Committee hears bill to let Legislature nominate choices for certain statewide vacancies

The House Committee on Elections held a hearing on House Bill 2057, which would change how vacancies are filled for the U.S. Senate, state treasurer and commissioner of insurance by creating a legislative nomination process instead of leaving appointments solely to the governor.

Proponents and the reviser described the bill’s mechanics. Mike, from the Revisor’s Office, told the committee that HB2057 “would change the way vacancies are filled in the offices of the United States Senate, the state treasurer, and the commissioner of insurance” and that it would “establish[] a process whereby the legislature would recommend up to 3 names for the governor to pick” with nominees required to be from the same political party as the officeholder who vacated the seat.

Supporters said the change is intended to keep the party balance chosen by voters and to give the full legislature — not only the governor — a role in selecting nominees. Speaker pro tem Tim Blake Carpenter, a proponent, said the bill’s text was modeled on older state practice and the reviser’s historical work: “I went with the revisers back in time to about 1897, and we actually looked at the statute on how we used to appoint U.S. Senators here in the state of Kansas,” and that the bill provides three nominees to the governor rather than a single name. Former U.S. Rep. Tim Hilskamp also testified in favor, arguing concentration of appointment power in a single governor “poses a significant risk to the principles of representation.”

Committee members asked about precedent and about specifics of the proposed process. The bill creates a trigger to form a 14-member joint committee on vacancies, which would hold hearings, produce five names, and then the full legislature would narrow that list to three nominees for the governor. A committee member asked how the 14-member ratio (five majority and two minority members on each chamber’s side, as drafted) was chosen; Carpenter replied that the numbers were his selection.

The hearing record includes written proponent testimony from Carrie Sue Vosberg, Mary Stang and Brett Anderson; no in-person opponents were listed. The chair closed the hearing on HB2057 after proponent testimony and invited committee review of the written materials.

Because the committee only held a hearing, no committee vote or final action on HB2057 was recorded during this meeting.

Why it matters: HB2057 would alter the balance of appointment authority between the governor and the legislature for three statewide offices and the U.S. Senate, affecting how replacement officeholders are selected between elections. The bill raises questions about party fidelity, historical precedent and the practical details of forming and operating a joint legislative selection committee.

What’s next: The committee closed the hearing; sponsors and the reviser asked members to review written testimony before any further action. No vote was taken at this meeting.