Happy Kansas Day! On Thursday, January 29, the state celebrated its 165th birthday with cake, songs, and stories. Governor Laura Kelly, Patrick Zollner, ED of the Kansas State Historical Society, and Academy Award-winning American film director and screenwriter Kevin Willmott, a Kansas native, spoke to an excited crowd in the rotunda.

The second week of the session means we’re 10% of the way through, and deadlines are looming. The budget subcommittees in the House and Senate are working quickly to have a final budget ready for each chamber to begin negotiations by the end of next week.

Legislators, lobbyists, and advocates returned to Topeka on Monday, January 12, for the opening of the legislative session. There were a few new faces sworn in, but the Legislature quickly got to work on budgets and bills.