Below is a non-comprehensive list of the good, the baddies and the fun that came out of the now-completed 2024 Kansas legislative session.
The Good
Child Advocate Office: A new law that sets up a state office independent of the governor directed to receive, investigate and resolve child welfare system complaints and provide oversight of the system. Said Rep. Ethan Corson: “I just want to pause and say that I think this is a very significant piece of legislation. I think we should all be proud of it.”
Good Samaritan Law: This bill provides exceptions for drug and alcohol charges for people who call emergency services when someone needs life-saving intervention from a drug overdose.
Purple Alerts: This law creates an alert system for someone over age 18 who has gone missing and/or is considered to be in danger and has an intellectual or developmental disability.
Driver’s Licenses: A new state law allows Kansas courts to restrict driver’s licenses rather than suspend them while someone with a misdemeanor traffic violation makes alternative arrangements for payment of their fines. Sen. Rick Wilborn said he was pleased to “promote solutions for Kansans caught in a loop of mistakes and bad decisions.”
The Baddies
It’s up to you to decide if you agree with these bills or not. They do reveal who the Legislature believes is a threat to us in 2024:
The six countries we really don’t like: A bill which requires the state to divest from a specific list of “countries of concern.” Under the rubric of “know thine enemy,” here they are: China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Venezuela.
Next year, it’ll be $20 million for North Dakota: The Legislature overrode the governor’s veto and allocated $15.7 million to support sending the Kansas National Guard to the Texas border to stop illegal immigrants from entering the state of Texas and, I guess, making their way up through Oklahoma and causing trouble in Kansas. No immediate action on this is expected from the governor.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: A bill that bans requiring statements about diversity, equity or inclusion as a condition of admission, financial aid or hiring at Kansas’ universities and colleges.
The Fun
We need more beer after last year’s law: Last year a law was passed allowing people to bring their dogs to beer gardens. This year, a new law allows microbreweries to distribute beer and hard cider without going through a middleman. Since we’re talking about beer, let’s keep these kinds of laws coming.
“Soccer: It’s not just for kicks!”: $28 million has been allocated to support the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said they are excited to “deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.” Since Infantino isn’t working at a Kansas university, it looks like he’ll be safe from the new DEI law.
Barbieland!: The state budget includes $200 million in economic development incentives, which could be used to bring “Mattel Adventure Park” to Wyandotte County. It would feature a Hot Wheels roller coaster, hotels and a Barbie restaurant and beach house.
If you’re from Missouri, this is of no interest to you: Now that it’s just us Kansans, the same funding mechanism used to bring Barbieland could be used to lure the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals to Kansas in this summer’s special legislative session. Stay tuned.
