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The Official Site of the Kansas Governor

About Laura Kelly

Laura Jeanne Kelly is an American politician serving since 2019 as the 48th governor of Kansas. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented the 18th district in the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2019. Kelly was elected governor in 2018, defeating Republican nominee Kris Kobach.

Laura Kelly, the Governor of Kansas, ran on a platform of expanding Medicaid, improving education and infrastructure, and addressing the budget deficit.

Medicaid Expansion: Kelly campaigned on expanding Medicaid in Kansas, which would provide health care coverage to thousands of low-income Kansans. She argued that expanding Medicaid would not only improve the health outcomes of thousands of Kansans, but it would also boost the state’s economy by creating jobs and reducing the burden of uncompensated care on hospitals.
Education: Kelly promised to increase funding for public schools and to improve teacher pay. She also pledged to invest in early childhood education and to increase access to vocational and technical education.
Infrastructure: Kelly promised to invest in infrastructure projects throughout the state. She campaigned on the need to improve roads, bridges, and public transportation in order to create jobs and boost economic growth.
Budget deficit: Kelly promised to address the state’s budget deficit by implementing fiscally responsible policies, such as cutting wasteful spending and streamlining government operations.
Economic Development: Kelly promised to create jobs and grow the economy by investing in infrastructure, education, and workforce development. She also promised to promote small businesses and to create a business-friendly environment in Kansas to attract new businesses and investment.
Environmental Protection: Kelly promised to protect Kansas’s natural resources and to address climate change by promoting renewable energy, protecting wetlands and wildlife habitats, and reducing emissions.
Health care: Kelly promised to expand access to affordable health care by increasing Medicaid coverage and protecting those with pre-existing conditions.
Criminal justice reform: Kelly promised to reduce recidivism, improve public safety, and create more effective and efficient criminal justice policies, such as reducing sentences for non-violent offenses, and investing in mental health and addiction treatment programs.

Laura Gets Things Done

Governor Laura Kelly brings together both parties to get things done for Kansas. Laura has brought jobs, businesses, opportunities, and record economic success to Kansas. She’s balanced the budget, fully funded schools, and is fighting for tax cuts for every Kansan.

Governor Kelly Leadership

Laura Kelly is the Governor of Kansas who served as the State Senator of Kansas. As a leader, she is known for her commitment to expanding access to healthcare, improving education, and addressing the budget deficit.

One of Kelly’s key priorities as Governor has been expanding Medicaid in Kansas. She campaigned on the issue and has made it a priority in her administration. Expanding Medicaid would provide health care coverage to thousands of low-income Kansans and would boost the state’s economy by creating jobs and reducing the burden of uncompensated care on hospitals.

Another key priority for Kelly has been improving education in Kansas. She has promised to increase funding for public schools and to improve teacher pay. She also pledged to invest in early childhood education and to increase access to vocational and technical education. By investing in education, Kelly hopes to improve the opportunities for Kansas students and prepare them for successful careers.

Additionally, Kelly has also prioritized addressing the state’s budget deficit. She has implemented fiscally responsible policies, such as cutting wasteful spending and streamlining government operations, to balance the budget.

Laura Kelly is also known for her commitment to environmental protection. She has promised to protect Kansas’s natural resources and to address climate change by promoting renewable energy, protecting wetlands and wildlife habitats, and reducing emissions.

In terms of leadership style, Governor Kelly is known for her willingness to work across party lines and to find common ground with lawmakers from both parties. She has been able to successfully negotiate and pass important legislation, despite the challenges of working in a divided government.

In addition to her policy initiatives, Governor Kelly is also known for her strong communication skills. She is often praised for her ability to clearly articulate her vision and policy goals to the public. She is also known for her ability to build relationships and to work collaboratively with other leaders and stakeholders.

Overall, Laura Kelly is a leader who is committed to improving the lives of Kansans through expanding access to healthcare, improving education, and addressing the budget deficit. She is also known for her dedication to environmental protection, her ability to work across party lines, and her strong communication skills.

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Cabinet Agencies vs Independent Boards in Kansas

TLDR

Kansas cabinet agencies generally operate through a secretary or other department head within the governor’s administration. Boards and commissions often place final authority in a multi-member body. But “independent board” is not a single, universal legal category in Kansas. To understand any particular entity, read its enabling statute and check who appoints its leaders, whether confirmation is required, how long they serve, how they may be removed and who holds final legal authority.

The practical answer to Kansas cabinet agencies vs independent boards is therefore about structure, not just labels. A cabinet department may allow more direct gubernatorial control through a single appointed leader. A board or commission may distribute power among members with fixed terms or statutory qualifications. Neither description alone reveals every appointment, removal, budget or oversight rule.

Kansas cabinet agencies vs independent boards at a glance

The Kansas governor’s executive-branch directory separates “Cabinet Agencies” from external non-cabinet offices, boards and commissions. That directory is a useful organizational starting point, but it is not a substitute for the Kansas statute creating and governing each entity.

Question	Cabinet-agency model	Board or commission model
Who usually leads?	Often one secretary, director or department head.	Often several members acting collectively.
How are decisions made?	The department head generally exercises authority assigned by statute, sometimes through divisions or delegated officials.	The governing body may vote at public meetings or issue collective orders, subject to its statute and procedural rules.
How is leadership selected?	The governor may appoint the department head; Senate confirmation and removal rules depend on the statute.	The governor or another appointing authority may select members. Confirmation applies only when required by law.
How long do leaders serve?	Some serve at the governor’s pleasure; others may have statutory terms or employment protections.	Members may have fixed or staggered terms, but the rules vary by entity.
What limits political control?	Statutes, appropriations, administrative procedures, courts and legislative oversight remain relevant.	Fixed terms, collective voting, qualifications or party-balance rules may add insulation, but do not eliminate public accountability.
Where is final authority?	Often in an individual department head.	Often in the board or commission as a body. The enabling law controls.

These are patterns, not rules that can safely be applied to every Kansas office. A body called a “board” might be advisory, regulatory, licensing, governing or adjudicative. A department may also contain boards or councils with powers distinct from those of its secretary.

What the cabinet-agency model looks like

A cabinet agency is commonly organized around executive administration by one principal officer. That structure gives residents, legislators and employees a recognizable chain of responsibility: the department head supervises the agency, while divisions and staff carry out assigned programs.

The Kansas Department of Administration illustrates this model. Kansas law creates the department and makes the secretary its head. The governor appoints the secretary subject to Senate confirmation, and the statute states that the secretary serves at the governor’s pleasure. That last provision matters because it permits a different relationship with the governor than a fixed statutory term would.

This example should not be generalized to every cabinet official. Appointment procedures, confirmation requirements, qualifications and removal provisions must be checked in the law governing the particular department. Kansas law also provides limited conditions under which certain acting secretaries, chief administrative officers or directors may serve for no more than six months. An acting appointment therefore presents its own statutory questions rather than automatically carrying the same status as a confirmed appointment.

Cabinet placement also does not mean the governor personally makes every operational decision. Agency officials must follow enacted statutes, appropriations, administrative rules, court orders and applicable procedural requirements. The Legislature can change an agency’s authority through legislation and controls appropriations through the budget process. Readers tracing that financial accountability can consult the guide to how Kansas agencies build and defend their budgets.

What the board or commission model looks like

A board or commission usually distributes legal authority among several members rather than placing it in one secretary. Members may need to vote before the body can issue an order, adopt a rule or take another official action. This structure can preserve continuity across gubernatorial terms and require deliberation among members, depending on the statute.

The Kansas Corporation Commission provides a concrete example. State law establishes a three-member commission. Commissioners are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, serve four-year terms, and are subject to a rule that no more than two commissioners may belong to the same political party. Those features distribute authority and limit single-party membership, but they do not make the commission detached from state government.

The distinction becomes clearer by asking who is the “agency head.” The Kansas Administrative Procedure Act defines a state agency broadly enough to include departments, boards, authorities and commissions. It defines the agency head as the individual or body with ultimate legal authority within that agency. In a secretary-led department, that may be one person. In a commission, it may be the commission acting collectively.

That definition also shows why “agency” and “board” are not opposites in every legal context. A board can itself be a state agency for administrative-procedure purposes. The important distinction is where the law places final authority and how that authority must be exercised.

Why “independent” is a qualified description

Calling a board independent can be useful shorthand, but it should not be read as complete freedom from the elected branches. Independence exists by degree and by function. One entity may have fixed terms that prevent immediate replacement of its members, yet still depend on legislative appropriations. Another may exercise adjudicative authority while remaining subject to judicial review and public-record requirements.

Features that may create some distance from direct day-to-day gubernatorial control include:

Fixed or staggered terms that do not end when a governor’s term ends.
Authority vested in several members rather than one administrator.
Professional, geographic or other membership qualifications.
Limits on how many members may belong to one political party.
Statutory standards governing removal or vacancies.
Requirements for public meetings, recorded votes, findings or written orders.

At the same time, accountability can continue through gubernatorial appointments, Senate confirmation, legislation, appropriations, audits, administrative review and courts. When Kansas law requires Senate confirmation for a public office, confirmation requires approval by a majority of the Senate. The Governor’s Office of Appointments says it assists with appointments of more than 1,000 people to Kansas boards and commissions, illustrating the range of bodies for which appointment questions can arise.

Executive reorganization adds another layer. Article 1, Section 6 of the Kansas Constitution authorizes executive reorganization orders affecting executive agencies and functions through a specified process. It also exempts legislative and judicial functions and constitutionally delegated functions of state officers and state boards. Whether a particular function can be reorganized therefore depends on its legal source and character, not merely the name of the entity performing it.

How to classify a specific Kansas entity

A four-step review is more reliable than assuming that every cabinet agency or outside board follows the same model.

Start with the Governor’s executive-branch directory. Determine whether the entity is listed as a cabinet agency or among external non-cabinet offices, boards and commissions. Treat the listing as orientation rather than the final legal answer.
Find the enabling statute. Search Kansas statutes for the provision creating the entity and the sections governing its powers, leadership, appointments, vacancies and removal. Note whether the law uses mandatory language such as “shall” or gives an official discretion.
Identify the agency head. Ask whether ultimate legal authority belongs to a secretary, director, board or commission. Then check the number of members, term lengths, confirmation requirements, qualifications, party-balance rules and procedures for filling vacancies.
Review the entity’s own materials. Membership pages, meeting notices, agendas, minutes, orders, regulations and annual reports can show how statutory authority operates in practice. Verify that the documents are current and distinguish an adopted action from a proposal or staff recommendation.

Also ask whether another agency shares part of the responsibility. Kansas programs can involve multiple departments, boards or offices with different statutory duties. The guide to Kansas interagency coordination explains how to identify who decides, who pays and who remains accountable when authority overlaps.

Public meetings, records and practical oversight

Leadership structure affects where residents look for public information. A multi-member body may conduct official business through scheduled meetings, while a cabinet department may publish decisions through orders, regulations, program documents or administrative records.

Kansas open-meetings law addresses covered bodies, meeting notice, agendas and permitted exceptions. Whether a particular gathering must be open depends on the law’s coverage and the circumstances, so the fact that officials met does not by itself settle the question. For a board or commission, begin with its meeting calendar and request available notices, agendas, minutes or recordings from the body’s designated contact.

Kansas open-records guidance states that public-agency records generally are open unless a specific exception applies. Requests should go to the agency’s records custodian or freedom-of-information officer and should describe the requested records with reasonable specificity. Useful requests might seek appointment records, current membership lists, final orders, adopted policies or correspondence concerning a defined subject and date range.

Open-government laws do not guarantee that every document or discussion will be public. Statutory exceptions may protect particular records or permit a closed session for a limited purpose. A denial or redaction should be evaluated under the cited legal basis rather than under the assumption that cabinet agencies are less transparent or boards are automatically more transparent.

The practical takeaway

Do not classify a Kansas entity by its title alone. First determine who holds ultimate legal authority. Then read the provisions governing appointment, confirmation, term length, removal, voting and powers. Those details reveal whether the governor can replace leadership directly, whether members continue through fixed terms and whether decisions require collective action.

For a current question, use the Governor’s directory to locate the entity, the Kansas statutes to establish its legal structure and the entity’s own meeting or records pages to confirm how it presently operates. That method produces a more accurate answer than treating “cabinet” and “independent” as absolute categories.