Top 5 Kansas news stories
March 20 2026
Kelly Signs Statewide School Cell Phone Ban
School-Zone Handheld Phone Ban Heads to Governor
Senate Passes ICE Detainer Enforcement Bill
KU Faculty Vote No Confidence in Chancellor Girod
Kansas Tips Off NCAA Tournament Against Cal Baptist
Kelly Signs Statewide School Cell Phone Ban
TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday signed Senate Substitute for Substitute for House Bill 2299, banning the use of cell phones and personal electronic devices during the school day in Kansas public schools and accredited private schools. The law requires students to turn off and securely store personal devices — including cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, wireless headphones and text messaging devices — during school hours on school premises. Exceptions are provided for students whose individualized education programs, 504 plans or physician-documented medical needs require device access, and students may still reach a parent or guardian through a school phone. Technology issued by school districts is not affected. The bill also prohibits school district employees from using social media to communicate with students for official purposes or from requiring students to use social media for assignments or extracurricular activities. Kelly said the measure establishes one uniform statewide standard to address the impact smartphones and social media have on academic performance, learning environments and mental health.
Greg Loving
School-Zone Handheld Phone Ban Heads to Governor
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Senate voted 31-9 on Thursday to concur with House amendments to H Sub SB 366, sending a bill prohibiting handheld mobile phone use while driving in school and construction zones to the governor's desk. Supporters, including Sen. William Clifford, R-Garden City, cited the need to prevent accidents involving pedestrians and workers in high-risk areas. The bill drew opposition from both sides of the aisle on civil liberties grounds; Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, warned that making it a primary infraction could enable pretextual stops and discriminatory enforcement against minorities. Sen. Kellie Warren, R-Leawood, also voted no, arguing that criminalizing the act of holding a phone does not strike the right balance between liberty and public safety. Because the Senate concurred with the House's changes, the legislation has now passed both chambers in identical form and awaits the governor's signature.
Greg Loving
Senate Passes ICE Detainer Enforcement Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. — The Kansas Senate passed S Sub HB 2372 on a 31-9 vote, requiring county sheriffs who operate jails to enforce detainers issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The GOP-backed legislation bars local municipalities from adopting sanctuary policies and requires the state to provide legal representation through the Attorney General and pay certain judgments in federal civil actions resulting from the detainments. Democrats opposed the measure, with Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, calling it an unfunded mandate that shifts legal and financial responsibilities onto Kansas taxpayers while local agencies are already stretched thin. Holscher warned of increased risk of wrongful detention and due process violations. Because the Senate passed a substitute version of the original House bill, S Sub HB 2372 now returns to the Kansas House, where representatives must decide whether to concur with the Senate's changes or request a conference committee to negotiate final language.
Greg Loving
KU Faculty Vote No Confidence in Chancellor Girod
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Nearly 80% of roughly 2,000 respondents in a straw poll conducted by the University of Kansas Faculty Senate and University Senate voted no confidence in Chancellor Doug Girod and Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWitt. The results, obtained through a Kansas Open Records Act request, showed a wide majority across faculty, staff, students and alumni expressing dissatisfaction with top leadership, the university's finances and transparency. The no confidence vote comes as Kansas Athletics projects a $15 million deficit this year, with KU using its general fund to cover athlete payments under the new NCAA rule capping revenue-sharing at $20.5 million, on top of costs tied to the $450 million David Booth Memorial Stadium rebuild. The Faculty Senate said general fund and academic dollars should not cover athletics costs. KU's media relations office dismissed the poll as unscientific and initiated outside established governance processes, but the Faculty Senate fired back in an emergency meeting Tuesday night, urging leadership to take the feedback seriously rather than disparage faculty voices.
KCUR
Kansas Tips Off NCAA Tournament Against Cal Baptist
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — No. 4-seeded Kansas opens the 2026 NCAA tournament Friday night with a round-of-64 matchup against No. 13-seeded California Baptist at Viejas Arena, with tipoff set for 8:45 p.m. Central on CBS. The Jayhawks enter at 23-10 after reaching the Big 12 Conference tournament semifinals, while the Lancers are 25-8 and riding a Western Athletic Conference tournament championship. The winner will advance to face either No. 5 seed St. John's or No. 12 seed Northern Iowa in the East Region. Kansas is making its 51st NCAA tournament appearance as head coach Bill Self's squad looks to advance past the opening weekend.
CJ Online
Sources
Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:
citizen journal offers three flagship products: a daily national news summary, a daily Kansas news summary, and local news and school board summaries from 20 cities across Kansas. Each issue contains 5 paragraph-length stories that are made to be read in 5 minutes. Use the links in the header to navigate to national, kansas, and local coverage. Subscribe to each, some, or all to get an email when new issues are published for FREE!
Brought to you by (click me!)
