Legislative Update Week 3 - Misplaced Priorities

See the short video version on youtube. 

Misplaced Priorities

This week, the Kansas Legislature spent five and a half hours debating a bathroom bill targeting transgender Kansans—less than 1% of our population. Meanwhile, working families face real threats that demand legislative attention.

Federal Policy Hits Home

New analysis shows what the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill" means for Kansas:

According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), 63,000 Kansans will lose health coverage, and 15,000 are at risk of losing food assistance under expanded work requirements. Kansas will be forced to pay 5-15% of SNAP benefit costs for the first time—an unfunded mandate of $20-61 million. As many as 132,000 Kansas children will receive nothing from the Child Tax Credit increase because their parents don't earn enough, and another 14,000 children lose eligibility entirely.

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) finds the bottom 40% of Kansas families will see a net tax increase of $10 on average when combined with tariff costs—while the richest 1% of Kansans (earning over $760,600) receive an average tax cut of $57,440.

What the Legislature Could Do Instead

Raise the minimum wage—Kansas has been stuck at $7.25 since 2009. SB 218 would increase the minimum wage but has been buried in Senate Commerce since February 2025; a motion to force it out failed 9-30 last March. HB 2151 sets an explicit $15/hour target, and HB 2123 addresses tipped employee wages. All remain stalled.

Restore local control over prevailing wage (SB 297) so communities can set fair standards for public projects.

Fully fund public schools instead of advancing voucher schemes like HB 2487. The current school finance formula expires July 2027 with no replacement plan, and special education is funded at only 65% of the statutory 92% requirement.

Expand Medicaid to cover Kansans who will lose coverage under federal cuts.

Protect workers' voices—SB 314/HB 2451 would ban public employees and unions from advocating on ballot measures affecting school funding and local issues.

Also Moving Quietly

Voter ID restrictions (HB 2448, HB 2493, HCR 5021) would make it harder for working people to vote.

Mid-decade redistricting: Attempts to redraw congressional maps to gerrymander Kansas's 3rd District are not dead. We are monitoring for efforts to revive this.

The Bottom Line

Culture war distractions don't raise wages, fix healthcare, or fund schools. They keep us divided while the wealthy walk away with massive tax cuts.

Take Action: Text WORK to 785-329-9637

Sources: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Harmful Republican Megabill Fails Kansas Families" (Aug. 2025); Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, "Analysis of Tax Provisions in the Trump Megabill" (July 2025)