Chillin' in the Statehouse

March Madness is upon us, and not just the basketball kind. A Republican rebellion against House leadership brought the chamber to a halt at a busy time of the legislative session. Meanwhile, the bipartisan ban on student cell phones in schools was signed into law.

With two weeks left in the regular legislative session, Kansas lawmakers have little time to fulfill their campaign promises of property tax relief. Meanwhile, they're also facing significant deficits and are struggling to cut spending enough to balance the budget.

It's been a busy first half of the Kansas legislative session, and even more busy when the Chillin' team also has to cover some happenings outside the Legislature. Then add in some technical difficulties that we hope have been straightened out. Regardless, we're back and ready to talk about the biggest legislative accomplishment so far this year: an anti-transgender bathroom bill that also bans ge...

Has it been two weeks or two months? The Kansas 2026 legislative session is off to a fast and busy start. The Chillin' team brings you an update on the first two weeks and says a farewell to Jack, who is leaving to cover Missouri government and politics.

With lawmakers returning to the capital city, it was a busy week at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. The Chillin' team recaps the first week of the 2026 legislative session, including Gov. Laura Kelly's last State of the State address, Kansas Supreme Court oral arguments and more.

The Chillin' team is back, just in time for lawmakers to return to the capital city. The Kansas Legislature's 2026 session starts Jan. 12, and we've got a preview of the biggest items to watch. Also, we've got a recap of the state's subsidy deal for the Kansas City Chiefs to move from Missouri to Kansas.

The Kansas City Chiefs won't make the NFL playoffs this year, but the football team could make a big decision about the future of its stadium. The Chiefs are expected to propose a deal to a group of top Kansas lawmakers for taxpayer subsidies to help build a new stadium on the Kansas side of the metro. The Royals are not expected to have a proposal.

Just in time for your Thanksgiving road trip, the Chillin' in the Statehouse team has another episode. We talk about about Gov. Laura Kelly's lawsuit against Attorney General Kris Kobach, Kobach's charges alleging noncitizen illegal voting, a child care grant by the Kelly administration, and Kansas turkey hunting records.

Republicans in the Kansas Legislature failed to get enough petitions to call a redistricting special session in November. That means the debate over gerrymandering the congressional maps will have to wait until January — as will potentially amending Senate Bill 180 to make it explicitly ban gender marker changes on driver's licenses. When lawmakers do return to Topeka, they won't be staring...

The Chillin' in the Statehouse crew is back with another episode on gerrymandering and food stamps. While Senate Republicans have the signatures to call a redistricting special session, House Republicans are not yet there. Meanwhile, it's looking like the federal government shutdown will mean no November SNAP benefits, or at least delayed or partial payments.

The Chillin' in the Statehouse team is back with another episode featuring one Snap lawsuit, another SNAP lawsuit, and the latest developments in gerrymandered redistricting efforts in Kansas.

Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing Gov. Laura Kelly, setting up another legal battle featuring Kobach versus Kelly. This time, it's over SNAP data demanded by the USDA. The Chillin' team breaks it down ahead of a likely court hearing this coming week. We also have news on the Republican rebrand for the One Big Beautiful Bill.

With K-State and KU playing on Saturday, it's the start to football season. It's also political football season. The Chillin' team has several issues teed up, from gerrymandered redistricting and education cut scores to SNAP data plus candy definitions and DOGE cuts — and even a little Taylor Swift.

The Aug. 4, 2026, primary election is still a year away, but several candidates have already announced campaigns for statewide office in Kansas. Some races have a large field of candidates, especially in the Republican primary for governor. Others have yet to see a candidate filing, like Democratic primaries for treasurer and insurance commissioner.

After a short hiatus due to scheduling conflicts and technical difficulties, the Chillin' in the Statehouse team is back together to start the new fiscal year — just in time for your Fourth of July road trip. While we focus on the animal stories we've been itching to share and some recent green energy political ads, we also acknowledge new Kansas laws going into effect, the One Big Beautiful...

Even with the Legislature adjourned, it's been a busy month of May in the Statehouse — and especially in courthouses. The Chillin' team has an update on legal affairs from a multitude of cases, as well as a story we've been itching to share about screwworms.

Chillin' in the Statehouse is back to talk about revenue estimates, government spending, a looming budget hole, and what lawmakers did about tax cut promises.

In August 2026, Kansas voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution on how Supreme Court justices are selected. If the Republican-backed amendment is approved, justices will be directly elected, like in Wisconsin where a high-profile election brought big spending with contributions from billionaires like Elon Musk and George Soros.

March was a busy month at the Kansas Statehouse, and while a lot happened, what ate up much of the attention was a planned black mass by Satanists and a counter-rally by Christians. Here's what went down.

Chillin' in the Statehouse takes a break from our regularly scheduled chill to bring you the stories of three not-so-chill moments in Kansas politics. From an outburst on the House floor that shut down the chamber, to a Senate committee abruptly ending when a speaker tried to go past the time limit, to a U.S. senator being booed as he walked out of a contentious town hall, we break down the events...

Despite another snowstorm, the Kansas Legislature has reached turnaround, the midpoint of the legislative session. The House and Senate passed dozens of bills to send to the other chamber, and we've got a sampling of them for you. Meanwhile, the Legislature also enacted the first new law of 2025 by overriding the governor's veto.

It's been a busy past two weeks for the Chillin' in the Statehouse team. There was the tragic plane crash of a flight out of Wichita, the passage of a bill on gender-affirming care, multiple rallies — including for school choice and the march for life, a new mural, tax policy proposals, USAID impacts on Kansas, and more. And don't forget about the Grammys and the Chiefs!

It was the first week of President Donald Trump's administration, the second week of the Kansas legislative session and the third week of snow covering the ground in Topeka. The Chillin' in the Statehouse team recaps a mix of news this week, including lawmakers responding to Trump's executive orders, the Kansas House getting rid of the midnight rule, and a history lesson on chaos in state legislat...

The Chillin' in the Statehouse team is back to recap the first week of the 2025 legislative session and what was said during the governor's State of the State address, by Republican leadership afterward, and by Democratic leadership at a press conference.

Here at the Kansas Statehouse it's the first day of the 2025 legislative session, and we've got a legislative preview for our listeners.