KCC legislative newsletter - Feb 8
Greetings loyal reader. I hope you are enjoying this Sunday with friends and family. If that means the Super Bowl, so be it. We'll miss the Chiefs this year. I invite you to watch an alternative to the scheduled halftime show, or simply turn off the TV!
Now, onto the political news of the week.
A few Kansas Statehouse observers thought 2026 might be a quick and sleepy session. It is, after all, an election year. Candidates for the Kansas House (every House seat statewide will be on the ballot) are prohibited by law from raising campaign funds when the Legislature is in session. And it's hard to knock on constituent doors and hit the campaign trail from Topeka.
The possibility of a quick conclusion still exists, but the 2026 Session has been anything but sleepy. Committees from both the House and Senate are bulldozing ahead with hearings on a wide variety of bills, including many that the Kansas Catholic Conference watches closely which we'll tell you about below.
You may be surprised to learn that the first bill to become law this year includes a key provision supported by the KCC. HB 2347 is crime-related legislation, part of which will reclassify and upgrade the crime of “buying sexual relations” from a misdemeanor to a severity level 9 felony on the first offense. This is part of a KCC policy effort addressing the insidious scourge of human trafficking that plagues Kansas. Our Kansas Catholic Conference Testimony was submitted over a year ago, last January 29, 2025. Sometimes, patience is indeed a needed virtue. This was one of those times.
It's another busy week ahead for legislators. But first, a quick review of the past week.
EMPOWERING PARENTS AS FIRST EDUCATORS
The Catholic Church has long held that parents should be the first and best educators of their child. That doesn't mean every Catholic parent should be homeschooling. But it DOES mean that we should do everything possible to give parents the options and tools they need to make the best decision possible to address the unique needs of their child that only they know best. Those options and tools can and should be exercised wherever the child is educated—a public school, a Catholic school, a private school or in other educational settings.
That's why we are so excited that legislation known as the Low Income Kansas Family Scholarship Act, or HB 2468, took a significant step forward and passed favorably out of the House Education Committee last Monday.
This legislation has two main parts:
Part 1 will “opt Kansas in” to a new program that offers a 100% federal tax credit to taxpayers who donate up to $1700 to a qualified Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). That SGO can then use those dollars to help both public and private school students with education expenses like tuition (where applicable), tutoring, books, school supplies, technology, music lessons, and even specialized needs for special education students.
Part 2 strengthens the current low-income tax credit scholarship program and raises the state scholarship tax credit cap from $10 million to $20 million. This change will allow low-income students at qualified non-public schools greater access to critical scholarships. Most of these scholarships are awarded to Kansas families and students from minority households who use them to help attend a Catholic school or another non-public school that best meets their child’s unique educational needs.
HERE'S HOW YOU CAN HELP
Please reach out to your State Senator and State Representative, asking them to support the Low Income Kansas Family Scholarship Act. We're making it easy. Just click on the link below and fill in your information. A message will be sent directly and automatically to your elected official in Topeka.
Scholarships for Low Income Kansas Kids
FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR ALL STUDENTS
One of the core tenets of the Kansas Catholic Conference in the policy arena is Religious Freedom, including the right to free speech, guaranteed in the United States Constitution. This right has come under fire in certain circles for high school and college student groups seeking the right and protection to establish clubs in school. The Senate Education Committee held a hearing on SB 419 and SB 421 this past Wednesday with hopes that legislation will be passed so students can, for example, establish a Prolife club and not receive a backlash from administrators. The Kansas Catholic Conference supports this legislation. You can read our testimony here: SB 419 - Kirk and Speak.SB 421 - Kirk and Speak
A RATIONAL STEP FORWARD FOR KANSAS MIGRANTS
It's no secret the immigration issue in the United States is white-hot with emotion, and there are no easy answers in sight. We want secure borders, but a just and humane solution for those here in the United States who are not criminals and legally seek the American dream.
Decades in the making, one group of migrants who are seemingly caught in this complicated Catch-22 crisis are called DREAMERS. These are typically young children who came to the United States with their parents or someone else and are classified as undocumented. In most instances, they had no control over entering the United States illegally. The total number of Dreamers in the country is difficult to determine, but most estimates exceed three million people. For the vast majority of Dreamers, the United States is the only country they’ve ever known and the one they consider home. Many live, work and pay taxes in Kansas. They want to stay here, and they seek a path to legal status and even citizenship.
Since 2004, Kansas law has allowed undocumented students to access discounted, in-state tuition rates at state schools like state universities and community colleges. Two weeks ago, in a razor-thin vote, the Kansas Senate passed a measure to eliminate this benefit.
The Kansas Catholic Conference opposed that measure, and supported an amendment to the bill that would preserve in-state tuition for DREAMERS. This past week, we had another chance to have our voices heard. This time our viewpoint prevailed.
We ask you to take time and read our statement which was referenced in the debate on the House floor. This is a small but important step toward helping find a just solution to the immigration issue. Here is the link to our statement: Kansas Catholic Conference Statement on in-state tuition for undocumented young people
CELL PHONE BILL BAN IN SCHOOL HEATS UP
Multiple studies and common sense tell us that it is NOT good to have cell phones in Kansas schools. There is general agreement on this point. Disagreements arise over whether the state should mandate a cell phone ban, if local school districts should have "local control," or if any such law should extend beyond public schools to any accredited school—including Catholic schools.
The Kansas Catholic Bishops recently discussed this issue at length and our position is in favor of a full ban on cell phones in schools—yes—even Catholic schools. We invite you to read our policy position on HB 2421 (identical to SB 302), Read it here: KCC testimony supporting HB 2421
JUST FYI---THIS STUFF REALLY HAPPENS AT THE STATE CAPITOL
We hesitate to show you this, but we feel it is important for you to know what sometimes happens at the State Capitol. This "protest" was organized after the legislature passed measures the previous week ensuring privacy in Kansas government buildings, including schools. we were not there, but our sources tell us there was not much of a response.
Monday, February 9
The House Education Committee will work HB 2421 — the cell phone ban during school hours. This committee session will determine if there are enough votes for the measure to advance to the full debate on the House floor.
Tuesday, February 10
There is an important hearing set in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee on HB 2635. Known as the CARE Act, this legislation would offer protection from harassment for Pregnancy Resource Centers in Kansas.
Thursday, February 12
TWO BILLS TO HELP WOMEN IN DIFFICULT PREGNANCIES
There will be a hearing in the House Federal and State Affairs Committee on HB 2727, and on HB 2729. More on these bills in future newsletters.
ASH WEDNESDAY IS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18
ASHES AT NOON MASS--ASSUMPTION MATER DEI--RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, NORTH OF THE STATEHOUSE
We pray daily for our country and the State of Kansas. It is easy to "give in" to despair. But as Catholic Christians, we know that the victory has been won. We seek, step-by-step, day-by-day, to make our culture a better place to live for ourselves and our children.
The Kansas Legislature's work is important—but not more important than the small things we can do each day to make the lives of others better.
Pray for your elected officials.
Until next time, we persevere!
Chuck Weber
Kansas Catholic Conference