GUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative
We celebrated Pancake Day this week at the Capitol. It was the best one ever! Joining us were the Junior Ambassadors from the Liberal Recreation Department Dance Classes. They were a big hit with everyone at the Capitol. I want to thank the Ambassadors’ parents for bringing them, the City of Liberal, the International Pancake Day Board, and Liberal’s Tourism Department for sponsoring and attending the pancake feed. This is a popular event that everyone looks forward to.
In conjunction with Local Government Day and Pancakes at the Capitol, Keeley Young, with the City of Liberal was in Topeka advocating for our community with numerous state agencies. Thanks for all you do, Keeley.
It was nice to visit with Zoey Svaty this week. She is an impressive young lady who is smart and well spoken. Her Dad, Eli, was in town for meetings with the Western Kansas Regional Economic Development Assoc. (WKREDA). Congratulations, Eli, on some of your recently announced economic development projects.
On Thursday, I spoke on a panel with the Kansas Contractors Association (KCA) about the future of transportation funding and our next transportation plan in Kansas. KCA represents the businesses that build our bridges and roads, and they are a vital partner in protecting transportation funding from other interests.
On Monday, I spoke with the Government Relations Committee for the Kansas Professional Engineers. We discussed the state budget, the shortage of engineers across the state, and transportation and infrastructure funding for both the state and our local governments.
HB 2476 pesticide labeling
This week, the House passed House Bill 2476. What HB 2476 does is straightforward — it says that if a pesticide meets federal approval and carries an EPA-approved label, that label satisfies Kansas’ warning and labeling requirements. In other words, Kansas will rely on the same science-based standards used nationwide instead of creating conflicting rules through the courts.
This matters because uncertainty hurts everyone. When federally-approved products are exposed to lawsuits, claiming the label should say something different, manufacturers pull products from the market, prices go up, and farmers lose access to tools they have used safely for years. That doesn’t just affect farmers - it affects food prices, conservation practices, and the long-term stability of agriculture in our state.
I support HB 2476 because it respects sound science, protects Kansas agriculture, provides for the predictability farmers and agribusinesses need to plan for the future, and avoids unnecessary legal confusion.
SB244 gender identification
SB 244 has two major pieces. The first part of the bill is a response to a district court case regarding whether the Kansas Department of Revenue could allow changes to gender markers on driver’s licenses that contradicted an individual’s biological sex at birth. This was an issue that Attorney General Kobach asked the legislature to address. The Attorney General wrote in his testimony, “inconsistent gender markers on driver’s licenses can complicate interactions during traffic stops, in the execution of arrest warrants, and in correctional facilities.”
The second piece of the bill requires that multi-occupancy restrooms in public buildings can only be used by individuals of one sex. The bill brings back a straightforward approach that most Kansans already understand. It keeps shared spaces organized in a way that protects privacy, while still allowing common-sense options like family restrooms, single-use facilities, and accommodations for disabilities or emergencies. The bill is rooted in making sure women and girls feel safe in female-only restrooms. No female should be forced to share a multi-occupancy restroom with a biological man.
Parents expect that when their children are at school events, sports practices, or community facilities, there are clear and reasonable boundaries in place. Those expectations haven’t changed, but the rules around them have become less clear in recent years. When that happens, it puts families, teachers, and local officials in a tough spot. This bill establishes clear and reasonable boundaries so that parents and teachers have more certainty.
The Senate has also passed SB 244. It will now it go to Governor Kelly for her consideration. She is expected to veto the bill, at which time the legislature can consider overriding the veto.
Crime prevention bills
HB 2347 is a crime package focused on several different areas. Included in the bill were provisions increasing penalties on motor vehicle theft, criminal use of gift cards, the unlawful use of a laser pointer including using one to interfere with a flight, and increasing the penalty for the crime of buying sexual relations. This bill is a step forward in the fight against human trafficking and child sexual abuse. HB 2347 has passed both the House and Senate, and is now on its way to the Governor to sign or veto.
Two other crime-related bills passed this week are focused on the rural part of the state. One increased penalties on the theft of livestock while the other increased penalties on the theft of grain. During the debate, we heard how important these issues were to the ag sector of the economy. Both bills passed with bipartisan support and are heading to the Senate.
