- Capitol Bee
- Posts
- Topeka Buzz: Wednesday, March 5
Topeka Buzz: Wednesday, March 5
Campaign contribution limits on track to be doubled, leading to an extremely expensive 2026 cycle.
Jason Anderson
March 05, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 15 minutes
This edition of the Topeka Buzz is being provided at no cost to subscribers. If you’d like to help with our hosting costs, consider becoming a Supporter. Thanks!
(If you’d like to stop receiving the Topeka Buzz daily, but still receive the weekly Capitol Bee, just click here to update your subscription settings.)
The 🐝 Rating System
Each bill is evaluated based on four key factors: Scope of Impact, Financial Impact, Urgency, and Controversy. These factors are weighted to reflect their influence on the bill's overall importance. Here's how the ratings break down:
🐝 Minimal Impact: Legislation with limited reach or lower urgency and controversy.
🐝🐝 Moderate Impact: Proposals with a broader or more notable influence, addressing issues of medium urgency or financial significance.
🐝🐝🐝 High Impact: Bills with widespread consequences, urgent needs, or significant public and political attention.
Daily Legislative Update 🐝
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.
Table of Contents
Top Stories of the Day
New Bills shift towards tax, budget
Now that we’re past Turnaround1 , any newly-introduced bills for the 2025 session need to originate from an exempt committee. There are seven exempt committees in the Kansas Legislature:
House and Senate Federal and State Affairs (chairs Tom Kessler and Mike Thompson, respectively)
Senate Ways and Means (chair Rick Billinger)
House Appropriations (chair Troy Waymaster)
House Taxation (chair Adam Smith)
At this stage of the legislative game, the committee chairs above have outsized power and influence over these final four weeks. Committee rules give exceptional control over committee proceedings to the committee chairs, which includes limiting the public’s opportunity to testify on proposed bills.
Frankly, I’m rather skeptical about the public’s ability to influence legislation within the committees this year. The Republican supermajority hasn’t demonstrated any interest in negotiating bills with any input from people outside of their caucus (including the public), and has generally blocked or diverted even the smallest and least controversial proposals from Democratic legislators.
They are vulnerable to anything that threatens their reelection odds, though–especially Representatives, who will be back on the campaign trail in 2026. That means amplifying your voice directly with the senator and representative that represents you.
LetterSwarm of the Day
With the recent launch of LetterSwarm, it’s now fast and easy to promote advocacy and letter-writing campaigns to express your view to your legislator(s). When appropriate, I’ll highlight an active “swarm” for your consideration. Today’s swarm is a request to write your state senator to oppose private school vouchers.
