(Jan. 25, 2023) – On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Governor Laura Kelly delivered the annual State of the State address after rescheduling from the original date. The speech started with the body singing Happy Birthday to Governor Kelly. The speech highlighted key accomplishments made over the last four years and emphasized future policy priority items, including:
- Taxes
- Accelerated reduction of taxes on food
- Elimination of sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products
- Create a back-to-school sales tax holiday over four days annually in August
- Income tax reduction for social security recipients earning between $75,000 and $100,000
- Education
- Fully funding schools, including special education
- Keeping higher education affordable
- Establishment of a task force to explore the creation of a cabinet-level agency dedicated to early childhood
- Workforce
- Increase funding for the Office of Registered Apprenticeship
- Infrastructure
- Must continue to fund water sustainability plans fully
- Continued investments in broadband
- Affordable housing
- Health care
- Medicaid expansion
- Legalize medical marijuana
- Mental health investments, including additional psychiatric beds in south-central Kansas and more mental health intervention teams in schools
- Guarantee mental health services for first responders
- Funding Naloxone for each school to have on hand
- Decriminalization of fentanyl test strips
The governor highlighted the bi-partisan work done over the past few years and called for continued collaboration. Senate President Ty Masterson (R-Wichita) delivered the Republican response to the governor's State of the State. Masterson spoke about the Republican "A Better Way" plan. The plan highlights:
- Reducing taxes
- Empowering parents
- Creating jobs
- Protecting liberty
The response highlighted education-school choice, the Parents Bill of Rights, and the Fairness in Women's Sports Act. In regards to health care, the response emphasized health care freedom and expanding access to affordable care through cost transparency, more competition and less government regulation over consumer choices. On the topic of energy, the platform of "all of the above" was referenced as a policy including gas, coal and nuclear sources to lower utility bills and deliver reliable heating and cooling.