The new legislature convened in Topeka on Monday under an expanded Republican supermajority in the House and Senate. Currently, the GOP controls 88 House seats and 31 Senate seats, the most seats they’ve held since Kelly was first elected Governor in 2018.
Speaker of the House Daniel Hawkins of Wichita was re-elected as Speaker and Senate President Ty Masterson of Andover was re-elected for the third time.
Meanwhile, Democrats re-elected former Republican Dinah Sykes of Lenexa as Senate Minority Leader for the third time and elected Brandon Woodard of Lenexa as the House Minority Leader. Woodard is the first openly gay party leader in Kansas history.
