KAC Interns Reflect on 2026 Legislative Session
Jessica Herrera Russell | April 10, 2026
As the 2026 Kansas Legislative session comes to a close, the four students are wrapping up their legislative internships at KAC. Throughout the session, they worked hard to monitor committees, report on floor action, and support staff on important projects.
Three of the policy interns — Abbie Clements, Brinley Enz, and Bridget Hawkins — are students at the University of Kansas. Hayden Berry is a student at Washburn University in Topeka. As they finished up their internships, each reflected on their favorite moments and experiences.
Q: Before you started this internship, what did you think working in the Kansas Legislature would be like, and what ended up surprising you the most?
Brinley: Before this internship, I did not have much knowledge of what working in the Kansas legislature actually was. I thought it was more connection-driven with fewer familial-like relationships. I was surprised by how easy it can be to create connections, as I thought there were more obstacles to getting in contact with a legislator. I was also surprised by the in-person communication KAC has done in the Legislature by distributing physical flyers with information about the organization, its goals, and positions on bills. I’ve grown up using email to get in contact with people and to spread information, and I was surprised at how the Kansas Legislature did not depend on the digital age in some aspects.
Hayden: This is my second session at the Kansas legislature. This internship built on my experience last year, where I mostly spent my time monitoring House committees. It was interesting to see how different chairs of committees handled their roles differently. I felt like some chairs truly listened to members of both parties when making their decisions. In a couple of committees, it could be easy to forget that the members were of different parties when debating legislation.
Q: What experience or moment best captures what you learned about the legislative process?
Brinley: What best captured my learned experience of the legislative process was sitting on the gallery floor waiting for the house to gavel back during conference committee week. It was then that I experienced how slow the process actually is. Looking back at that moment shows me the reality of policy work; you have to gain lots of patience for the process itself and actual legislators. I’ve learned that time is different in the Statehouse and is truly dependent on the day and the lawmakers at play.
Bridget: I learned a lot about the parts of the legislative process. I originally thought it was a simple and relatively fast process with bills moving through the House, Senate, and committees. However, I was unaware of the small parts that could drastically slow down the process. The last week of the session, during the conference committees, I finally began to understand the complicated process better. The ability for these committees to create shells and essentially shove multiple bills into one was not something I expected and was the most surprising part of it all.
Q: How did this internship challenge or change your perspective on public service, advocacy, or policymaking? What do you want others to know about the work?
Hayden: I feel like I got to see the good in politics through this internship. Everyone hears about the bad stuff, but I want people to know that politics isn’t all bad. There are lots of people who are trying to do what is right. There doesn’t always have to be corruption to get things done, and I have seen people of different backgrounds work together to accomplish things they couldn’t have done alone. I truly believe the majority of advocates and policymakers are trying to do the right thing.
Abbie: This experience showed me how impactful advocacy can be in the lawmaking process and the importance of every voice. I had previously thought that most lawmakers essentially only voted along party lines, which meant that advocates’ voices only had a small impact. Although advocacy is hard work, I learned that it pays off. Building trust with lawmakers across the ideological spectrum and ensuring they are accurately informed is important because oftentimes, they are willing to listen. It is never a waste to use your voice while important decisions are being made.
Q: What’s something you worked on or contributed to that you’re especially proud of?
Brinley: I’m most proud of working on the vote tracking project. I was tasked with identifying votes that stood out amongst the Kansas representatives and senators to identify lawmakers who could be potential advocates for the goals of KAC. Despite its tedious process, this really showed me a different reality of Kansas legislators. I used to believe that bipartisan work was not possible in the current political environment in public policy, especially in Kansas. However, I was able to see multiple legislators dissent from their party on both sides of the aisle. As I progressed through this project, I was able to recognize voting patterns of legislators in real time in the House floor gallery.
Abbie: In addition to the committee monitoring I supported throughout the session, I helped organize Early Childhood Day by designing some of the event materials and contributing to follow-up communication. I designed the lanyards that each of the advocates wore during Early Childhood Day, and it was cool seeing people wear them around the Statehouse. I was also proud of the blog post I wrote afterward, which explored the day’s themes and the importance of supporting children and their caregivers during early development. I am interested in doing communications work after I graduate, so I enjoyed the opportunity to gain hands-on experience.
Q: What was it like working with the team here?
Abbie: The team was welcoming and accommodating from the first day of my internship and made me feel like an important part of the team. Everybody was happy to answer my questions and help me learn the ins and outs of the Legislature throughout the entire process. I was constantly inspired by the KAC team’s commitment to making the lives of every Kansas kid and family better, as they went above and beyond to advocate for fair policies.
Bridget: Working with the KAC team relieved my previous nerves, as the team members were always present to answer my questions or concerns. They also provided a fun and welcoming atmosphere that improved my experience.
Q: What’s one moment from your internship that really stuck with you?
Hayden: The moments of bipartisanship. Seeing the lighthearted moments and good friendships between the parties are some of the moments that stick with me the most.
Bridget: The last week with multiple conference committees was the most exciting. I especially enjoyed attending a meeting with legislators where policy advisors Heather and Dustin discussed SB 363 with them. I knew that the KAC team was in constant communication with lawmakers, but it was interesting to see how influential they are behind the scenes and the relationships they have with certain members. It was fulfilling to realize that I understood the points being discussed in the meeting, as it meant I was beginning to better understand KAC’s stance, rather than just a general overview of the bill. Some discussions of bills took longer to understand, but it was always exciting to learn about something new. I significantly enjoyed this aspect of the internship, as almost every day I was given the chance to hear from experts on a new topic.
Abbie: During turnaround week, I was taking notes over Senate floor action, and I remember sitting next to one of the policy advisors, Heather Braum, as the Senate debated a bill that she had been working on for years. The Senate passed the bill favorably, with an unexpected positive amendment. It was amazing to see the culmination of years of her hard work pay off, and it was a reminder that good things can take time.
Q: How has this internship shaped what you want to do next
Thank you to each of the 2026 interns for their important contributions and hard work this legislative session. Your contributions have been invaluable, and we are so excited to see what the future holds for each of you!
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