Kansas House of Representatives
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
- Early voting: Oct. 17 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
| Kansas House of Representatives | |
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| General Information | |
| Party control: | Republican |
| Session start: | January 13, 2025 |
| Session end: | April 11, 2025 |
| Term length: | 2 years |
| Term limits: | None |
| Redistricting: | Legislative control |
| Salary: | $86.66/session day + per diem |
| Members | |
| Total: | 125 |
| Democrats: | 37 |
| Republicans: | 88 |
| Other: | 0 |
| Vacancies: | 0 |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker: | Daniel Hawkins (R) |
| Maj. Leader: | Chris Croft (R) |
| Min. Leader: | Brandon Woodard (D) |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 8, 2016 |
| Next election: | November 6, 2018 |
The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Kansas State Legislature. Alongside the Kansas State Senate, it forms the legislative branch of the Kansas state government and works alongside the governor of Kansas to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Kansas House of Representatives include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.
What you will find on this page
This page contains information on the Kansas House of Representatives that is curated and updated by Ballotpedia staff. Click on the arrows (▼) below for information and research on party control, elections, members, legislation, sessions, procedures, committees, and districts.
Party Control: current and historical information on party control of the Kansas House of Representatives
Party control
Current partisan control
The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Kansas House of Representatives as of October 2025:
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 37 | |
| Republican Party | 88 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 125 | |
History of partisan control
Republicans won control of the Kansas House of Representatives in 1992. In 2024, they won a 88-37 majority. The table below shows the partisan history of the Kansas House following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Kansas House of Representatives election results: 1992-2024
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 59 | 45 | 48 | 48 | 46 | 45 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 33 | 35 | 28 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 40 | 37 |
| Republicans | 66 | 80 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 83 | 78 | 77 | 92 | 90 | 97 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 85 | 88 |
Trifecta history
A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Kansas gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2010 elections. They defended their trifecta in the 2012, 2014, and 2016 elections. Republicans previously held a trifecta from 1995 to 2002. The table below shows state government trifectas in Kansas from 1992 to 2017.
Kansas Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Sixteen years of Republican trifectas
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| Senate | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Elections: election data from 2000 to the present
Elections
Elections by year
Kansas state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years. Kansas holds elections for its legislature in even years.
2026
Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.
2024
Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was August 6, 2024. The filing deadline was June 3, 2024.
In the 2024 elections, Republicans increased their majority from 85-40 to 88-37.
| Kansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2024 | After November 6, 2024 | |
| Democratic Party | 40 | 37 | |
| Republican Party | 85 | 88 | |
| Total | 125 | 125 | |
2022
Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 2, 2022. The filing deadline was June 1, 2022.
Heading into the 2022 elections, Republicans had an 86-39 majority in the Kansas House of Representatives. Republicans lost one seat in the election, giving the party an 85-40 majority in the chamber.
| Kansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 8, 2022 | After November 9, 2022 | |
| Democratic Party | 39 | 40 | |
| Republican Party | 86 | 85 | |
| Total | 125 | 125 | |
2020
Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 4, 2020. The filing deadline was June 1, 2020.
In the 2020 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the Kansas House of Representatives from 84–41 to 86–39.
| Kansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 3, 2020 | After November 4, 2020 | |
| Democratic Party | 41 | 39 | |
| Republican Party | 84 | 86 | |
| Total | 125 | 125 | |
2018
Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2018. The closed primary election took place on August 7, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2018.
In the 2018 elections, there was no change in the partisan balance of the Kansas House of Representatives.
| Kansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 6, 2018 | After November 7, 2018 | |
| Democratic Party | 40 | 40 | |
| Republican Party | 85 | 85 | |
| Total | 125 | 125 | |
2016
Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives were held in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016. All 125 seats in the Kansas House of Representatives were up for election in 2016.
Heading into the election, Republicans held a 97-28 majority. Republicans lost 12 seats in the election, giving them a 85-40 majority.
| Kansas House of Representatives | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 7, 2016 | After November 8, 2016 | |
| Democratic Party | 28 | 40 | |
| Republican Party | 97 | 85 | |
| Total | 125 | 125 | |
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2014Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 2, 2014. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2014. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 93-32 majority. Republicans gained four seats in the election, giving them a 97-28 majority.
2012Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 7, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 10, 2012. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2012. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 92-33 majority. No partisan change occurred in the election.
2010Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on August 3, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was June 10, 2010. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2010. Heading into the election, Republicans held a 76-49 majority. Republicans gained 16 seats in the election, giving them a 92-33 majority.
2008Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 5, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2008. During the 2008 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $5,220,801. The top 10 contributors were:[2]
2006Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 1, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2006. During the 2006 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $5,076,645. The top 10 contributors were:[3]
2004Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 3, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2004. During the 2004 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $3,971,642. The top 10 contributors were:[4]
2002Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 6, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2002. During the 2002 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $3,706,577. The top 10 contributors were:[5]
2000Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 1, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. All 125 House seats were up for election in 2000. During the 2000 election, the total value of contributions to House candidates was $2,703,984. The top 10 contributors were:[6]
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Members: current leadership and membership list and information on salaries and qualifications
Members
Leadership
The Speaker of the House is the presiding officer of the body. In the absence of the Speaker, the Speaker Pro Tempore takes on the duties of the office. The Speaker and Speaker Pro Tempore are both elected by the members of the House. Duties of the Speaker include preserving order and decorum, and deciding all questions of order.[7][8]
Current leadership and members
- House speaker: Daniel Hawkins (R)
- Speaker Pro Tempore: Scott Schwab (R)
- Majority leader: Chris Croft (R)
- Minority leader: Brandon Woodard (D)
- Assistant Majority Leader: Tom Phillips (R)
- Majority Whip: Kent Thompson (R)
- Majority Caucus Chair: Susan Concannon (R)
- Assistant Minority Leader: Stan Frownfelter (D)
- Minority Whip: Ed Trimmer (D)
- Minority Caucus Chair: Barbara Ballard (D)
| Current members, Kansas House of Representatives (125) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| District | Representative | Party | Assumed office |
| 1 | Michael Houser | Republican | 2013 |
| 2 | Adam Lusker | Democratic | 2014 |
| 3 | Monica Murnan | Democratic | 2017 |
| 4 | Trevor Jacobs | Republican | 2017 |
| 5 | Kevin Jones | Republican | 2013 |
| 6 | Jene Vickrey | Republican | 1993 |
| 7 | Richard Proehl | Republican | 2005 |
| 8 | Patty Markley | Republican | 2017 |
| 9 | Kent Thompson | Republican | 2013 |
| 10 | Eileen Horn | Democratic | 2017 |
| 11 | Jim Kelly | Republican | 2011 |
| 12 | Doug Blex | Republican | 2017 |
| 13 | Larry Paul Hibbard | Republican | 2013 |
| 14 | Keith Esau | Republican | 2013 |
| 15 | Erin Davis | Republican | 2014 |
| 16 | Cindy Holscher | Democratic | 2017 |
| 17 | Tom Cox | Republican | 2017 |
| 18 | Cindy Neighbor | Democratic | 2017 |
| 19 | Stephanie Clayton | Republican | 2013 |
| 20 | Jan Kessinger | Republican | 2017 |
| 21 | Jerry Stogsdill | Democratic | 2017 |
| 22 | Nancy Lusk | Democratic | 2013 |
| 23 | Linda Gallagher | Republican | 2015 |
| 24 | Jarrod Ousley | Democratic | 2015 |
| 25 | Melissa Rooker | Republican | 2013 |
| 26 | Frank Trimboli | Republican | 2018 |
| 27 | Sean Tarwater Sr. | Republican | 2017 |
| 28 | Joy Koesten | Republican | 2017 |
| 29 | Brett Parker | Democratic | 2017 |
| 30 | Randy Powell | Republican | 2015 |
| 31 | Louis Ruiz | Democratic | 2005 |
| 32 | Pam Curtis | Democratic | 2014 |
| 33 | Tom Burroughs | Democratic | 1997 |
| 34 | Valdenia Winn | Democratic | 2001 |
| 35 | Broderick Henderson | Democratic | 1995 |
| 36 | Kathy Wolfe Moore | Democratic | 2011 |
| 37 | Stan Frownfelter | Democratic | 2007 |
| 38 | Willie Dove | Republican | 2013 |
| 39 | Shelee Brim | Republican | 2017 |
| 40 | Debbie Deere | Democratic | 2017 |
| 41 | Jeff Pittman | Democratic | 2017 |
| 42 | Jim Karleskint | Republican | 2017 |
| 43 | Bill Sutton | Republican | 2013 |
| 44 | Barbara Ballard | Democratic | 1993 |
| 45 | Thomas Sloan | Republican | 1995 |
| 46 | Dennis "Boog" Highberger | Democratic | 2015 |
| 47 | Ronald B. Ellis | Republican | 2017 |
| 48 | Abraham Rafie | Republican | 2017 |
| 49 | Scott Schwab | Republican | 2009 |
| 50 | Fred Patton | Republican | 2015 |
| 51 | Ron Highland | Republican | 2013 |
| 52 | Brenda Dietrich | Republican | 2017 |
| 53 | Jim Gartner | Democratic | 2017 |
| 54 | Ken Corbet | Republican | 2013 |
| 55 | Annie Kuether | Democratic | 1997 |
| 56 | Virgil Weigel | Democratic | 2017 |
| 57 | John Alcala | Democratic | 2013 |
| 58 | Vic Miller | Democratic | 2017 |
| 59 | Blaine Finch | Republican | 2013 |
| 60 | Mark Schreiber | Republican | 2017 |
| 61 | Francis Awerkamp | Republican | 2017 |
| 62 | Randy Garber | Republican | 2011 |
| 63 | John Eplee | Republican | 2017 |
| 64 | Susie Swanson | Republican | 2015 |
| 65 | Lonnie Clark | Republican | 2015 |
| 66 | Sydney Carlin | Democratic | 2003 |
| 67 | Tom Phillips | Republican | 2012 |
| 68 | Dave Baker | Republican | 2017 |
| 69 | J.R. Claeys | Republican | 2013 |
| 70 | John E. Barker | Republican | 2013 |
| 71 | Diana Dierks | Republican | 2013 |
| 72 | Tim Hodge | Democratic | 2017 |
| 73 | Les Mason | Republican | 2014 |
| 74 | Don Schroeder | Republican | 2007 |
| 75 | Mary Martha Good | Republican | 2017 |
| 76 | Eric Smith | Republican | 2017 |
| 77 | Kristey Williams | Republican | 2015 |
| 78 | Ron Ryckman | Republican | 2013 |
| 79 | Ed Trimmer | Democratic | 2005 |
| 80 | Anita Judd-Jenkins | Republican | 2017 |
| 81 | Blake Carpenter | Republican | 2015 |
| 82 | Jesse Burris | Republican | 2017 |
| 83 | Henry Helgerson | Democratic | 2016 |
| 84 | Gail Finney | Democratic | 2009 |
| 85 | Michael Capps | Republican | 2018 |
| 86 | Jim Ward | Democratic | 2003 |
| 87 | Roger Elliott | Republican | 2017 |
| 88 | Elizabeth Bishop | Democratic | 2017 |
| 89 | KC Ohaebosim | Democratic | 2017 |
| 90 | Steve Huebert | Republican | 2001 |
| 91 | Emil Bergquist | Republican | 2018 |
| 92 | John Carmichael | Democratic | 2013 |
| 93 | John Whitmer | Republican | 2015 |
| 94 | Leo Delperdang | Republican | 2017 |
| 95 | Tom Sawyer | Democratic | 2013 |
| 96 | Brandon Whipple | Democratic | 2013 |
| 97 | Leslie Osterman | Republican | 2011 |
| 98 | Steven Crum | Democratic | 2017 |
| 99 | Susan Humphries | Republican | 2017 |
| 100 | Daniel Hawkins | Republican | 2013 |
| 101 | Joe Seiwert | Republican | 2009 |
| 102 | Jason Probst | Democratic | 2017 |
| 103 | Ponka-We Victors | Democratic | 2011 |
| 104 | Steven R. Becker | Republican | 2013 |
| 105 | Brenda Landwehr | Republican | 2017 |
| 106 | Clay Aurand | Republican | 2017 |
| 107 | Susan L. Concannon | Republican | 2013 |
| 108 | Steven C. Johnson | Republican | 2011 |
| 109 | Troy L. Waymaster | Republican | 2013 |
| 110 | Ken Rahjes | Republican | 2016 |
| 111 | Eber Phelps | Democratic | 2017 |
| 112 | Tory Arnberger | Republican | 2017 |
| 113 | Greg Lewis | Republican | 2015 |
| 114 | Jack Thimesch | Republican | 2013 |
| 115 | Boyd Orr | Republican | 2017 |
| 116 | Kyle Hoffman | Republican | 2011 |
| 117 | Leonard Mastroni | Republican | 2017 |
| 118 | Don Hineman | Republican | 2009 |
| 119 | Bradley Ralph | Republican | 2017 |
| 120 | Adam Smith | Republican | 2017 |
| 121 | John Resman | Republican | 2017 |
| 122 | Russ Jennings | Republican | 2013 |
| 123 | John Wheeler Jr. | Republican | 2017 |
| 124 | J. Stephen Alford | Republican | 2011 |
| 125 | Shannon Francis | Republican | 2015 |
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2024[9] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $86.66/session day | $166/day |
When sworn in
Kansas legislators assume office the second Monday of January after their election.
Membership qualifications
Section 4 of Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution states, "During the time that any person is a candidate for nomination or election to the legislature and during the term of each legislator, such candidate or legislator shall be and remain a qualified elector who resides in his or her district."
Legislation: all legislation passed by the chamber in the current or most recent legislative session
Legislation
The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Kansas House of Representatives has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by the House and signed by the governor after its passage in the Senate. Information on legislation provided below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. The tracker is fully interactive. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read its text in full and see its voting history. You can click the headings to sort the content in the column. You can also rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Finally, in the bottom-left corner of the tracker is a magnifying glass, which, when clicked, will allow you to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.
Sessions: legislative sessions dates, special sessions, and key events
Sessions
About legislative sessions in Kansas
The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[10] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.
Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution establishes when the Kansas State Legislature, of which the House of Representatives is a part, is to be in session. Section 8 of Article 2 states that the Legislature is to convene on the second Monday of January of each year. Section 8 also limits the length of regular sessions in even-numbered years to ninety calendar days, but it allows these sessions to be extended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of both houses. In 2010, this kind of extension occurred, moving the session's adjournment date from March 30th to May 28th.
Dates of legislative sessions in Kansas by year
2025
In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2025, and adjourn on April 11, 2025.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2024In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2024, and adjourn on April 30, 2024. 2023In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 9, 2023, and adjourn on April 28, 2023. 2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2022, and adjourn on May 23, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2021, and adjourn on May 26, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2020, and adjourn on May 21, 2020.
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Kansas State Legislature suspended its session effective March 19, 2020. A veto session scheduled for April 27, 2020, was delayed to May 21, 2020, at which time the legislature reconvened before adjourning the session. A special session was convened on June 3, 2020. The special session ended June 4, 2020.[11][12][13] 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 14, 2019, through May 29, 2019. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 8, 2018, through April 7, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017
In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 9, 2017, through June 26, 2017. The legislature held a veto session from May 1 to June 10. 2016
In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 11 through June 1. A special session was held from June 23 to June 24 over education funding. 2015
In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 12 through June 12. Major issues in 2015Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included closing a projected $279 million budget shortfall, K-12 funding, and a possible privatization of public employee pensions.[14] 2014
In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 13 through May 30. Major issues in 2014Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included school funding, changing the state's court nomination system, and Medicaid expansion.[15] 2013
In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 14 to June 20. Major issues in 2013Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included school funding, a settlement between tobacco companies and the state, mental health funding, KanCare, unauthorized immigration, pension system changes, shifting taxes to the local level, and liquor sales.[16] 2012
In 2012, the legislature was scheduled to be in session from January 9 through May 14. However, the session was extended through the 20th. Major issues which remained unresolved included education funding, state employee pension reform, redistricting, and the budget. Gov. Sam Brownback (R) stated, “I think it’s reasonable for people to say they should have gotten things done in 90 days. My hope is that they wrap it up here pretty soon.”[17] Major issues in 2012Alongside the budget, legislators considered reforming the school financing formula and expanding Medicaid's managed care system.[18] 2011
In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 10 to June 1. Session highlightsBusiness tax deductionsIn the 2011 session, the legislature allowed expensing, a way for businesses to receive larger tax deductions for start-up costs such as new equipment and software.[19] School fundingIn July, state revenue officials forecasted a revenue surplus of at least $175 million for FY 2011 (July 2010-July 2011). In response, state education administrators petitioned lawmakers to restore some of the funding for schools that was eliminated as part of Governor Sam Brownback's (R) measures the previous year.[20] 2010
In 2010, the legislature's regular session was scheduled to last from January 11 to March 30. However, the session was extended, and it did not adjourn until May 28.[21] |
Procedures: rules and procedures for veto overrides, the budget, and vacancies
Procedures
Every state legislature throughout the country features it own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, procedures for filling membership vacancies, and redistricting.
Veto overrides
- See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Kansas are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 84 of the 125 members in the Kansas House of Representatives and 27 of the 40 members in the Kansas State Senate. Kansas is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
Authority: Article 2, Section 14 of the Kansas Constitution.
| "If the governor approves a bill, he shall sign it. If the governor does not approve a bill, the governor shall veto it by returning the bill, with a veto message of the objections, to the house of origin of the bill. Whenever a veto message is so received, the message shall be entered in the journal and in not more than thirty calendar days (excluding the day received), the house of origin shall reconsider the bill. If two-thirds of the members then elected (or appointed) and qualified shall vote to pass the bill, it shall be sent, with the veto message, to the other house, which shall in not more than thirty calendar days (excluding the day received) also reconsider the bill, and if approved by two-thirds of the members then elected (or appointed) and qualified, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the governor's veto." |
Role in state budget
- See also: Kansas state budget and finances
| Kansas on |
The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[22]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in September.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in January.
- The legislature typically adopts a budget in May. A simple majority is required to adopt a budget. The fiscal year begins in July.
Kansas is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[22][23]
The governor is legally required to submit a balanced proposed budget. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.[22]
Vacancies
If there is a vacancy in the Kansas State Legislature, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement, and a special election is held if the vacancy occurs before May 1 of the second year of the officeholder's term. If the vacancy occurs after or on May 1 of the officeholder's second year, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement, and that person serves out the rest of the term.[24][25][26]
See sources: Kansas Stat. Ann. §25-3903 and Kansas Stat. Ann. §25-312
Committees: role and list of current committees
Committees
Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.
- Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
- Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
- Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.
Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Kansas House of Representatives has 29 standing committees:
- Agriculture
- Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget
- Appropriations
- Calendar and Printing
- Children and Seniors
- Commerce, Labor and Economic Development
- Corrections and Juvenile Justice
- Education
- Elections
- Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications
- Federal and State Affairs
- Financial Institutions
- General Government Budget
- Government, Technology, and Security
- Health and Human Services
- Higher Education Budget
- Insurance
- Interstate Cooperation
- Judiciary
- K-12 Education Budget
- Legislative Budget
- Local Government
- Rules and Journal
- Social Services Budget
- Taxation
- Transportation
- Transportation and Public Safety Budget
- Veterans and Military
- Water and Environment
Districts
- See also: Kansas state legislative districts
The state of Kansas has 165 legislative districts. Each district elects one representative. The state Senate has 40 districts and the state House has 125 districts.
Use the interactive map below to find your district.
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Kansas
In Kansas, the state legislature draws both congressional and state legislative district lines. Redistricting plans are subject to veto by the governor. State legislative district maps must be submitted for final approval to the Kansas Supreme Court, which must determine whether the maps are constitutional. If the court rules that the maps violate the law, the state legislature may attempt to draw the lines again. There are no such provisions in place for congressional redistricting.[27]
In 2002, Kansas adopted guidelines for congressional and state legislative redistricting. These guidelines ask that "both congressional and state legislative districts be contiguous, as compact as possible, and recognize and consider communities of common 'social, cultural, racial, ethnic, and economic' interests." In addition, these guidelines stipulate that state legislative districts should "preserve existing political subdivisions and avoid contests between incumbents to the extent possible." Congressional districts should "preserve whole counties and maintain the core of existing districts where possible." The state legislature may amend these guidelines at its discretion.[27]
2010 census
Kansas received its local census data on March 3, 2012. The state grew by 6.1 percent to over 2.58 million, with growth concentrated in the northeast corner of the state and the remainder largely showing slight declines. (The adjusted total was about 14,000 less than the federal figure.) Wichita grew by 11.1 percent, Overland Park grew by 16.3 percent, Kansas City decreased by 0.7 percent, Topeka grew by 4.2 percent, and Olathe grew by 35.4 percent.[28]
The Legislature attempted redistricting in its 2012 session. Against custom, which had the chambers passing their own maps, the Senate passed revisions to a new House map, and the House passed a map for the Senate; neither chamber was amenable to the other's actions. On May 20, the Legislature adjourned amid deadlock, meaning the courts would have to decide the new boundaries.
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| Elections | Kansas State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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Footnotes
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Kansas 2010 - Candidates," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Kansas 2008 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Kansas 2006 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Kansas 2004 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Kansas 2002 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Kansas 2000 - Candidates," accessed August 23, 2013
- ↑ Kansas Legislature, "Rules of the Kansas House of Representatives," January 2013 (Referenced Article 33)
- ↑ Kansas Legislature, "House Leadership," accessed August 19, 2014
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
- ↑ Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
- ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Kansas Legislature adopts budget, highway bill before adjourning until late April," March 19, 2020
- ↑ MultiState, "2020 Legislative Session Dates," last updated April 27, 2020
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Kansas Gov. Kelly’s pandemic powers may be on the agenda when Legislature returns," May 6, 2020
- ↑ Associated Press, "Fiscal issues to drive Kansas lawmakers' session," December 28, 2014
- ↑ Lawrence Journal-World, "Issues that will dominate the 2014 legislative session," January 12, 2014
- ↑ Lawrence Journal World, "Key issues expected during the 2013 legislative session," January 13, 2013
- ↑ Kansas City Star, "Republican infighting forces Kansas Legislature to extend session," May 12, 2012 (Archived)
- ↑ Topeka Capital Journal, "Legislative session to start Monday," January 8, 2012
- ↑ Stateline.org, "States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes," June 15, 2011(Archived)
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Kansas legislature delays hard choices on state budget," April 1, 2010 (dead link) (dead link)
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Session Calendar," October 30, 2010 (Archived)
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑ Kansas Legislature, "2022 Statute," accessed August 9, 2023 (Statute 25-3903, Kansas Statutes)
- ↑ Kansas Legislature, "2022 Statute," accessed August 9, 2023 (Statute 25-312, Kansas Statutes)
- ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "25-321. Vacancy in state senate and house of representatives; tenure of office of person appointed to fill vacancy," accessed February 2, 2024
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 All About Redistricting, "Kansas," accessed April 28, 2015
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Kansas' 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," March 3, 2011
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