- Capitol Bee
- Posts
- Topeka Buzz: Tuesday, March 18
Topeka Buzz: Tuesday, March 18
We're now entering the phase where things move fast, calendars change, and it's generally Very Difficult to know what's happening next. Also: DOGE is not as unpopular as you might think...
Jason Anderson
March 18, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
NOTE: Starting in April, Topeka Buzz will be a benefit of the Supporter subscription tier. This issue is being provided at no cost to subscribers; if you’d like to continue receiving it, consider becoming a Supporter. Thanks!
(The weekly Capitol Bee remains free, and always will.)
Daily Legislative Update 🐝
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.
Table of Contents
Top Stories of the Day
The 2025 Legislative Session Countdown Continues
We’re now down to only nine working days left for legislators to wrap up their work. We now have one House bill and three Senate bills that have passed both chambers, made it through any necessary reconciliation process, and awaiting the Governor’s response:
Likely to be signed (all passed unanimously or nearly so):
Likely to be vetoed (and overruled):
SB 4, which removes the 3-day grace period for mail-in ballots. This passed with veto-proof majorities in both chambers, will likely be vetoed, and will likely be overruled.
There’s still much more to come. I’ll be streamlining the Topeka Buzz daily blasts to focus more narrowly on what’s actually happened and be deemphasizing committee activity—the committees are almost wrapped.
DOGE is more popular than you think
While I suspect that most of the Capitol Bee audience is probably opposed to (or offended by) the actions of the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE), it’s important to consider all perspectives. Case in point: social media research suggests public opinion is split on DOGE the same way it’s split on other major political topics.
Impact Social analyzed Virginia-based online discussions about DOGE (Feb 15–Mar 15, 2025), using human review to assess sentiment and key narrative drivers.
(If you don’t want to zoom in on that chart, it says 15% have positive sentiment about DOGE, 15% have negative sentiment, and 70% are neutral.)
At first glance, it may seem surprising that only 30% of people had any sentiment at all about DOGE–or that opinions seem evenly divided about whether DOGE is doing good or evil. It’s an excellent reminder, though, that if you are reading newsletters like this, you are much more engaged than most of your neighbors.
That neutrality is also a double-edged sword. It means that many people aren’t really paying attention enough to form an opinion. That presents an opportunity; public opinion can still be shaped by new information, making outreach and education efforts crucial. For those who believe DOGE oversteps its authority, now is the time to build awareness before opinions solidify.
That’s why it’s important to:
Talk with your family and friends.
Share content (such as this newsletter!) with your network.
Stay engaged, don’t strategically retreat.
