It’s hard to believe, but there are only two weeks left in the 2025 Kansas legislative session. Per the published legislative deadlines, Friday, March 21 (this Friday) is the last day to consider non-exempt bills not in their chamber of origin. Translation: any bill that was passed prior to Turnaround Day must be passed by the other chamber by March 21, or it stalls out (or gets deferred to 2026).

That means that any proposed laws that you might be keeping an eye on, will appear on this week’s calendar. (Exception: Exempt bills, which are generally all of the worst ones such as state constitutional amendments or budget and appropriations bills.)

It also means that the window for submitting citizen testimony to committees is essentially closed (or almost so), as a bill in committee must (1) get favorably voted on by the committee, (2) get added to the House or Senate calendar for consideration, and (3) endure a vote and/or possible amendments.

You can see the evidence of this shift in momentum in the published schedules and agendas for the committees; most committees have nothing on their agendas this week at all, with some particularly important exceptions.

This morning, Federal and State Affairs is holding a hearing on SCR 1604 which petitions for an Article V convention for US constitutional amendments. This resolution was already passed by the Senate on February 27 by a veto-proof 29-11 vote. Then, tomorrow they plan to take “final action” (i.e. vote). Beyond SCR 1604, the committee will likely also vote to declare the World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the World Economic Forum to have no power within the state of Kansas.

Later this afternoon, House Judiciary will hold a hearing on HB 2404 which bans sex offenders from school property and school-sanctioned off-campus activities. This bill was rapidly moved forward by Rep. Estes (R) after an incident at a Blue Valley school last month where a registered offender had attended a dance as a parental figure of one of the students. The bill was rapidly assembled and fast-tracked, and resembles SB 288 (sponsored by Sen. Warren (R) ).

As discussed in last Friday’s inaugural Collective article on local control, HB 2396 is slated for a hearing this morning. It severely constrains local governments from independently managing their property tax (mill levy) rates by creating a “petition mechanism.” In this case, an opposition petition signed by only 10% of the number of votes in the prior Presidential election will automatically block any property tax rate increase. There is no hearing or appeal mechanism; the change in tax rate is simply prohibited.

Astute readers of Capitol Bee may also remember SB 39; this odd bill would designate “specie” as legal tender in Kansas. It’s scheduled for a hearing tomorrow (Tuesday, March 18). The bill eliminates capital gains taxes on the sale of gold and silver, effectively creating a tax shelter for investors who hold these assets. The bill aligns with broader efforts by some policymakers to challenge the role of the U.S. dollar in transactions.

This morning, Senate Federal and State Affairs will hold a hearing on HB 2052. It loosens gun regulations in Kansas by making it easier to obtain and keep a concealed carry handgun license. It updates the law to allow 18- to 20-year-olds to carry concealed handguns with a provisional license and provides a smooth transition to a full license at age 21. The bill also removes certain training requirements for retired law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and active-duty military personnel who want to carry concealed weapons.

Additionally, the bill limits government oversight by preventing officials from collecting personal information from off-duty law enforcement officers who carry concealed weapons in public buildings. It also makes it harder for the state to revoke a gun license by requiring written notification and giving license holders extra time if they move out of state. While the bill still requires background checks for concealed carry applicants, it reduces restrictions on carrying firearms overall, making it a move toward fewer gun control measures rather than increased gun safety regulations.

Perhaps the most fiscally dangerous item working its way through Topeka is SCR 1612, which amends the Kansas Constitution to allow the legislature to directly issue debt. Senate Ways and Means has this resolution scheduled for a hearing this morning as well. The resolution shifts debt authority entirely to the legislature, removing voter approval for major borrowing decisions and reducing public accountability.

By giving lawmakers complete control over state borrowing, this amendment reduces checks and balances, potentially allowing future legislatures to take on excessive debt without robust oversight. It also provides fiscal loopholes and escape valves to fund conservative initiatives such as vouchers and tax cuts without maintaining a long-term balanced budget.

With only two active weeks for the Kansas Legislature and a (likely) brief veto session starting around April 10, there’s both a lot to cover and not a lot of time to do it. It’s not possible for any one media or journalistic source to give full coverage to every topic; I’m thrilled to be able to contribute to your media diet.

You may have noticed that we have a lot of varied projects in motion under our umbrella; here is what you can expect in the coming months.

Capitol Bee will continue beyond the current legislative session with this weekly analysis and editorial perspective. I’ll likely branch out into the occasional regional or national topic, but we’ll mostly start to focus on municipal races at the county and school board level. This year’s election cycle will be a critical measurement of how voters vote following the rapid-fire legislation and executive orders in Topeka and DC.

The Topeka Buzz will ramp down until the next legislative cycle. There may be occasional pieces of exceptional interest, but unless those issues are urgent and time-sensitive they will be covered in the weekly Capitol Bee.

This new publication is still new and fuzzy, but I’m excited about its potential. The Capitol Bee community has been rapidly expanding–we’ve been doubling every month! I wanted to provide other voices with expertise in issues and other complex topics to have an opportunity to share that wisdom with others in an unfiltered way.

If you would like to publish something through The Collective, please reach out!

The BillBee platform started as some basic private tools that we built to support our writing. It’s grown in functionality into an almost-complete platform for tracking and analyzing legislative activity. During the “quiet” months (ha!) following the 2025 session, we’ll be working hard to fill in those missing gaps and to elevate it to a commercial-quality tool that can directly support both citizen and professional monitoring and lobbying efforts.

Our newest platform, LetterSwarm, is also our most robust. It performs its initial intended purpose exceptionally well: making it fast, cheap, and easy to organize letter-writing campaigns that deliver messages loudly and directly to the desks of elected officials.

It’s also a system that we’re most excited about putting to use this year. We believe it can be impactful in the 2025 municipal races, and can become a strategic tool for campaigns and advocacy groups as we look forward to the 2026 elections.

Thank you for reading! If you have any ideas or comments, please write.