Briefs

Kansas Statehouse

House lawmakers advance proposal to study Kansas legislative salaries, potentially increase pay

BY: - March 15, 2023

TOPEKA— House lawmakers advanced a legislative pay adjustment proposal in an attempt to remedy years of stagnant wages and make legislative careers more accessible.  During a Wednesday House hearing on the proposal, Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said most people couldn’t afford to make a career in the House or Senate due to the […]

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, said presence over Kansas of a Chinese spy balloon was evidence of President Joe Biden's shortcomings in the national security realm. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from U.S. Senate YouTube channel)

Marshall irritated by regulators’ action in bank failure; Intrust, UMB facing downgrade

BY: - March 14, 2023

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, said he was disappointed President Joe Biden allowed a financial bailout of a failed California bank.

Electric vehicles are displayed

States to receive $2.5B from feds for electric vehicle charging infrastructure

BY: - March 14, 2023

The federal government will send $2.5 billion over the next five years to states, local governments and tribes to build electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Biden administration officials said Wednesday. The new Charging and Fueling Infrastructure grant program, which was authorized by the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, will spend $2.5 billion over five years to build […]

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, joined with GOP Sen. Roger Marshall and three Democratic senators to sponsor legislation repealing the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba for benefit of agriculture and other industries. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Moran, Marshall support bipartisan measure repealing Cuba trade restrictions

BY: - March 13, 2023

Kansas Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, both Republicans, support bipartisan Senate legislation repealing the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba.

U.S. Rep. Ron Estes and state Rep. Susan Estes, Kansas Republicans and a married couple, both voted for transgender sports and parental bill of rights legislation. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas political duo — Ron and Susan Estes — vote for bills on transgender athletes, parental rights

BY: - March 10, 2023

GOP state Rep. Susan Estes and U.S. Rep. Ron Estes of Kansas support bills restricting transgender athletes and affirming parents' role in public education.

Gov. Laura Kelly marked Kansas Mental Health Advocacy Day at the Capitol by announcing the number of adult and child psychiatric beds in Kansas had increased 32% during the past four years to nearly 1,000. A Kansas legislative committee has endorsed a plan to open a 50-bed state hospital in Sedgwick County. (Submitted)

Kansas expands by 32% number of adult, child psychiatric beds during past four years

BY: - March 9, 2023

Gov. Laura Kelly said the number of psychiatric hospital beds for adults and children in Kansas increased 32% in the past four years to nearly 1,000.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab, at the Jan. 9 inauguration in Topeka, appointed Friday a new election commissioner for Sedgwick County. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas secretary of state appoints new election commissioner for Sedgwick County

BY: - March 5, 2023

Kansas secretary of state selected an economic development administrator to fill a vacancy as elections commissioner in Sedgwick County.

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach signed onto a federal court brief defending the right of a Kentucky photographer to refuse to work at same-sex weddings because it would violate her Christian beliefs. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kobach aids cause of Kentucky photographer opposed to working same-sex ceremonies

BY: - March 3, 2023

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach waded into a Kentucky appeals case involving a photographer who doesn't want to work same-sex weddings.

Rep. John Eplee

Kansas House agrees to raise legal smoking age to 21

BY: - March 2, 2023

TOPEKA — The Kansas House passed legislation Thursday to raise the legal age for tobacco products from 18 to 21. House Bill 2269 — which applies to the sale, purchase or possession of cigarette and tobacco products — would bring Kansas into compliance with federal law. The House granted initial approval after a brief debate, […]

Gov. Laura Kelly

Kansas governor touts improved credit rating, warns flat tax could damage score

BY: - March 1, 2023

TOPEKA — The state’s credit rating has improved again, Gov. Laura Kelly announced this week, but her administration warns that a Senate-approved flat tax plan would damage that score. S&P Global changed Kansas’ credit outlook from stable to positive, recognizing passage by the Republican-controlled Legislature of several of the Democratic governor’s financial initiatives. They include […]

Senate President Ty Masterson originally supported rolling back food sales tax relief on foods deemed unhealthy. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas Senate supports elimination of state, local food sales tax

BY: - February 24, 2023

TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate voted to remove all state and local sales taxes on food next year, in a last-minute reversal of an earlier proposal to curtail sales tax reductions for unhealthy food.  Senators voted to eliminate the food sales tax Thursday during a Senate debate, advancing an amended version of Senate Bill 248 […]

Cargill meatpacking plant in Kansas part of federal investigation into illegal child labor

BY: - February 17, 2023

TOPEKA — Federal authorities have fined a cleaning company nearly $400,000 for illegally employing minors and making them work in dangerous conditions at a Dodge City meatpacking plant. The fine was tied to a U.S. Department of Labor investigation that involved at least 102 children, ages 13-17, at meatpacking plants owned by multiple companies in […]