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Top 5 Kansas news stories

November 5 2025

Greg Loving

05 Nov 2025 • 4 min read

Kansas Legislature Won't Hold Special Session Before January

Kansas Faces Budget Shortfall by 2029 Without Action

GOP Governor Candidates Eye Changes to School Funding Formula

Kansas Voters Reject Multiple School Bond Issues Tuesday

Halstead Voters Block Battery Storage Project

Kansas Legislature Won't Hold Special Session Before January

House Speaker Dan Hawkins announced Tuesday there will be no special session before the legislature's regular session begins Jan. 12. Multiple agendas, scheduling conflicts and other factors made a special session impractical, despite Republican leaders wanting to discuss potential redistricting and state law concerning gender representation on driver's licenses.

KWCH

Kansas Faces Budget Shortfall by 2029 Without Action

Kansas could run out of general fund money by fiscal year 2029 unless the legislature and governor address a structural budget imbalance, with some analysts warning the crisis could arrive even sooner. General fund spending has jumped 64% since 2018, more than double the inflation rate, driven largely by education and social services costs. At an Oct. 11 GOP gubernatorial candidate forum, Republican contenders were asked whether Kansas has a revenue problem or a spending problem. Former Gov. Jeff Colyer and others called it clearly a spending problem, while Secretary of State Scott Schwab and businessman Philip Sarnecki said both revenue growth and spending are both issues. The next governor elected in 2026 will likely inherit the budget challenge if current lawmakers and Gov. Laura Kelly cannot reach agreement on solutions.

CJOnline

GOP Governor Candidates Eye Changes to School Funding Formula

Public school funding is emerging as a key issue in the 2026 governor's race, with Republican primary candidates beginning to shape positions on the next K-12 education funding formula. The current formula, developed in response to court orders, expires July 1, 2027, meaning the next governor will likely sign or veto whatever lawmakers produce. With the August primary about nine months away, some GOP gubernatorial candidates are suggesting they want a formula that either spends less money or focuses more on education outcomes. A legislative task force is already in early stages of developing the next school finance formula.

CJOnline

Kansas Voters Reject Multiple School Bond Issues Tuesday

Hutchinson voters decisively defeated a $109.5 million bond issue to build a new middle school Tuesday, with 74.6% voting against the measure in one of the most lopsided school bond defeats in recent Kansas history. The proposal would have funded a new facility for sixth through eighth grades plus improvements to elementary, early childhood, student services and sports facilities. Voters in Russell, Wellington, Rock Hills and St. John Hudson also rejected school bond issues Tuesday, while voters in Oakley, Goodland, Arkansas City and Mulvane approved their districts' bond proposals.

citizen Journal, Hutchinson Post

Halstead Voters Block Battery Storage Project

Halstead voters blocked a proposed battery energy storage system within city limits Tuesday, with the prohibition measure receiving the required two-thirds majority. The project planned for Halstead's industrial park would have had enough capacity to power 200,000 homes for up to four hours, but some residents expressed concerns about potential fire risks.

KWCH

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