2026 Kansas Legislative Session Begins
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka today (MON) to convene their 2026 session. The competing priorities of an outgoing Democratic governor - and Republican leaders who are seeking higher office - are expected to dominate the session. This will be the final session for two-term Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. Her top priority is getting agreement on a "sane budget” - one that adequately funds state government. She’d also like to advance a plan to manage the state’s diminishing water resources.
The Legislature’s top two Republicans - both of whom are running for statewide office - say their priorities include cutting taxes and spending - possibly slicing millions from university budgets. A Republican plan to redraw the state’s four congressional districts has the votes to pass. But not enough to override Kelly’s promised veto of a map engineered to defeat Sharice Davids, the loan Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation.
The House and Senate are scheduled to begin Monday afternoon (2 pm) for largely ceremonial activities. Governor Kelly will deliver her final State of the State address Tuesday evening.
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Protests Against ICE Held in Kansas City, St. Joe, Lawrence and Nationwide
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB/KMBC) - Large demonstrations were held over the weekend across the country to protest recent actions by ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. KSHB TV reports that rallies in Kansas City and Lawrence were part of hundreds of demonstrations held following the shooting death of Renee Good in Minneapolis. More "ICE Out for Good" protests were held across the country Sunday, including one in Lawrence. Demonstrators in Lawrence though have been continuously protesting since the election of President Trump. According to KMBC TV, an anti-ICE protest in St. Joseph, Missouri, drew more than 500 people.
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Kansas Governor's Office Warns Fed Data Request Could Put Information in Hands of Foreign Governments
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s office says the federal government’s request for data on food benefit recipients could be shared with foreign governments. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas is one of more than 20 states is challenging the federal government’s request. State officials say it amounts to federal overreach. The governor’s office says a provision allows the data to be shared with foreign governments, and there’s no reason that should happen. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has requested the personal information of Kansans who have applied for food assistance, including Social Security numbers and birth dates. Kansas is withholding the data. State officials have said turning over the information would violate recipient privacy.
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Kansas Leading the Nation in Confirmed Bird Flu Infections
UNDATED (KNS) — Kansas has the highest confirmed number of bird flu infections in the nation. The Kansas News Service reports that this includes cases of the disease in commercial and backyard flocks. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 400,000 Kansas birds are affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza. There are outbreaks in four Kansas commercial flocks and six backyard flocks. 380,000 of the birds are from a commercial egg-laying flock in Pottawatomie County. 65 total flocks in the U.S. have confirmed cases. The federal government has recorded 71 human cases of the bird flu. None were in Kansas. The CDC’s website says the risk to the public is low.
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Johnson County Threatens to Sue Man Who Demanded Ballot Question Recount
UNDATED (KCUR) — Johnson County is threatening to sue the man who demanded a recount over a ballot question in Prairie Village in the last election. The question was whether Prairie Village should abandon its mayor-council form of government. Voters rejected the plan by 30 points. Still, one of the plan’s chief backers, John Cantrell, paid for a hand recount. The recount resulted in the same outcome, meaning Cantrell owed the county $4,800 dollars. But the county says Cantrell reneged on the payment. KCUR reports that in a letter sent Thursday, the county said Cantrell reversed his credit card payment, quote, without any legal basis to do so. Cantrell has until February sixth to make payment. He did not return a phone call seeking comment.
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Internationally-Renowned KU Fungi Collection Faces Federal Funding Problems
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - A fungi collection at the University of Kansas that supports research into agriculture is facing money problems. KU houses the world’s biggest collection of special fungi that can help plants grow, including many crops. It was funded by the National Science Foundation but that money ran out. So, the team that runs the collection has launched an endowment account to try to keep it afloat.
Jim Bever, a professor at the Kansas Biological Survey, says they are spending down money earned by shipping samples to other scientists and labs. But, he says that’s not enough to sustain this collection - the biggest of its kind in the world. “You know at this point we’re just trying to do everything. You know, try all approaches to keep this going," he said. It’s still possible that more federal funding might come through. But - appropriations for science are uncertain right now. Competition is fierce and the Trump administration has shrunk the National Science Foundation.
Bever says KU's collection of fungi helps researchers around the globe. “There are very few institutions that have the facilities and have the expertise to grow and culture out these fungi. They’re very important organisms to understand," he said. Bever's team has launched an endowment to try to keep the collection afloat if more federal funding doesn’t come through. The new endowment is an account at the KU Endowment Association. The fungi collection is housed at the Kansas Biological Survey.
(The fungi collection at KU is called the International Collection of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi.)
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Commercial Truck Driver Arrested for Drunk Driving; Seven Times over Legal Limit
LYON COUNTY, Kan. (KMBC) - A commercial truck driver has been arrested for drunk driving in Lyon County. The sheriff's office says the driver was pulled over on I-35 Sunday for reckless driving. KMBC TV reports that deputies administered a breath test that revealed the truck driver had a blood-alcohol concentration seven times the legal limit for commercial truck drivers.
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Health Officials: Flu Hitting Kansas Hard
UNDATED (KSN) — The flu is going around. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Kansas is one of several states seeing “very high activity.” And the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says about 5% of emergency room visits in the state right now are for the flu. Dana Hawkinson is the medical director of infection prevention and control with the University of Kansas Health System. Hawkinson told KSN a new strain and lower vaccination rates are causing a surge in flu patients. Hawkinson says there’s still time to get a flu shot. And, as always, frequent hand washing is recommended.
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Sheriff: Three Arrested on Drug Charges in Southeast Kansas
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Kan. (Hays Post) - Four people have been arrested in southeast Kansas on various drug-related charges. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office says the recent arrests helped removed methamphetamine and fentanyl from the streets. The Hays Post reports that two men and two women, all from Independence, were booked into jail on various drug charges: Tyler Norton, Noah Daniel, Breeanna Conrad and Heather Leach.
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Researchers Find Dense Tree Cover Linked to Higher Biodiversity
UNDATED (HPM) — In farm country, dense tree cover can be hard to come by. But, researchers from the University of Illinois have found that more trees that surround rivers and streams are linked to higher biodiversity. Harvest Public Media reports that researchers found evidence of an additional land species for every 10% increase in forest cover. Eric Larson leads the lab that conducted the study. “We detected bobcats that have had a big population recovery in Illinois over the last few decades, we detected bats, we detected box turtles. And I think those kind of benefits to wildlife also have benefits to people,” he explained. The researchers collected water from streams and analyzed any traces of DNA they could find in the samples. The process is called environmental DNA metabarcoding. Larson says the sampling method can be as easy as throwing a bucket on a rope off a bridge, so volunteers or farmers can collect samples to support a wide range of conservation research. (Read more.)
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Kansas Ag Leaders Express Reservations About Proposed Water Regulations
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) — New proposed regulations are looking to help Kansas farmers conserve more water. But the Kansas News Service reports most ag leaders have some reservations. The Kansas Department of Agriculture took public comments about the proposed regulations. One is focused on defining the purpose of a water conservation area, which is used in western Kansas to voluntarily reduce groundwater use. The proposal would require the conservation areas to reduce the water use under specific rules. Aaron Popelka, vice president of legal affairs for the Kansas Livestock Association, says this regulation oversteps the state’s authority. “What the department is trying to do is substitute what it believes should be done to conserve water for what the legislature said is permissible,” Popelka explained. The Kansas Department of Agriculture will review these comments then decide whether to put the regulation in place.
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Royals Terminate Broadcast Contract
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSNT) — The Kansas City Royals have terminated their broadcasting contract with the FanDuel Sports Network. What that means for fans is still up in the air. The FanDuel Network and its parent company, Main Street Sports Group, are in financial trouble. KSNT reports the Royals could still negotiate a new broadcast deal with the network. Or Major League Baseball could take over the team’s broadcast rights. Fans are being assured they will still be able to watch the Royals on TV in 2026. It’s just not certain who will broadcast the games.
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