Kansas Policy Institute
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Kansas Policy Institute is an independent non-profit organization that advocates for free enterprise solutions and the protection of personal freedom. They are focused on state and local economic issues in Kansas.
Kansas Policy Institute
16h ago
Kansas remains steady at 25th overall in the 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, a continuation of its position from 2024, according to the Tax Foundation. While having incremental improvements in specific taxes, Kansas must address its systemic issues through spending restraint and eliminating income taxes to fully capitalize on its economic potential. Understanding the State ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
1w ago
Congratulations to the four newly elected members of the Kansas State Board of Education: Betty Arnold, Beryl New, Connie O’Brien, and Debby Potter. You were elected with a D or an R next to your name, but we hope you will retire those labels and adopt the only one that matters: student-focused. Student-focused state school ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
1w ago
How does the Kansas State Board of Education and Education Commissioner Randy Watson avoid having their feet held to the fire with constantly unacceptably low student achievement? One way that has been very effective for them is to deflect the blame. And what serves as their protective armor? Is it not enough money? Given the ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
2w ago
Kansas is at a pivotal moment. The state must adopt policies that balance fiscal responsibility with economic competitiveness to secure a prosperous future. Our annual Responsible Kansas Budget outlines the pressing need to rein in spending, utilize surplus triggers for tax relief, and draw lessons from successful state policies nationwide. The Economic and Labor Landscape ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
1M ago
In a historic move toward greater accountability and transparency, the Kansas Legislature has taken the reins of the budget process by establishing the Special Committee on Legislative Budget. This change means lawmakers will no longer rely solely on the governor’s top-down budget proposal, which traditionally limited legislative review time and often led to rushed last-minute ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
1M ago
Superintendents, unions, and the Kansas Association of School Boards hounded the Legislature for more special education funding last year, saying general education services were curtailed because they had to transfer so much money to special education. Their own budgets refuted their claims then, and new cash reserve data proves it again. The total special education ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
1M ago
Kansas has long been a critical player in the Heartland, but its recent job performance reveals progress and potential pitfalls. As of September 2024, Kansas’ unemployment rate sits at 3.3%, up from 2.6% the prior year, signaling a tightening labor market despite steady job growth. Over the last twelve months, Kansas added around 19,000 jobs ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
1M ago
In this recently published article, I predicted there would be an “October surprise” regarding 2024 state assessment results. I based that prediction on Education Commission Randy Watson’s presentation to the state board during the September meeting. At that time Watson was very upbeat in terms of what the board was doing regarding literacy policy. Since ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
1M ago
The Kansas ACT results just released for the 2024 school year show further declines in both raw scores and college readiness. The test is typically taken in the Spring of each calendar year. The ACT composite score, which has been declining since 2017, dropped to 19.3 and remains below the national average. College readiness in ..read more
Kansas Policy Institute
2M ago
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts have long been used as a development tool by local governments, including in Kansas, where the Legislature first authorized their use in 1976. TIFs allow cities to designate areas for development, freezing property tax levels in those districts and using the increased tax revenue generated by new development to fund ..read more