The Issues

The Gannon v. State of Kansas school finance lawsuit, which began in 2010 and consumed over a decade of litigation, was formally closed by the Kansas Supreme Court in February 2024. The court concluded that the Legislature's Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act (KSEEA) met constitutional standards for adequate and equitable K-12 funding.

But the KSEEA expires July 1, 2027 — and the Legislature has created an Education Funding Task Force that must deliver a replacement formula by January 11, 2027. For FY2026, the base per-pupil state aid (BASE aid) was set at $5,782, a 3% increase. The state is constitutionally required to fund 92% of excess special education costs, but in practice has funded only about 74–80%, a gap that four Johnson County school districts moved to litigate in May 2026.

In Sedgwick County, USD 259 (Wichita Public Schools) is the state's largest school district by enrollment. Its budget and staffing levels are directly tied to the outcome of the next funding formula.

Kansas has not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Traditional KanCare covers primarily those with disabilities, pregnant women, children, and very low-income parents — but generally not working-age adults without children, regardless of income. The Kansas Health Institute estimates approximately 28,000 Kansans fall in the "coverage gap."

Expansion bills were introduced in the 2025–2026 legislative session but did not pass. A significant federal development changes future calculations: Congress enacted legislation in 2025 mandating that any state that newly expands Medicaid beginning in 2027 must implement work requirements. This is new policy territory with uncertain implementation details.

Wichita's two major hospital systems — Via Christi (Ascension) and Wesley Medical Center — have historically supported expansion due to high uncompensated care costs from uninsured patients.

The Ogallala (High Plains) Aquifer underlies much of western Kansas and powers the state's agriculture — but it is being depleted far faster than it recharges. The Arkansas River, which runs through Wichita, is governed by a 1949 compact between Kansas and Colorado; Kansas has historically pursued legal action against Colorado for upstream diversions.

In 2026, a state-imposed deadline required Kansas Groundwater Management Districts to submit conservation action plans or face state-imposed cuts. Groundwater Management District 3 (Garden City area) proposed a 25-year Local Enhanced Management Area (LEMA) plan targeting a 27.7% overall reduction in water use over 20 years. More than 200 farmers gathered to debate the plan, reflecting substantial tension between conservation goals and agricultural livelihoods.

Water has not yet been a prominent campaign issue in the 2026 governor's race. The next governor will appoint Kansas Department of Agriculture leadership and will shape the state's response if groundwater districts miss their conservation benchmarks.

Spirit AeroSystems, spun off from Boeing in 2005, was Wichita's largest private employer. After a 2024 financial crisis tied to quality deficiencies (including the January 2024 Alaska Airlines door-plug blowout), Boeing completed its re-acquisition of Spirit's commercial operations on December 8, 2025. Approximately 15,000 workers across five sites now work under the Boeing Wichita umbrella.

Production workers are generally expected to retain their jobs. Management and administrative roles face potential layoffs or requests to relocate to Boeing's Arlington, VA headquarters. Boeing has announced a partnership with WSU Tech on a new 35,000 sq ft Workforce Training Center, expected to be operational by end of 2026.

In March 2026, Wichita voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposed 1% city sales tax (~$850M over 7 years for public safety, housing, arts, and property tax relief) by approximately 82%–18%. The city's infrastructure and amenity funding needs remain unresolved.

Abortion is currently legal in Kansas up to approximately 22 weeks of pregnancy, protected by a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court ruling that the state constitution's right to personal autonomy includes the right to terminate a pregnancy. This protection exists independently of federal law.

In 2022, the Value Them Both Amendment — which would have removed that constitutional protection — was defeated 59%–41% by Kansas voters, drawing national attention. Existing statutory restrictions remain: mandatory 24-hour waiting period, in-person counseling requirements, and a post-22-week prohibition except for certain medical exceptions.

The most significant abortion-related question on the August 4 ballot is the SCR 1611 judicial selection amendment. Senate President Masterson and other proponents have stated publicly that electing conservative justices is a pathway to revisiting the 2019 abortion ruling. Opponents argue the measure is about judicial independence, not only abortion, and that elected courts would be more susceptible to influence from wealthy donors.

Property taxes in Sedgwick County have been a source of frustration even as local governments have modestly reduced their mill levies — because assessed property valuations have risen sharply. Sedgwick County home values increased by an average of 8.6% for the 2025 tax year. Because tax bills = (mill levy) × (assessed value), even a reduced levy can produce a higher bill when the assessed value climbs.

The County Manager's proposed FY2026 budget totals approximately $624.7 million and includes lowering the county mill levy from 28.659 to 27.881 mills — a modest reduction. Separately, county commissioners have explored whether a sales tax for arts, culture, and recreation could allow a more substantial 2.5–3 mill reduction, shifting some of the burden from property owners to consumers.

At the state level, the income-tax trigger enacted via veto override in April 2025 could, over time, reduce state general fund revenues available for school finance — potentially shifting more school funding costs back onto local property taxpayers.

According to 2025 statistics released in February 2026, overall Wichita crime declined approximately 12% compared to 2024. Property crime improved significantly (burglaries -18%, larcenies -15%, auto thefts -10%). However, violent crime edged upward: 37 murders were recorded in 2025, compared to 33 in 2024. Calls for service increased 8%, indicating continued high demand on officers.

A 2024 assessment by consulting firm Jensen Hughes described the internal culture at the Wichita Police Department as "unhealthy, and at times toxic," a finding that prompted public discussion about department reform and leadership. The 2026 budget includes investments in crime analysis, body cameras, and a new Strategic Communications Director.

The rejected March 2026 sales tax included a public safety component. Its defeat leaves open questions about how the city will fund WPD priorities going forward. The city is separately weighing $1 million in funding for the Second Light homeless shelter — a debate that intersects with the broader public safety conversation.

In April 2025, the Legislature successfully overrode Governor Kelly's veto of Senate Bill 269, which creates an automatic income tax rate reduction trigger. When state general fund revenues exceed a baseline and the Budget Stabilization Fund is sufficiently funded, income tax rates automatically decrease — potentially reaching as low as 4% for individuals and 2.6% for banks.

The override (Senate 30-10, House 87-37) ended years of standoff over flat tax proposals. Governor Kelly vetoed multiple flat tax bills in 2024, arguing they recalled the Brownback tax cuts (2012–2017), which produced a severe state revenue shortfall and forced cuts to education and services before the Legislature reversed course in 2017.

The next governor will own this mechanism. The competing arguments: