From The Newsroom: The Topeka Capital-Journal

March Madness is upon us, and not just the basketball kind. A Republican rebellion against House leadership brought the chamber to a halt at a busy time of the legislative session. Meanwhile, the bipartisan ban on student cell phones in schools was signed into law.

With two weeks left in the regular legislative session, Kansas lawmakers have little time to fulfill their campaign promises of property tax relief. Meanwhile, they're also facing significant deficits and are struggling to cut spending enough to balance the budget.

It's been a busy first half of the Kansas legislative session, and even more busy when the Chillin' team also has to cover some happenings outside the Legislature. Then add in some technical difficulties that we hope have been straightened out. Regardless, we're back and ready to talk about the biggest legislative accomplishment so far this year: an anti-transgender bathroom bill that also bans gender marker changes for state identification.

Has it been two weeks or two months? The Kansas 2026 legislative session is off to a fast and busy start. The Chillin' team brings you an update on the first two weeks and says a farewell to Jack, who is leaving to cover Missouri government and politics.

With lawmakers returning to the capital city, it was a busy week at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. The Chillin' team recaps the first week of the 2026 legislative session, including Gov. Laura Kelly's last State of the State address, Kansas Supreme Court oral arguments and more.

The Chillin' team is back, just in time for lawmakers to return to the capital city. The Kansas Legislature's 2026 session starts Jan. 12, and we've got a preview of the biggest items to watch. Also, we've got a recap of the state's subsidy deal for the Kansas City Chiefs to move from Missouri to Kansas.

The Kansas City Chiefs won't make the NFL playoffs this year, but the football team could make a big decision about the future of its stadium. The Chiefs are expected to propose a deal to a group of top Kansas lawmakers for taxpayer subsidies to help build a new stadium on the Kansas side of the metro. The Royals are not expected to have a proposal.

Just in time for your Thanksgiving road trip, the Chillin' in the Statehouse team has another episode. We talk about about Gov. Laura Kelly's lawsuit against Attorney General Kris Kobach, Kobach's charges alleging noncitizen illegal voting, a child care grant by the Kelly administration, and Kansas turkey hunting records.

Republicans in the Kansas Legislature failed to get enough petitions to call a redistricting special session in November. That means the debate over gerrymandering the congressional maps will have to wait until January — as will potentially amending Senate Bill 180 to make it explicitly ban gender marker changes on driver's licenses. When lawmakers do return to Topeka, they won't be staring down a looming budget hole, as was previously forecasted.

The Chillin' in the Statehouse crew is back with another episode on gerrymandering and food stamps. While Senate Republicans have the signatures to call a redistricting special session, House Republicans are not yet there. Meanwhile, it's looking like the federal government shutdown will mean no November SNAP benefits, or at least delayed or partial payments.

The Chillin' in the Statehouse team is back with another episode featuring one Snap lawsuit, another SNAP lawsuit, and the latest developments in gerrymandered redistricting efforts in Kansas.

Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing Gov. Laura Kelly, setting up another legal battle featuring Kobach versus Kelly. This time, it's over SNAP data demanded by the USDA. The Chillin' team breaks it down ahead of a likely court hearing this coming week. We also have news on the Republican rebrand for the One Big Beautiful Bill.

With K-State and KU playing on Saturday, it's the start to football season. It's also political football season. The Chillin' team has several issues teed up, from gerrymandered redistricting and education cut scores to SNAP data plus candy definitions and DOGE cuts — and even a little Taylor Swift.

The Aug. 4, 2026, primary election is still a year away, but several candidates have already announced campaigns for statewide office in Kansas. Some races have a large field of candidates, especially in the Republican primary for governor. Others have yet to see a candidate filing, like Democratic primaries for treasurer and insurance commissioner.

After a short hiatus due to scheduling conflicts and technical difficulties, the Chillin' in the Statehouse team is back together to start the new fiscal year — just in time for your Fourth of July road trip. While we focus on the animal stories we've been itching to share and some recent green energy political ads, we also acknowledge new Kansas laws going into effect, the One Big Beautiful Bill advancing in Congress, and some developments on the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals stadium subsidy debate.

Even with the Legislature adjourned, it's been a busy month of May in the Statehouse — and especially in courthouses. The Chillin' team has an update on legal affairs from a multitude of cases, as well as a story we've been itching to share about screwworms.

Chillin' in the Statehouse is back to talk about revenue estimates, government spending, a looming budget hole, and what lawmakers did about tax cut promises.

In August 2026, Kansas voters will decide whether to amend the state Constitution on how Supreme Court justices are selected. If the Republican-backed amendment is approved, justices will be directly elected, like in Wisconsin where a high-profile election brought big spending with contributions from billionaires like Elon Musk and George Soros.

March was a busy month at the Kansas Statehouse, and while a lot happened, what ate up much of the attention was a planned black mass by Satanists and a counter-rally by Christians. Here's what went down.

Chillin' in the Statehouse takes a break from our regularly scheduled chill to bring you the stories of three not-so-chill moments in Kansas politics. From an outburst on the House floor that shut down the chamber, to a Senate committee abruptly ending when a speaker tried to go past the time limit, to a U.S. senator being booed as he walked out of a contentious town hall, we break down the events that made the news and their underlying policy issues.