(Jan. 14, 2026) – Last night, Governor Laura Kelly delivered her final State of the State address for her second term. The governor highlighted:

• The success of collaborating with legislators: 587 bills signed, the Chiefs stadium announcement, full funding of education, the Blueprint for Literacy, reduction of the sales tax on food, elimination of state income tax on Social Security, making childcare more affordable, tax reductions for farmers, attracting new business, creating the Office of Early Childhood, achieving financial sustainability without relying on the State Highway Fund, creating the Office of Rural Prosperity and reducing crime.
• Education: The need for additional funding for education and special education, funds to move children from reduced-price lunches to free lunches and banning cellphones in K-12 classrooms
• Mental Health: A need for major investments in more facilities and more professionals
• Water: creating a dedicated funding source for the 10-year water plan

House Speaker Dan Hawkins delivered the pre-recorded response to the State of the State, noting it was also his last State of the State response. He discussed health care issues, including the need for hospital pricing transparency, and called for a bipartisan solution to end the abuse of federal programs intended to lower prescription costs in places like rural Kansas, which instead line the pockets of big corporate health systems.