February 13, 2026
School Funding has been a long-standing important issue, and with the current formula set to expire, it will remain a key topic for this session and next. One issue that would be addressed by SB 387 is requiring income verification for the at-risk program that uses free or reduced lunch counts to calculate funding amounts. It addresses concerns raised in a nonpartisan Legislative Post Audit, which found that the free or reduced lunch count is overstating the poverty counts and funding. SB 387 would require income verification, with districts being reimbursed for accurate verification of costs. Parents not willing to answer income verification may not be eligible for reduced costs. Families already verified through programs like SNAP would be eligible without additional verification. The Legislative Post Audit (https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_s_government_efficiency_1/documents/testimony/20260128_01.pdf ) confirms that the free lunch count no longer accurately reflects poverty levels in Kansas schools and recommends that the Legislature reconsider how at-risk funding is allocated. SB 387 addresses some of the concerns. It passed the Senate 22-18 and was sent to the House. I voted yes.
Victim Protection from convicted felons who committed serious crimes would increase if SB 358 is passed into law. SB 358 would require those felons be held in jail without bond until they are sentenced. The bill passed the Senate unanimously and was sent to the House.
K‑TRACS is Kansas’s prescription‑monitoring database. Under current law, only a narrowly defined group of users may access it, helping protect your prescription information. The Kansas Board of Pharmacy, however, is granted authority to broaden that access through the rules and regulations process. SB 322, introduced at the request of the Joint Committee on Rules and Regulations after hearing proposed expansion by the board, would strip the Board of that authority, keeping K‑TRACS limited to its present user class. The bill sailed through the Senate unanimously and awaits consideration in the House.
Golf Carts could be allowed on city sidewalks if SB 367 would become law and if local governments approve. There was debate about requiring carts only to go to and from a golf course, but it just makes sense to let the locals decide. They may want to allow people to drive a golf cart on a sidewalk to go to the store, church, or elsewhere in town. Current state law prohibits golf carts from being driven on sidewalks. It passed unanimously and was sent to the House.
Director of the Office of Early Childhood, lives in Missouri and has indicated she does not plan to relocate to Kansas while serving in the role. She was confirmed by a narrow vote, 21 to 19. Elected officials are required to reside in the district they represent, but apparently this appointment does not have to live in Kansas. It raises several concerns. This Director will shape policies that impact Kansans, so what happens when a personal, business, or financial conflict arises? Where will her primary allegiance be to Kansas or to her home state of Missouri? To top it off, some senators – who have expressed frustration over the lack of appointments from their regions – nonetheless defended this nomination and voted to confirm a Missouri resident. I voted no.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn