GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
Carol and I celebrated our 39th anniversary on Saturday. She surprised me by taking the bus from Liberal to Topeka to celebrate. She said it was nice and a much better experience than driving for six hours like I do. It was great having her up here for the weekend, but I do miss being home and sleeping in my own bed for a couple of nights. Carol makes my service in the Legislature possible. She’s always there for me – whether it’s proofing my newsletter, listening after a tough week, or letting me know what’s going on at home. I couldn’t do it without her.
A Southwest Kansas Highway Mobility and Expansion meeting will take place Tuesday, March 25, at the Seward County Activity Center with two sessions, one starting at 5 p.m. and the other at 6 p.m. Please plan to attend this meeting to provide your input on road improvements in Southwest Kansas. The Kansas Department of Transportation is conducting this study as part of the Southwest Kansas Highway Mobility and Expansion Strategy. The purpose of the study is to improve mobility, safety, and accessibility in Southwest Kansas.
Topeka
The 2025 Session is winding down, with only one week left before adjournment on March 28. We’ll return for the veto session on April 10 to handle veto overrides and finalize remaining tasks. This week will be spent reconciling differences in the budget and other bills passed by the House and Senate.
Data centers
I heard from many of you the last couple of weeks about concerns with SB 51, a bill to encourage data centers to locate in Kansas. Last week the Data Center bill was sent back to committee. When this happens near the end of the legislative session, it typically means the bill will not move forward this year.
The Commerce Department says there are 14 data center projects in the agency’s economic development pipeline with a potential investment of more than $15 billion. Data centers are the hot new thing in economic development, although they’re controversial because they don’t employ many people and rely on tax incentives in states across the country. Data centers also consume large volumes of electricity, but are what enables the “cloud” where we store our photos, videos and documents. They also serve as the backbone for the new Artificial Intelligence technologies.
Daylight Savings Time
The Kansas Senate last week approved a bill calling for the state to no longer observe daylight saving time. It will now go to the House for consideration. The bill was amended by the Senate to stipulate that the adoption of permanent standard time would take effect only when Missouri adopts permanent standard time. If you think we need another amendment to add Oklahoma as another state or if you’re against year-round Standard Time let me know.
Regulatory sand boxes
Regulatory sand boxes would create a climate for Kansas entrepreneurs to test novel business ideas in a setting where rules and regulations are temporarily or permanently waived. The Senate voted 31-9 to approve the bill Wednesday. It passed the House earlier in the session on a 90-28 vote.
Filling vacancies in office
SB 105 adds a check on the Governor’s power to fill the vacancies of U.S. Senator, the Insurance Commissioner, or the State Treasurer by giving voters a voice through their elected representatives in the state legislature. The bill lays out a process where a 12-member committee would screen nominees from the same party as the person leaving office. The committee would be required to conduct public hearings and deliberations before advancing three names to the entire House and Senate. The nominees would then be presented to the Governor to choose from. It’s important to note that this process is only to fill an unexpected vacancy and the voters will get to make their own decision in the next regularly scheduled election. This bill will now head to the Governor’s desk for consideration.
Sections 1 and 2 of the Kansas Bill of Rights:
§ 1. Equal rights. All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
§ 2. Political power; privileges. All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and are instituted for their equal protection and benefit. No special privileges or immunities shall ever be granted by the legislature, which may not be altered, revoked or repealed by the same body; and this power shall be exercised by no other tribunal or agency.
If you’re a Kansas politics addict and need a daily dose of what’s happening in Topeka, check out the Sunflower State Journal. It’s pretty much the news without a political slant.
