TOPEKA, Kansas — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly in her State of State address on Tuesday night warned the Republican-controlled Legislature that she would oppose “irresponsible tax proposals” and education measures that pit “parents against teachers,” even as the Democratic governor seeks GOP support for her agenda.
Kelly has called for immediately eliminating the state sales tax on food, creating a back-to-school sales tax holiday and providing a tax break for some retirees. Kelly also wants Kansas to fully fund special education after the state has gone more than a decade without meeting mandatory funding levels.
The governor, in the first weeks of her second term, emphasized that she wants to work across the aisle, including the possibility of compromise to legalize medical marijuana in Kansas, one of just three states without any public marijuana or THC program. She also made clear that action must be taken to address diminishing water supplies in western Kansas, saying politicians had “kicked the can down the road” for decades.
