Kansas

Kansas legislators looking to change development process for state budget

Published

1 year ago

August 23, 2024

Kansas legislators looking to change development process for state budget

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Kansas legislators want to change the way the state comes up with its budget.

A Special Committee on Budget Process and Development met on Thursday. Members of the House and Senate, including Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, discussed how they would want to go about making the budget in the Legislature.

“I look at this as an opportunity to examine a process that is probably flawed and find opportunities to make it better. We need to spend more time diving into the budget process and figure out how to do it more effectively and efficiently. I’m very excited to find solutions that can help us better serve all Kansas taxpayers and look forward to our next meeting as a committee.”

A lack of sufficient review time was cited as the biggest factor motivating any changes.

“What we’re going to be looking at is possible systemic changes to how we actually craft a budget by the State Legislature and moving forward in an earlier fashion than what we have done in previous years or maybe even for decades,” Committee Chairman Rep. Troy Waymaster said during the meeting. “We are compressed by a very aggressive schedule and trying to analyze the, I believe, 78 budgets that we have with the state agencies and the Departments and trying to get that done within a course of five to six weeks.”

The budget is currently developed by the governor and state agencies, and then submitted to the Legislature. There’s a series of deadlines and hearings legislators can access throughout October and November, but they don’t truly see a draft until that submission in January.

“We’re going to be looking at what other states are doing in regards to the process as being created by the Legislature,” Rep. Waymaster continued. “This is not to say that we’re not going to adhere to what the governor may propose, what this does is it ask it lets us escalate the process in a quicker fashion so when we return in the beginning of January we can start the budget analysis on those smaller budgets.”

Rep. Waymaster released a statement after the meeting stating a bill would be introduced when the legislature returns in January 2025.

“The current budget process that we have in place has been utilized for decades and its time to look at a new way of generating our state budget. We took great strides today in identifying a budget process that better serves the taxpayers of the state of Kansas. As appropriators of the state finances, the legislature is going to introduce a budget bill in the onset of the legislative session in January of 2025, and begin the analytical process of how we can reduce spending and have a more concise budget process.”

Source link

Related Topics:budget committee Featured Governor Hawkins kansas Kansas Legislature Legislature Masterson special

Click to comment

Kansas

Kansas Lottery Pick 3, 2 By 2 winning numbers for Feb. 15, 2026

Published

4 hours ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 15, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Feb. 15 drawing

Midday: 8-8-7

Evening: 3-1-6

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from Feb. 15 drawing

Red Balls: 01-11, White Balls: 01-24

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Feb. 15 drawing

18-25-30-33-35, Lucky Ball: 06

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.

By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:

Kansas Lottery Headquarters

128 N Kansas Avenue

Topeka, KS 66603-3638

(785) 296-5700

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.

When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.

Source link

Kansas

Kansas City nightclub shooting leaves 2 women dead, others wounded

Published

16 hours ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City nightclub shooting leaves 2 women dead, others wounded

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – An overnight shooting at a bar-nightclub in Kansas City has left two women dead and two more victims wounded.

The Kansas City Police Department stated that Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies had been working off duty at a nightclub in the area of 28th Street and Southwest Boulevard when they heard gunshots just after 2 a.m.

Kansas City police were notified via dispatch and when they arrived to the scene, they found three women suffering from gunshot wounds. First responders declared one of the victims dead at the scene, while the other two were taken to the hospital.

One of the women taken to the hospital died from her wounds there. Police said the third woman suffered injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Two women were killed and two other people were injured in a shooting at a Kansas City nightclub.

Officers learned that a fourth victim, a man, had been taken to the hospital by a personal car and was said to have been in critical condition.

KCPD stated that the victims were inside the nightclub when there was an interaction with one or more suspects that escalated and led to shots being fired, which struck the victims.

As of 7 a.m. on Sunday, police had no suspect information. Southwest Boulevard was closed to traffic from 27th Street to 29th Street as police continued processing the scene.

A shooting at a Kansas City nightclub left two women dead and two more victims wounded in the early morning hours of Feb. 15, 2026.(Kat Young, KCTV5)

Anyone with information has been asked to contact homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.

Editor’s Note: This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

Source link

Kansas

Kansas City Royals news: Should Seth Lugo throw more heaters?

Published

2 days ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

Kansas City Royals news: Should Seth Lugo throw more heaters?

I’m of two minds about the Royals as spring training begins. On one hand, they look like a clear playoff contender. I love the run prevention across the board, though the depth behind the pitchers likely to be on the Opening Day roster means some health luck will be needed. The other mind is that I’m just not sold on the idea that Kansas City’s offseason moves made it any better.

I liked the additions of Matt Strahm and Alex Lange to what looks like a fully stocked bullpen. But I’m not sold on the offense being markedly different with Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas on board and Jonathan India coming back.

This puts a lot of pressure on Jac Caglianone to make significant improvement, which he is certainly capable of doing. Having Carter Jensen around for a full season will also help. Neither of those situations is related to offseason transactions. Ultimately, I fear that too much has been pinned on the effects of moving in the fences at the K. It will help hitters and hurt pitchers — that’s just physics. But the key is whether those effects shake out in the Royals’ favor. Of that, I will believe it when I see it, so Royals fans have to hope that the math behind this bold decision proves to be spot-on.

Source link