2024 Statehouse Insider
Week One
Jan. 08 – Jan. 12, 2024
The 2024 Kansas legislative session began on January 8, and we were honored to be at the capitol throughout the week to greet new members and welcome back returning legislators on your behalf. This year marks the second year of our legislative biennium, meaning all bills introduced in 2023 will still be alive and actionable, in addition to any new bills introduced this year.
Week Two
Jan. 15 – Jan. 19, 2024
This week, while many new bills were being introduced, the Kansas legislature’s main focus was on assembling a tax bill to send to Governor Laura Kelly. On Thursday, lawmakers passed Conference Committee Report on House Bill 2284which includes a single (5.25 percent) income tax rate on individuals, an increase to the standard deduction, residential property tax relief and a 0 percent sales tax rate on food beginning in April of this year.
Week Three
Jan. 22 – Jan. 26, 2024
This week, the Kansas legislature sent its tax bill, House Bill 2284, to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration, who on Friday afternoon, vetoed the legislation. The bill proposed a single income tax rate at 5.25 percent (rather than the current two rates), along with exemptions on the first $6,150.00 in income for individuals and $12,300.00 for couples. Additionally, it would have increased the standard deduction, provided residential property tax relief, and created a 0 percent sales tax rate on food beginning in April. The bill would have cost the state $1.6 billion in lost revenues over the first three years.
Week Four
Jan. 29 – Feb. 02, 2024
Following Governor Laura Kelly’s swift veto of the Republican tax bill, House Bill 2284, legislative leadership worked this week to whip together sufficient votes for an override effort which will require a 2/3 supermajority vote in both the House and the Senate. The bill includes many provisions, but the key element distinguishing the bill from Governor Kelly’s tax plan is the inclusion of a single rate income tax at 5.25 percent (currently two rates exist). This provision was the cause of the governor’s veto. The bill would cost the state $1.6 billion in lost revenues over the first three years. An override vote is likely to be taken up by the House on Tuesday, February 6.
Week Five
Feb. 05 – Feb. 09, 2024
The Republican-majority legislature failed, this week, to take up an override vote on Governor Kelly’s veto of the tax bill, House Bill 2284. That vote is expected to come early next week. Whether, or in what form, tax relief is passed this year is still an unanswered question. This week, committees continued hearings on unemployment insurance legislation, workers compensation max benefits, various tax bills, and other issues. One issue gaining momentum in Kansas, and other states, is the issue of limiting foreign investment in real property in the state. A handful of bills have been introduced that could potentially affect a wide swath of Kansas industry and commerce.
Week Six
Feb. 12 – Feb. 16, 2024
The Legislature, again this week, failed to take up an override vote on Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of the tax bill House Bill 2284. That vote to override will need to come by the end of next week or the governor’s veto of the bill will be sustained. Committees this week approved and advanced bills before multiple days of floor debate begin next week as we near the legislative ‘turnaround’. In both chambers, various bills have now been introduced that would limit foreign investment in real property in the state. As the issue has broad support in the legislature, stakeholder groups continue to meet to discuss the measures.
Week Seven
Feb. 19 – Feb. 23, 2024
In a flurry of floor debate on Wednesday and Thursday of Turnaround week, the House and Senate voted on dozens of bills. In addition, the legislature finally attempted an override this week of Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of House Bill 2284, the legislature’s tax bill that includes a single-rate personal income tax. The House failed, by three votes, to override the veto. While the House can take another attempt at the override, through a motion to reconsider, the veto is likely to be sustained. Should this occur, the legislature will need to determine its next steps on assembling and passing tax relief this year. Legislators will want to be able to stump on having provided tax relief when campaigning for re-election this summer.
Week Eight
Feb. 26 – March 01, 2024
Following Turnaround Week in the Kansas legislature, the second half of the legislative session began with a slow start. Last week, the Republican tax cut plandied when Governor Laura Kelly vetoed it and the House failed to override the veto. In similar fashion, the governor’s tax cut proposal is effectively dead, as the Senate gutted its version of the bill and House Republicans redirected the House version to a committee that never meets.
Week Nine
March 04 – March 08, 2024
During the ninth week of the 2024 legislative session, Senate Republicans introduced a new comprehensive tax bill and have already set it for hearing next week. Likewise, House leadership is discussing another attempt at comprehensive tax legislation, and it looks like they might use Governor Laura Kelly’s tax bill as the vehicle. The extent of any such tax package is likely to be scaled back a bit as this week it was announced that the state had missed its revenue projections for the fifth consecutive month.
Week 10
March 11 – March 15, 2024
This week, the Kansas Senate debated and passed, on a vote of 24-15, a $25 billion budget bill for the upcoming fiscal year. Notably, both the House and Senate budget bills would provide about $80 million to increase Medicaid outpatient reimbursement rates.
Week 11
March 18 – March 22, 2024
The 2024 Kansas legislative session is quickly winding down. Friday, March 22 is the last day for most committees to meet and consider bills this session. On Monday, March 25, the House and Senate will begin marathon sessions of floor debate on various bills, punctuated with joint conference committees between the chambers to discuss final language on specific bills. As this year is the second year of our state’s two-year legislative biennium, any bill which does not become law this year will no longer be a live bill.
Week 12
March 25 – March 29, 2024
With Friday, March 28 being the last day for activity on most bills, the 2024 Kansas legislature has only one week of regular session remaining. The Legislature is in recess over the Easter weekend and will reconvene on Monday, April 1 for one final week of action. After-which, the Legislature will break until April 29 when they will reconvene to consider any bills vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly. Leadership in both the House and Senate have stated their intention for final adjournment on April 30.
First Adjournment
April 01 – April 05, 2024
The legislature worked late into the night on Friday, April 5, adjourning around 3:15 a.m., on Saturday morning to wrap up the regular legislative session for 2024. A few items, however, were referred to conference committee where additional action may be taken when legislators return on April 29 for a brief, “Veto Session,” – a time when legislators generally consider taking action to override bills vetoed by the governor.
Sine Die Adjournment
April 26, – May 01, 2024
On Friday, April 26, 2024, the Kansas legislature gaveled back in to begin its brief, “Veto Session,” where the legislature can attempt to override vetoes by the governor. Lawmakers worked Monday and Tuesday of this week before adjourning sine die around 12:30 a.m., on Wednesday morning, officially concluding the regular 2024 legislative session. As this is the second year of the legislative biennium, any bill that was not passed is no longer a live bill.
Post Session Update
May 17, 2024
Before adjourning the 2024 Kansas legislative session earlier this month, the legislature sent Governor Laura Kelly a comprehensive tax relief bill and an omnibus budget bill. Yesterday, as was predicted, Governor Kelly announced her veto of the tax bill and multiple line-item vetoes in the budget bill. The Governor also announced she intends to call the legislature back in for a, “Special Session,” – likely following the Memorial Day weekend – to seek passage of a new tax package. Because the 2024 legislative session has adjourned, no bills would carry over from the regular 2024 session into the Special Session. In addition, any bill passed by the legislature during the Special Session can be vetoed by Governor Kelly and the legislature would not have an opportunity to override the veto.
Special Session
June 18, 2024
On June 18, in response to an action by Governor Laura Kelly, the Kansas legislature convened a one-day Special Session where two matters were debated. The first was a comprehensive tax relief bill. The second item was approval of a Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonding package intended to incentivize the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals sports franchises to come to Kansas City, Kan. Both bills were passed, and the governor has indicated she will sign the bills into law.