Kansas Governor Laura Kelly delivered what she called a “quarterly report” Wednesday evening with her annual State of the State Address, focusing not just on the next year but the remainder of the century.

Governor Kelly said how the state invests in its children will determine the state’s trajectory.  She said the state is on track to add more child care capacity in the next two years than it has in the past 15 years.   She said it’s important to eliminate the red tape that parents and child care providers have to face, and she called for the creation of an Office of Early Childhood that will be a one-stop shop for services.

The governor also said in order to attract families to Kansas, it will be important to have strong schools, and she said her budget will again provide full funding to public schools. She said she will continue to reject any attempt to reroute any public tax dollars to private schools.   She also said she will oppose any proposal that robs schools of the funds they need to teach children.   Kelly said she would consider tax proposals that pay for themselves without risking the state’s financial future.

The governor also called for actions to secure the state’s water supply to protect agriculture, and she said there’s a need to develop a better water management system.  She wants to create an Office of Natural Resources to streamline the system, and she said her budget will include additional funding to provide $90 million a year to water resources.

Governor Kelly again made an appeal to expand Medicaid, and she said the only reason it hasn’t been expanded is partisan politics.  She said myths about expansion have been debunked, including the myth that it’s too costly.  She said it’s costly not to expand Medicaid, and it will cost another $78 million to taxpayers in 2025 if expansion doesn’t happen.

The governor said “The Kansas our grandkids will inherit is up to us” and the only way the state will move forward on any challenges is to recognize that both political parties have brought good, common sense ideas to the table.  She called on lawmakers to put partisanship aside and put Kansas and Kansans first.