The Wichita City Council amended the campaign finance ordinance to prohibit city candidates from accepting political contributions from corporations and limited liability companies.

Individuals, political action committees, sole proprietorships, professional associations, and partnerships continue to be permitted to make campaign contributions.

A violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor, with penalties of up $2,500 in fines and six months in jail.

The ordinance was passed as an emergency measure, making the changes effective immediately.

Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that would diminish the state campaign finance laws and the powers of the governmental ethics commission.

Sponsored by the House Committee on Elections, House Bill 2391 would allow candidates to donate money to a third-party, such as a political committee or party, and instruct the funds be routed to another campaign or entity.

The bill would legalize the ability to make a political contribution in the name of another person or entity, meaning an individual could donate the maximum amount allowed to a given candidate and then route funds through additional sources.

House Bill 2391 would end the ethics commission’s subpoena power unless it can establish probable cause and impose a two-year statute of limitations on campaign finance violations, ending any active investigations on activity that took place after 2021.

If passed, the bill would become effective July 1.

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.

Wichita City Council members will no longer be left to police themselves on ethics violations after passing a long-awaited and much-debated policy on May 11.

The ethics policy sets gift limits for elected and appointed city officials for the first time in city history.

It applies to all city board appointees and council members.

The new policy creates a seven-member Ethics Advisory Board to investigate and rule on ethics complaints.

City officials could be censured or fined up to $1,000 for serious violations.

Lesser offenses would require an official to undergo ethics training.

It also offers whistleblower protection to city employees who report violations.

The City Council also kept in place a 63-year-old ethics ordinance prohibiting favorable treatment to “friends,” a word council members struggled to define last month before scrubbing it entirely from the new policy.

After the vote May 11, the City Council now has two ethics codes: a city law, which has been in place since 1958, and a new City Council policy.

Keeping the ordinance in place will be a helpful transition until the council appoints an Ethics Advisory Board and an ethics officer to lead the board.

Related to gifts, the new policy caps what city officials can receive at $150 a year from a specific donor, with some exceptions.

Additionally, any gifts more than $50 must be reported annually.

The policy carves out exemptions to what is considered a gift, allowing city officials to accept unlimited gifts in the form of food and event admission from any nonprofit organization, political or policy-based group, educational institution, community development or faith-based organization.

Those gifts could include anything from free tickets to college sporting events to golf tournaments.

City officials covered by the policy are also entitled to unlimited free meals “when their presence is requested to attend a meeting or event.”

Wichita City Council introduced an ethics proposal to establish gift restrictions for elected and appointed city officials.

Proposal 2021-01-26 would cap the value of gifts Wichita’s mayor and City Council members may receive from people doing or planning to do business with the city at $150 a year and require disclosure of gifts worth $50 or more.

The proposal would also establish a whistleblower hotline with protections for those who want to report a violation, and an ethics advisory board to be appointed by the mayor and council to handle complaints against the mayor, council members or any members of city boards or commissions.

Penalties for violations of the proposed code of ethics would result in a fine between $100 and $1,000 for each violation.

Council members will hold a workshop on the ordinance April 27 and vote on the proposal in May.

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 House and Senate went into overdrive March 19 to complete deals on a new state budget and an updated 10-year highway program before vacating the Capitol until late April.

Lawmakers agreed to set aside $50 million for unforeseen expenditures during the COVID-19 crisis.

Another $15 million was allocated for emergency preparedness operations tied to the virus.

Additionally, the House and Senate voted to send a comprehensive transportation bill of $9.7 billion to Gov. Laura Kelly.

This decadelong program for roads, bridges, railways, and airports would make a top priority of highway system preservation projects.

The Legislature is scheduled to return April 27 to adjust the state budget and take up other unfinished work on bills.

However, there is no guarantee the pandemic would allow the 165 legislators to congregate.

After eight years, Kansas Rep. Brandon Whipple resigned from his House District 96 seat on January 13 to become mayor of Wichita, Kansas.

Whipple defeated incumbent Jeff Longwell to become Wichita’s mayor on November 5, 2019.

The Sedgwick County Democratic Party has nominated Stephanie Yeager to succeed Whipple.

Gov. Laura Kelly must appoint a successor and has not yet approved Yeager’s nomination.

The Kansas Legislature adjourned sine die on May 29.

Lawmakers adjourned earlier in the month to allow the governor time to appoint a candidate to the Kansas Court of Appeals.

On Wednesday, the Senate approved Sarah Warner to fill the vacant seat.

During the 59-day legislative session lawmakers introduced House Bill 2010 and Senate Bill 51.

The bills provide for restrictions on state officers and employees from engaging in lobbying for a specific period after resignation or expiration of employment.

Both bills failed to pass their respective chambers this session and will carryover to 2020.