Kansas Governor Laura Kelly gave KSHB 41 Johnson County Reporter Alyssa Jackson an exclusive one-on-one interview during a stop on her budget listening tour. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is on the move.
She calls her travels, "The People's Budget Listening Tour," where she informs Kansans about how the state's budget jeapordizes the state's financial health and listens to how Kansans want to help her fix it.
It was standing room only on Monday night as roughly 150 people showed up in West Wyandotte Library in Kansas City, Kansas, to hear from the governor.
The governor allotted time for a Q&A and took questions one at a time.
KSHB 41 reporterr Alyssa Jackson heard from people who wanted Governor Kelly to address funding for the Kansas Department for Children and Families, rising taxes, inflation and attempts by Kansas Republicans to redraw Congressional maps.
Senate Bill 125, the budget passed during the last legislative session, is why Governor Kelly believes Kansans should be informed about the state's financial health.
"The legislature did pass a budget that could put us in the hole by $700 million in fiscal year 29," Governor Kelly said. "When I came in office, we were in a world of hurt because of budgets that did what last year's budget did."
The legislature's budget allocated funding for fiscal years 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028.
According to Governor Kelly, the state will be in the red by 2028 and the budget is projected to have Kansas spend $300-$700 million more than it receives each year.
That's just one reason why she explained the state of Kansas can't step in to replace funding for federally funded programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
"When you look long term, almost every nickel we’ve got has been encumbered over time — particularly with the budget the legislature passed last year. Those are the things we have to weigh. Short term. Long term. I also don’t want to give the federal government an out," the governor said. "They can’t pull the rug out and expect states are gonna be able to pick it up. I know some states are providing funding, but that’s not sustainable."
Jackson asked the governor: "What would you say to Kansans who feel lawmakers are putting politics over kitchen-table issues?"
Governor Kelly said: "They’re right. This is strictly political warfare at this point. People trying to score points and the only people who get impacted and hurt are people in the state of Kansas and the country. I suggest they stop playing games and come back to the table."
Kansans also wanted to hear the governor's stance at attempts by Republicans to re-draw Congressional maps.
The effort aims to change the 3rd Congressional District, currently held by the only Democrat in the Kansas Congressional delegation.
Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican, announced last week that he collected enough signatures in the Senate to meet the two-thirds majority for a special session without involving the governor.
The session was initially expected on Nov. 7. However, approval is still needed from two-thirds of the House of Representatives.
Governor Kelly said: "If they were to get the signatures and they were to convene, I'm not sure that they would have the votes to actually get the redistricting done. There are a number of legislators who feel as I do. That this is completely inappropriate."
The listening tour was initially only to hear from Kansans and discuss the budget.
Due to the government shutdown, all of the remaining stops now double as food drives.
Anyone who attends is encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to give back to people impacted by the shutdown.
All donations are picked up by Harvesters and the Kansas Food Bank.
Governor Kelly has four more stops left to listen to how Kansans want her to approach the next budget — keeping in mind they want all lawmakers to get to work.
"Congress needs to get back to Washington and sit down with one another and craft a compromise and end this shutdown. That's the only thing that will make a difference in the long run."
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