The Kansas Legislature adjourned its special veto session just after 2 a.m. on April 29.

During the recently concluded veto session, the Legislature passed the omnibus spending bill to fund public schools and special education.

Typically, upon veto adjournment, the Legislature sets sine die, the last official day of the session. This year, the Legislature set a date to return of May 23, leaving the session open in case court rulings on congressional maps would require further legislative action.

This does not affect lobbying dates.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned its regular session sine die in the early hours of Saturday, April 2.

During the session, several bills related to campaign finance were introduced but not passed.

House Bill 2707, related to political advertising, sought to define corrupt advertising as communications that do not disclose the name of the sponsoring organization and of the chairperson, treasurer, or other individual responsible for the ad.

The last action on the bill was a referral to the Election Commissar on February 15.

Lawmakers successfully passed an unconstitutionally gerrymandered congressional map and a $22 billion state budget plan that contained a raise for state workers.

Issues that weren’t resolved are expected to be taken up during a veto session, which is slated to begin Monday, April 25.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly will reconvene the Kansas Legislature for a special session on November 22 to address vaccine mandates.

The special session will aim to take up proposals to make it easier for workers to claim religious exemptions to vaccine mandates and to provide unemployment benefits to employees fired for not getting inoculated.

It is not yet clear when the session is slated to end. This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned sine die from its 2021 legislative session on May 26.

During the session, lawmakers in Kansas passed proposals to ban COVID-19 vaccine passports, limit efforts to track down the close contacts of people with the coronavirus and provide up to $500 million to businesses that closed or faced pandemic restrictions.

Several bills related to lobbying law were also introduced but did not pass. House Bill 2055 would have changed the five-day grace period for the late filing notice for lobbyist reports and statements of substantial interest reports to begin when the notice is deposited in the mail.

Additionally, House Bill 2235 would have required lobbyists to wear body cameras while inside the statehouse. The bill would have required such recordings to be public records. Additionally, House Bill 2235 would have prohibited any economic benefit or hospitality provided by a lobbyist to a legislator or candidates for the Legislature.

The 2022 legislative session will convene on January 10.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned its special session on June 5 after passing legislation to amend Gov. Laura Kelly’s emergency powers.

House Bill 2054 provides oversight on the governor’s ability to distribute federal aid and close businesses for longer than 15 days at a time. It also gives the Kansas Board of Education the power to close schools.

The bill further prevents the governor from using emergency powers to seize ammunition.

Additionally, the bill limits the sale of firearms during a declared state of emergency, including for COVID-19.

The measure has been sent to the governor’s desk for signature.

Kansas lawmakers are returning for a special legislative session June 3 after Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed COVID-19 legislation passed during the final day of session.

Gov. Kelly called lawmakers back to create a new bill that redefines her emergency powers.

The previous bill sought to curb Gov. Laura Kelly’s emergency powers and give the Legislative Coordinating Council appropriation power over the $1.25 billion in federal money allocated to Kansas in the CARES Act.

Gov. Kelly would also have been barred from issuing a new COVID-19 disaster declaration unless at least six members of the State Finance Council sign off on it.

There is no time limit on the special session, so the work is expected continue for as long as necessary.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Nearly five hours after the midnight deadline to adjourn, the Kansas legislature worked to approve legislation that would end the 2020 session on May 22.

Lawmakers gathered on May 21 for a one-day close to the legislative session, but Republicans in the house voted to continue past midnight.

The final bill on their agenda is centered around the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill curbs Gov. Laura Kelly’s emergency powers and gives more oversight to the legislature. It also gives the Legislative Coordinating Council appropriation power over the $1.25 billion in federal money. Originally, this money was allocated to Kansas in the CARES Act.

On the issue of disaster declarations, the bill extends Gov. Kelly’s current declaration from May 26 until the 31st.

Gov. Kelly would also be barred from issuing a new COVID-19 disaster declaration. To avoid this, at least six members of the State Finance Council would need to sign off on it.

The final parts of the bill continue some of Gov. Kelly’s executive orders, including on the sale of alcohol and telemedicine.

Lawmakers also passed legislation that would waive penalties and interest on late property taxes, a package of education bills, and an economic recovery loan program.

All legislation is now headed to Gov. Kelly’s desk. She can either sign the bills into law, veto them, or the bills would become law after 10 days without her signature.

The 2018 Kansas Legislature adjourned sine die. This legislative session was the first to go the full 90 days since 2011.

Lawmakers passed multiple transparency laws this session by expanding the definition of lobbying to include all branches of the government and increasing the penalties for late reporting by lobbyist, political committees, and candidates.

In the final day of the session, legislators defeated a bill to make changes to income, sales, and motor fuel tax provisions.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned its legislative session on Sunday, April 8, 2018.

During the late hours of the session, lawmakers approved an increase in spending for education in response to a court order.

The bill has been publicly supported by Gov. Jeff Colyer. The Legislature will reconvene on April 26.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned the 2017 regular session on June 10, 2017. The session went 13 days beyond the scheduled 100 days, but lawmakers finally approved a two-year budget.

Lead by a group of moderate Republicans and Democrats, a $1.2 billion tax increase will reverse spending cuts spearheaded by Gov. Sam Brownback in 2012. Many on both sides of the aisle believe these cuts failed to kick-start the state’s economy as promised.

Lawmakers could be called into a special session in July, however, if a funding formula for public schools does not satisfy the state’s supreme court.

Gov. Sam Brownback has set the date for the Legislature to return for a special session.

Lawmakers will return on June 23, 2016, giving them one week to pass new school funding legislation. The state Supreme Court deemed the current system unconstitutional and, according to the ruling, the Legislature needs to redistribute state funding before June 30.

The changes will likely involve shifting $38 million, but Brownback has yet to endorse a particular plan.

Gov. Sam Brownback announced a special session of the Legislature will take place to avoid closure of the state’s public schools.

The Kansas Supreme Court recently rejected the state’s school funding system and set a deadline of June 30 to fix the funding system’s shortcomings.

No official date has been set for the session, but Brownback indicated it will be next month.

The announcement comes after Democratic lawmakers began a petition to force a special session, as provided for in the Kansas Constitution. Republican lawmakers, however, have been staunchly against a special session; instead, they advocated fighting the ruling in federal court.