County lobbyists brief commissioners on 2025 legislative session, flagging sales-tax apportionment pause and next-year priorities

Jessica Lucas of Watkins Public Strategies and colleagues gave the Sedgwick County Commission a wrap-up of the 2025 legislative session, saying the shortened, 90-calendar-day schedule condensed work and produced a veto period that ended April 11. "One of the key changes for this year...was a new budget process," Lucas said, describing how the House and Senate largely worked from their own foundational budgets and then reconciled differences.

Lucas highlighted several measures the county will continue to monitor. She said House Bill 2275 was placed on the governor's desk April 18 and "simply make[s] sure that from 07/01/2025 through 12/31/2026 that there are no changes" to the apportionment formula while stakeholders develop a long-term approach. The Watkins team also cited progress on a juvenile-justice reform bill (House Bill 2329), the unfinished Cremains bill (House Bill 2331), and a range of budget investments the county could benefit from, including $140,000 for in-home services for low-income seniors this year (and $540,000 next year), $2 million for senior nutrition, $4 million to cover uninsured population services, $10 million for hospital psychiatric reimbursement, and multi-million-dollar increases to services and rates for the intellectual/developmental-disabilities (IDD) population.

Commissioners pressed for next steps and involvement in working groups. Commissioner Howe asked who will lead negotiations around the sales-tax apportionment pause and whether Sedgwick County will have a seat at the table; Watkins' representatives said the county intends to convene partners and press both the League of Municipalities and Kansas Association of Counties to form a committee this summer. The group recommended the county prepare budget priorities earlier in the year so staff can participate in fall discussions where the reviser's office and draft timelines will be tighter.