Kansas
Kansas Legislature's committee to study options for changing state budget process • Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Leaders of the Kansas Legislature approved formation of an interim committee to study options for changing the process of developing an annual state government budget that didn’t depend on when a governor submitted a spending plan to lawmakers.
Kansas governors traditionally offered budget insights to House and Senate members during the State of the State speech at outset of legislative sessions in January, but formal budget documents wouldn’t immediately be forwarded to legislators.
Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said the interim committee would convene for two days this fall to discuss the possibility of enabling the Legislature to get rolling on development of a budget before the governor’s blueprint was delivered. He said Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s budget outline in January could be considered an alternative to the Legislature’s bill rather than a starting point for debate.
“Then we’re not on pins and needles waiting for what’s this going to look like at the end of our first week of the session,” Masterson said. “We can introduce our own budget bill. And, really, you still have both options open to you.”
Masterson said he would appreciate analysis of whether the House Appropriations Committee could be assigned responsibility of pulling together an initial version of the state budget. It would be passed to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for potential amendments, he said. This would be a departure from a tradition of the House and Senate independently producing budget bill.
“They would start. We would finish,” the Senate president said. “That would also help us confine our session into the 90 (allotted) days. It just would be a more efficient process.”
Under the current and potential system, House and Senate negotiators would attempt to resolve differences between the two chambers. Kelly, and future Kansas governors, would retain authority to veto entire budget bills or line-item expenditures in spending bills.
Members of the Legislative Coordinating Council, which convenes when the full Legislature wasn’t in session, approved formation of the bipartisan 21-member committee to consider amending the budget process. Republicans would take as many as 15 seats on the committee, while Democrats could be appointed to at least six seats.
House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, said the special committee could investigate the surge in budget provisions tucked into the budget by conference committees comprised of three House members and three Senate members. The six-person committees include four Republicans and two Democrats. Conference committee reports cannot be amended — only accepted or rejected.
“I’ve been thinking a long time about the budget process and certainly the fact that most of us would agree that we have way too many provisos coming in at the end during conference committees. It happens every time,” Hawkins said.
In the 2024 legislative session, he thought there were 30 to 40 special-interest provisos shoved into the budget. More often than not, these provisions weren’t considered by the House and Senate before dropped into the bill. Several provisos during the most recent legislative session not only directed the state to spend money, but identified a specific company or recipient of that earmark.
“Most of those items never get a chance to be vetted by the budget committees,” Hawkins said.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Boeing is making a billion-dollar investment in its Wichita location over the next three years, the company announced Monday.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said the investment will be used to upgrade facilities, expand employee training and strengthen the production system.
He said this will prepare the facility for a higher production rate, especially as Boeing tries to keep up with a record-high demand. The company is currently sitting on a backlog of 6,100 commercial planes, valued at $695 billion.
“It’s going to take the skills and capabilities of all of you to help us deliver on our record backlogs and meet the growing demand in aerospace,” Ortberg said. “And I know the 13,000 Wichita teammates are ready to deliver on that promise.”
There could be even more work coming to the facility. Reuters reported that Ortberg will be going to China with President Donald Trump and a few other leaders in the tech industry to talk about trade and investment opportunities.
Lt. Gov. David Toland said that more work at the company will help the Wichita economy and that it is up to the city to build up the workforce.
“We’ve got a company that’s put its money where its mouth is,” Toland said. “And as Kansans, as Wichitans, it’s on us now that we’re continuing to skill up our workforce, that we’re creating the talent pipeline that’s essential to allowing companies like Boeing to continue growing.”
Over the past several years, Wichita has invested in the aviation workforce. This includes expanding aviation education at WSU Tech and tapping students in WSU’s National Institute for Aviation Research to help with federal projects like the “Golden Dome” missile defense shield.
Last week, Boeing and WSU Tech announced a new partnership to build a workforce training center that will be a hub for Boeing’s Wichita workforce.
Sen. Jerry Moran hopes Boeing’s investments will ease concerns or caution surrounding the company’s return to Wichita and build on the city’s reputation in the aviation industry.
“You’ve heard me say that people come here and we convince them that this is the Air Capital of the World,” Moran said. “I don’t think we need any more convincing. This is now known. We are the Air Capital of the World.”
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
Gage Workman came off the bench and hit his first major league homer, a two-run shot that sent the Detroit Tigers past the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Sunday night to snap a five-game losing streak.
Matt Vierling had a two-run double and Riley Greene reached safely four times as the Tigers prevented a three-game sweep.
Called up hours earlier from Triple-A Toledo when Kerry Carpenter was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder sprain, Workman entered as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.
Workman drove a 1-1 slider from Nick Mears (2-2) to right field to give Detroit a 5-3 lead.
Wenceel Pérez added an RBI single in the seventh.
Enmanuel De Jesus (2-0), the fourth of six Tigers pitchers, retired all seven batters he faced. Kenley Jansen struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 483rd career save and seventh this season.
Kansas City lost for only the third time in 10 games.
Hao-Yu Lee’s two-out RBI triple off the outstretched glove of Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone opened the scoring in the second. Zack Short walked and Vierling delivered a two-run double off the left-field wall to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead.
In the third, Kansas City greeted reliever Drew Anderson with three straight hits, scoring their first run on a hit-and-run, opposite-field single by Vinnie Pasquantino, and another on Carter Jensen’s sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, Caglianone doubled to left-center and scored the tying run on Maikel Garcia’s third hit, a two-out single to center.
Royals starter Noah Cameron exited after allowing a leadoff hit in the fifth on his 95th pitch. He allowed three runs and five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.
The top three Kansas City batters combined for seven of the team’s eight hits.
Greene has reached base safely in a career-best 21 consecutive games. In 27 games since April 11, he is batting .384 with 13 extra-base hits.
Up next
Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty (0-3, 5.56 ERA) faces Mets RHP Freddy Peralta (2-3, 3.12) on Tuesday night in New York.
Royals RHP Stephen Kolek (1-0, 4.50 ERA) pitches Tuesday in Chicago against White Sox RHP Erick Fedde (0-4, 3.79).
Four teens hurt in southeast Kansas rollover
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Four teenagers are hurt after being in a rollover crash on Sunday.
The Kansas Highway Patrol said a 16-year-old girl was behind the wheel of a Jeep. She went off the road, hit a culvert and rolled.
The crash happened just after midnight near the intersection of North 150th and North streets, northeast of Girard.
Man dead after downtown Wichita shooting
Two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old were passengers in the Jeep. All four teens were hurt and taken to the hospital after the crash.
The driver received suspected serious injuries, and the rest received suspected minor injuries.
For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
-
Rhode Island2 minutes agoOne Big Question After RHORI Renewal
-
South-Carolina8 minutes ago
Missouri’s new US House map goes to court while Louisiana and South Carolina consider redistricting
-
South Dakota14 minutes agoSD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for May 11, 2026 – AOL
-
Tennessee20 minutes agoMemphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’
-
Texas26 minutes ago
Texas sues Netflix for allegedly spying on kids, addicting users
-
Utah32 minutes agoData centers raise air quality and environmental concerns in Utah, doctor says
-
Vermont38 minutes ago
VT Lottery Powerball, Gimme 5 results for May 11, 2026
-
Virginia44 minutes agoVirginia governor signs paid leave law, first in the South – WTOP News
