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- Topeka Buzz: February 9, 2026
Topeka Buzz: February 9, 2026
Turnaround week: property tax limits, medical cannabis, and what survives Thursday?
Jason Anderson
February 09, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
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Turnaround is Thursday: What survives and what dies
Thursday, February 12th is Turnaround—the deadline by which non-exempt bills must pass their chamber of origin or they're dead for the session. Any bill that hasn't passed either the full House or full Senate by end of day Thursday cannot advance further this year, with limited exceptions. Bills that clear Turnaround cross over to the opposite chamber for consideration.
Exempt from Turnaround (and can still move after Thursday):
Appropriations bills
Bills raised by the Ways and Means or Appropriations committees
Bills specifically exempted by leadership
Certain tax bills
Expect a flurry of floor activity through Thursday as legislators rush to move priority bills. Some bills will be bundled into omnibus vehicles or amended onto moving legislation to survive the deadline. Others will quietly die without a vote.
After Turnaround, the session shifts focus to bills that crossed over and to budget negotiations. The next major deadline is First Adjournment (typically early April), after which legislators return for Veto Session in late April or May.
HB 2745: Requires voter approval for local property tax increases
HB 2745 caps how much most local governments—cities, counties, townships, and special districts (not the state or school districts)—can increase total property tax revenue. Generally, a jurisdiction's levy cannot exceed the prior year's total without voter approval.
Exceptions that don't require a vote:
Up to 3% growth on the prior levy;
Revenue from new construction or major improvements; and
Debt service on bonds approved by voters after July 1, 2026.
Any increase beyond these limits requires voter approval the year before the budget is adopted, and approvals apply for one year only.
The state sweetener: The bill creates a Property Tax Relief Fund with $60 million annually from the State General Fund (rising 2% per year starting in 2027), distributed to eligible counties by equal share, population, and assessed value. But there's a catch—counties that hold an election to exceed the cap become ineligible for these payments.
HB 2752: Creates Kansas medical cannabis program
The Kansas Health Freedom Act would establish a statewide medical cannabis program, affecting patients, caregivers, medical providers, cannabis businesses, law enforcement, and state agencies.
For patients:
| For the state:
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The bill also includes contested language on firearm rights for cardholders and limits local control over facility siting.
New Bills Introduced
Business & Commerce
Criminal Justice
🐝🐝 HB 2751: Raises minimum bail to $100K for certain crimes
🐝🐝 SB 497: Adds kratom alkaloids to Schedule I
🐝🐝 HB 2749: Expand unlawful sex law to cover abuse of trust
🐝🐝 HB 2756: Prohibits some lifetime sex offenders living near schools
🐝🐝 HB 2750: Increases penalties for repeat protective-order violations
🐝🐝 HB 2755: Creates KU-run statewide anonymous trafficking database
🐝🐝 HB 2762: Expands who counts as school authority for sexual crimes
🐝🐝 HB 2765: Adds fentanyl analogs to Kansas Schedule I
🐝🐝 HB 2748: Lengthen civil protective order terms to 5 years
🐝 HB 2747: Require courts to use DUI comparability factors
Education
Elections & Government
Healthcare
🐝🐝 HB 2753: Enforces MCOs to follow RFP promises with penalties
🐝🐝 HB 2741: Allows refusal of transgender care for conscience
🐝🐝 HB 2761: Creates state licensure for speech‑language pathology assistants
🐝🐝 HB 2763: Allows athletic trainers to practice across states
🐝🐝 HB 2760: Creates multistate esthetician license
🐝 HB 2740: Adopts USP compounding standards into Kansas law
Public Safety
🐝🐝 HB 2739: Bans mandatory sprinklers in 2-4 unit attached homes
Taxation
Committee Actions
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Bills Reported Out (1)
HB 2063 (bill be passed as amended): Directs gaming revenue to new conservation grants
Assessment and Taxation
Bills Referred (3)
Education
Bills Referred (1)
SB 491: Creates Education Inspector General to Protect Students
Bills Reported Out (2)
Federal and State Affairs
Bills Referred (1)
SCR 1621: Prohibits property taxes statewide after 2027
Bills Reported Out (2)
Financial Institutions and Insurance
Bills Referred (1)
HB 2515: Protects consumers at virtual currency kiosks
Bills Reported Out (1)
SB 360 (bill be passed as amended): Limits PBM fees, tightens audits, and passes rebates
Health and Human Services
Bills Reported Out (2)
Interstate Cooperation
Bills Referred (2)
Bills Re-referred (5)
HB 2009: Prohibits nearly all abortions and allows private lawsuits
SB 284: Stops manufacturers from blocking 340B drug delivery
HB 2010: Bans abortion; creates felonies for providers
HB 2328: Allows prison-made housing in designated areas
HB 2375: Expands Medicaid for low-income Kansans, adds work checks
Judiciary
Bills Referred (3)
Bills Reported Out (2)
Local Government, Transparency and Ethics
Bills Reported Out (1)
SB 396 (bill be passed as amended): Removes Ohio Township from Clearwater cemetery district
Transportation
Bills Reported Out (2)
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Social Services