Laura Kelly faces key leadership tests in 2025 Kansas

Laura Kelly faces several weighty issues as Kansas governor in 2025. She pushed to eliminate the state grocery tax, yet it remains to be seen if voters will credit her with this relief. In a complicated climate, Kelly allowed a bill tightening the definition of election official impersonation to become law, though she worries it is still unclear.

Child care reform is contentious, as new legislation she negotiated could roll back long-standing safety rules. Meanwhile, debates over abortion access, public health authority, and vaccine requirements test Kelly’s ability to balance competing demands and lead amid high-stakes change.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly holds a small axe on Monday during an event at Dillons in Topeka. Kelly is calling on lawmakers to eliminate the state sales tax on food, among the highest in the nation. By Jonathan Shorman

NO. 1: KANSAS GOV. LAURA KELLY AXED THE TAX ON GROCERIES. WILL SHE GET CREDIT FROM THE GOP? | OPINION

The Democratic governor prioritized ending grocery taxes since her 2018 campaign, achieving it despite Republican opposition. | Opinion | Published January 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Joel Mathis

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly shakes hands with KU athletic director Travis Goff and chancellor Douglas Girod, right, after Kelly addressed the crowd regarding plans for renovations to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium and a campus Gateway Project in Lawrence on Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2023. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 2: THESE ARE THE HIGHEST PAID KANSAS STATE EMPLOYEES. ONE MADE OVER $1.2 MILLION IN 2024

Find out where your tax dollars went. | Published February 24, 2025 | Read Full Story by Eleanor Nash

Melissa Etheridge, who sang the National Anthem last year at the NWSL Championship at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, is the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Governor’s Award from Kansas governor Laura Kelly. By Emily Curiel

NO. 3: KANSAS ARTS AWARD HONORS MELISSA ETHERIDGE FOR SHARING STATE’S GREATNESS WITH THE WORLD

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and the Kansas Arts Commission announced recipients of the 2025 Kansas Governor’s Arts Awards at a ceremony in Topeka. | Published March 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lisa Gutierrez

NO. 4: KANSAS WILL VOTE ON ELECTING STATE SUPREME COURT. IT’S AN OPENING FOR ABORTION OPPONENTS

Kansas voters will decide in August 2026 whether to approve a constitutional amendment to elect state Supreme Court justices. | Published March 19, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman Matthew Kelly

Alecia Patrick holds a photograph of her deceased daughter, Ava Olivia Patrick, on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Overland Park. The loss of Patrick’s daughter at an in-home daycare led her to advocate for the passing of Lexie’s Law in 2010, a Kansas law that strengthened child care regulations. By Dominick Williams

NO. 5: PARENTS & ADVOCATES SAY CHILD CARE REGULATIONS SAVE LIVES. KANSAS WANTS THEM ROLLED BACK

Gov. Laura Kelly wants to establish the Kansas Office of Early Childhood. She’s cutting deals with Republicans who want to expand unregulated child care. | Published April 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Matthew Kelly

A dose of COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccination clinic in the Kansas City area. By Tammy Ljungblad

NO. 6: SHE REFUSED COVID SHOT IN JOHNSON COUNTY. KANSAS VACCINE LAW COULD NOW BE STRUCK DOWN

The Kansas Supreme Court is weighing whether to block a sweeping state law that lets workers easily bypass COVID-19 vaccine mandates. | Published April 3, 2025 | Read Full Story by Jonathan Shorman

NO. 7: KANSAS ROLLS BACK PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS’ AUTHORITY AMID TB, MEASLES OUTBREAKS

Under a new law, local health officials will have to prove “probable cause” to make someone quarantine. Orders about public gatherings and masking will just be recommendations now. | Published April 11, 2025 | Read Full Story by Matthew Kelly

NO. 8: MISGUIDED KANSAS VACCINE LAW PUTS POLITICS BEFORE OUR CHILDREN’S HEALTH | OPINION

As our state faces a dangerous measles outbreak and falling vaccination rates, leadership chose to weaken basic public health protections. | Opinion | Published May 7, 2025 | Read Full Story by Bill Clifford Brandan Kennedy

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. By Emily Curiel

NO. 9: KELLY ALLOWS KANSAS ELECTION OFFICIAL IMPERSONATION BILL TO BECOME LAW

Prosecutors must prove that people accused of falsely representing themselves as election officials acted with the intent to deceive. | Published May 14, 2025 | Read Full Story by Tyler Kirby

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.