KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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Voters in Kansas and Missouri once again elected mostly Republican lawmakers to their general assemblies. This should allow both states to move forward laws tied to conservative platforms.
State governments fund public education, can cut property and income taxes, and make several other decisions that often have a greater impact on people than federal policy.
State lawmakers are more accessible to citizens than elected leaders in Washington, D.C.
Kansas election results show Republicans expanded their supermajority in the state Senate and House of Representatives. That supermajority allows Republican lawmakers to override a veto from Governor Laura Kelly, who is a Democrat. She was reelected in 2022.
The results from Missouri show voters maintained a supermajority in both state chambers. Missouri voters elected a Republican governor, so having a supermajority is less important than in Kansas.
Democrat Dan Osman is a Kansas state representative from Overland Park. He said a supermajority limits compromise and ultimately hurts citizens.
“We don’t have the ability to communicate and compromise and to work through what is a good piece of legislation for everybody,” Osman said.
In 2023, the supermajority overrode Kelly’s veto to pass a law prohibiting transgender girls and women from competing in women’s sports.
Osman thinks the supermajority will most likely squash any attempts to legalize medical marijuana in Kansas or expand Medicaid.
Both parties can work together. During a special legislative session this year, the governor and legislators agreed to tax reform measures and passed an incentive package to lure the Chiefs to relocate to Kansas.
“We knew Republicans were going to win wide margins in Missouri,” said Zeke Spieker.
He’s worked on campaigns for several state senators - including members of the Freedom Caucus.
The caucus is a group of Missouri state senators who adhere to strong conservative values. Their positions sometimes are at odds with more traditional Republicans. In 2024, the group disrupted senate proceedings to push its agenda.
Spieker doesn’t expect the Freedom Caucus to hold up legislation in 2025.
“The reason that the Freedom Caucus has been forced to filibuster in recent years is because the senate leadership has betrayed the Republican principles and the platform,” Spieker said.
He predicts abortion will dominate the conversation in Jefferson City. Voters passed Amendment 3 this week to expand abortion rights.
Republican lawmakers who oppose abortion have pledged to introduce bills to limit the effects of the amendment, or even place a new amendment on a future ballot to reverse components of Amendment 3.
“I think when the Republicans start talking about this more and we have an educational campaign to educate people about what we're actually doing, then we can definitely roll back some of what Amendment 3 did,” Spieker said.
Both states begin their next legislative sessions in January 2025.