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Listen online: Following a two-week break, the Kansas Legislature reconvened Thursday, April 9 for a brief Veto Session largely dominated by property tax discussions and votes to attempt overrides of bills vetoed by governor Laura Kelly. After passage of a property tax bill on slim margins, the House and Senate gaveled out sine die (no more days) around 2:00 a.m., on Saturday morning, completing the 2026 legislative session. The 2026 session served as Governor Kelly’s final. With no signs of a special session this summer, the Legislature will plan to reconvene in...

Listen online: Week 11 of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session concluded with First Adjournment just after 1:00 a.m., Saturday. The final days of the regular session were largely dominated by conference committee work, where lawmakers negotiated differences between House and Senate versions of key bills. The Legislature will reconvene on April 9 for a brief two- or three-day Veto Session. Property tax relief was one of the most closely watched and, at times, controversial issues of the session. After weeks of debate over competing proposals, lawmakers were unable to reach a broad agreement on...

Kurt Bryan Anderson, 54, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in Oberlin, KS. He was born May 29, 1971, in Norman, Oklahoma, to Kenneth and Emalee (Tucker) Anderson. He lived a life marked by humor, hard work, and deep love for his family. Services were held on March 18. Condolence can be left at Kurt's Obituary on Plumer Gobber's website. Donations in Kurt's memory can be made to Decatur Community High School, Decatur Community High School FFA Program or Decatur County 4H. Kurt grew up in Drumright, Oklahoma, graduating from Drumright High...

Listen online: Despite the House and Senate continuing work on property tax relief and the state budget, the 2026 Kansas legislative session is quickly nearing its end. Friday, March 20, marked the final day for non-exempt bills in either chamber, and Friday, March 27, is the scheduled First Adjournment for the session. Racing the clock, final committee hearings and last-minute negotiations were held this week before two days of floor action on bills later in the week. House and Senate Conference Committees, comprised of the committee’s Chairman, Vice Chairman, and Ranking Minority Party Member,...

Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) has joined a coalition letter to President Donald Trump regarding uncertainty around product availability, transportation constraints with heightened conflict in the Middle East. The letter, in-part, is below. Given the narrow and time-sensitive planting window now underway in many parts of the country, we encourage swift executive attention to help stabilize fertilizer supply chains and maintain the efficient movement of agricultural inputs. Many of these actions align with recommendations that have been raised by producer organizations and other agricultural stakeholders. We respectfully urge the Administration to prioritize actions that keep fertilizer...

Listen online: Continued debate over property tax proposals dominated Week Nine of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session. One of the week’s most notable developments involved SCR 1616, the Senate-approved constitutional amendment that would limit annual increases in the assessed value of real property to three (3) percent. The measure previously passed the Senate with a bipartisan two-thirds majority vote, but it encountered difficulty in the House. During debate in the House late in the week, the resolution failed overwhelmingly to advance to final action on a voice vote, leaving its...

Listen online: Week Eight of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session continued the steady pace of post-Turnaround activity as hearings on opposite-chamber bills occupied most of the week before the Legislature’s next set of deadlines the week of March 16. Fiscal policy and the state budget remain the central focus. During the week, the Kansas Senate passed its version of the state budget, with the minimum required number of votes, 21-19. With both chambers now having approved their separate budget bills, appropriators in the two chambers will now meet in a conference committee to resolve differences between...

The Kansas Grain and Feed Association (KGFA) is undertaking a strategic planning process to help guide the association’s direction and priorities for the next five years. As part of this effort, we are inviting members and industry partners to share their perspectives through a short survey. Your input will help KGFA leadership better understand the challenges facing the grain and feed industry, evaluate the value of current services, and identify opportunities for the association to strengthen its impact in the years ahead. The insights gathered will inform the priorities, recommendations, and outcomes included in the strategic plan. The survey should take approximately...

Listen to this week's report: Following the Turnaround, the Kansas Legislature’s seventh week quickly shifted to major policy and budget debates. While committees in both chambers began hearing bills from the opposite chamber, the House took up two of the session’s most closely watched issues: the state budget and property tax relief. With the Legislature now in the second half of the session, committees will work through bills that survived Turnaround, and negotiations will intensify on other high-profile measures. After several hours of debate, the House passed its version of the...

Listen to this week's report: As the pace accelerated, committees wrapped up hearings and leadership prioritized legislation that had gained traction during the first half of the session. The extended floor debates reflected the push to move policy proposals forward before the mid-session deadline, a routine but significant milestone that helps shape the Legislature’s workload for the remainder of the year. Lawmakers considered proposals tied to tax policy, regulation, water resources, energy, and infrastructure, all areas closely watched by stakeholders impacted by proposed legislation. With Turnaround now behind them, attention will shift...

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