Top 5 Kansas news stories
February 27 2026
Kansas House Passes State Budget, Property Tax Relief in Busy Session
Transgender Kansans File Lawsuit Challenging New Law Invalidating Driver's Licenses
Leavenworth Commissioners Advance CoreCivic Special Use Permit After Marathon Meeting
Trump Administration Removes Lesser Prairie Chicken From Endangered Species List
KU, K-State Faculty Receive 2026 Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards
Kansas House Passes State Budget, Property Tax Relief in Busy Session
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas House passed a multi-year state budget (Sub HB 2434) on a 68-53 vote Friday, along with a property tax relief bill (HB 2745, 76-45) and an overhaul of the STAR bond financing program (H Sub for Sub SB 197, 82-38). The property tax bill aims to reform protest petition rules and create a new relief fund, while the Senate is pursuing a competing approach through a proposed constitutional amendment (SCR 1616) that would cap annual assessed value growth at 3 percent. The divergent strategies could make property tax negotiations among the most difficult as the two chambers work toward a compromise. The 2025 session ended without significant property tax relief despite bipartisan campaign promises, adding political pressure on lawmakers to deliver results this year.
Greg Loving
Transgender Kansans File Lawsuit Challenging New Law Invalidating Driver's Licenses
TOPEKA, Kan. — Two transgender Kansas residents filed a lawsuit in Douglas County District Court challenging SB 244, a new law passed over Gov. Laura Kelly's veto that immediately invalidated their driver's licenses and prohibits transgender people from using government restrooms matching their gender identity. The law also establishes a private right of action allowing anyone to sue a person they suspect of violating the restroom provision for at least $1,000 in damages. Transgender Kansans received letters this week from the Department of Revenue's Division of Vehicles informing them their licenses are no longer valid. The lawsuit, filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of Kansas and Ballard Spahr LLP on behalf of two anonymous plaintiffs, charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution's protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process and freedom of speech.
KWCH
Leavenworth Commissioners Advance CoreCivic Special Use Permit After Marathon Meeting
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — Leavenworth city commissioners voted 4-1 Tuesday to advance CoreCivic's special use permit to reopen its dormant private prison as the Midwest Regional Reception Center for immigration detainees, moving the application to a second consideration on March 10. More than 60 people spoke against the facility during a three-hour public comment session, while roughly 10 spoke in favor, citing jobs and economic benefits. Commissioners chastised CoreCivic for past behavior and amended the agreement to add a community task force to hold the company accountable. CoreCivic and the city remain in a parallel court fight; the company asked a Kansas appeals court in February to overturn an injunction barring it from taking detainees, though approval of the special use permit could make that case moot.
Kansas Reflector
Trump Administration Removes Lesser Prairie Chicken From Endangered Species List
WICHITA, Kan. — The Trump administration officially removed the lesser prairie chicken from the federal endangered and threatened species list, shifting conservation responsibility to private landowners across the bird's five-state range. The species has lost an estimated 80 to 90 percent of its historic habitat. Conservationists, including The Nature Conservancy's Kansas director Matthew Bain, warned the bird's decline could signal wider environmental losses for grassland ecosystems. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran and U.S. Rep. Ron Estes applauded the decision as a win for Kansas farmers, ranchers and rural communities, while the Center for Biological Diversity said the science supports keeping the bird listed.
KWCH
KU, K-State Faculty Receive 2026 Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Four faculty members at the University of Kansas and Kansas State University were named recipients of the 2026 Higuchi-KU Endowment Research Achievement Awards, the state higher education system's most prestigious recognition for scholarly excellence. Historian David Farber (KU) received the Balfour Jeffrey Award for work on American political power spanning topics from 1960s protest movements to the crack cocaine epidemic. Biologist Ruth Welti (K-State) received the Olin Petefish Award for pioneering plant lipid biochemistry research that has advanced understanding of how plants respond to environmental stress. Special education scholar Kathleen Lynne Lane (KU) received the Irvin Youngberg Award for developing a tiered school intervention model used in more than 54 schools nationwide including 24 in Kansas, and biomedical researcher X. Long Zheng (KU Medical Center) received the Dolph Simons Award for research on a rare, life-threatening blood-clotting disorder. Each honoree receives $10,000 for ongoing research and will be recognized at a ceremony April 14.
KU News
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