The following article was pulled from a newsletter shared by Dr. Duane Droge, House of Representatives, District 13 last Week. To be added to the list to receive the newsletter e-mail Duane.Droge@house,ks.gov.
HB 2291
(Regulatory Sandbox) One of the biggest frustrations I hear from Kansas business owners is how unnecessary government regulations slow them down, increase costs, and make it harder to grow. That’s why I support House Bill 2291, which establishes a Regulatory Relief Division within the Attorney General’s office. This new office will serve as a watchdog against excessive regulations, allowing businesses to challenge burdensome rules and get relief from unnecessary red tape. A full-time reviewer will investigate these concerns, while a bipartisan committee composed of nominees from both sides of the aisle will help ensure that the process is fair, transparent, and accountable.
Kansas businesses deserve a government that works for them, not against them. Right now, many entrepreneurs are bogged down by outdated or unnecessary regulations that make it harder to hire workers and expand their businesses. This bill provides a practical solution by creating a clear process for businesses to petition the state when regulations are doing more harm than good. Instead of forcing businesses into costly legal battles or bureaucratic red tape, this bill ensures their voices are heard quickly and efficiently. By cutting excessive regulations, we can make Kansas a better place to do business and create more opportunities for our workforce.
At the heart of this bill is a simple but important principle: Government should support hardworking Kansans, not stand in their way. House Bill 2291 is about economic freedom—ensuring that our state government serves its people and promotes growth, innovation, and prosperity. Kansas entrepreneurs and job creators should not have to fight against their own government just to succeed. By passing this bill, we send a strong message that Kansas is open for business and committed to empowering those who create jobs and strengthen our economy.
Stops unelected bureaucrats from crushing Kansas businesses with unnecessary regulations.
Gives business owners a voice by allowing them to challenge harmful regulations without expensive legal fights.
Ensures fair, commonsense rulemaking with oversight from a bipartisan advisory committee.
Boosts job creation and economic growth by making Kansas a leader in free-market policies. SB 4 (Repealing 3 Day Grace Period) A fair and transparent election process requires clear deadlines and equal treatment for every voter. That’s why I support Senate Bill 4, which ensures that all advance voting ballots must be received by the time polls close on Election Day to be counted. This bill eliminates that uncertainty by setting a firm, consistent deadline for when ballots must be in to count.
Under the current system, ballots postmarked by Election Day but arriving up to three days later are still counted—but not all of them make it in time. Some ballots are delayed by the postal service, leading to disenfranchisement through no fault of the voter. In recent elections, thousands of Kansans have been disenfranchised due to mail-in ballots arriving without postmarks, rendering them invalid under state law. For instance, in the August 2024 primary, approximately 1,000 ballots were rejected because they lacked postmarks or arrived too late, as reported by the Kansas Secretary of State. (CJOnline, Kansas City Star) This issue stems from the U.S. Postal Service’s failure to consistently postmark ballots, leading to valid votes being discarded. To address this, we propose legislation mandating that all mail-in ballots be received by election officials by the close of polls on Election Day, ensuring every valid vote is counted and restoring confidence in our electoral process.
This common-sense reform aligns Kansas with the majority of states that already require mailin ballots to be received by Election Day. Currently, Kansas is one of only 14 states, plus the District of Columbia, allowing ballots to arrive after Election Day, provided they are postmarked appropriately. However, due to inconsistent postmarking by the USPS, many ballots have been unjustly disqualified. By setting a firm deadline, we eliminate reliance on an external entity’s procedures, thereby safeguarding the sanctity of our elections and ensuring that every Kansan’s voice is heard.
Ends the uncertainty and delays in election results by requiring all ballots to be received by Election Day.
Prevents the Post Office from fumbling our elections by eliminating late ballot acceptance.
Brings Kansas in line with other states that already require ballots to be in on time. Restores public trust in our elections with a fair, transparent, and consistent voting process. HB 2396
(Property Tax Relief)
Kansans deserve real property tax relief, but year after year, local governments keep raising taxes to fund their ever-expanding budgets. House Bill 2396 puts power back in the hands of taxpayers by allowing them to contest excessive property tax increases through a protest petition process. Under this bill, if a municipality raises property taxes beyond a set limit, citizens have 30 days to gather signatures and force the government to scale back its tax increase. This ensures that local leaders must justify their spending instead of automatically passing the burden onto taxpayers.
This bill is common sense and good fiscal policy. Right now, municipalities determine how much they want to spend first and then tax accordingly, rather than responsibly taxing within reasonable means and budgeting accordingly. This approach incentivizes never-ending tax hikes and prevents homeowners from seeing real relief. HB 2396 changes that dynamic by setting clear limits on property tax increases, while still allowing local governments to function within a reasonable budget. Additionally, it establishes the Acknowledging Stewardship of Tax Revenue and Appropriations (ASTRA) Fund, which will help qualifying cities and counties keep property taxes in check without cutting essential services.
At its core, this bill is about accountability and fairness. Kansans work hard for their money, and they shouldn’t be forced to cover “spend first, tax later” decisions made by local governments. HB 2396 ensures that taxpayers have a voice in the process—if a city or county wants to raise property taxes beyond a reasonable level, they’ll need to convince the public that it’s necessary. No more automatic tax hikes, no more blank checks for wasteful spending. It’s time to put taxpayers first.
Gives taxpayers the power to fight back against runaway property tax increases.
Stops local governments from taxing first and budgeting later, forcing them to live within their means.
Creates the ASTRA Fund to help cities and counties maintain services without raising taxes.
Demands accountability from local officials by requiring them to justify tax hikes to the people.
Budget
For too long, the budget process in Kansas has been driven by reckless spending and misplaced priorities, but this year, the legislature took back the authority due to it under the Kansas Constitution and ensured that your tax dollars are spent wisely. Thanks to our new budgeting process, the legislature—not the governor— set the agenda for responsible spending, prioritizing essential services while rejecting unnecessary government expansion. We reinforced our commitment to education by fully funding Kansas schools, including $90 million for special education (SPED) and an additional $290 million to account for cost-of-living adjustments (CPI-U). These investments ensure that our students get the resources they need without raising taxes on hardworking Kansans.
Beyond education, we took critical steps to prioritize our most vulnerable. This year’s budget eliminated 320 additional slots from the I/DD Waiver Waitlist (Intellectual/Developmentally Disabled), providing real help for Kansas families who have been waiting too long for services. We also increased nursing home reimbursement rates by $7.8 million for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, ensuring that Kansas seniors can retire in their home communities instead of being forced to move away. These are the kinds of targeted, responsible investments that make a real difference in people’s lives—without growing government unnecessarily.
At the same time, we upheld our commitment to fiscal responsibility. By spending $166.7 million less than Governor Kelly’s proposed budget, we proved that Kansas can invest in key priorities while keeping spending in check. We also allocated $48 million in infrastructure projects using remaining ARPA funds, rather than pulling from the State General Fund, preventing unnecessary strain on taxpayers. This budget doubles down on conservative principles— fiscal discipline, responsible investments, and putting Kansans first. Unlike the reckless tax-and-spend approach of the past, we have passed a conservative, thoughtful budget that strengthens our state’s future without saddling families with more debt.
Puts the legislature— not Governor Kelly— in charge of spending, ensuring fiscally responsible leadership.
Fully funds Kansas schools, including special education, without raising taxes, keeping our commitment to students.
Cuts wasteful spending while prioritizing the most vulnerable, eliminating 320 I/DD Waiver Waitlist slots and increasing nursing home funding by $7.8 million.
Spent $166.7 million less than Governor Kelly’s big-government budget, proving we can invest in key priorities without reckless spending.
Dr. Duane Droge is serving on the following committees during the 2025 session: Legislative Modernization; Water; Agriculture & Natural Resources; and Health & Human Services.
