County reviews 2025 legislative platform; mental health beds, river project among requests

County administrator Philip Smith Haines and Renee Duxler of the Chamber briefed the Saline County Board of Commissioners on the community legislative platform for 2025, a joint list of priorities used in meetings with state and federal legislators.

Staff said the platform is largely driven by community partners (universities, the hospital and the city of Salina) and includes: continued opposition-language for potential government competition legislation in Topeka; a federal river project funding request; farm bill-related items; support for additional mental health beds advocated by the hospital and Central Kansas Mental Health Center; and a policy-level request supporting the co-responder program (asking the state to consider eligibility for funding to sustain the program). A city-originated request involving Claflin Road and the Kansas Wesleyan entrance was described as city-led, with the city having begun internal discussions but not yet presenting the matter to the city commission.

Renee Duxler said the Chamber and partners will present the platform to legislators through a legislative roundtable and state-house visits scheduled later in the legislative session. Commissioners asked whether legislators are responsive; Duxler said local legislators and visiting representatives have been responsive and praised the collaborative local approach.

What happens next: The commission will endorse the platform and the Chamber will use it in legislative visits and the annual state-house outreach events.