Week 5 (1.25.25 to 1.31.25)

Our thoughts are with Wichita

Editor’s note: For readability, only bills which may be of public interest have been included, and the bill name has been summarized. Legislation is ordered from highest number of cosponsors to lowest. Bolded legislation indicates that more than 25% of the respective chamber demonstrated interest or support. We are in the process of improving our coverage. Weekly updates will be posted on the weekend, covering the previous Saturday through Friday. Phone numbers are included for your convenience, but you can find other methods to contact your legislator on our About page. Let your legislators know what you think of their work!

Noteworthy

• “A civil rights attorney who grew up in Wichita was among the 64 people on American Airlines Flight 5342 who perished after it crashed into the Potomac River. Kiah Duggins, 30, was on her way home to Washington, D.C., where she worked as an attorney for the Civil Rights Corps. She had been in Wichita to be with her mother during a surgical procedure.” (KS Public Radio)

• “The Kansas Senate approved with a bipartisan supermajority a bill prohibiting health professionals from providing gender-affirming care to minors and enforcing that statewide ban with civil, financial and regulatory sanctions for violators.” (KS Reflector)

Federal level

Senator Roger Marshall (D.C. Office 202-224-4774)

• Co-sponsored:

• S. 315 (45 cosponsors)- requiring AM radio access in vehicles.

• S. 292 (27 cosponsors)- offering tax credits for donating to education scholarships.

  • Likely sponsoring religious or affluent private schools.

• S. 331 (16 cosponsors)- addressing fentanyl-related substances under the Controlled Substances Act.

• S. 334 (10 cosponsors)- permanently restricting federal funds for abortion and involuntary sterilization.

• S. 129 (8 cosponsors)- eliminating income tax on tips via a new deduction.

• S. 333 (7 cosponsors)- repealing subsidies for home electrification.

• S. 345 (4 cosponsors)- reclassifying silencers as firearm accessories.

Senator Jerry Moran (D.C. Office 202-224-6521, Manhattan Office 785-539-8973)

• Sponsored: S. 275 (1 cosponsor)- aimed at improving veterans' healthcare access.

• Co-sponsored:

  • S.J.Res. 7 (12 cosponsors)- opposing FCC efforts to expand internet access for students.

  • S. 335 (11 cosponsors)- adjusting Medicare payment formulas.

  • S. 258 (9 cosponsors)- improving tornado and severe weather forecasting.

House Representative Tracey Mann (D.C. Office 202-225-2715, Manhattan Office 785-370-7277)

• Co-sponsored: H.R. 750 (4 cosponsors)- supporting tax incentives for education.

State level

Senator Brad Starnes (Topeka: 785-296-7360)

• No sponsored or co-sponsored legislation this week.

• Assessment and Taxation: Daily @ 9:30 am - Room: 548-S

  • SB103 - authorizing local earnings taxes on non-residents.

  • SB109 - providing sales tax remittance credits.

• Agriculture and Natural Resources: Daily @ 8:30 am - Room: 144-S

• Education: Daily @ 1:30 pm - Room: 144-S

  • SB75 - creating a $125M private school voucher tax credit.

    • “Lynn Rogers, a banker and former state senator, lieutenant governor and state treasurer, predicted the voucher program would “devastate rural communities.” If a small school lost 5-10 students, he said, the school could close. He testified on behalf of Kansas Interfaith Action Group. “You lose a school, you lose a post office, you lose a co-op, you lose the entire community,” Rogers said. “I’ve seen it happen many times.” Because families would be eligible no matter their income, he said, a family with two students in private school and annual earnings of $300,000 would not pay any state taxes after receiving the credits. “That’s going to blow a real hole in your budget,” Rogers said.” (Kansas Reflector)

  • SB76 - mandating school employees use names/pronouns matching students’ birth certificates.

  • SB 78 - restricting accreditor influence on state colleges.

    • Could weaken academic standards – If state laws conflict with accreditation standards (e.g., diversity, academic freedom, or science-based curricula), schools might lose recognition from respected agencies. If accreditation is influenced by state politics rather than academic quality, it could hurt Kansas institutions’ credibility.

• Federal and State Affairs: Daily @ 10:30 am - Room: 144-S

  • SB83 - Extending voter franchise in city elections to qualified electors living in areas subject to extraterritorial zoning or subdivision regulations.

  • SB100 - Enacting the fair chance housing and homelessness reduction act to limit the use of past evictions and rental arrears to deny applicants from renting a home.

  • SB105 - Requiring the governor to appoint a person to fill vacancies in the offices of United States senator, state treasurer and commissioner of insurance from a list of names approved by the legislature.

  • SCR1607 - Making application to the congress of the United States to call a convention of the states to establish term limits for members of congress.

Rep. Sydney Carlin of District 66 (Topeka: 785 296-7657)

• Sponsored: HB2151 - Increasing the Kansas minimum wage to $15 an hour.

• Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget: Daily @ 1:30 pm - Room: 118-N, ranking minority member

• Taxation: Daily @ 3:30 pm - Room: 346-S

• Veterans and Military: Tue/Thu @ 9:00 am - Room: 281-N

• 2024 Special Committee on Legislative Budget : TBD

Rep. Angel Roeser of District 67 (Topeka: 785-296-7402)

• Sponsored: HB2120 - Authorizing the state board of regents to sell and convey certain real property in Riley county, Kansas, and Douglas county, Nebraska, on behalf of Kansas state university and Kansas state university veterinary medical center.

• Welfare Reform: Tue/Thu @ 1:30 pm - Room: 152-S

  • HB2101 - Prohibiting municipalities from adopting and implementing a guaranteed income program.

• Financial Institutions and Pensions: Mon/Wed @ 9:00 am - Room: 582-N

• Agriculture and Natural Resources: Daily @ 3:30 pm - Room: 112-N

  • HB2174 - Enacting the attorney training program for rural Kansas act to provide financial assistance to lawyers and law students who practice law in rural areas.

• Child Welfare and Foster Care: Mon/Wed @ 1:30 pm - Room: 152-S

  • HB2132 - Modifying the definition of neglect in the revised Kansas code for care of children, prohibiting the removal of a child from such child's home due solely to a lack of financial resources. To justify removal, there must be evidence of imminent harm caused by a lack of financial resources, and it requires showing more than one fact to support this claim.

  • HB2175 - Requiring the secretary for children and families to notify the parent of a child who is the subject of an investigation of abuse or neglect of such parent's rights during such investigation and to complete a written report upon closing such an investigation. If a child is removed from the home, an agreement must be made between the parent and the secretary. It also allows parents to withhold certain information unless a court orders otherwise.