Tag: Kansas Policy Institute
Democrats, up to half of House Republicans reject 3% assessment limit
A public opinion survey shows that 66% of Democratic voters want a 3% assessment limit to protect them from unaffordable…
Education bureaucracy defends lowering of proficiency standards, opposes SB 458
SB 458 would require the State Board of Education to reinstate high proficiency standards in place in 2024, and the…
Kansas Senate votes overwhelmingly to put assessment limit amendment on the ballot
The Kansas Senate voted overwhelmingly to move forward with a proposed constitutional assessment limit that would restrict taxable assessed valuation…
Replacing property tax with sales tax is a complex, multi-year task
There’s been a lot of buzz on social media lately about replacing the Kansas property tax with extra sales tax…
Kansas Association of Realtors (KAR) representative responds to Sentinel story about assessment limits
Last year, the Kansas Association of Realtors (KAR) lobbied against an assessment limit — a constitutional amendment to cap assessed…
Kansas low-income students tax credit scholarship program hits $10 million cap for the first time
For the first time in a decade, the Kansas Low Income Students Tax Credit Scholarship program reached the $10 million…
Realtors say they support assessment limit, don’t understand why their association is opposed
Last year, the Kansas Association of Realtors lobbied against an assessment limit—a constitutional amendment to cap assessed value increases. However,…
Eighth Circuit’s compelled speech decision on DEI is a win for First Amendment
In a victory for First Amendment rights, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a group of…
Wichita rushes sales tax increase to special election in March
At its most recent meeting, the Wichita City Council approved a ballot measure that would put a 1% sales tax…
Per capita county spending drives up property tax; analysis shows efficiency opportunities
Wallace County homeowner Imtiaz Stephen was shocked to open his property tax notice to see that he owes almost $12,000…
KSBRC assists USD 361 in finding new superintendent
Unified School District 361 Chaparral has a new superintendent of schools, thanks in part to assistance from the Kansas School…
Economist pleased with private-sector infrastructure investments, warns against ‘public-private partnerships’
As the Chinese Communist Party has cracked down again on the export of rare-earth minerals essential for so much of…
Kansas ACT scores, college-readiness hit new lows
ACT scores for 2025 were released this week, showing yet another decline and hitting a new all-time low. The composite…
KSDE, State Board of Education ignore state literacy law
You might think that the State Board of Education would be laser-focused on addressing the serious literacy problem in Kansas.…
Johnson County, Overland Park plan big tax increases while sitting on millions in reserves
Despite hundreds of millions of dollars in reserve, Johnson County Commissioners are planning to raise property taxes by 6.5% next…
Commerce department continues pattern of oversight failures
After multiple audits of both rounds of the “Building a Stronger Economy” (BASE) Grant program have routinely found issues with…
Audit: faulty free lunch eligibility by school officials cost taxpayers at least $38 million
Kansas, like many states, uses the number of students receiving free lunches to determine at-risk state funding for each district,…
Kansas Attorney General releases new guidance on KOMA, KORA changes
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has released new guidance on the Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA) and the Kansas Open…
Federal court strikes down warrantless search regime in Kansas
A Cowley County couple and the Kansas Justice Institute won a major victory earlier this week after a federal court…
New polling shows Prairie Village residents overwhelmingly want to vote on proposed $30 million city hall project
New polling released today shows that residents of Prairie Village, Kansas—a small, land-locked community in the Kansas City, Kansas metro…
Kansas #15 for per-student spending, #40 in NAEP outcomes
A new analysis by Kansas Policy Institute shows that the Sunflower State ranks #15 for cost-of-living-adjusted spending per student, but…
Kansas Justice Institute files amicus brief in U.S. Supreme Court over warrantless digital searches
Americans enter their personal information into websites, use it to access bank accounts, and make digital transactions daily, never realizing…
How politics derailed property tax relief in the 2025 Legislature
Republicans and Democrats began the 2025 legislative session with much swagger about passing meaningful property tax reform. However, they adjourned…
Opponents of Westwood park sale win election victory
A small park the City of Westwood, Kansas, attempted to sell to developers for an office park and retail outlets…