Kansas House of Representatives
The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on legislation, helping to create a state budget, and legislative oversight over state agencies.
Representatives are elected to a two-year term. The Kansas House of Representatives does not have term limits. The legislative session convenes at the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka annually.
History
On January 29, 1861, President James Buchanan authorized Kansas to become the 34th state of United States, a free state. The ratification of the Kansas Constitution created the Kansas House of Representatives as the lower house of the state legislature.Members of the Kansas House voted to impeach Governor Charles L. Robinson in 1862, but the impeachment trial did not lead to his conviction and removal of office. The Kansas Senate did vote to impeach the secretary of state and state auditor for the unlawful sale of bonds, but only three state senators voted for the governor's impeachment.
In 1870, the Kansas House of Representatives first met at the Kansas State Capitol, which was not officially completed until 1903.
Populists and Republicans both claimed control of the Kansas House of Representatives in 1893, with the Populists accusing the Republican Party of election fraud. The dispute led to separate Populist-led and Republican-led Houses in 1893 until the Kansas Supreme Court sided with the Republicans and the Populist-led House disbanded.
In 1918, Minnie J. Grinstead became the first female elected to the House.
In 1966, the state legislature began to hold annual general sessions and a constitutional amendment adopted at the 1974 general election extended the duration of the session held in the even-numbered years to 90 calendar days, subject to extension by a vote of two-thirds of the elected membership of each house.
An early legislator who served from 1875 to 1883, Robert M. Wright, was also one of the founders of Dodge City and later its mayor as well.
United States presidential candidate Bob Dole, the 1996 Republican nominee, began his political career with a two-year term in the Kansas House of Representatives after his election in 1950.
Legislative procedure
State representatives introduce a proposed law in the Kansas House of Representatives in the form of a bill, which must be approved by a standing committee, the Committee of the Whole and the entire membership of the chamber. Other state representatives can amend a bill in committee or on the floor of the chamber.A bill must be approved by both houses of the Kansas Legislature in order to be submitted to the governor, who can sign it into law or veto the bill. State legislators can override the veto with the support of two-thirds majority of both houses.
Party composition
Republicans have controlled the chamber for all but six years since statehood, and without interruption since 1993. The GOP presently holds a supermajority in the chamber. The following is the official make-up for the 2017-2019 session:Leadership
The Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives is the leader of the chamber and is elected by his fellow state representatives. The speaker presides over the legislative process on the floor of the chamber or appoints a presiding officer in his or her place. He or she also decides the committee structure. The majority and minority leaders, are elected by their respective party caucuses relative to their party's strength in the chamber.Officers
Members of the Kansas House of Representatives
Committee Leadership
2019-2020
2017-2018
| Committee | Chairman | Vice Chairman | Ranking Minority Member |
| Agriculture | Kyle Hoffman | Kent Thompson | Sydney Carlin |
| Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Don Schroeder | Larry Hibbard | Sydney Carlin |
| Appropriations | Troy Waymaster | Erin Davis 2017 Larry Campbell January 2018-February 2018 Richard Proehl 2018 | Kathy Wolfe-Moore |
| Calendar and Printing | Don Hineman | Ron Ryckman Jr. | Jim Ward |
| Children and Seniors | Steve Alford 2017 Erin Davis 2018 | Linda Gallagher | Jarrod Ousley |
| Commerce, Labor and Economic Development | Les Mason | Ken Corbet | Brandon Whipple |
| Corrections and Juvenle Justice | Russell Jennings | John Whitmer | Dennis Highberger |
| Education | Clay Aurand | Diana Dierks | Valdenia Winn |
| Elections | Keith Esau | Blake Carpenter | Vic Miller |
| Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications | Joe Seiwert | Randy Garber | Annie Kuether |
| Federal and State Affairs | John Barker | Ron Highland | Louis Ruiz |
| Financial Institutions and Pensions | Jim Kelly | Randy Powell | Gail Finney |
| General Government Budget | Bill Sutton | Chuck Webber | Tom Burroughs |
| Government Technology and Security | Pete DeGraaf 2017 Tom Sloan2018 | Greg Lewis | Pam Curtis |
| Health and Human Services | Daniel Hawkins | Susan Concannon | John Wilson 2017 Monica Murnan 2018 |
| Higher Education Budget | Kevin Jones | Susie Swanson | Eber Phelps |
| Insurance | Jene Vickrey | Willie Dove | Cindy Neighbor |
| Interstate Cooperation | Ron Ryckman Jr. | Scott Schwab | Jim Ward |
| Judiciary | Blaine Finch | Bradley Ralph | John Carmichael |
| K-12 Education Budget | Larry Campbell 2017 Fred Patton 2018 | Steve Huebert | Ed Trimmer |
| Legislative Budget | Troy Waymaster | Richard Proehl | Jim Ward |
| Local Government | Kristey Williams | Jack Thimesch | John Alcala |
| Rules and Journal | Blaine Finch | Tom Sawyer | No Rules and Journal Committee RMM |
| Social Services Budget | Brenda Landwehr | Stephanie Clayton | Barbara Ballard |
| Taxation | Steven C. Johnson | Tom Phillips | Tom Sawyer |
| Transportation | Richard Proehl | Shannon Francis | Adam Lusker |
| Transportation and Public Safety Budget | J. R. Claeys | Michael Houser | Henry Helgerson 2017-March 2018 Brett Parker March 2018-January 2019 |
| Veterans and Military | Les Osterman | Lonnie Clark | Virgil Weigel |
| Water and Environment | Tom Sloan | Ken Rahjes | Ponka-We Victors |
2015-2016
| Committee | Chairman | Vice Chairman | Ranking Minority Member |
| Agriculture and Natural Resources | Sharon Schwartz | Sue Boldra | Ponka-We Victors |
| Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget | Kyle Hoffman | Don Schroeder | Sydney Carlin |
| Appropriations | Ron Ryckman Jr. | Sharon Schwartz | Jerry Henry |
| Calendar and Printing | Jene Vickrey | Ray Merrick | Tom Burroughs |
| Children and Seniors | Connie O'Brien | Erin Davis | Ponka-We Victors |
| Commerce, Labor and Economic Development | Mark Hutton | Les Mason | Stan Frownfelter |
| Corrections and Juvenile Justice | John Rubin Jan. 2015 - March 2016 Ramon Gonzalez March 2016 - Jan. 2017 | Ramon Gonzalez Jan. 2015 - March 2016 Janice Pauls March 2016 - Jan. 2017 | Dennis Highberger |
| Education | Ron Highland | Jerry Lunn | Valdenia Winn |
| Education Budget | Amanda Grosserode | Bill Sutton | Valdenia Winn |
| Elections | Mark Kahrs | Keith Esau | Tom Sawyer |
| Energy and Environment | Dennis Hedke | Ken Corbet | Annie Kuether |
| Federal and State Affairs | Steve Brunk 2015 Janice Pauls 2016 | Travis Couture-Lovelady 2015 James Todd 2016 | Louis Ruiz |
| General Government Budget | Troy Waymaster | Craig McPherson | Kathy Wolfe Moore |
| Health and Human Services | Daniel Hawkins | Willie Dove | Jim Ward |
| Insurance and Financial Institutions | Scott Schwab | Jim Kelly | Roderick Houston |
| Interstate Cooperation | Ray Merrick | Peggy Mast | Tom Burroughs |
| Judiciary | John Barker | Charles Macheers | John Carmichael |
| Legislative Budget | Ron Ryckman Jr. | Sharon Schwartz | Tom Burroughs |
| Local Government | Steve Huebert | Tom Phillips | John Alcala |
| Pensions and Benefits | Steven C. Johnson | Kent Thompson | Ed Trimmer |
| Rules and Journal | John Barker Jan. 2015 - March 2016 Janice Pauls March 2016 - Jan. 2017 | Tom Sawyer | No Rules and Journal Committee RMM |
| Social Services Budget | Will Carpenter | Peggy Mast | Barbara Ballard |
| Taxation | Marvin Kleeb | Gene Sullentrop | Tom Sawyer |
| Transportation | Richard Proehl | Ron Ryckman | Adam Lusker |
| Transportation and Public Safety Budget | J. R. Claeys | Russell Jennings | Gail Finney |
| Utilities and Telecommunications | Joe Seiwart | Steve Alford | Annie Kuether |
| Veterans, Military and Homeland Security | Mario Goico | Les Osterman | Adam Lusker |
| Vision 2020 | Tom Sloan 2015 Larry Campbell 2016 | Larry Campbell 2015 Tom Sloan 2016 | Pam Curtis |