Page 5 - Demo

5 | Page January 3 1 I ssuedrop boxes, were heard in the House this week, but the committee did not work either bill. They could be worked in committee as soon as next week.As noted last week, the House intends to have their budget process complete by mid-February. As a reminder, the budget process has changed this year from year%u2019s past. Previously, the governor would introduce a budget and the legislature would work from that recommended budget. This year, the legislature is introducing a budget in addition to the governor%u2019s budget. As a result, the House Appropriations and Budget subcommittees are conducting budget hearings in rapid succession to have a basis to work from as they develop the legislative budget. That is taking up a lot of time and focus for both legislators and staff. The development this week is that the process is taking longer than originally anticipated. The legislature is behind schedule on the budget reports, which will inevitably delay the formation of the actual budget. This could bog down the rest of the legislative process as we approach crucial deadlines in the session.For daily information on things happening in the Legislature, follow @KansasCounties and @JayHallKS on X (Formerly Twitter).Read the full January 31 Legislative Update, including What%u2019s Coming Next Week here.Watch Jay%u2019s January 31 One Big Thing here.Kansas Legislative Hotline - Powered by the State Library of KansasInformation about the 2025 Kansas Legislature and legislative session is only an email, online chat or phone call away on the Legislative Hotline for Kansans, 1-800-432-3924. Kansas%u2019 Legislative Hotline is a trustworthy resource for state residents with questions about the Kansas Legislature and is staffed by professional reference and research librarians.Kansans are encouraged to call the Legislative Hotline to learn who their legislators are and access their legislative contact information; check the status and history of bills, understand the legislative process, locate historical information and other inquires related to Kansas government.%u201cIt is critical for Kansans to have access to accurate and timely information about state government and issues that matter to them most,%u201d said State Librarian Ray Walling. %u201cBy using the Legislative Hotline, Kansans can be assured they will get the information they need from a trusted source, trained librarians from their State Library.%u201dKansas residents can connect with the Legislative Hotline by phone, chat or email:%u2022 Phone: 1-800-432-3924.%u2022 Online Chat: library.ks.gov/chat%u2022 Email: infodesk@ks.govLive assistance is available Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Messages left via voicemail or email are promptly returned on the next business day. Additionally, Kansans can engage in realtime conversations with librarians through the Ask a Librarian service at library.ks.gov/chat. TTY users can dial 711 for assistance.