Kansas

WAYMASTER: From the Dome to Home, Jan. 20, 2026

Published

5 months ago

January 22, 2026

Press Room

WAYMASTER: From the Dome to Home, Jan. 20, 2026

Rep. Troy Waymastser, R-Bunker Hill. Courtesy photo

January 20, 20256
Topeka

GOVERNOR’S LAST BUDGET

On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, the Governor’s final budget proposal of her term, for fiscal year 2027, was presented to a joint meeting of the House Appropriations and Senate Ways & Means committees. The budget presentation serves to inform the Legislature of the Governor’s spending and taxing priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

Overall the proposed budget’s spending increases were lean but did add $171.3 million state general funds (SGF). Below is a sample of five areas where the Governor proposed new spending in her budget.

First was K-12 education. The Governor’s budget increased base spending for special education aid to schools by $50 million SGF, added $2.5 million SGF to eliminate co-payments for reduced lunches provided to students, and added $3.5 million SGF for professional development, scholarships, and mentor programs for school teachers.

Second was spending to cover funding shortfalls created by decreases in federal aid to Kansas. The Governor added $16.1 million SGF in new spending for the Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF) to cover administrative and new compliance costs of the Supplemental & Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). $5 million SGF was also added to the Adjutant General’s office to reimburse the Emergency Management Performance Grants fund.

Third was mental health. $3.6 million SGF was added to implement a Community Support Waiver (SDW) program, to provide reduced services for individuals currently waiting on the Intellectual Developmentally Disabled (I/DD) waiver waitlist that require fewer services than provided under the I/DD program. $2.8 million SGF was also added to the Technology Assissted waiver, in response to alleged increase demands for the program’s services.

Fourth was spending for state hospitals. $30.9 million SGF was added to fund the new South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital in Wichita, KS, $5 million SGF was added to state-aid for behavioral beds at local hospitals, and $37 million SGF was added to fund contract nursing staff at Larned and Osawatomie State Hospitals.

Fifth and final was state employee pay. $33 million SGF was added to cover portions of a 2.5 percent salary increase for executive branch employees and $3.3 million SGF was added for a similar increase to judicial branch employees’s salaries, as requested by the Judicial Branch.

HOUSE FLOOR ACTION

The first week of the 2026 Session saw the Kansas House of Representatives introduce 52 bills, on topics ranging from public libraries to hunting. Below is a sample of three bills from those introduced this week.

First is House Bill (HB) 2421. This piece of legislation would strictly limit the use of personal wireless electronic devices by students during school hours in both public and accredited nonpublic schools in Kansas.

Second is HB 2458, which would require that property taxes and public bonds be approved by elected officials within certain tax jurisdictions.

Third and last is HB 2470, which would grant municipalities in Kansas greater freedom in designating neighborhood revitalization districts.

COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS

House Appropriations (HAPP) held its first committee meeting this session on Thursday, January 15, 2026. As usual there were committee staff introductions and a welcome for new and returning committee members. However, this year the committee also worked and passed out nine agency budget reports for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, a first for me during my time in the legislature.

The first three of these budgets came from the General Government Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Barbara Wasinger, R-Hays. These were the Office of Administrative Hearings, Pooled Money Investment Board, and the Public Disclosure Committee (previously named the State Ethics Commission). Said budget reports drew several questions from members regarding the agencies’ performance metrics and full-time employee positions (FTEs).

The latter six budgets came from the Agriculture & Natural Resources Budget Subcommittee, chaired by Representative Lisa Moser. These were the Board of Accountancy, Board of Veterinary Examiners, Citizen’s Utility Ratepayer Board, Kansas Corporation Commission, Kansas Department of Credit Unions, and the Office of State Bank Commissioner. Discussion on these budgets involved the same topics of concern.

It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.

Contact My Office
Representative Troy L. Waymaster
300 SW 10th Street
Topeka, Kansas 66612
[email protected]
www.kslegislature.org

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Kansas

Chicken chain expanding to Kansas and five other Midwest states

Published

7 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Chicken chain expanding to Kansas and five other Midwest states

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Colorado-based chicken restaurant Birdcall is expanding into Kansas.

The company announced Friday its plans to expand into Kansas and five other Midwestern states over the next five years. Birdcall plans to add six to eight fast-casual restaurants in Wichita and Topeka.

“The Midwest represents a tremendous opportunity for Birdcall,” CEO Mark Lohmann said. “From our award-winning chicken sandwiches and other handcrafted menu offerings to our commitment to innovation and community, we believe Birdcall offers an experience that resonates with today’s guests and is a natural fit for the region.”

Other locations announced are:

Indiana – 10 to 15 restaurants across Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville and Fort Wayne
Missouri – Up to 18 restaurants across St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City
Nebraska – Seven to 10 restaurants across Omaha and Lincoln
Ohio – Up to 20 restaurants across Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo
Wisconsin – 10 to 15 restaurants across Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton

Birdcall’s menu features a variety of chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers and nuggets, salads, tater tots, fries, and more. The restaurant also makes its own in-house sauces and serves up draft beer and house-made margaritas, with happy hour specials.

The company said each restaurant will use self-service kiosks and occupy about 2,300 square feet, with indoor and outdoor seating that can serve up to 150 people.

Birdcall currently operates 17 restaurants across Colorado, Arizona and Texas.

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Kansas

Video shows disruption during Osawatomie City Council meeting with data center developer

Published

18 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Video shows disruption during Osawatomie City Council meeting with data center developer

KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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A video shared by a viewer, shows a resident speaking at the Osawatomie, Kansas City Council meeting being escorted out by police on Thursday evening.

The video shows a man holding a “Hell No Alcove” sign, while commenting about a blighted property, which according to public records is owned by Pacific Apartments, LLC, operating out of the same address as Alcove Development in Lawrence, Kansas.

KSHB 41

A video submitted by a viewers shows a resident being escorted out of a city of Osawatomie, Kansas council meeting that included an appearance from a data center developer.

Alcove Development is behind the effort to build a $1 billion, 283-acre data center development in Osawatomie’s northland property.

The video, shared by a viewer, goes on the show two law enforcement officers approaching the individual, who is Lee Brewer, at the podium, after he begins to yell, while the crowd joins in behind him. Lee Brewer reached out to KSHB 41 late Thursday night, identifying himself as the person who was escorted out.

Osawatomie, Kansas Police Chief Dave Stutteville is seen in the video also approaching the man.

KSHB 41 Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa reached out to the Police Chief, City Manager, and Mayor Nick Hampson for comment late on Thursday night and is waiting on a response.

Residents in contact with Gamboa attending the meeting shared the meeting was still in session after 9:30 p.m.

Thursday night’s meeting was the city and Alcove Development’s attempt at sharing potential benefits of a data center for the community.

Gamboa has long covered the data center project in Osawatomie, Kansas — and neighbors to the project have voiced their opposition to the proposed development.

This is the first time Alcove Development has approached the public, but not the first time it has worked with the city of Osawatomie.

In late 2025, Alcove Development approached the city with the project and weeks later, a pre-development agreement was signed giving Alcove exclusive rights to the development for three years.

But city council meeting records from 2023 show, the city of Osawatomie entered into a pre-development agreement with Alcove Development to redevelop a property known as Old Swenson School.

Alcove Development had six months to asses the condition of the property and determine a course of action for redevelopment, and the overall agreement would last 18 months, according to public records.

The pre-development agreements states, Alcove would consider asking for tax breaks on the project, including utilizing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

At the time, the property had sat in disrepair since 2016, according to the records, and was frequently found in violation of city code.

If the re-development were to fall through, the city would be on the hook to purchase the property from the developer for $25,000, with unclear total costs for infrastructure improvements.

KSHB 41 will follow up on the status on this project at a later date.

Earlier this week, Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa, sat down with Donna Ingram who doesn’t live far from the data center site.

Ingram expressed her concerns about the amount of infrastructure that would be built to operate a data center, and how it might overtake the land around her home.

She expressed concerns because the City of Osawtomie changed the public comment guidelines of a promise town hall with the developer.

“Watching this process play out is disheartening,” Ingram said in an interview on Monday. “A town hall was promised that didn’t come to fruition… I don’t believe it’s the definition. This is a city council meeting. We’re the ones that are gonna live next to it. We’re the ones that live in the path of the infrastructure.”

The city told KSHB 41 on Monday in a statement, they changed the format to prioritize the voices of city taxpayers, as county taxpayers have dominated the public comment periods over the past couple of months.

Mayor Nick Hampson also told Gamboa in an earlier interview he was hoping to have a productive “town hall” — instead, the first meeting with the public and the developer of the project was during a formal and regularly scheduled city council meeting.

The city also required residents to submit questions ahead of time, and the city would filter questions to the developer, while limiting public comment to three minutes.

“We have been and will continue to hear from the residents that are in the county and closest to this project,” Hampson told KSHB 41 in an email on Monday.

Alcove Development owned Property — A former school house in Osawatomie, Kansas, owned by a company operating out of Alcove Development’s address.

Residents shared a record to KSHB 41, submitted to the city for a formal investigation into 1009 Pacific Avenue in Osawatomie, which is owned by a company operating out of Alcove Development’s address.

The dilapidated property is the a former school house, that sits with broken windows, and other parts of the building breaking down.

The Miami County Republic reporting on Thursday, the city launched an investigation into the building.

Residents cite the buildings deteriorating condition and potential danger to the public, and lack of property maintenance.

Lee Brewer issued a comment regarding the incident at Thursday night’s meeting, stating he was escorted out after the Mayor closed public comment, and he was not on the list.

Brewer told KSHB 41, he has a time -stamped email of pre-submitted questions ahead of the meeting. KSHB 41 asked Brewer to review the email, and is waiting for an answer.

I am severely disappointed in our Mayor and the city council. They told us we were required to send in an email with our questions and our address to prove we were citizens of the town by Wednesday the 24th at noon. I have my email which is timestamped at 10:26 a.m. Wednesday the 24th. They shut me down and first told me I didn’t put the email in and then once I was kicked out of there I was told by people coming out that they were told I turned in my email too late. I’m not a math teacher but last time I looked at my clock 10:26 a.m. falls just over an hour and a half before noon. I mean correct me if I’m wrong. I thought because the mayor and I were having decent conversations on Facebook Messenger, whereas I would ask him questions and he would answer to the best of his ability. And I would thank him I thought we were pretty cordial. So to basically call me a liar in front of the entire town on video recording, take away my freedom of speech My first amendment right, and have me removed from a public building was completely wrong I am very disappointed in our city council and mayor. When I approached the podium all I was trying to do was point out that resolution number 1169 in Osawatomie Kansas refers to Alcove development LLC being the owner of the old Swenson School at 1009 Pacific. As I pointed out in these earlier messages to you Alcove has left this building dilapidated in ruins and a danger to our community. Our great city council and mayor seem to have other plans for me being able to speak though.

Lee Brew, via Facebook to KSHB 41 News

KSHB 41 reached out to Alcove Development late on Thursday night, and is waiting on a response.

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