Kansas politics

Bid to punish House GOP lawmakers triggers backlash against ‘political theater’

A task force failed to meet a previous deadline to submit a draft plan to the 2026 Legislature

Federal law says only accredited services — like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign wars, which are always free — can help a veteran file an initial claim, but there are no criminal penalties for violating the law. Many states have banned the for-profit consultants, known derisively as “claim sharks.”

Two Kansas medical professionals sat for an hour at an early morning committee hearing in mid-March, waiting their turn to speak out against a bill. One drove two hours to attend. Neither got a chance to talk.

The bill, which resembles a package Gov. Laura Kelly previously vetoed, effectively limits annual spending increases by local governments to 3% or the inflation rate, whichever is smaller.

Legislators aren’t supposed to attack each others’ motives during debate, but the niche procedural rule has become a tool for the Republican supermajority.

The Kansas Legislature approved a provision to clamp down on public school protests by requiring students to receive parental permission before participating, and hitting districts with penalties as high as $100,000 per day for failing to enforce restrictions.

Democrats face long odds in the 4th District, where Rep. Ron Estes won 65% of the vote in 2024.

Skeptic says 10% reward may trigger partisan abuse, give rise to bounty hunters

Republicans voted to override the governor's veto and put the restrictions into state law. It will require people to use bathrooms in public places that align with their sex assigned at birth.