Laura Kelly

Rule Changes

Governor

Kansas elected Democrat Adam Hamilton to the U.S. Senate on Nov. 3, the first Democrat to win a Kansas Senate race since 1932. Hamilton, a Methodist pastor who was registered as a Republican until earlier this year and had never held public office, beat Republican incumbent Roger Marshall 51% to 46%, with Libertarian David Graham taking 3%. Marshall conceded and will leave office Jan. 3, 2027.

Updated 5 days ago

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Vetoed SB 244; veto overridden by Republican supermajorities

For decades, most U.S. states allowed transgender residents to update the sex listed on their driver's licenses. Kansas just reversed that—not by freezing future changes, but by retroactively invalidating roughly 1,700 licenses and a similar number of birth certificates that had already been updated. The law, published in the Kansas Register on February 26, 2026, took effect immediately with no grace period, meaning affected residents woke up that morning with documents the state now considers invalid.

Updated May 29

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Expected to veto; legislature has votes to override

Kansas passed a law requiring individuals to use bathrooms matching their sex assigned at birth in all government buildings, schools, and universities. The January 28, 2026, vote—87-36 in the House and 30-9 in the Senate—exceeded the two-thirds threshold needed to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's expected veto. Violations carry escalating penalties: $1,000 civil fine for a second offense and misdemeanor charges for three or more.

Updated May 23

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Endorsed Kansas Senate Bill 302 cellphone ban proposal

January 2026 accelerated the school cellphone crackdown. New Jersey signed a statewide ban for 2026-27, Michigan passed legislation for fall 2026, and Kansas introduced bipartisan Senate Bill 302 backed by 30 senators. What began with France's 2018 experiment now spans 37 states plus D.C., up from 35+ just weeks earlier.

Updated May 19