Kansas
‘We can start getting work done:’ Kansas swears in 165 lawmakers for 2025 session
5 issues to look for in the 2025 Kansas legislative session
See what five key issues will be facing Kansas in the 2025 legislative session.
Kansas lawmakers returned to a snowy capital city on Monday for the start of the 2025 legislative session.
In a largely ceremonial first day at the Statehouse, the 125 representatives in the House and 40 senators in the Senate were sworn in.
“Today marks the first day of the 2025 legislative session,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in a tweet. “I look forward to collaborating with the legislature this year to make progress and continue moving Kansas forward.”
In the House, which had a full gallery of public onlookers, Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert administered the oath of office in groups of 10. Legislators raised their right hands as they swore to support the constitutions of the United States and of Kansas, and to “faithfully discharge the duties” of their office.
In the Senate, which also had a full gallery, Justice Dan Biles swore in 40 senators in groups of five.
Shawnee County delegation has 12 lawmakers
Shawnee County is in eight House districts and four Senate districts.
In the House, the local Republicans are Reps. Kyle McNorton, Jesse Borjon and Ken Corbet. The local Democrats are Reps. Kirk Haskins, Tobias Schlingensiepen, Virgil Weigel, John Alcala and Alexis Simmons. Simmons is the only freshman lawmaker, as all the rest were reelected in 2024.
In the Senate, the local lawmakers are Sens. Rick Kloos, R-Berryton; Kenny Titus, R-Manhattan; Brenda Dietrich, R-Topeka; and Patrick Schmidt, D-Topeka. Schmidt is a freshman lawmaker, while Titus is new to the Senate after previously serving in the House.
After being sworn in, Schmidt told The Capital-Journal there’s work to be done on public housing issues in Shawnee County.
Kloos told The Capital-Journal said lawmakers will “work overtime” to accomplish property tax relief. Titus also suggested property tax cuts will be the first priority.
“There’s a pretty strong message this election campaign that people are hurting in their wallets and that’s why so many Republicans got elected,” he said. “I think we start with that, and if we can get a good bill across the line and help people out then I think there’s a lot of other things we can turn to but it’s helping people in their wallet first and foremost.”
Simmons said that she is “inspired and wholly committed to making sure that my constituents know what’s happening here,” and offered to “be a messenger as their representative” for people who would like to provide input but don’t want to share it directly.
Borjon said it is an honor to serve.
“This is my third term, and basically today is all about getting us organized so we can start getting work done for our constituents and for the great state of Kansas,” he said. “So I’m glad to be back.”
“It’s exciting when we start, always seems like a new opportunity,” Haskins said. “I feel that we are pretty organized as far as our caucus, and looking forward to seeing what lies ahead.”
McNorton said he is excited for the year and “doing some good things” for his North Topeka district and the entire state. He said he thinks Republicans and Democrats both “have good leadership” and thinks “we’ll work together and do what’s good for everybody.”
McNorton, who also serves on the Seaman USD 345 school board, will serve on two education committees in the House.
“Being on both those committees, I’m really honored to be on them and hopefully do some good things for our kids so they can improve and be the best — each one of them can be the best — that they can be,” he said.
What Republican leaders said
Lawmakers also made official the results of legislative leadership elections last month.
“The trust that you all have placed in me to serve as House speaker for another two years is a responsibility that I do not take lightly, and I accept this responsibility with a profound sense of duty to each of you, to this institution and to the people of this great state,” said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita. “We accomplished much in the last two years, and I’m even more excited about what lies ahead for the next two years: a better way for the people of Kansas.”
Hawkins said he hopes for civility following “an especially heated election cycle.”
“It is easy to focus on what divides us, but our strength lies in finding common ground,” he said. “The challenges we face and the people we serve demand that we rise above partisanship and work together for the good of all Kansans.”
Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, also gave a message of civility.
“I congratulate you on winning your election but you’re about to have to shift gears,” Masterson said. “We go out and do things in elections, put out a message and you get elected, it’s a different operation inside this chamber. Now we need to harmonize to the best of our ability.”
He stipulated, though, that harmony doesn’t mean the Legislature won’t tackle divisive and emotionally charged subjects.
“There will be tears, there will be emotion, we’ll get angry at times but I’m telling you take a step back take a breath you may need that very person on the next round, and it’s really something we’re losing in general society is that ability to have a very difficult conversation on a very complicated subject and still love the person on the other side of the argument,” Masterson said.
What Democrat leaders said
House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, said he looks forward to working with Republican leadership. He urged new lawmakers to soak in the feeling of the first day.
“When the days of our public service feel tough — and I promise you that there will be very tough days ahead — please remember how you feel right now,” Woodard said. “That feeling, the ability to be present and soak up every moment, each lesson and experience in this job, will get you through even the fiercest debates in this chamber.”
Addressing his fellow Democrats, Woodard said that “we have an uphill battle before us.”
“We have a responsibility to offer a different perspective, an outside voice and to stand up for our morals and our ideals,” he said. “And at the same time, I would challenge each of you to approach working with Republicans in our chamber to identify solutions for the people of Kansas.”
Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, also congratulated new members, but veered into policy topics. She called for fully funding special education, to avoid “culture war” issues and for policies that prioritize working families.
“We face challenges, while we work hard, often that work benefits shareholders and corporations leaving workers and their families behind,” Sykes said. “Senate Democrats support policies that generate good jobs, that provide wages that allow families to get ahead, and I look forward to collaborating on policies that reward workers and help them put food on the table and care for their families.”
Reporters will have less floor access in Kansas Legislature
News reporters in the Statehouse press corps will have less access to the chamber floors in the 2025 session.
House leadership no longer allows reporters on the floor during session except to take photos and videos from the back and sides of the chamber. Reporters previously had access to a desk at the front of the floor.
Staff indicated the move was to clear up congested space at the front of the chamber, and the media desk is now referred to as a staff desk.
Senate leadership made a similar move in recent years. Reporters previously had access to a desk in the back of the chamber, but now are generally only allowed on the floor for photos and videos while otherwise being restricted to the gallery.
Kansas
Where to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 19
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
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The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Friday as the St. Louis Cardinals visit the Kansas City Royals.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals?
First pitch between the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals is scheduled for (ET) on Friday, June 19.
How to watch St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals on Friday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Friday, June 19, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
- Matchup: STL at KC
- Date: Friday, June 19
- Time: (ET)
- Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
- Location: Kansas City, Missouri
- TV: Apple TV
- Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 19 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
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