2021 Statehouse Insider
Week One
Jan. 11 – Jan. 15, 2021
It was a busy week in Topeka which saw the swearing in of new members following the 2020 elections, a virtual State of the State address by Governor Laura Kelly, and the introduction of many new bills. Heading into the session, several controversial issues have been gearing up for prime time.
Week Two
Jan. 18 – Jan. 22, 2021
Security issues with the capitol building caused a slow-down of activity for a couple of days during a week which also saw a flood of new bills introduced on dozens of issues. Many of these bills were being given new life following the shortened session last year.
Week Three
Jan. 25 – Jan. 29, 2021
Many new bills were introduced and heard by committees in the third week of the Kansas legislative session. The House and Senate also continued hearings on the status of the Kansas unemployment insurance fund, attempting to find answers on the amount of fraud against the fund and how the program might buoyed.
Week Four
Feb. 01 – Feb. 05, 2021
This week brought continued discussions in multiple committees on the issue of fraud on the Kansas state unemployment fund. It is thought that fraudulent claims paid-out over the last year could be as high as $400 million.
Week Five
Feb. 08 – Feb. 12, 2021
Scores of new bills were introduced again this week on a wide range of issues as the Kansas Legislature approached the February 12 deadline for non-exempt committee bill introductions. This week also brought further committee hearings on bills relating to the state unemployment insurance trust fund. Numerous hearings have already been scheduled for the coming week which may be shortened due to pending winter weather.
Week Six
Feb. 15 – Feb. 19, 2021
Frigid cold weather brought proceedings at the capitol to a halt on Monday and Tuesday, but later in the week committee chairmen held hearings, debate and action on numerous bills by both the House and Senate Chambers. Find more details on this week’s legislative action, below.
Week Seven
Feb. 22 – Feb. 26, 2021
This week marked the close of hearings on most bills in their chamber of origin. Next week is the Turnaround Day for bills, which means that the House and Senate will be busy most of the week with floor debate on bills that were advanced favorably from Committees.
Week Eight
March 1 – March 5, 2021
This week was Turnaround – the initial deadline for each chamber to pass its own bills. Any bill not passed by the full House or Senate this week is now dead for the year, unless it was introduced in one of a few select committees. This means that the House and Senate spent much of the week on the floor debating bills that had advanced favorably from committees, including expanded sports gambling, and emergency passage of a bill to provide municipalities with financial assistance for increased natural gas prices.
Week Nine
March 8 – March 12, 2021
This was a short week in the Kansas Legislature, with the House and Senate returning to committee work on Wednesday. Highlights for this week include the swearing in of a new Senator Ron Ryckman Sr., from Southwest Kansas (father of House Speaker Ron Ryckman, Jr.), additional committee work on the state budget, and passage on final action of a property tax transparency bill that will now be sent to Governor Laura Kelly. Next week will bring hearings on many bills passed by the opposite chamber. Please find additional information below.
Week 10
March 15 – March 19, 2021
There was a sense of urgency within the Kansas Legislature this week as the House and Senate continued hearing bills received from the opposite chamber in addition to introducing or taking action on controversial legislation. The House introduced two big-ticket items, including: a House Concurrent Resolution intended to protect Kansans from COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and House Bill 2434 which prohibits the employment of unauthorized aliens and requires employers to use the E-Verify program.
Week 11
March 22 – March 26, 2021
Several days of floor debate by both chambers and final action for most committees made for a full week in the legislature. Much time was spent debating various bills, including a bill allowing regulated energy providers to bond long-term debt; and House Resolution 5015 urging the United States Congress to reject the “For the People Act of 2021.” Next week will bring additional floor debate on bills before the first adjournment on Friday, April 9. The legislature will then take a three-week break before returning for a brief veto session and to work on an omnibus appropriations bill.
Week 12
March 29 – April 2, 2021
With just one week left in the regular legislative session, the House and Senate debated and took action on many bills during this shortened three-day week. Bills of note included: action on the unemployment insurance fund and confirmation of the new Secretary of Labor; final passage of a multi-tiered income tax bill; advancement of a complex property tax bill and the Governor’s signature on a bill repealing the property tax lid; the signing into law of a bill providing limited immunity to businesses in regard to the pandemic; and, re-issuance by Governor Kelly of a dozen executive orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Next week will bring continued floor debate and the bundling of bills through conference committee work. First adjournment will likely come sometime late Friday, April 9. The legislature will then take a three-week break before returning for a brief veto session and to work on an omnibus appropriations bill.
Week 13
April 5 – April 9, 2021
On Friday, April 9, the Kansas Legislature adjourned for the last day of the 2021 regular session. The House and Senate will now take a three-week break before returning for a veto session on May 3 where they will consider bills vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly, work on the omnibus appropriations bill, and possibly take final action on other bills. During the last few days, the House and Senate worked long hours on a flurry of action on bills that will now be sent to the Governor for consideration. The legislature finished the regular session by passing a budget bill for the state’s next two fiscal years. One other headline concerned a change in Senate leadership when the Republican caucus voted to remove Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop (R-Wichita) due to his legal trouble in early-March.
Interim
April 9 – April 26, 2021
Governor Laura Kelly has now signed multiple bills passed by the legislature during the regular session. The Governor has also teed up possible action by the House and Senate during the veto session beginning May 3 by vetoing key legislation focusing on taxes and social issues.
Veto Session
May 3 – May 7, 2021
The legislature met for additional legislative action last week during a time referred to as the Veto Session – historically meant to provide the legislature with a brief period to consider bills vetoed by the Governor. During this final week of action, lawmakers voted to override multiple vetoes of bills by Governor Laura Kelly.
Sine Die – Adjournment
May 26, 2021
The 2021 Kansas legislative session formally adjourned Sine Die just before 1:00 p.m., on Wednesday, May 26. The half-day of floor work was uneventful in terms of laws overridden as the Senate successfully Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a short-term health insurance bill, but the House fell nearly 20 votes short of the 2/3 majority needed to pass the law. Neither chamber attempted any other overrides on bills vetoed.