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Topeka Buzz: Thursday, March 20
The Article V Convention resolution failed. The direct election of Supreme Court justices passed, however, and will be on the ballot in August 2026.
Jason Anderson
March 20, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes
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Daily Legislative Update 🐝
Thursday, March 20, 2025
Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.
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In an 81-43 vote, the Kansas House failed to reach the two-thirds majority required to certify Kansas as formally requesting an Article V US constitutional convention. The proposal, which would have put the US one state closer to its first-ever national gathering to rewrite parts of the founding document.
An Article V Convention of States has never been called. It is essentially a “fast track” for drafting amendments to the Constitution. Proposed amendments would still require ratification by 75% of the states, but wouldn’t necessarily require a citizen vote. Nineteen of the required 34 states have already certified an Article V request (see tracker).
The vote count was an unusual one, with both Democrats and Republicans voting opposite of their party’s overall position: