TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly will join the Kansas Department of Transportation in Fort Scott on Wednesday to announce funding for multiple transportation projects happening throughout the state.
Who: Governor Laura Kelly, Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz
What: Transportation Grant Announcement
When: 11:00 a.m.; Wednesday, October 12, 2022
~~In One Month, Sports Wagering Generates $1.3M in Total Revenue,
$130k for State~~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that in the single month that sports wagering has been legal, it has generated a total of $1.3 million in revenue, including nearly $130,000 for the State of Kansas.
“These revenues reinforce what we already knew: Legal sports betting is a common-sense solution that keeps Kansans’ money in Kansas and supports Kansas businesses,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “While legal wagering is just in its infancy, these revenues will continue to grow and benefit the state over time.”
On May 12, 2022, Governor Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 84, bipartisan legislation making it legal to wager on sports at casinos, on digital platforms, and other venues in Kansas. Sportsbooks opened in record time on September 1, with Governor Kelly placing the first legal bet.
“Sports betting has successfully kicked off in Kansas, and players could not be more excited to get in on the action,” Stephen Durrell, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery, said. “The launch went smoothly thanks to the efforts of our casino partners, the sports wagering platforms, the KRGC, and our staff at the Kansas Lottery. We will continue to work to make sports betting in Kansas safe, secure, and fun for all players as we expand and grow.”
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Sports Wagering Revenues |
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Casino Facility |
Platforms |
Revenues |
State Share |
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Kansas Star |
FanDuel |
$207,722 |
$20,772 |
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Hollywood |
Barstool Sports |
$762,305 |
$76,230 |
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Kansas Crossing |
BetMGM, Caesar’s, PointsBet |
$326,147 |
$32,615 |
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Boot Hill |
DraftKings |
$ – |
$ – |
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Totals |
$1,296,174 |
$129,617 |
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Revenues reported by the Kansas Lottery are from settled and completed bets and don’t account for ‘future wagers’ placed like the Super Bowl, World Series, or MVP awards. Facilities or platforms presenting a zero-revenue are due to promotional play and player acquisition, in which those platform providers are responsible for payment until there is net positive revenue.
MANHATTAN, Kansas — Fall has brought a resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) nationwide, and this week the Kansas Department of Agriculture identified HPAI in two Kansas counties: Johnson County and Neosho County.
Both new HPAI locations are in non-commercial mixed species flocks, and KDA is working closely with USDA–APHIS on a joint incident response. KDA officials quarantined the affected premises, and birds on both properties will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease.
Anyone involved with poultry production from the small backyard chicken owner to the large commercial producer should review their biosecurity activities to assure the health of their birds. Find guidance on biosecurity on the KDA Division of Animal Health webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/
Highly pathogenic avian influenza is a highly contagious viral disease that can infect chickens, turkeys and other birds and can cause severe illness and/or sudden death in infected birds. This outbreak has seen illness and mortality in a wider scope of bird species than past outbreaks, including wild and domestic waterfowl. Attentively monitor your birds for symptoms of HPAI which include: coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and other signs of respiratory distress; lack of energy and appetite; decreased water consumption; decreased egg production and/or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs; incoordination; and diarrhea. Avian influenza can also cause sudden death in birds even if they aren’t showing other symptoms.
If these symptoms are observed in your birds, immediately contact your veterinarian. If you don’t have a regular veterinarian, contact KDA’s Division of Animal Health office toll-free at 833-765-2006.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recent HPAI detections do not present an immediate public health concern. Birds and eggs from the infected flock will not enter the food system. As a reminder, the proper handling and cooking of all poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 ˚F is recommended as a general food safety precaution.
As part of existing avian influenza response plans, federal and state partners are working jointly on additional surveillance and testing in areas around the affected flocks. The United States has the strongest avian influenza surveillance program in the world, and USDA is working with its partners to actively look for the disease in commercial poultry operations and live bird markets and in migratory wild bird populations.
For more information about HPAI, including current status of the confirmed cases in other states as well as more information about biosecurity for your flock, go to KDA’s avian influenza webpage at agriculture.ks.gov/
MANHATTAN, Kansas — The Governor’s Wildfire Task Force will meet on Wednesday,
October 12, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Kansas Regional Training Institute, 2929
Scanlan Avenue in Salina.
The meeting is open to the public and will discuss recommendations for how federal, state,
and local officials, along with Kansas communities, can better prevent, respond to, and
recover from wildfires. A Zoom link can be available upon request. Due to space
limitations, guests are asked to RSVP to Brittney Grother at [email protected] or
785-564-6797 by Tuesday, October 11. Persons who require special accommodations must
make their needs known at least two days prior to the meeting.
Governor Updates Declaration of Drought Emergency, Warnings and Watches for Kansas Counties
The Governor’s Drought Response Team examines conditions; and recommends updates to the Governor
Governor Laura Kelly has approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties with Executive Order #22-08. This drought declaration continues to keep all 105 Kansas counties either in watch, warning or emergency status.
“Much of Kansas continues to experience severe drought conditions which have impacted the daily lives of Kansans through our hot and dry summer months,” said Governor Kelly. “As these conditions are forecast to persist or worsen over the foreseeable future, I strongly encourage all Kansans to be mindful of ways we can conserve water and minimize fire hazards.”
The drought declaration placed 67 counties into an emergency status, 11 counties in a warning status and 27 into a watch status. This action was recommended by Connie Owen, Director of the Kansas Water Office and Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team. Much of Kansas has experienced above normal temperatures dating back to the previous April, with precipitation averaging well below normal for many of those same locations over that same timeframe. In some parts of Kansas these precipitation deficit conditions have existed since the latter part of 2021. The outlooks from now through December favor above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation for nearly all portions of Kansas, meaning drought conditions could persist and expand over the next several months.
“The current drought conditions impacting much of Kansas have stressed surface and groundwater supplies, negatively impacted crop production, and led to elevated wildfire risk in many areas,” said Owen. “The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to be diligent in the monitoring of drought conditions across Kansas and make future drought recommendations to Governor Kelly as conditions change. With outlooks continuing to call for challenging conditions into the winter months, the need for continued drought awareness and action across Kansas is essential.”
Through an interagency agreement between the Kansas Water Office, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and Kansas Division of Emergency Management, counties in emergency stage are eligible for emergency use of water from certain state fishing lakes. These counties also become eligible for water in some federal reservoirs.
Individuals and communities need to contact the Kansas Water Office for a water supply request prior to any withdrawals from lakes. These requests will in turn be referred to the appropriate office to obtain necessary permits to withdraw requested water.
This Executive Order shall remain in effect for those counties so identified until rescinded by Executive Order ending the declaration or revising the drought stage status of the affected counties.
Effective immediately, Executive Order #22-08:
The Governor’s Drought Response Team will continue to watch the situation closely and work to minimize the negative drought-induced effects on Kansans.
For more detailed information about current conditions, visit the Climate and Drought webpage on the Kansas Water Office website at kwo.ks.gov.
County Drought Stage Declarations:
Drought Emergency: Allen, Barber, Barton, Bourbon, Butler, Chautauqua, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, Cowley, Crawford, Decatur, Edwards, Elk, Ellis, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Gove, Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Greenwood, Hamilton, Harper, Harvey, Haskell, Hodgeman, Kearny, Kingman, Kiowa, Labette, Lane, Logan, McPherson, Meade, Montgomery, Morton, Neosho, Ness, Norton, Pawnee, Phillips, Pratt, Rawlins, Reno, Rice, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, Sedgwick, Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Stafford, Stanton, Stevens, Sumner, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, Wichita, Wilson, and Woodson.
Drought Warning: Anderson, Chase, Coffey, Lincoln, Linn, Lyon, Marion, Morris, Osborne, Saline and Smith.
Drought Watch: Atchison, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Jewell, Johnson, Leavenworth, Marshall, Miami, Mitchell, Nemaha, Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Washington, and Wyandotte.
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TOPEKA – The Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) has scheduled a workshop on December 13 at 9:30 a.m. to give Evergy officials an opportunity to explain a dramatic increase in the company’s capital expenditure projections. The plan, filed earlier this year, showed an increase of $1.2 billion compared to projections shared when the company presented its Sustainability Transformation Plan (STP) last year.
In an order issued on September 15, the Commission directed Evergy to work with KCC staff and the Citizens Utility Ratepayer Board (CURB) to schedule the workshop, which will be conducted by Zoom and available for public viewing on the Commission’s YouTube channel. The workshop will also be recorded for later viewing.
During the workshop, Evergy will be asked to explain the necessity and impact of the proposed capital spending and answer questions from KCC Commissioners, Commission Staff and CURB. Prior to the workshop, Evergy is required to file updated and comprehensive financial modeling showing expected retail rate changes resulting from continued increases in capital expenditures. That information must be submitted by December 2.
Evergy is required to file a Capital Investment Plan with the KCC annually. A report filed by Commission Staff in response to the 2022 report expressed concern that the expenditures outlined exceeded those reported in the STP by 21.82%. The 2022 five-year Capital Investment plan was $1 billion higher than the 2021 five-year plan, and this increased spending projection was on top of a previously announced $1 billion increase between Evergy’s 2020 and 2021 five-year plan.
The order is available here.
A recording of the Business Meeting is available on the KCC YouTube channel.
TOPEKA – Data released today by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) shows that under Governor Laura Kelly’s Administration, statewide adoption numbers are up more than 35% compared to the Brownback and Colyer Administrations. This increase is credited to initiatives that expand training, resources, and awareness for foster care staff and prospective adoptive families.
“My administration is doing everything we can to make it easier for Kansas families to provide a loving, stable home to children who need one,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “By providing vital resources for families and deepening relationships with our providers, we’re making it possible for more Kansas children to be adopted. I couldn’t be prouder of these numbers.”
From 2011 to 2018, the average number of adoptions in the state sat around 730. However, under the Kelly Administration, close to 1,000 children on average are being adopted each year.
The increase in adoptions has contributed to the 17% decrease in the number of children in the Kansas foster care system under the Kelly Administration.
Adoption Numbers by the Years, 2011-2022
| 2011 | 761 adoptions | 2017 | 758 adoptions |
| 2012 | 777 adoptions | 2018 | 766 adoptions |
| 2013 | 620 adoptions | 2019 | 1,210 adoptions |
| 2014 | 666 adoptions | 2020 | 998 adoptions |
| 2015 | 765 adoptions | 2021 | 846 adoptions |
| 2016 | 755 adoptions | 2022 | 948 adoptions |
DCF created Adoption Accelerator positions in 2019 and expanded them in 2022 to identify, track, and monitor youth who experience barriers to adoption. These specialized staff conduct home studies, share resources for completing adoption procedures, and aid case management teams to support adoption finalization.
“We have removed barriers in the adoption process for children with special needs by updating policies and growing eligibility,” DCF Secretary Laura Howard said. “The adoption assistance and subsidies available for families who are trying to adopt children with special needs are vital.”
DCF also recently revised adoption subsidy policies for children who are on Technology Assistance waivers and Intellectual/Developmental Disability (I/DD) waivers and need specialized medical care. These children are eligible for monthly subsidies designed to ensure their families can continue to support their specialized needs.
“Over the past three years, we have also grown our partnerships in the community,” Howard added. “DCF’s partnership with The Kansas Post Adoption Resource Center is important as adoptive and kinship families often find the need for support grows in the years after adoptions are finalized.”
DCF has worked to bring together different partners to take a systemic, all-hands-on-deck approach to preparing families to meet the needs of children in foster care. Partners include the Kansas Post Adoption Resource Center (K-PARC), which supports families who have adopted children or who are providing permanent care because of a kinship placement; Adopt Kansas Kids; and the four Child Welfare Case Management Providers.
Individuals who are interested in adoption can learn more from Adopt Kansas Kids. The program raises awareness about the need for adoptive families for children currently in foster care as well as educating potential families and connecting them with more information. Discover more at www.adoptKSkids.org.
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TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced Kansas’ September total tax receipts were $961.0 million. Those collections are $96.2 million, or 11.1%, more than the estimate, and reflect a $84.5 million, or 9.6%, growth from last September.
“Thanks to our laser-sharp focus on creating quality jobs and attracting business to Kansas, we have now seen 26 months of revenue surpluses,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “That has enabled us to provide tax credits for teachers and cut taxes for seniors, veterans, homeowners, and businesses – all while paying off debts and fully funding our schools. These revenue estimates show we are making Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Individual income tax collections were up $31.3 million, or 7.6%, for the month with $441.3 million collected. That is $34.5 million, or 8.5%, more than the same month in 2021. September corporate income tax receipts, which are comprised primarily of estimated tax payments, have continued to trend upward. Corporate income tax collections were $49.2 million, or 40.6%, more than the estimate with $170.2 million collected. That is a growth of $24.9 million, or 17.1%, from the same month last year.
“The higher-than-expected corporate estimated payments suggests that corporations again anticipate favorable profit margins in 2022,” Revenue Secretary Mark Burghart said.
Combined retail sales tax and compensating use collections were $309.6 million, 8.3%, or $23.7 million, more than last September.
Click here to view the September 2022 tax receipts spreadsheet.
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TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly announced that small businesses can now apply to receive COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief. In June, Governor Kelly signed bipartisan House Bill 2136, investing $50 million to help small businesses recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re making sure small businesses can receive the support they need to hire workers, strengthen their products, and better serve their communities,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “My administration will continue to remain laser-focused on creating a stronger, more resilient economy to help every business and every family succeed.”
Businesses can learn whether they qualify for the program and how to access relief by accessing guidance from the Kansas Department of Revenue here.
The COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which requires a federal Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) to be completed for a business to be eligible to receive assistance.
“Due to federal requirements, the Kansas Department of Revenue cannot process a retailer’s application for the Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief program unless a business has secured a federal UEI number,” Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said. “Doing so helps ensure the program’s guidelines are followed and the accurate accounting for disbursement of funds.”
The UEI is issued at no cost through the federal System for Award Management website, SAM.gov.
Due to recent increases in the number of entities registering with SAM.gov, it may take up to 25 business days for new registrations to be processed. For any issues related to registering with SAM.gov or obtaining a UEI, applicants can contact the Federal Service Desk at 866-606-8220.
Once registration is complete and confirmed, business owners can apply for the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program by going to ksrevenue.gov.
Applicants with questions regarding the COVID-19 Retail Storefront Property Tax Relief Program can contact the Kansas Department of Revenue at 785-368-8660.
Small business owners have until April 15, 2023, to apply for this financial assistance.
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~~Fiscal Responsibility is ‘Transformative’ for Kansas~~
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that actions taken by her administration in Fiscal Year 2022, including paying down debts incurred by the Brownback Administration and paying cash for projects, have saved Kansans $754.2 million in interest payments.
“By prioritizing fiscal responsibility, we have put Kansas back on track and ready for the road ahead,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “My administration has managed our budget wisely in order to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars and axe taxes – all while making historic investments in our schools, infrastructure, and law enforcement.”
In Fiscal Year 2022 (July 2021 through June 2022), the Kelly Administration used the budget surplus to retire debt early and pay for projects with cash rather than through issuing bonds. The Administration paid down $1.6 billion in debt, saving $632.0 million in interest payments, and will pay cash for $203.0 million of new capital projects, saving Kansans more than $100 million in interest that would have otherwise accumulated through bonds.
These savings also include saving Kansans $22.2 million in interest by paying off the nearly $100 million of a $200 million transportation bond that was issued in 2012.
“Utilizing our surplus to pay down this level of debt in one year – while simultaneously building our reserves to record levels – is a transformative event,” Adam Proffitt, State Budget Director, said. “This will insulate our budget from potential future economic volatilities, which will provide fiscal stability, allowing us to continue to fund critical services for all Kansans for years to come.”
These savings include paying off debt to KPERS, for the KBI Lab at Washburn University, and for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, among others.
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