On January 9th, the House convened the 2023-24 Legislative Session. Every two years the House elects new leadership, and committee chairs and committee memberships are announced. This year we have 33 new members out of 125.
The Speaker of the House this session is Dan Hawkins, from Wichita. Speaker Hawkins has previously served as Majority Leader and Chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee. Our Majority Leader is Chris Croft of Overland Park. Chris previously chaired the House Census Redistricting Committee and Republican House Campaign Committee. Our Speaker Pro Tem is Blake Carpenter of Wichita. Blake has served as Elections Committee Chair and Republican Whip.
This Session I will serve as Chairman of the House Transportation Committee and on the Kansas Turnpike Board. I will also serve on Appropriations, Tax, and Legislative Post Audit. I’m very excited to Chair the Transportation Committee. As Transportation Chair I will continue to work for better roads and infrastructure in rural Kansas.
A Better Way: Our Commitment to Kansas
This week House and Senate Republicans released our plan for a better future called “A Better Way”. It is a framework for common-sense policies that both House and Senate Republicans will work for. As a framework, this is just the beginning and legislators will develop specific legislation to accomplish the goals in this document. This strategy came from extensive discussions with Kansans and legislators. This is not a top-down strategy from leadership, but a bottom-up strategy straight from legislators and constituents that focuses on what is important to Kansans. Below are some of the key goals.
• It’s Your Money
Our commitment to Kansas taxpayers is to be a good steward of their money, making responsible decisions and ensuring that we keep the burden on families and households as low as possible.
o Pass a balanced budget that eliminates wasteful spending, pays down debt, and saves for a rainy day
o Make the state tax code flatter and simpler to help families and businesses
o Reduce the tax burden on both retirees and families
o Resist tax increases and ensure the Truth in Taxation law is being implemented as intended
• It’s Your Health
We must ensure Kansans have access to world-class healthcare options that meet their unique needs.
o Protect Kansas consumers and stop new costly mandates that drive up rates
o Expand consumer choice by allowing Kansans access to alternatives to expensive Obamacare plans
o Promote Health Savings Accounts so Kansans have control over their health care funds
o Continue to implement reforms that promote health care freedom while preserving quality
• It’s Their Future
Our commitment to the children of Kansas is to lay a foundation so every child in the state can have the opportunity to achieve the American dream.
o Expand educational opportunities so our kids’ future is not limited by economic status
o Focus on academic achievement
o Work to implement fairness in women’s sports
o Place the state back on the side of parents by adopting the Parents’ Bill of Rights
• It’s Our Economy
Our commitment to the economy is to create an environment that allows workers to thrive and invites businesses to be able to start up, operate in, and move to Kansas.
o Prohibit ESG investing in the state retirement system and post-secondary institutions
o Authorize the attorney general to investigate companies that conspire to constrain the fossil fuel industry
o Prohibit state investment in entities owned or operated by hostile foreign governments
o Enact reforms to lower energy rates for all Kansans
• Workforce
We are striving to create an environment that grows the workforce in the state of Kansas.
o Make college a more affordable pathway to career success, including promoting technical education
o Support apprenticeship-to-licensure training and lower the cost of licensing fees
o Require real work searches to obtain unemployment benefits so Kansans can regain full employment
o Make it as easy as possible for Kansans to create their own jobs by starting a business
Jennifer Forrester This session my committee and office assistant is Jennifer Forrester. Jennifer has a great background as a Senate committee assistant, corrections and with the National Guard. She will be the friendly voice on the other end of the phone when you call my office. You can reach her at Jennifer.forrester@house.ks.gov or (785) 296-7466.
Pages The Page program is designed for students in middle school, junior high or the first years of high school. Working as a page in the Kansas Legislature is an excellent way to learn more about the legislative process. If you or someone you know is interested in serving as a page, please contact me or Jennifer for more information.
Constituent Services
Thank you for the opportunity to continue serving working families in Seward and Meade County. Please reach out to me any time I can assist you with a state agency concern. I do ask that you send the request to me by email. This ensures that I get the information correctly to the agency we are working with. You can reach me when I’m in Topeka by email at Shannon.francis@house.ks.gov, by phone (785) 296-7466, or by mail at 300 SW 10th Avenue, 274-W, Topeka, KS 66612
