House Sends Cellphone Ban to Governor

Senate Reverses, Passes Recess Bill

Kelly Opens $24M KDOT Headquarters

Leavenworth Approves CoreCivic Detention Permit

Kansas Farmland Value Softens

House Sends Cellphone Ban to Governor

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas House voted 84-39 on Tuesday to concur with Senate amendments to HB 2299, sending a bill to the governor that would ban students from using personal electronic communication devices during the school day and prohibit school employees from using social media to communicate with students for official purposes. The measure would apply to all school districts and accredited nonpublic schools statewide. Supporters say the legislation is necessary to reduce classroom distractions and address cyberbullying across Kansas schools. The divided vote reflected an ongoing debate over whether cellphone policies should be set at the state level, with Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, D-Johnson County, arguing such decisions should remain under the authority of local school boards rather than the Legislature. The bill now awaits action from the governor.

House Sends Cellphone Ban to Governor

Measure bans personal devices during the school day from bell to bell

citizen journalGreg Loving

Senate Reverses, Passes Recess Bill

TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Senate passed SB 339 on Tuesday requiring schools to provide daily recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade after the measure initially failed moments earlier on a 17-23 vote. Supporters quickly moved to reconsider, and after lobbying on the chamber floor, a second vote carried 24-15. The bill would mandate specific amounts of daily recess and moderate physical activity, require a state fitness test and prohibit teachers from withholding physical activity for disciplinary reasons. Proponents, including Sen. Dinah Sykes, D-Johnson County, argued that unstructured play is critical for childhood development and academic focus, while opponents raised concerns about an unfunded mandate stripping local districts of scheduling flexibility. The measure now heads to the House, where it will likely face similar arguments over local control versus state-level standards for student well-being.

Senate reverses course, passes mandatory school recess bill

A bill requiring daily recess for elementary students, which first failed on a 17-23 vote, was revived and passed 24-15 after a reconsideration on the floor.

citizen journalGreg Loving

Kelly Opens $24M KDOT Headquarters

TOPEKA, Kan. — Governor Laura Kelly joined Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Calvin Reed and local leaders Wednesday to cut the ribbon on the new KDOT District One-Northeast Kansas headquarters campus in Topeka, a 73,000-square-foot facility replacing the previous district office built in 1936. The $24 million project, designed by HTK Architects and built by Crossland Construction, includes updated offices, meeting spaces and maintenance shops with 15 heavy-duty vehicle work bays. A 2007 feasibility study found that a new building would improve operational efficiency and reduce long-term maintenance costs, and Governor Kelly included funding in her fiscal year 2023 budget with construction beginning in fall 2024. The district headquarters serves KDOT's northeast Kansas operations across 17 counties, with future plans for a District One Materials Lab and a state surplus warehouse.

Governor Kelly Celebrates New $24 Million KDOT Headquarters in Topeka

The 73,000-square-foot facility replaces an outdated 1936 building and serves 17 northeast Kansas counties

citizen journalGreg Loving

Leavenworth Approves CoreCivic Detention Permit

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The Leavenworth city commission voted 4-1 to grant CoreCivic a special use permit to hold federal immigration detainees in its dormant 1,000-bed facility on behalf of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, ending a year of legal wrangling and public outcry. The decision allows the private corrections company to reopen the compound, which has sat at the center of furious criticism from opponents of Leavenworth becoming a regional hub for federal immigration enforcement. Commissioners said they amended the permit to ensure accountability and transparency by including plans to form a community review board or task force. "Tonight's vote is about a special use permit," commissioner Holly Pittman said. "It is not a vote on federal immigration policy."

Lawrence Times

Kansas Farmland Value Softens

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas agricultural land values have reached a plateau after years of rapid growth, with the statewide average sitting at about $3,100 per acre as of August 2025 and economists predicting further softening, according to Kansas State University agricultural economist Megan Hughes. Farmland accounts for roughly 80% of a farm's assets, and Kansas farmers reported owning an average of $1.8 million to $1.9 million in farmland in 2025, up from $1.4 million in 2024, though debt-to-asset ratios remain low and stable. Hughes calculated a compound annual growth rate of about 5.4% per year, meaning farmland still outpaces inflation as an investment, but K-State sales data shows slight decreases across land types that are not yet statistically significant. Regional variation is notable, with western Kansas dryland seeing declines as steep as 12.6% in the southwest and irrigated cropland values dropping statewide, while some central and eastern regions posted modest gains. The Kansas Agricultural Values and Trends 2025 book with detailed data is available at agmanager.info.

Farm Progress

Sources

1. Lawrence Times — Leavenworth CoreCivic permit
2. Farm Progress — Kansas farmland values

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