Tim Carpenter

1 week ago | kansasreflector.com | Tim Carpenter

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature completed a fitful process of writing and rewriting a bill delivering a state tax subsidy to investors betting on construction of enormous data centers costing a minimum $250 million. The House and Senate voted with bipartisan majorities on the final day of the 2025 session to send Gov. Laura Kelly a bill containing the sales tax incentive to help attract warehouse-shaped hubs packed with computer servers relied upon in the digital economy.

1 week ago | kansasreflector.com | Tim Carpenter

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday a request was submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to reinstate more than $22 million in federal funding appropriated to Kansas to help students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic catch up with peers and to retrain teachers in the science of reading. The U.S. Department of Education announced in March that approximately $3 billion in pandemic relief funds would be frozen nationwide.

1 week ago | hastingstribune.com | Tim Carpenter

By Tim Carpenter Republican Sen. Mike Thompson, right, says the Kansas Legislature failed to deliver on a bipartisan promise to concentrate during the 2025 session on meaningful property tax reform. Here, Thompson speaks with Democratic Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau on the floor of the Kansas Senate in March. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)

1 week ago | kansasreflector.com | Tim Carpenter

TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature and Gov. Laura Kelly patted themselves on the back last June after placing into state law a compromise bill slashing income taxes an estimated $1.2 billion over three years. Senate Bill 1 had broad support with a mere six opponents among 159 legislators voting on the package negotiated by the Democratic governor, Republican Senate President Ty Masterson of Andover and GOP House Speaker Dan Hawkins of Wichita.

1 week ago | hastingstribune.com | Tim Carpenter

Lawrence Democratic Rep. Barbara Ballard, center in red, and Manhattan Democratic Rep. Sydney Carlin, seated left, were among House members who changed their "no" vote to "yes" on a package of 15 overrides of budget vetoes issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. On Friday, Ballard and Carlin joined four other House members in support of overrides requiring a two-thirds majority vote. The House agreed to override half the budget vetoes sought by the Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)