GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
Liberal Tourism Director, Sally Fuller, and other tourism directors from across Southwest Kansas stopped by to talk about their priorities for this session. One focused on possible losses in funding from state sports gaming revenues. Sally is wonderful asset for our community. Thanks for all you do, Sally.
Liberal’s Municipal Court Judge, Jason Maxwell, was in Topeka advocating for a bill that would allow successful graduates of municipal specialty drug courts to apply for expungements on the same basis as those going through District Court Drug Courts. Jason is a national pioneer and leader in bringing specialty courts to rural communities and municipal courts. The earlier we can intervene for those with substance abuse issues the more successful treatment is. Municipal court is often their first interaction with the court system. Thanks, Jason, for your commitment.
Southwest Guidance Director, Marshall Lewis, stopped by and we visited workforce issues in rural Kansas and the success of online counseling to help with the issue in rural areas.
Turnaround
I will be missing Pancake Day as you read this because it is turnaround. That is the deadline when most bills must be out of their chamber of origin (in my case the House of Representatives) to proceed in the process. We will have committee meetings on Monday and then several full days of floor debate. It is one of the busiest times of Session. Last week, committees were working long hours, debating bills and voting on whether to pass them out of committee.
Tax relief is one of the highest priorities we work on in Topeka. Since 2022, the Legislature has focused on reductions in income, property, and sales tax, which has resulted in a little over $1 billion in relief for our families. This has included:
• Fully implemented elimination of food state sales tax in 2025 - $525,000,000
• Increased exemption of residential property tax from $20,000 to $75,000 - $115,000,000
• Income tax bracket and rate reform plus a deduction and exemption increase - $200,000,000
• Elimination of income tax on social security - $125,000,000
• Increasing the Childcare Tax Credit - $6,000,000
• Elimination of the state’s 1.5 mill levy on property taxes - $81,000,000
We are still working diligently to provide further tax relief. Here are some of the measures we’re working on this session:
• HB 2745 is similar to last year’s HB 2396, which passed the House 115-6. HB 2396 was not given a vote by the Senate. It would have allowed voters to stop property tax increases over 3% by petition.
• Establishing a Property Tax Deferral Program to enhance our current Homestead Program and ensure no one will be taxed out of their home.
• Reducing the statewide mill levy as valuations rise to prevent "silent" increases to property taxes.
• Helping local governments establish property tax stabilization funds to prevent the need for large property tax increases.
• Reworking the Board of Tax Appeals process to ensure that successful appeals actually stick.
HB 2488
This bill would mandate the listing of citizenship status on driver's licenses. This measure is part of the broader effort to secure elections by making sure only qualified electors can vote, and would give staff at polling locations a quick and efficient method of verifying citizenship before issuing a ballot.
HB 2468
The Education Tax Credit has two parts. First, it increases the cap on Kansas’ existing tax credit for the Low Income Students Scholarship Program. This is not a new program. It allows individuals and businesses to voluntarily donate to scholarship granting organizations and receive a tax credit. Those organizations then provide scholarships to low-income students. It is not a voucher funded by a direct state appropriation. No public-school budget is being cut and handed to private schools. These scholarships are funded by private donations. The bill simply increases the annual credit cap from $10 million to $20 million, and allows for limited growth if demand reaches a set threshold.
Second, the bill opts Kansas into a new federal tax credit created by Congress under Section 25F of the Internal Revenue Code. States must formally elect to participate. If we do not opt in, Kansas taxpayers cannot fully benefit from the federal credit for donations made to scholarship organizations here.
HB 2438
This bill establishes clear standards for online voter registration in Kansas. The bill requires that online voter registration be conducted only through “.gov” websites or platforms approved by the Secretary of State, with strict security measures. It also prohibits the sale or misuse of voter registration data, limits its use strictly to election purposes, and makes violations a misdemeanor. The goal is to protect voter information, strengthen cybersecurity, and ensure the integrity of Kansas’ online voter registration process.
Budget Bill
We wrapped up the House Appropriations bill this week. It will now go to the floor for consideration and, if passed by the House, will then go to conference so that differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget can be negotiated. I successfully added a proviso to the bill requiring KDOT to reallocate $135-$150 million from the Kansas City Metro Area to rural Kansas for shoulders and passing lanes on our highways. You can hear the debate regarding my proviso beginning at the 6:15 minute mark on the Kansas Legislature Channel on Youtube.com, House Committee on Appropriations 02/12/2026.
