Kansas State Legislature

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# Kansas State Legislature

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Kansas State Legislature

General information
Type: |  State legislature
Term limits: |  None
Session start: |  January 11, 2021
Website: |  Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President: |  Ty Masterson (R)
House Speaker: | Ron Ryckman (R)
Majority Leader: |  Senate: Larry Alley (R)
House: Daniel Hawkins (R)
Minority Leader: |  Senate: Dinah Sykes (D)
House: Tom Sawyer (D)
Structure
Members: | 40 (Senate), 125 (House)
Length of term: |  4 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority: |  Art 2, Kansas Constitution
Salary: |  $88.66/session day + per diem
Elections
Last election: | November 3, 2020
Next election: | November 8, 2022
Redistricting: | Kansas Legislature has control

## Contents

* 1 Elections
* 1.1 2022
* 1.2 2020
* 1.3 2018
* 1.4 2016
* 1.5 2014
* 1.6 2012
* 1.7 2010
* 2 Sessions
* 2.1 2022
* 2.2 2021
* 2.3 2020
* 2.3.1 Effect of coronavirus pandemic
* 2.4 2019
* 2.5 2018
* 2.6 2017
* 2.7 2016
* 2.8 2015
* 2.8.1 Major issues in 2015
* 2.9 2014
* 2.9.1 Major issues in 2014
* 2.10 2013
* 2.10.1 Major issues in 2013
* 2.11 2012
* 2.11.1 Major issues in 2012
* 2.12 2011
* 2.12.1 Session highlights
* 2.12.1.1 Business tax deductions
* 2.12.1.2 School funding
* 2.13 2010
* 2.14 Role in state budget
* 3 Redistricting
* 3.1 2020
* 3.2 2010
* 4 Legislators
* 4.1 Salaries
* 4.2 When sworn in
* 5 Senate
* 5.1 Leadership of the Senate
* 5.2 Partisan composition
* 6 House of Representatives
* 6.1 Leadership of the House
* 6.2 Partisan composition
* 7 District maps
* 7.1 State Senate
* 7.2 State House
* 8 Veto overrides
* 9 History
* 9.1 Bleeding Kansas
* 9.2 The 1855 legislature
* 9.3 The four constitutions and the battle for legitimacy
* 9.4 Statehood and the American Civil War
* 9.5 Partisan balance 1992-2013
* 9.5.1 SQLI and partisanship
* 10 Joint Legislative Committees
* 11 Constitutional amendments
* 12 Noteworthy events
* 12.1 Legislature pay reduction (2010)
* 13 See also
* 14 External links
* 15 Footnotes

The Kansas State Legislature is the state legislature of Kansas. It is a bicameral assembly, composed of the lower Kansas House of Representatives, and the upper Kansas State Senate, with 40 Senators. Republicans comprise a super-majority in both houses.

The State Legislature meets at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka.

Kansas has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor, while the Republican Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.

See also: Kansas House of Representatives, Kansas State Senate, Kansas Governor

## Elections

### 2022

See also: Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2022

Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives will take place in 2022. The general election is on November 8, 2022.

### 2020

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2020 and Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2020

Elections for the office of Kansas State Senate 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.

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.

### 2018

See also: Kansas House of Representatives elections, 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.

### 2016

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2016 and Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Kansas State Senate took place 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.

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.

### 2014

See also: Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections 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.

### 2012

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2012 and Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Kansas State Senate 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 11, 2012.

Elections 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.

### 2010

See also: Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2010

Elections 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.

## Sessions

Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution establishes when the Legislature 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.[1] In 2010, this kind of extension occurred, moving the session's adjournment date from March 30 to May 28.[2]

Bills may be pre-filed between sessions in odd years and sessions in even years for consideration during the following session.[3]

### 2022

See also: 2022 Kansas legislative session and Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions

In 2022, the legislature is scheduled to convene on January 10, 2022, and adjourn on May 25, 2022.

### 2021

See also: 2021 Kansas legislative session and Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions

In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 11, 2021, and adjourn on May 26, 2021.

### 2020

See also: 2020 Kansas legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions

In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2020, and adjourn on May 21, 2020.

#### Effect of coronavirus pandemic

See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
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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.[4][5][6]

### 2019

See also: 2019 Kansas legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions

In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 14, 2019, through May 29, 2019.

### 2018

See also: 2018 Kansas legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions

In 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.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

### 2017

See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions

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

See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions

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

See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions

In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 12 through June 12.

#### Major issues in 2015

Major 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.[7]

### 2014

See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions

In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 13 through May 30.

#### Major issues in 2014

Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included school funding, changing the state's court nomination system, and Medicaid expansion.[8]

### 2013

See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions

In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 14 to June 20.

#### Major issues in 2013

Major 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.[9]

### 2012

See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions

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.”[10]

#### Major issues in 2012

Alongside the budget, legislators considered reforming the school financing formula and expanding Medicaid's managed care system.[11]

### 2011

See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions

In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 10 to June 1.

#### Session highlights

##### Business tax deductions

In 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.[12]

##### School funding

In 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.[13]

### 2010

See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions

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.[14]

### Role in state budget

See also: Kansas state budget and finances
Kansas on

Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

* * *

The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[15]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in June.
2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in September.
3. Agency hearings are held in November.
4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in January.
5. 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.[15]

The governor is legally required to submit a balanced proposed budget. Likewise, the legislature is legally required to pass a balanced budget.[15]

## 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.[16]

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.[16]

### 2020

See also: Redistricting in Kansas after the 2020 census

Upon completion of the 2020 census, Kansas will draft and enact new district maps. The House and Senate Redistricting Committees held a series of town hall meetings in August 2021 where citizens could provide feedback on redistricting.[17]

### 2010

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.[18] 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.[19]

The Legislature attempted redistricting in its 2012 session. Traditionally, the chambers passed their own maps. In 2012, 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.

## Legislators

### Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislators

Salary| Per diem
$88.66/session day| $151/day

### When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Kansas legislators assume office the second Monday of January after their election.[20]

## Senate

The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature. It is composed of 40 Senators representing an equal amount of districts. Each member represented an average of 71,328 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[21] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 67,210.[22] Members of the Senate are elected to a four year term without term limits.

Like other upper houses of state and territorial legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Senate is reserved with special functions such as confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, the state cabinet, commissions, and boards.

### Leadership of the Senate

The President of the Senate presides over the body, appointing members to all of the Senate's committees and joint committees, and may create other committees and subcommittees if desired. Unlike other states, the Lieutenant Governor of Kansas does not preside over the Senate. Since a 1972 amendment to the Kansas Constitution, the Lieutenant Governor's duties have been severed from the legislative branch, and is active in other areas of the Kansas state government such as commissions on military affairs and health insurance. In the Senate President's absence, the Vice-President presides.[23]

### Partisan composition

Party  | As of December 2021

|

| Democratic Party | 11
| Republican Party | 29
| Vacancies  | 0
Total |  40

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Kansas State Senate was held by Republicans. The table below shows the partisan history of the Kansas State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2020. 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 State Senate Party Control: 1992-2020

Party  | 92  | 96  | 00  | 04  | 08  | 12  | 16  | 20

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Democrats | 14 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 11
Republicans | 26 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 31 | 29

From 1917 to 2020, Republicans held consistent control of the Kansas State Senate. The last time that Democrats held the chamber was from 1913 to 1916. Republicans gained a supermajority following the 1996 elections. Twenty-seven seats (two-thirds majority) are needed to override a gubernatorial veto and put a constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Republicans held a majority of 31-9 following the 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections. This was their largest majority between 1992 and 2016. Despite a national trend toward the Democratic Party in 2006 and 2008, Kansas Democrats did not eclipse 14 seats. Despite the national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D), the Kansas State Senate was resistant to that trend. Senate Republicans did not gain a seat during Obama's presidency. From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.

While Republicans have controlled both chambers of the state legislature since 1992, there has been conflict between conservative Republicans and moderate Republicans. Before the 2016 primary, moderate Republicans had been losing ground in the state legislature since the 2010 election of Gov. Sam Brownback (R), shifting from a more moderate Republican-controlled state legislature to a more conservative one after the 2012 elections. Eighteen Republican incumbents were defeated in the 2012 election. In the 2016 primary election, 14 conservative Republican incumbents—six in the Senate and eight in the House—were defeated by moderate Republicans running against the policies of Gov. Brownback.[24]

## House of Representatives

The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature. It is composed of 125 Representatives, each representing one constituency. Each member represented an average of 22,825 residents, as of the 2010 Census.[25] After the 2000 Census, each member represented 21,507.[26] Representatives are elected to a two year term. Like the Kansas Senate, the Kansas House of Representatives does not have term limits.

### Leadership of the House

The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. In addition to presiding over the body, the Speaker is also its chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments. Other House leaders, such as the majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the chamber.[27]

### Partisan composition

Party  | As of December 2021

|

| Democratic Party | 39
| Republican Party | 86
| Independent  | 0
| Vacancies  | 0
Total |  125

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Between 1992 and 2020, partisan control of the Kansas House of Representatives was maintained by Republicans. The table below shows the partisan history of the Kansas House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2020. 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 Party Control: 1992-2020

Year  | '92  | '94  | '96  | '98  | '00  | '02  | '04  | '06  | '08  | '10  | '12  | '14  | '16  | '18  | '20

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Democrats | 59 | 45 | 48 | 48 | 46 | 45 | 42 | 47 | 48 | 33 | 35 | 28 | 40 | 40 | 39
Republicans | 66 | 80 | 77 | 77 | 79 | 80 | 83 | 78 | 77 | 92 | 90 | 97 | 85 | 85 | 86

From 1992 to 2020, Republicans held consistent control of the Kansas House of Representatives. Republicans had their largest majority following the 2014 elections when they held a 71-seat advantage. Republicans lost 12 seats in the 2016 elections but kept control of the chamber with an 85-40 majority. The last time that Democrats held the chamber was prior to the 1992 elections. In the 1992 elections, House Republicans gained four seats and took control of the chamber. The Republican gains in 2010 were in line with a national trend toward Republican state legislatures during the presidency of Barack Obama (D). From 2009 to 2017, Democrats experienced losses in state legislative elections, totaling 968 seats altogether.

While Republicans have controlled both chambers of the state legislature since 1992, there has been conflict between conservative Republicans and moderate Republicans. Before the 2016 primary, moderate Republicans had been losing ground in the state legislature since the 2010 election of Gov. Sam Brownback (R). The legislature shifted from a more moderate Republican-controlled state legislature to a more conservative one after the 2012 elections, when 18 Republican incumbents were defeated. In the 2016 primary election, 14 conservative Republican incumbents—six in the Senate and eight in the House—were defeated by moderate Republicans running against the policies of Gov. Brownback (R).[28]

## District maps

### State Senate

### State House

## 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."

## History

### Bleeding Kansas

The Kansas Territory was created by the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. In several of the provisions of the act, the law allowed the settlers of the newly-created territory to determine, by vote, whether Kansas, once statehood was achieved, would be entered as either a free state or a slave state. The act created a rush of both abolitionist and pro-slavery immigrants to the territory, hoping that strength through numbers would place Kansas in their camp. Animosities between the newly-arrived sides quickly turned into open violence and guerrilla warfare, giving name to this period known as Bleeding Kansas.

### The 1855 legislature

During Kansas' first elections for a territorial government on March 30, 1855, nearly 5,000 Missouri "Border Ruffians" led by federal Senator David Rice Atchison and his followers, crossed the territorial border to stuff ballot boxes with votes for pro-slavery candidates. Using their overwhelming numbers, the Missouri Border Ruffians elected 37 out of 38 candidates for the Territorial Legislature. Free-Staters called the new Kansas Territorial Legislature, the "Bogus Legislature." Upon convening in Pawnee and shortly later at the Shawnee Methodist Mission, the Legislature began crafting over a thousand pages of laws aimed at making Kansas a slave state.

### The four constitutions and the battle for legitimacy

In response to the illegitimacy of the 1855 legislature, Free-Staters convened their own unauthorized shadow legislature and territorial government in Topeka, crafting their own Topeka Constitution in late 1855. While the document was debated and submitted to a vote to the territory, it was never accepted by the federal government as it considered the Free-State body illegitimate and in rebellion. The pro-slavery Legislature responded to the Free-Staters and growing violence by writing of the Lecompton Constitution in 1857. Due to an electoral boycott by abolitionist groups and the questions regarding the validity of the Legislature itself, it never officially became law.

While the Lecompton Constitution was debated, new elections for the Territorial Legislature in 1857 gave the Free-Staters a majority government, caused in part by a boycott by pro-slavery groups. With this new mandate, the Legislature convened to write the Leavenworth Constitution, which outlined some rights for women and African-Americans. The constitution was adopted in 1858, though it too was not ratified by the U.S. Congress.

Following the Leavenworth Constitution's defeat, the Legislature again crafted a new document the following year, dubbed the Wyandotte Constitution. A compromise of sorts, it outlawed slavery in the territory, while removing certain rights for Native Americans, women, and Black people. The Legislature successfully passed the document and submitted it to public referendum. It was passed by the Kansas electorate on October 4, 1859.

### Statehood and the American Civil War

Following long debates in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, on January 29, 1861, President James Buchanan authorized Kansas to become the 34th state of the United States. It had entered into the Union as a free state. Only six days later, the Confederate States of America formed between seven Southern states that had seceded from the United States in the previous two months.

### Partisan balance 1992-2013

See also: Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States and Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States, Kansas

Partisan breakdown of the Kansas legislature from 1992-2013

Kansas State Senate: Throughout every year from 1992-2013, the Republican Party was the majority in the Kansas State Senate. The Kansas State Senate is one of 13 state senates that was Republican for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. During the final three years of the study, Kansas was under Republican trifectas.

Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.

Kansas State House of Representatives: From 1992 to 2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Kansas State House of Representatives for the first year while through the last 21 years the Republican Party was the majority. The Kansas State House of Representatives is one of nine state Houses that was Republican for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. During the final three years of the study, Kansas was under Republican trifectas.

Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Kansas, the Kansas State Senate and the Kansas House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

#### SQLI and partisanship

To read the full report on the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, click here.

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Kansas state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Kansas has never had a Democratic trifecta, while it has had a Republican trifecta in two separate periods of the study (between 1995 and 2003, and again beginning in 2011). The state cracked the top-10 in the SQLI ranking once in 1992. Kansas’s most precipitous drop in the ranking occurred under divided government between 1993 and 1994, when the state fell nine spots. The state’s largest gain in the SQLI ranking occurred between 2007 and 2008, also under divided government. Kansas reached its lowest point in 1999 (29th) under divided government.

* SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: N/A
* SQLI average with Republican trifecta: 20.90
* SQLI average with divided government: 19.09

Chart displaying the partisanship of Kansas government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

## Joint Legislative Committees

See also: Public policy in Kansas

The Kansas State Legislature has 12 joint standing committees.

* Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations
* Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight
* Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services Oversight
* Joint Committee on Information Technology
* Joint Committee on Kansas Security
* Joint Committee on Legislative Budget
* Joint Committee on Legislative Coordinating Council
* Joint Committee on Legislative Post Audit
* Joint Committee on Pensions, Investments and Benefits
* Joint Committee on Special Claims against the State
* Joint Committee on State Building Construction
* Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations

## Constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Kansas Constitution can be amended:

See also: Article 14 of the Kansas Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Kansas
Kansas Constitution

Articles
Ordinance • Preamble • Bill of Rights
1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15

Article 14 of the Kansas Constitution governs the ways in which the state's constitution can be changed over time.

* One path is the legislatively referred constitutional amendment. Either house of the Kansas State Legislature can propose an amendment to the state's constitution. Two-thirds of the members of each chamber must approve the resolution. If they do, the proposed amendment goes on either the next statewide ballot during which members of the state legislature are elected or on a special election ballot if the legislature agrees to have a special election for this purpose.

* If a simple majority of the electors of the state who vote on the proposition agree with it, it becomes part of the constitution.
* The legislature must say what the measure's ballot title will be in their resolution authorizing it.
* If there is more than one proposed amendment, voters must be able to vote on them separately.
* At most, five amendments can be proposed for one election.
* An amendment is allowed to revise one entire article of the constitution "except the article on general provisions."

* Another path to amend the state constitution is through a constitutional convention. If two-thirds of the members of each house of the state legislature vote in favor, the question "Shall there be a convention to amend or revise the constitution of the state of Kansas?" or "Shall there be a convention limited to revision of article(s) ________ of the constitution of the state of Kansas?" shall be placed on a statewide ballot.

* If a simple majority of those voting on that question say "yes," a convention is held.
* Any amendments or revisions that come out of the convention must go before the state's voters.

Kansas does not feature the power of citizen initiative for either initiated constitutional amendments or initiated state statutes.

2021 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2021 ballot by the legislature.

See also: 2021 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

## Noteworthy events

### Legislature pay reduction (2010)

Kansas House members voted Feb. 9, 2010, to reduce their pay and the salaries of other top elected and appointed officials by 5 percent with the goal of helping balance the state’s fiscal year 2010 budget.[29] State Rep. Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, proposed the cuts in an amendment to legislation ratifying cuts made the previous year by Kansas Gov. Mark V. Parkinson (D).

Neufeld estimated the measure to reduce the pay of all elected state officials, judges, cabinet secretaries, and appointed state officials by 5 percent would save the state $1.5 million by the end of the current fiscal year. Revenue estimates prepared in early February by the Kansas Legislative Research Department showed that declining revenues would likely leave a negative balance of $39 million in the 2010 budget. The pay reduction became effective March 11, 2010.

## See also

Elections | Kansas State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics

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* Kansas elections, 2022
* Kansas elections, 2020
* Kansas elections, 2018

* Kansas State Senate
* Kansas House of Representatives
* Governor of Kansas
* Kansas Supreme Court

* State legislative elections, 2022
* State legislative elections, 2021
* State legislative elections, 2020
* State legislative elections, 2019
* State legislative elections, 2018

* State government trifectas
* State government triplexes
* State executives
* State courts
* Ballot measures

## External links

* The Kansas Legislature

## Footnotes

1. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Kansas Constitution, Section 2, Article 8," accessed February 10, 2021
2. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Session Calendar," accessed February 10, 2021
3. ↑ Kansas Legislature, "Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives," accessed February 10, 2021 (Referenced Rule 4(i))
4. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Kansas Legislature adopts budget, highway bill before adjourning until late April," March 19, 2020
5. ↑ MultiState, "2020 Legislative Session Dates," last updated April 27, 2020
6. ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Kansas Gov. Kelly’s pandemic powers may be on the agenda when Legislature returns," May 6, 2020
7. ↑ Associated Press, "Fiscal issues to drive Kansas lawmakers' session," December 28, 2014
8. ↑ Lawrence Journal-World, "Issues that will dominate the 2014 legislative session," January 12, 2014
9. ↑ Lawrence Journal World, "Key issues expected during the 2013 legislative session," January 13, 2013
10. ↑ Kansas City Star, "Republican infighting forces Kansas Legislature to extend session," May 12, 2012 (Archived)
11. ↑ Topeka Capital Journal, "Legislative session to start Monday," January 8, 2012
12. ↑ Stateline.org, "States balance budgets with cuts, not taxes," June 15, 2011(Archived)
13. ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Kansas legislature delays hard choices on state budget," April 1, 2010 (dead link) (dead link)
14. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Session Calendar," October 30, 2010 (Archived)
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2015," accessed February 5, 2021
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 All About Redistricting, "Kansas," accessed April 28, 2015
17. ↑ Kansas Legislative Research Department, "House and Senate Redistricting Committees 2021," accessed August 10, 2021
18. ↑ The adjusted total was about 14,000 less than the federal figure.
19. ↑ 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
20. ↑ Kansas Constitution, "Article Two, Section 2", accessed February 10, 2021
21. ↑ census.gov, "Population Distribution and Change: 2000 to 2010," accessed February 10, 2021
22. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "States Ranked by Population: 2000," April 2, 2001
23. ↑ Kansas Legislature, "Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives," accessed February 10, 2021
24. ↑ kwch.com, "Primary election results show changes coming to KS politics," accessed August 4, 2016
25. ↑ census.gov, "Population Distribution and Change: 2000 to 2010," accessed February 10, 2021
26. ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "States Ranked by Population: 2000," April 2, 2001
27. ↑ Kansas Legislature, "Joint Rules of the Senate and House of Representatives," accessed February 10, 2021
28. ↑ kwch.com, "Primary election results show changes coming to KS politics," accessed August 4, 2016
29. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Limited 5% pay cut in mix," March 9, 2010

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