The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of Senate Bill 361:

“This new federal program needs to be thoroughly vetted to understand the potential impact on funding for our public schools. If it is, in essence, just another voucher program designed to re-direct taxpayer dollars to private schools to the detriment of our public schools, Kansans have made clear they don’t want it. My veto allows time for proper vetting and educated decision-making.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 361.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of Senate Bill 391:

“At a time when Kansans are facing ever-increasing costs and sky-high rents, the Legislature chose to pass a bill that will make it harder for Kansas renters to find an affordable place to live. This bill also takes away the discretion of local elected officials to formulate housing policy that’s best for their community. I encourage the Legislature to focus on policy that respects the authority of local officials and that makes it easier, not harder, for Kansans to afford basic necessities.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 391.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of Senate Bill 462:

“Local elected officials and local government officials are best equipped, and constitutionally and/or statutorily authorized, to deal with issues of local concern. Should they need the assistance of the state Attorney General to resolve an issue, they can call upon him/her. This bill would transfer the underlying authority from the locals to the Attorney General. There is no good reason for this usurpation of power.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 462.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2329:

“In 2016, after much thoughtful fact-finding and deliberation, the Kansas Legislature passed SB 367, a monumental overhaul of our approach to our juvenile justice system. The effort was led by Representative Russ Jennings, the late former Commissioner of the Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority and a nationally recognized expert in the field. The intent of the reforms in SB 367 was to reduce the number of children in the “system” by providing more effective diversion and treatment programs in the community. Overall, the reforms worked. But they also exposed some gaps in the system, primarily centered around appropriate placement for children whose behaviors made it hard to find suitable placement for them in the community. HB 2329 was a well-intentioned response to that problem. Unfortunately, while looking for a solution for one problem, HB 2329 would reverse much of the forward progress made under SB 367. I encourage the Legislature to set up a special committee to study this issue again, in depth, and craft legislation that will build on the successes of SB 367 and retain Kansas’ position as a leader in the Juvenile Justice realm.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2329.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2333:

“I have long believed that the quality of public debate in our nation has been declining, and I strongly support the toning down of political rhetoric and a return to civility. Schools and college campuses are excellent places to begin this process. However, free speech and civil discussion are already protected by our state and federal constitutions. This will cause confusion for courts and schools and create confusing caselaw.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2333.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2372:

“This legislation poses a myriad of legal concerns. First this legislation creates serious tension between ensuring law enforcement officers can carry out their duties while respecting the First Amendment rights of Kansans to observe and record their actions.

“Second, there are already federal laws in place establishing the crime of interfering with federal law enforcement, meaning there is no need to create a state crime for the same unlawful activity. Additionally, this legislation would increase liability exposure, increase costs, and remove local control from county commissions in making determinations about preserving public safety and law enforcement operations.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2372.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2437:

“This legislation would impose restrictions on online voter registration that could suppress civic engagement and make it harder for Kansans to vote. It risks purging the voter rolls of rightfully eligible voters.

“Furthermore, this legislation directs certain state agencies to provide the personal information—including name, date of birth, residential address, and the last four digits of the social security number—of public assistance benefit recipients to the Secretary of State’s Office, even though disclosure of this information may be prohibited under federal law.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2437.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2569:

“The ability to vote by mail preserves this fundamental right of any Kansan to participate in the democratic process. It eliminates barriers imposed by proximity to a post office, work schedules, age, disability or illness, lack of transportation. By eliminating the ability to vote by mail for many Kansans, HB 2569 will disenfranchise a significant number of Kansans who are not able to vote in person. That appears to be the purpose of this bill as there is scant evidence of illegal voting necessitating these restrictions.

“Additionally, HB 2569, by requiring any lawsuits relating to election laws be filed in Shawnee County District Court, restricts due process and equal treatment under the law based on geography.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2569.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2587:

“Kansas has one of the strongest driver’s license verification systems in the country and already requires individuals to provide evidence of citizenship or lawful presence in order to obtain a license or state ID. This has been the case throughout my entire administration and HB 2587 does not solve an existing problem.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2587.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2593:

“This legislation takes away the power of local governments to bring suits affecting their constituents if not approved by the Attorney General. Access to the courts should not be conditioned on the Attorney General’s discretion. I reiterate that local governments should oversee decisions like these as they best understand their needs.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2593.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2626:

“HB 2626 contains several provisions that would be very beneficial to Kansas veterans. As the daughter of a career military man, I look for every opportunity to make life better for active-duty military, our veterans and their families.  Unfortunately, the Legislature added a provision to this bill that would allow for-profit entities to prey upon unsuspecting veterans, charging them hefty fees for services those veterans can receive at no-charge from state-supported veterans’ service organizations. I ask the 2027 Legislature to pass this bill again when they convene next January, without the poison pill provision.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2626.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2651:

“This bill takes away a judge’s discretion to issue a summons instead of a warrant in any felony case. This means that for low-level non-violent felonies, individuals must have a warrant issued and be detained, regardless of the felony. This blanket rule increases costs to the criminal justice system. Law enforcement entities testified to the negative impacts this legislation would bring upon their departments. I stand with them in opposing this bill.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2651.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of Substitute for House Bill 2731:

“Substitute for HB 2731 adds unnecessary costs and bureaucracy in our human service and health agencies. These agencies already exchange data with each other and engage in rigorous oversight to reduce fraud and ensure that only eligible persons receive public assistance and health benefits. This bill does nothing new other than increase costs to the state by nearly $4 million, necessitate the hiring of 44 more employees and add unnecessary additional processing steps. Those additional steps will likely cause our processing error rate to increase, resulting in federal penalties costing millions of dollars. I don’t believe this was what the Legislature intended but will be the result if HB 2731 becomes law.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Substitute for House Bill 2731.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of House Bill 2521:

“Private child placement agencies are just that: private. They are not government agencies; they are private entities contracting with state government to provide contracted services. They are not, and should not be, provided the protections given to public agencies under the Tort Claims Act. HB 2521 would set a dangerous, and expensive, precedent.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto House Bill 2521.”

The following veto message is from Governor Kelly regarding her veto of Senate Substitute for House Bill 2004:

“Due to the sensitive, personal information the Department for Children and Families (DCF) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) maintain on Kansans who participate in programs like SNAP, there are strict data privacy protections regarding which entities have access to this data already embedded in federal law. This bill puts DCF and KDHE in the untenable position of violating state or federal law, thus open to lawsuits.

“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Substitute for House Bill 2004.”

“Kansans deserve real property tax relief, and they deserve the truth about how such relief can be accomplished,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “To date, the Legislature – led by a Republican supermajority – has provided only lip service on this topic and has failed to deliver on the campaign promises and talking points they have been repeating for two years. Today, I’m laying out a fiscally responsible property tax relief plan that I invite the Legislature to debate and take action on to finally give Kansans some real relief.”

The truth about property taxes is that the overwhelming majority of property taxes are levied at the local level – by cities, counties, and school districts. The revenues that these taxes generate are designed to contribute to an improved quality of life for its citizens, like paying for police and firefighters, maintaining reliable roads, and providing access to high-quality public schools. However, increased valuations and rising costs have placed an undue burden on property owners across the state.

Action must be taken to encourage local governments to keep their costs down, while not sacrificing the services that its citizens deserve. But the State is not excused from being a part of the solution and providing relief for the portion of property taxes for which it is responsible.

To identify a real and lasting solution, Governor Kelly is introducing a multi-pronged approach to drive property tax reform in Kansas. She encourages the Legislature to follow her lead and to debate and vote on this property tax reform package in the closing days of the 2026 legislative session.

Governor Kelly’s plan is divided into three parts: 1) immediate property tax relief for vehicle owners, 2) incentivizing local governments to permanently bend their cost curves, and 3) requiring the state to have skin in the game for its share of property taxes.

The first leg of the plan is for the Legislature to adopt Senate Bill 378, which was introduced by Senator Ethan Corson during the 2026 legislative session. This bill would provide for a one-time $250 vehicle tax credit for all vehicle owners in the state when they register their vehicle. The cost to cover this credit would be paid for by using surplus funds sitting in the budget stabilization fund. This policy would give immediate relief to Kansans in Fiscal Year 2027, while the other components of the package take shape. By limiting this to a one-time event, it will not jeopardize the fidelity of the budget stabilization fund.

The second leg of the plan is to create a fund to be distributed to cities and counties that demonstrate an ability to manage their budgets responsibly. The state would make an annual deposit into this fund, beginning with $60.0 million in the first year, and growing the deposit by 2 percent each year. Cities and counties that keep their annual budget growth at a reasonable level – recommended to be no greater than 3 percent – would be eligible to claim a portion of this fund, to assist them in paying for needed services. The distribution formula would take into account each city/county’s population and total assessed value, ensuring that rural and urban areas have equitable access to these funds.

The third leg of the plan is for the state to have some skin in the game and to provide tax relief for the 20 mills that are levied to assist the state in paying for its share of public education. Current law exempts the first $75,000 of every home’s appraised value from this 20-mill tax. The Governor’s proposal would increase the exemption level to $150,000. By doubling the current exemption, this would provide meaningful tax relief to over 700,000 Kansas homeowners every year. This proposal would safeguard funding for public education by creating a demand transfer from the State General Fund into the School District Finance Fund to ensure that public schools continue to receive their full constitutional funding.

The Governor urges the Legislature to give serious consideration to this comprehensive property tax package, while it has time to act. It is time for Kansans to hear the truth from their elected officials, and to have their elected officials deliver realistic results for them.