Volume 44 - Issue 18 - May 1, 2025

State of Kansas

Office of the Governor

Message from the Governor Regarding Senate Bill 125

While I appreciate the Legislature’s bipartisan work to craft Senate Bill 125, I have serious concerns with how this budget endangers our state’s long-term fiscal health and jeopardizes our ability to fund the essential programs and services that matter most to Kansas families.

This budget will put Kansas in the red by fiscal year 2028. The Legislature will adjourn this year before the release of spring Consensus Revenue estimates, meaning we won’t fully understand the actual fiscal impact of this budget until after the Legislature has left town. This is reckless and irresponsible policy making. Kansas families don’t set their household budgets without an accurate picture of their finances, and the state shouldn’t either.

Given the ongoing economic uncertainty we are experiencing, I urge the Legislature to seriously consider revisiting this budget. We’ve spent the last seven years doing the hard work necessary to get Kansas back on the right fiscal track. We risk losing all of that progress and returning to the dark days of four-day school weeks and crumbling roads and bridges if we don’t correct the structural imbalance we are currently facing.

This budget also falls short on education. Our families and teachers rely on state funding to ensure they have the resources necessary to provide Kansas kids with the best education possible. Instead of increasing those investments, this budget cuts existing and future funding for programs that help our students and teachers succeed. This budget eliminates critical funding for teacher professional development programs and literacy training, both of which will ensure we are preparing our students for lifelong academic and workforce success. While I appreciate the $10 million increase for Special Education included in this budget, this funding is roughly $62 million short of keeping us on the path to fully funding our state obligation on Special Education. Kansas kids deserve better.

Additionally, this budget contains provisions that effectively decrease BASE state aid funding for public schools. That is unacceptable. While I have corrected this via a line-item veto, I remain extremely concerned about the future of education funding in Kansas. The Legislature must stop playing games with school finance, especially when it underfunds our public schools and could land the state back in court, relitigating issues we’ve worked to solve in a bipartisan manner.

I am also concerned that this budget does nothing to help Kansas families at a time of rising costs and rampant inflation. For example, this budget does not include my proposal to cut costs for families by covering the cost of reduced-lunch school meals for our kids, nor does it include funding to address rising healthcare costs by expanding Medicaid. Not only will expanding Medicaid make it easier and more affordable for Kansas families to access healthcare, it would also have substantial economic benefits for Kansans. Expansion would bring billions of dollars into the state and would especially benefit our rural communities. I will not stop encouraging the Legislature to do the right thing and expand Medicaid so that Kansans can get the affordable healthcare they need.

Last year, I encouraged the Legislature to put forth proposals that have been vetted and approved through the regular appropriations process. Unfortunately, the Legislature did not heed my advice. This budget includes proposals added at the last-minute that did not go through the public vetting process necessary to ensure they are an efficient and appropriate use of taxpayer dollars. I once again urge the Legislature to ensure budget proposals are transparently and rigorously reviewed prior to inclusion in the budget.

Despite my overall concerns, I appreciate that this budget does make investments in programs that improve state resources for Kansans. I also appreciate that this budget continues our recent trend of investing in economic development, workforce initiatives, and our higher education system, all of which play a role in making Kansas a national leader in economic development. This budget also continues to invest in water quality and quantity – issues that we must address to secure the long-term success of our state.

I look forward to working with the Legislature to address our long-term fiscal health and make investments that will provide Kansans the resources they need to prosper without risking the future of our state.

Therefore, pursuant to Article 2, Section 14(b) of the Constitution of the State of Kansas, I hereby return Senate Bill 125 with my signature approving the bill, except for the items enumerated below.

Legislature — AI Project

• Sec. 35 (a) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

While I welcome efforts to make government services more efficient and am willing to work with the Legislature to do so, I do not want to leave those decisions in the hands of an AI computer program that would have access to Kansans’ personal financial and medical information. Additionally, given the state’s fiscal outlook, this work to find efficiencies should be done by the Legislature through the use of existing staff and resources, not a new appropriation of taxpayer dollars.

Attorney General — KEY Fund Transfer

• Sec. 40(d) and Sec. 41(g) have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

This annual transfer from the Kansas Endowment for Youth Fund is unnecessary. The agency has continuously received this transfer to comply with the Master Tobacco Settlement but does not expend the entirety of the transfer each year. From previous transfers, the agency currently has enough funds to cover these compliance costs for at least two more years.

Retaining these funds in the Kansas Endowment for Youth Fund will ensure greater sustainability of funds for our state’s early childhood programs; this is especially critical given the Tobacco Settlement receipts continue to decrease, threatening the long-term sustainability of this essential funding source.

State Treasurer — Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program

• The portion of Sec. 46(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

• Pregnancy compassion awareness program $3,000,000

Provided, That expenditures shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to continue the statewide program, previously known as the alternatives to abortion program, to enhance and increase resources that promote childbirth instead of abortion to women facing unplanned pregnancies and to offer a full range of services, including pregnancy support centers, adoption assistance and maternity homes: Provided further, That the program shall include only the following services: Counseling and mentoring; care coordination for prenatal services, including connecting clients to health programs; providing educational materials and information about pregnancy and parenting; referrals to county and social service programs, including child care, transportation, housing and state and federal benefit programs; classes on life skills, budgeting, parenting, stress management, job training, job placement and obtaining a GED certificate; providing material items, including, but not limited to, car seats, cribs, maternity clothes, infant diapers and formula; and support groups in maternity homes: And provided further, That program services shall be made available to any Kansas resident who is a pregnant woman, the biological father of an unborn child, the biological or adoptive parent or legal guardian of a child 24 months of age or younger, a program participant who has experienced the loss of a child or a parent or legal guardian of a pregnant child who is a program participant: And provided further, That the provision and delivery of services under the program shall be dependent on participant needs as assessed by the nonprofit organization providing the services and not otherwise prioritized by any state agency: And provided further, That program services shall be available to participants only during pregnancy and continuing for up to 24 months after birth of the child: And provided further, That the state treasurer shall continue to contract with the nonprofit organization that was awarded such contract in fiscal year 2025 to provide services under the pregnancy compassion awareness program, and such nonprofit organization shall subcontract with existing pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, maternity homes and social service organizations to provide program services to promote childbirth instead of abortion: And provided further, That such contract extension shall be for a term not longer than one year: And provided further, That the selected contractor and any subcontractors may provide services in addition to the enumerated program services, but such services shall not be funded through the pregnancy compassion awareness program: And provided further, That the state treasurer shall include as a condition of the contract extension with the nonprofit organization selected to provide program services: (1) The assessment of an administrative fine for failure to satisfy program requirements, including required reporting, or for the intentional or reckless misuse of any funds awarded by the terms of such contract, and such fine shall be in the amount of 10% of the funds awarded by the terms of such contract and shall be deposited into the state treasury in accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto, to the credit of the state general fund; and (2) that such nonprofit organization shall submit a report to the legislature and the state treasurer on or before June 30, 2026, on the administration of the program during fiscal year 2026, including: The number of clients; the number of clients who participated in case management services; the number of case management hours provided to clients; the number of clients engaged in educational services or job training and placement activities; the number of newborns who were born to program participants; the number of such newborns placed for adoption; the number of fathers who participated in program services; the number of client satisfaction surveys completed; and any other information that shows the success of the contractor’s administration of the program: And provided further, That the state treasurer shall establish the pregnancy compassion public awareness program to be administered by the same nonprofit organization contracted with to provide pregnancy compassion awareness program services: And provided further, That the purpose of the public awareness program is to help pregnant women who are at risk of having abortions to be made aware of the pregnancy compassion awareness program services: And provided further, That the public awareness program shall include the development and promotion of a website that provides a geographically indexed list of available pregnancy compassion awareness program services and nonprofit subcontractors that provide services: And provided further, That the public awareness program may include, but shall not be limited to, the use of television, radio, outdoor advertising, newspapers, magazines, other print media and the internet to provide information about the pregnancy compassion awareness program services and subcontractors: And provided further, That, to the greatest extent possible, the secretary for children and families shall supplement and match moneys appropriated for the pregnancy compassion awareness program with federal and other public and private moneys, and such moneys shall be prioritized to be used preferentially for the program and the public awareness program and be transferred from the special revenue fund or funds of the Kansas department for children and families as identified by the secretary for children and families to the pregnancy compassion awareness program account to be expended for such programs: Provided, however, That the pregnancy compassion awareness program and the pregnancy compassion public awareness program and any moneys appropriated or expended therefor shall not be used to perform, induce, assist in the performing or inducing of or refer for abortions, and moneys appropriated or expended for such programs shall not be granted to organizations or affiliates of organizations that perform, induce, assist in the performing or inducing of or refer for abortions.

I continue to believe that housing the pregnancy crisis center program in the Office of the State Treasurer is inappropriate and simply politically motivated. Additionally, Kansas women facing unplanned pregnancies deserve meaningful support from medical professionals who can provide evidence-based guidance, not from largely unregulated pregnancy resource centers. Kansans told the Legislature in August of 2022 that their private medical decisions should remain between them and their physician, and this appropriation is an attempt to subvert the will of the people.

State Treasurer — Duplicative Talent Attraction Program

• Sec. 46(c) and Sec. 47 have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

I agree we must invest state resources to attract talented workers to Kansas so that our workforce can keep pace with the historic levels of economic development occurring in the state. Unfortunately, the Legislature decided to defund an existing program at the Department of Commerce, Love, Kansas Program that does just that. It is highly inefficient to create a new, unvetted program with no guardrails in an agency that has nothing to do with workforce development or talent attraction. Instead of duplicating work already being done, the resources provided to this program should have gone towards enhancing the Department of Commerce’s ongoing efforts to attract talented workers to Kansas.

Kansas Department of Administration — Docking State Office Building Expenditures

• Sec. 62(d) and Sec. 63(w) have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

The Legislature has already approved funding for the Docking State Office Building, and the project is nearing completion. Adding another level of bureaucratic approval for expenditures and transfers at this stage is needless and redundant, the height of government inefficiency. I am committed to the Docking State Office Building opening in a timely manner, and this proposal would create an unnecessary roadblock that could hamper this goal and waste taxpayer resources.

Kansas Department of Administration — Press Office Lease Costs

• Sec. 63(x) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

Freedom of the press is one of the bedrocks of a free and open democratic society. This item appears to be targeted at the Kansas Capitol press corps to stymie their ability to effectively report on the actions occurring in the people’s house. Provisions like this set a dangerous precedent and undermine one of the core principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Instead of imposing barriers for the press to do their job in an efficient manner, the Legislature should look for ways to make the lawmaking process more transparent.

Kansas Lottery —Legislative Interference in Sports Gaming

• Sec. 72 (b) and Sec. 73 (f) have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

Robust processes are in place to negotiate any contract extension or renewal of existing sports wagering agreements. Inserting the Legislature into these negotiations would unnecessarily complicate the complex legal processes already in place to facilitate potential changes to the State’s sports wagering agreements.

Kansas Department of Commerce – Purple UAS

• The portion of Sec. 76(a) that reads as follows has been line-item vetoed:

• Purple UAS certification innovation grant account $1,000,000

Provided, That expenditures in an amount of not less than $500,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to provide a grant to the national institute for aviation research at Wichita state university to research and create an accurate and comprehensive checklist necessary for blue unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) compliance, which shall include the United States department of defense requirements for maintenance of supply chain security necessary for manufacturers of such department of defense drone technology: Provided further, That, national institute for aviation research shall include specific recommendations to Kansas state university Salina for the creation of a purple UAS public safety and commercial credentialing process: And provided further, That expenditures in an amount of not less than $500,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to provide a grant to Kansas state university Salina to create a purple UAS public safety and commercial credentialing process for credentialing drones for commercial and public safety use: Provided, however, That if such expenditures are not expended by January 1, 2026, on such date, any remaining moneys in such account are hereby lapsed: And provided further, That the above agency shall prepare and submit a report to the legislature on the purple UAS public safety and commercial credentialing process by January 20, 2026.

The Department of Commerce did not request this item and it did not go through the agency vetting process. While I appreciate the intent of this item to provide additional funding for emerging technology in the aviation sector, I cannot ignore the deficiencies in the process that led to this being included in the budget. I encourage the Legislature to work with interested parties to resubmit this proposal as an official agency budget request next year.

Kansas Department of Commerce – Arts Commission Restrictions

• The portion of Sec. 76(b) that reads as follows has been line-item vetoed:

Provided further, That expenditures shall not be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to employ persons on a contractual basis in order to ensure that the maximum amount of dollars may be distributed to Kansas communities for arts grants: And provided further, That expenditures shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to award matching grant funds: And provided further, That an amount of not to exceed 60% of grant moneys shall be awarded to applicants for matching grant funds located in counties with a population of 85,000 or less as of the 2020 census: And provided further, That an amount of not to exceed 40% of grant moneys shall be awarded to applicants for matching grant funds located in counties with a population of more than 85,000 as of the 2020 census.

I’m proud that in recent years we have been able to reinvest in the Kansas Arts Commission. KAC enhances the role the arts play in all levels of education, community service, workforce development and quality of life in our state. This proviso would restrict the Commission’s ability to issue grants. It would also bar it from using contractual support, which would likely require additional state employees to cover work the Commission currently partners with contractors to complete. Changing the structure of how the Commission works would cause inefficiencies and grow government.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment – Diseases Control

• The portion of Sec. 83(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

Provided further, That expenditures in an amount of not less than $250,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to provide for efforts to control and prevent transmission of tuberculosis or other infectious and contagious diseases as designated by the secretary of health and environment pursuant to K.S.A. 65-128, and amendments thereto, including screening, diagnosis and treatment.

• The portion of Sec. 83(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

Provided further, That expenditures in an amount of not to exceed $96,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account for fiscal year 2026 to provide for efforts to control and prevent transmission of tuberculosis, including screening, diagnosis and treatment.

These provisos are poorly written and cause confusion regarding the funding for disease control and prevention that KDHE can use. The agency deserves clear and direct guidance from the Legislature to ensure adequate funding for these efforts, especially during the ongoing tuberculosis and measles outbreaks. The ability to screen, diagnose, and treat these contagious diseases is crucial to keeping Kansans safe and healthy.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment – Cerebral Palsy Research

• The portion of Sec. 83(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

• Cerebral palsy research $263,000

The intent behind this budget proviso in unclear. It was not requested by any state agency. I encourage all stakeholders to work with the relevant agencies to get this vetted through the agency budget request process and resubmit next year.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment – Dental Services

• The portion of Sec. 83(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

• Donated dental services $55,000

I support expanding access to dental services. However, there is already funding in the base budget for these types of services included in this proviso.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment – 12-month Medicaid continuous eligibility

• Sec. 84(e) and Sec. 85(o) have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

These sections will ultimately cost the state taxpayers approximately $3.5 to $4.3 million annually by causing the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to add additional staff to implement the policy required by this proviso. The state will not see the cost savings projected by the Legislature because federal regulation dictates that these caregivers and parents cannot be denied healthcare coverage without individual review. This proviso would require the agency to unnecessarily unenroll and then reenroll individuals. It is a highly inefficient, administratively burdensome, costly process.

Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services – Continuation of SPARK Funding

• The portion of Sec. 88(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

• Aging services grants (039-00-1000-3006) $140,000

Provided, That expenditures in an amount of not less than $140,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2025 to provide in-home services to low-income older individuals who would be able to remain in their homes for independence and self-sufficiency if such individuals received such services.

• The portion of Sec. 89(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

Provided further, That expenditures in an amount of not less than $540,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to provide in-home services to low-income older individuals who would be able to remain in their homes for independence and self-sufficiency if such individuals received such services.

I have always supported services that promote self-sufficiency and independence for the elderly. They keep older adults in their communities and prevents nursing home stays, saving taxpayer dollars in the long run. However, these provisos will continue to fund a pilot program that was initially funded by one-time federal grants. The state cannot shoulder the burden of ongoing costs created by lapsed federal funding. It is simply unsustainable.

Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services – Lapsed Funding

• Sec. 89(aa) has been vetoed in its entirety

2024 S.B. 28 allocated funding for different types of entities to transform into Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics over the course of four years. The lapse in funding outlined in this section reverses the progress that the KDADS has made in executing the intent of last year’s appropriation. This is not only a waste of resources, but it is also wholly inefficient.

Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services – Larned Contract Staffing

• Sec. 90 has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

The patients and the surrounding community at Larned State Hospital will be the ones directly impacted by the elimination of funding for contract agency nursing staff. This maneuver will further strain the existing healthcare workforce, leading to a lack of capacity to care for these patients. Investing in recruiting and retaining our healthcare workforce, especially at these facilities, would be more beneficial and help relieve the reliance on contract nursing. In addition, the State could be at risk of losing significant federal funding if we are not able to meet the patient to staff ratios required by CMS.

Kansas Department for Children and Families – Interpreter Services

• The portion of Sec. 92(a) that reads as follows has been line item vetoed:

Provided further, That expenditures in an amount of not less than $375,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to provide for additional deaf and hard of hearing services.

Interpreter services, especially in government functions, are necessary to ensure every Kansan can be informed. However, I have significant concerns over the current limited geographic scope of interpreter services in Kansas. They are not structured in a way that ensures interpreter services are easily accessible and equally affordable in high-user areas. I encourage all relevant stakeholders to reconsider this proposal next year with a plan to widen its capabilities across the state.

Department of Education — Online Curriculum

• Sec. 96(n) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

It is not the Legislature’s role to dictate our schools’ curricula. The State Board of Education has the constitutional authority and responsibility to determine curricula for our schools. It is wrong for the Legislature to sweep existing funds that are essential for the agency to function and direct them to expend funds on a particular curriculum and programs not vetted or recommended by the State Board.

Department of Education — SparkWheel

• Sec. 96(p) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

While I would have considered additional funds for SparkWheel, funding an increase from existing department resources threatens the ability of the agency to conduct its core functions. As the Legislature considered this funding item, budget subcommittees recommended new funding to support SparkWheel’s expansion. While that position was not included in the final budget, it was a more responsible way to support this program.

Department of Education — Conditioning CPI-U Funding Increases

• Sec. 96(s) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

School districts should strive to purchase and maintain AEDs within their academic buildings. I urge all districts to consider using the existing funds from their general funds or Capital Outlay Fund to purchase these devices. Districts and stakeholders should work with the Department of Education to determine how best to cover these costs through their existing resources.

I am extremely troubled by the Legislature’s attempt to fund this priority through the appropriation from the BASE state aid per pupil increases required by the Supreme Court of Kansas’s rulings in the Gannon case. The Court was clear: to remain in constitutional compliance, the State must increase the BASE state aid by a rolling average of the consumer price increase index. These increased funds are intended to account for cost increases to provide the basic level of instruction for all students in public schools. In effect, this proviso decreases the state BASE aid amount to a level lower than required by the Gannon rulings—creating an appropriation of funding that likely violates that ruling and constitutionally underfunds our schools.

If the Legislature is serious about providing increased funding for the purchase of AEDs at schools, they should fund this initiative using different resources—rather than threatening to send the state back to court over school finance and siphoning off funding that would allow us to fully fund schools in accordance with the Kansas Constitution.

Kansas State University Extension Systems and Agriculture Research Programs — Double Funding

• Sec. 108(c) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

This project was double funded with both State General Funds and Economic Development Initiative Funds (EDIF). This veto retains the funding for this project using State General Funds but eliminates the duplicative funding through EDIF.

Wichita State University — Dentistry Feasibility Study

• The portion of Sec. 116(a) that reads as follows has been line item-vetoed:

• Dentistry feasibility study $750,000

Prior to the 2026 legislative session, stakeholders from both higher education and the dentistry profession should come together to discuss the feasibility of developing a dental school in Kansas. Through this collaborative discussion, a more comprehensive strategy could be crafted to determine how the state, higher education, and the profession can partner on this project, should it be deemed in the best interest of the state.

Kansas Board of Regents — Scholarship Lapses

• Sec. 118(h) and Sec. 118(i) have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

These scholarship funds are critical for students and workforce development. By lapsing these funds, the Legislature will undermine and negate their own hard work to ensure that higher education is affordable for more Kansans and that our businesses’ workforce needs are addressed.

Department of Corrections — O’Connell Children’s Shelter

• The portion of Sec. 121(a) that reads as follows has been line-item vetoed:

And provided further, That expenditures in an amount of not less than $1,000,000 shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to provide for services to families at the O’Connell children’s shelter in Lawrence, Kansas.

While I support providing services to Kansas youth who need assistance, the funding in this section of the proviso is allocated toward one specific entity. The direct allocation of these funds circumvents the established grant process and the rigorous agency review that allows any qualified and interested entity to apply, ensuring that services provided are the best quality at the best price. We have made great progress towards eliminating “no-bid contracts” recently. We should not take an unnecessary step backwards.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation — DNA Analysis

• The portion of Sec. 129(a) that reads as follows has been line-item vetoed:

• Forensic DNA analysis $500,000

Provided, That expenditures shall be made by the above agency from such account during fiscal year 2026 to provide for forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis for the purposes of solving violent crimes and identifying human remains.

The KBI did not request this item through the normal appropriations process. While the intent of this enhancement is admirable, it needs to go through the agency request process so it could be thoroughly vetted. I encourage the KBI to request this item in next year’s budget so it can be appropriately reviewed to ensure the state gets the best return on investment possible for these services.

State 911 Board – Mapping Grant Program

• Sec. 135(a) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

Ensuring the safety of Kansans is one of my top priorities. However, the agency indicates it does not currently have the capacity to enact the program as described in the bill. Additionally, this program would require additional investments by the Legislature over the next several fiscal years to provide complete funding. It is unclear that the Legislature can meet this obligation given the financial picture ahead.

State Finance Council – ARPA Funds

• Sec. 153, Sec. 156 and Sec. 158 have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

These provisions create extra red tape and bureaucracy over the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) relief funds. Additionally, the federal requirements around the use of these funds are complex, and the state is limited in how they can be spent. The state would be best served if those funding decisions were guided by the experts in the Kansas Office of Recovery.

State Finance Council – 2027 State General Fund Reduction

• The portion of Sec. 159(a) that reads as follows has been line-item vetoed.

(2) On July 1, 2026, of each amount appropriated or reappropriated for a state agency for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, by this act or other appropriation act of the 2025 or 2026 regular session of the legislature from the state general fund, that is identified as operating expenditures, including salaries and wages, contractual services, commodities and capital outlay, the sum equal to 1.5% of the aggregate amount of such operating expenditures is hereby lapsed.

Given the state’s fiscal outlook, I understand the Legislature’s desire to find efficiencies in state government by implementing targeted State General Fund reductions, which is why I am leaving the fiscal year 2026 reduction in place. However, it does not make sense to decrease agency funding for fiscal year 2027 when we don’t have a good sense of where the state will be financially. I am willing to revisit reductions next session when we will have a better understanding of the state’s fiscal outlook for 2027.

State Finance Council – State Highway Fund Cut

• Sec. 159(b) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

I am proud to have worked with the Legislature in a bipartisan manner over the last 7 years to stop extraordinary transfers from the State Highway Fund. This item would reverse that progress by redirecting funding to uses beyond the intended scope of the State Highway Fund. The Bank of KDOT closed three years ago and should remain closed.

Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Center — Bonding Authority

• Sec. 177(b) has been line-item vetoed in its entirety.

Throughout my administration, it has been a key priority to eliminate debt and invest one-time funds in one-time projects. We have successfully partnered with the Legislature to pay down debt and limit ongoing budgetary costs. I fear this project backtracks on this progress.

I urge Kansas State University to continue collaborating with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan for funding a new Animal Diagnostic Laboratory.

Kansas Highway Patrol — Jabara Airport Hangar

• Sec. 187(h) and Sec. 188 have been line-item vetoed in their entirety.

The Kansas Highway Patrol has requested funding to purchase and operate a hangar at the Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita. Rather than fund the original request, the Legislature appropriated funds for the agency to work with a third-party entity that would own the hangar rather than the agency. This funding structure would cost the state considerably more over the long term than would the agency’s original request. I will direct the Kansas Highway Patrol to identify alternative solutions for the Legislature to consider next session.

Dated April 9, 2025

Laura Kelly
Governor

Doc. No. 053096