous to schools, explaining that she thought “...we should be honest about what this bill includes. It includes more funding, not less." The bill’s failure means lawmakers will likely start their spring break without approving funding for public schools.
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Legislature Considering Property Tax Exemptions for Private Businesses that Compete with Non-Profits
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are considering property tax exemptions for private businesses that say they compete with tax-free organizations. The Kansas News Service reports that under the bill, certain Kansas businesses like gyms and child care centers would be exempt from property taxes if they compete with government entities or nonprofits that are tax exempt. Proponents of the bill say those tax exemptions give organizations like the YMCA an unfair advantage over private gyms. But Jay Hall, with the Kansas Association of Counties, says the plan would raise taxes for all other property owners. “This is essentially a tax shift from commercial, to residential and agricultural and other classes of property,” he explained. The measure has been considered for years in the Legislature but has renewed support with just days left in the session.
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Research Shows Trees in Great Plains Exacerbate Climate Change
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — New research shows trees growing on the Great Plains can actually make climate change worse. Climate scientists say trees cool the atmosphere by sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, but in many parts of the Great Plains, trees actually warm the planet. Susan Cook-Patton, a senior forest scientist at the Nature Conservancy, says trees make the earth’s surface darker, so it absorbs more sunlight instead of reflecting it back into space. This adds more heat than the trees are worth. “Trees are great – in the right place,” Cook-Patton said. “But they’re not uniformly awesome across the globe.” Nature Conservancy scientists say this is a reason to protect native grasslands. Great Plains grasslands are under threat from the spread of trees.
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Report: Kansas Has Nearly Doubled Renewable Energy Resources
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Rural Kansans could be on the cutting edge of renewable energy as new data shows the state remains one of the top in the nation for wind energy. Wind energy now makes up nearly half of the electricity generated in the state. A report from the non-profit group Climate Central found 47% of the state’s electricity generation now is coming from wind energy, surpassing coal. Climate Central found Kansas has increased its renewable energy resources by more than double in the last decade. The capacity is 9,000 megawatts of renewable power generation, which is fourth in the country. But despite this growth Kansas still ranks nearly last for energy efficiency in homes and other buildings. Zack Pistora, environmental lobbyist for the Sierra Club, says this is a huge opportunity for Kansas. “The cheapest and the greenest form of energy out there that we didn't talk about is the energy we don't use, the energy we save.” Kansas still has the second largest renewable energy potential only behind Texas, being one of the windiest and sunniest states.
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Kansas Turnpike Authority Says Its Cashless Tolling System Will Have Lowest Rates in the Nation
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The Kansas Turnpike Authority’s new cashless tolling system will have the lowest rates in the country. The Kansas News Service reports that Turnpike Authority CEO Steve Hewitt says the new system can save drivers money people, and that people who have a K-TAG will pay 50 percent less per mile to use the turnpike. The new system will go into effect on July 1st. The toll plazas at each exit will be replaced with transponder sensors and cameras. Motorists will be charged each time they drive underneath one of the more than 20 overhead toll gates. Officials say the change will ease congestion caused by lines at toll plazas. Free K-Tags are available at ksturnpike.com.
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Wichita Reaches Settlement in Federal Lawsuit Over "Gang List"
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Wichita has reached a settlement in a federal lawsuit over the police department’s use of a “gang list,” pending approval from the city council. The Kansas News Service reports that according to the suit, people were put on the list without notice or without criminal charges being filed. It says the list also targeted people of color. People on the list are subject to heightened surveillance and face higher bail bond costs. They also received stricter probation and parole terms. As part of the settlement, the Police Department will allow the public to review whether they are on the gang list. The department also will create an appeals process for a person if they think they were wrongfully placed on the list. The city also will pay $550 thousand dollars to cover legal fees for the plaintiffs. Read more.
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Report: Missing Area Man Found Dead in Johnson County
LAWRENCE, Kan. (The Lawrence Times) – An actor and student missing since Sunday has been found dead in Johnson County. The Lawrence Times reports that the Johnson County Sheriff's Office issued a news release Friday afternoon, announcing that the body of Cole Brings Plenty was found in the area of 200th and Homestead Lane in Johnson County, about 11 miles east of Baldwin City.
Brings Plenty, 27, was an actor and Haskell Indian Nations University student studying media. Community members and family members had been searching for Brings Plenty for the past several days and had reported him missing to police. Lawrence police were also seeking him in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident that took place early on Sunday, March 31.
The Johnson County Sheriff's Office press release said that deputies were dispatched “in reference to an unoccupied vehicle.” It also said that “Deputies checked the area and discovered a deceased male in a wooded area away from the vehicle.” They identified the man as Brings Plenty.
Investigators and the medical examiner were on the scene Friday afternoon, according to the release. “This investigation is ongoing. If you have any information, reach out to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office at 913-782-0720,” the release stated. The release did not indicate whether deputies suspect foul play.
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Report Lists Kansas as a Top State for Renewable Energy
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – New data shows Kansas remains one of the top states in the nation for renewable energy, specifically from wind turbines. The Kansas News Service reports that a study issued by Climate Central found 47% of the state’s electricity generation now is coming from wind energy, surpassing coal. Renewable energy generated in Kansas more than doubled in the last 10 years. Zack Pistora, environmental lobbyist for the Sierra Club, says Kansas has the potential for more growth in solar energy, adding that “southwest Kansas specifically, is our best solar resource in the state and one of the best in the country.” Kansas is projected to expand renewable energy projects, bringing more jobs and money to rural parts of western half of the state.
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LMH Health Announces New Chief Financial Officer
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) – LMH Health has announced the appointment of Rob Chestnut as its new chief financial officer. He will join the organization on May 20th. Chestnut, who is a Certified Management Accountant and holds a Master's degree in Business Administration, has served on the LMH Health Board of Trustees and chaired the board's finance committee in the past. LMH Health fired its previous CFO, Mike Rogers, in November 2023 after discovering that Rogers - formerly known as Michael Patrick Brunton - had been operating under an assumed name and hid the fact that he had been convicted of financial crimes in 2005 and 2007.
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KU Researchers Launch Study on Lack of Black Sperm Donors
UNDATED (KNS) – There’s a nationwide shortage of Black sperm donors. Researchers at the University of Kansas are trying to figure out why. The Kansas News Service reports that Courtney Marsh is leading the research team for this project, which KU says is one of the first to study attitudes toward sperm donation in the Black community. Marsh, who also is an OB-GYN, says she was inspired by her patients who were having trouble finding a Black sperm donor.
“I had at least three couples who came to me and were delaying their treatment because they could not find sperm. And I, you know, I thought, ‘Well gosh, I can help with this,’” she explained.
Marsh says about 3% of the total sperm population in the nation’s top sperm banks is from Black donors. She and her research team are hosting focus groups in Wichita, Kansas City and Topeka through July. They’ll use what they learn to come up with solutions to the shortage.
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Innovative Soccer Facility Opens at Kansas State School for the Blind
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) – Officials at the Kansas State School for the Blind cut the ribbon on a new and innovative sports facility in Kansas City, Kansas Friday afternoon. The soccer field was specifically built for the visually impaired. A $32,000 grant from the Victory Project, a Sporting Kansas City philanthropic foundation, made it possible. Molly Quinn,the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes CEO, says the professional men’s and women’s soccer leagues recognize the need for such a facility, saying that "...our purpose for USA Blind Soccer and part of our mission is to be able to figure out how do we make this happen with MLS and NWSL." The Kansas City, Kansas facility is the first of its kind in the Midwest and is expected to host camps and coaching clinics in the future. For more on Blind Soccer, click here for an in-depth examination of the sport and this new facility.
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Kansas City Area Eclipse Watchers Gather for Celestial Show
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KCUR) – Nearly 200 eclipse-watchers gathered at the Overland Park Arboretum Monday to catch the moon moving over almost 90 percent of the sun as Kansas City experienced a partial eclipse. KCUR reports that the sky didn’t become truly dark, because the city was not in the path of totality. But the eclipse still brought excited spectators together. Clara Woolschlager met up with some other people right after entering the park, and the group ended up hanging out together most of the day. “We got about 10 -15 feet in…we started talking...we just kind of all met today,” she said.
During the few minutes of the eclipse, people watched the moon slowly pass partially over the sun, as temperatures dropped and skies turned hazy. This is the last time a solar eclipse will be seen in the continental United States until August of 2044.
(–Earlier reporting–)
Kansans Plan Solar Eclipse Watch Parties
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) — Kansans will have plenty of opportunities to view Monday’s solar eclipse. In Lawrence, astronomers from the University of Kansas are inviting eclipse watchers to join them from noon to 3:30 p.m. on the old marching band tarmac west of the Dole Institute of Politics. The Society of Physics Students Chapter in Lawrence will host the event with speakers discussing the eclipse and solar telescopes for getting a closer look. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that the Flint Hills Discovery Center In Manhattan will host a solar eclipse party all day and the Sunset Zoo, also in Manhattan, will host an eclipse viewing starting at 12:30 p.m. Other viewing events are planned throughout the region including at the Legends Outlets in Kansas City, Kansas. A volunteer NASA ambassador will be on hand to answer questions at the event next to Dave and Buster’s at the Legends. Kansas will only have about 90% totality during the eclipse from around 12:30 to 3 p.m.
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