Year in Review: Kelly Administration touts a successful 2023 for Kansas
TOPEKA – As 2023 comes to an end, Governor Laura Kelly is highlighting some of the key successes from the first year of her second term.
“This year, I worked with the Legislature, members of my administration, and Kansans from across the state to continue building on the successes of our first term,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Heading into 2024, there is more work to be done to ensure Kansas remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Bipartisanship: In 2023, Governor Kelly signed 89 bipartisan bills into law, including significant legislation that:
- Fully funded K-12 education for the fifth year in a row;
- Fully funded the State Water Plan Fund and added significant new funding to secure water resources and improve water quality;
- Decriminalized the use of fentanyl test strips;
- Outlined the rights of foster youth, foster parents, and family caregivers named in honor of the late Representative Gail Finney; and
- Removed the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of child sex crimes.
Expanding Affordable Child Care: The first executive order of Governor Kelly’s second term established the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. The task force was charged with reviewing Kansas’ early childhood programs and developing a roadmap to create a cabinet-level agency solely focused on supporting our youngest Kansans. Earlier this month, the task force presented Governor Kelly with its final report.
Throughout 2023, the Kelly administration has allocated more than $65 million to create nearly 6,000 new child care slots.
Economy and Workforce: In 2023 alone, the Kelly administration closed 256 economic development projects, totaling more than $3 billion in new business dollars invested into the state and creating or retaining more than 12,000 jobs.
In September, Governor Kelly celebrated the anniversary of establishing the Office of Registered Apprenticeship. Now, over 4,500 Kansans are active in a registered apprenticeship program, showing a nearly 55% increase in new registered apprentices and 18 new programs established in 2023.
Infrastructure: In 2023, Governor Kelly announced the final phase of the last two projects remaining from the T-WORKS program. These projects were only able to move forward through the Governor’s and Legislature’s bipartisan work to close the “Bank of KDOT” by the end of her first term.
High-Speed Internet: The collaboration of the Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Research and Education Network, and private providers brought $43 million in federal funding to strengthen the state’s high-speed internet infrastructure. Nearly 9,000 homes and businesses have been connected to high-speed internet in 2023.
Water: In partnership with the Legislature, Governor Kelly invested a record $35 million to protect vital water resources and fund projects to address high-priority dams and small-town water infrastructure through the passage of HB 2302. As she proposed in her budget, funding has also been dedicated to pay off debt for the Milford and Perry Reservoirs, saving Kansas taxpayers money in long-term interest payments.