31 January 2025 | Early Learning Education Economic Security Health Tax and Budget

2025 Statehouse Snapshot: Week 3

Photo: On Kansas Day, the Kansas Suffragist Mural was unveiled. This mural serves as a reminder of the rights brave people have had to tirelessly advocate for across the years, decades, and centuries. 

Kansas Action for Children | January 31, 2025

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The Power of the Purse

Very few people living in the United States were left untouched by federal orders this week. Between immigration actions, the federal payments freeze, and a federal employee buyout offer, the impact of these devastating and abrupt actions was instantly felt by most at some level. While we typically focus on state legislative updates in this newsletter, we must broaden the conversation, especially as these federal impacts are showing up in the Statehouse.  

The federal payments freeze created instant panic as the effects became very real for state agencies and partner organizations unable to access federal funding portals, like Medicaid. Expected payments were temporarily unavailable, and only because of the federal judge’s pause on the directions were operations able to revert back to a temporary availability. The back and forth of orders, recissions, and social media announcements continue to cause confusion and uncertainty.  

But with the executive branch still seeking to implement its plan to freeze federal funding payments, Americans are still at risk. 

We’re closely watching federal actions, especially on programs like Medicaid, which has been threatened with a $2.3 trillion federal cut. Medicaid is a lifeline for millions in the United States, from newborns to the elderly. Other areas of the federal budget like education, food assistance, child care funding, and tax credits are also on the short-list for some of the first federal funding cuts. The impact will be broad and deep if and when these become reality. We encourage you to reach out to your Congresspeople and state lawmakers to share what these programs mean to you and your loved ones.  

We all want federal and state tax dollars to be used effectively and as efficiently as possible. Yet the proposed spending cuts are short-sighted and disingenuous. False budget crises are created because of choices the federal government and Kansas Legislature have made to prioritize other revenue decreases or spending. Little hesitation is shown to fund priorities like tax cuts for large, profitable businesses but funding for struggling families is often the first to go. We’re seeing this story repeat itself this year, and we’re working diligently to remind lawmakers that funding focused on children and parents is one of the best investments they can make. 


Kansas Follows Federal Government’s Lead in Paring Down Budgets

The intent of Kansas lawmakers to significantly reduce the state budget becomes clearer each week the legislative session continues. The largest budgets we follow — the Kansas Department for Children and Families, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and Kansas State Department of Education — are entering into their first phase of recommendations by budget subcommittees this week and next.

With many funding allocations being stripped and not included in the House’s base budget bill (HB 2007), we have been working diligently to call attention to budget priorities. Because of the timing of today’s newsletter with committee meetings, we don’t have the first results of the budget subcommittees to report on, but here’s what we’ve asked lawmakers to prioritize in each area:

  • Department for Children and Families 

    • Maintain the small amount of state funding needed to keep Kansas in the Summer EBT program ($925,000 to draw down $65 million in direct benefits for kids and families to stave off summer hunger) 

    • Continue the funding commitment in the Child Care and Development Fund to draw down all federal matching dollars 

    • Strengthen the Children’s Initiatives Fund by transferring back the newly added line item for the workforce registry and other child care services to State General Fund

  • Kansas State Department of Education 

    • Cover the cost of the reduced-price lunch fee for roughly 36,000 children at a cost of $5.5 million  

    • Add at least $75 million more for special education so the Legislature gets closer to fully funding the excess costs of special education 

    • Improve the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) by funding the cost of reimbursing child care providers at the Tier 1 level ($2.9 million) 

    • Continue the Child Care Accelerator Grant Program with an additional $10 million to fund the unmet needs of child care infrastructure across the state

  • Kansas Department of Health and Environment 

    • Continue adding in the CHIP eligibility fix (keeps eligibility at 250% of the federal poverty level, instead of 250% of the 2008 federal poverty level) 

    • Continue temporarily increasing the budget funding cap on the newborn screening program and addressing the local health department funding formula  

    • Support Medicaid reimbursement rate increases requested by partners Oral Health Kansas (dental providers) and Kansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (child sick visits) 

    • Strengthen the Children’s Initiatives Fund by transferring back the newly added line item for child care health and safety grants to the State General Fund

Advocates and stakeholders must be strategic and clear about their funding requests and make a strong case for any funding additions or continuance. Very few new requests are likely to be included, and instead, it’s likely most agencies will see a decrease in their state funding. As the budget process progresses, we will continue elevating the needs of families where we can.


Millions in Tax Cuts Proposed by Both Chambers 

While insisting on the need to cut the state budget (particularly in areas that desperately need investment), lawmakers in both chambers are entertaining very expensive tax cuts. HB 2011, which would reduce the statewide school finance mill levy from 20 to 18.5 mills, cap future revenue, and raise the residential exemption from this levy from $75,000 to $100,000, was sent on to the full House for consideration. Taken together, the measures in this bill would cost the state approximately $900 million across five years, with much of the benefit going toward the highest-income Kansans   

And the Senate Education Committee had a hearing on SB 75, which would allow for a refundable tax credit to taxpayers who pay tuition at private schools (accredited and unaccredited). In its first year, this bill would cost $125 million but would be substantially more expensive in subsequent years because of a provision that triggers a 25% increase in the total amount of available funds when more than 90% of the credit is claimed. Because current private school enrollment is sufficient to meet this threshold multiple times (demonstrating that those who would use the credit can already afford a non-public education), this bill could cost the state well over $200 million per year by tax year 2028. 


Barrage of Restrictions on Economic Security Programs Introduced

Lawmakers returned to the Statehouse this year vowing to find ways to relieve the financial burden on Kansas families. We were hopeful to work with lawmakers this session to bring down housing costs and strengthen the social safety net, but we are seeing the opposite occur.  

Unfortunately, the Legislature’s inclination to restrict family support programs continues. Next week, several committees will hold hearing hearings on bills that will lock even more Kansans out of food assistance, child care, and targeted relief programs.  

For instance, the House Commerce Committee will hear HB 2119 next week, which seeks to eliminate Kansas’ only recent investment toward meaningfully addressing the housing affordability crisis. Building affordable housing units across Kansas is essential for our state’s future. If this program is discontinued by the Legislature, our state will fall behind other states who are improving their housing stock.  

The trend we are seeing this session, coupled with the threats coming from the federal level, is very troubling and will only serve to worsen conditions in Kansas, where 1 in 5 kids are already struggling with food insecurity. 


What to Expect in Week 4

With multiple bills introduced in the past few weeks touching all of our issue areas, KAC will be providing testimony in several committees next week.

  • On Tuesday: 

    • We will submit testimony in opposition to SB 79 and HB 2015, identical bills requiring the Secretary for Children and Families to request a waiver allowing the state to prohibit SNAP benefits be used for “soda” and “candy,” as defined by the state.  

    • We will provide a presentation to the House Committee on Health and Human Services about children’s health.

  • On Wednesday: 

    • We will testify in opposition to SB 19, which would create a conscientious objection right to refuse vaccines and other medical care and eliminates several laws related to public health quarantines, in Senate Health. 

      More information can be found in an action alert from our partner, the Immunize Kansas Coalition.

    • We will testify in support of HB 2132, which would redefine “neglect” to not include a lack of financial resources for the purposes of child welfare, in the House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care.

  • On Thursday:

    • We will submit testimony in opposition to HB 2101, regarding prohibiting any municipalities from implementing a guaranteed income program, in the House Committee on Welfare Reform. 

    • We will submit testimony in support of HB 2074, which would reinstate renters as eligible to receive the Homestead Property Tax Credit. 

Bill hearings and votes will be moving quickly in the coming weeks, providing little opportunity for Kansans to contact lawmakers and have their voices heard. Get day-to-day updates on what bills KAC is monitoring during the 2025 Session here. 

Next Tuesday, our partner, the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, will hold their annual “Love Thy Neighbor Day” in support of accessible health care for all Kansans. There’s still time to RSVP here. And on Wednesday, we will be hosting Early Childhood Advocacy Day in the Capitol! All registration spots have been filled, so we are anticipating a great day celebrating and educating about children’s earliest years.