Kansas state government

Articles about Kansas, its government, and public policy in Kansas.

Quarterly tax collections
02
Apr
By Bob Weeks

Quarterly tax collections

Tax collections by state and local governments fell by about one percent during calendar year 2020 when compared to the year before. Tax collection data from the United States Census Bureau shows state and local government tax collections falling only slightly during 2020, despite the effects of the pandemic. (more…)
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Kansas tax revenue, March 2021
01
Apr
By Bob Weeks

Kansas tax revenue, March 2021

For March 2021, Kansas tax revenue was 12.7 percent greater than March 2020. Over the nine months of the current fiscal year, revenue is 14.0 percent higher than at the same point of the previous year. (more…)
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Kansas school spending
01
Apr
By Bob Weeks

Kansas school spending

Kansas school district spending, updated through 2020 and adjusted for inflation. What is the trend in Kansas school spending? This visualization presents several tables and illustrations of spending data. It is presented separately for each district, with a special district "State Totals - 999" being the sum of all districts. (more…)
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Kansas jobs, February 2021
26
Mar
By Bob Weeks

Kansas jobs, February 2021

In Kansas for February 2021, the labor force shrank, the number of people working fell, and the unemployment rate fell. Data released today from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows a deteriorating employment picture in Kansas for February 2021, even though the unemployment rate fell. (more…)
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Kansas jobs since pandemic
20
Mar
By Bob Weeks

Kansas jobs since pandemic

Examining the effect of the pandemic on Kansas jobs using industry groups. These charts show data from January 2019 through January 2021. Data is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor. The industry groupings are as defined by BLS. This data is adjusted for seasonality. The first chart shows the count of jobs in each industry. The vertical axis is different for each industry. This is useful for seeing how many jobs are in each category. For the interactive versions of the chart, click here. Click charts for larger versions. The second chart…
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Kansas jobs, January 2021
19
Mar
By Bob Weeks

Kansas jobs, January 2021

In Kansas for January 2021, the labor force shrank while the number of people working rose, resulting in a drop in the unemployment rate. Data released this week from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows a mixed employment picture in Kansas for January 2021. (Click charts and tables for larger versions.) Using seasonally adjusted data, from December 2020 to January 2021, nonfarm employment in Kansas rose by 10,000 jobs (0.7 percent). Over the year, the number of Kansas nonfarm jobs for January 2021 was lower by 66,400 (4.6 percent) over the same…
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Kansas tax revenue, February 2021
05
Mar
By Bob Weeks

Kansas tax revenue, February 2021

For February 2021, Kansas tax revenue was 1.7 percent greater than February 2020. Over the eight months of the current fiscal year, revenue is 14.2 percent higher than at the same point of the previous year. Tax reports from the State of Kansas for February 2021 show tax revenues falling from the previous month, but higher than the same month the prior year, despite the effects of the response to the pandemic. The fall from January is characteristic of the seasonal pattern. When reporting on Kansas tax collections, the comparison is usually made to the estimated collections. Those estimates were…
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Say no to special tax treatment, again
14
Feb
By Bob Weeks

Say no to special tax treatment, again

In Kansas, a company seeks to avoid paying property taxes, again. In a bill presented in the Kansas Legislature, the owner of health clubs seeks to avoid paying property taxes. The same company and its owner have tried this before. In 2014, I explained how granting this exemption was a bad idea. What has changed since then? This exemption is still a bad idea for reasons of public policy. Additionally, Brandon Steven, the owner of the health clubs, plead guilty to a gambling charge and forfeited one million dollars in earnings. The companies also owe a lot of the tax…
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Kansas tax revenue, January 2021
02
Feb
By Bob Weeks

Kansas tax revenue, January 2021

For January 2021, total Kansas tax revenue was 9.7 percent greater than January 2020. Over the seven months of the current fiscal year, tax revenue is 15.5 percent higher than at the same point of the previous fiscal year. (more…)
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Kansas agency revenue
30
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Kansas agency revenue

Data regarding State of Kansas agency revenue presented in an interactive visualization, with data through fiscal year 2020. The source of this data is KanView, the Kansas transparency portal, through its download center. Data from multiple years are combined into one database. Data starts with fiscal year 2011. (more…)
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Visualization: Kansas agency revenue

Visualization: Kansas agency revenue

Data regarding State of Kansas agency revenue presented in an interactive visualization. The source of this data is KanView, the Kansas transparency portal, through its download center. Data from multiple years are combined into one database. Data starts with fiscal year 2011 and is available through fiscal year 2020. Of this data, KanView advises: Annual Revenues represents agency receipts and deposits into funds established within the state treasury, including: taxes, agency earnings, revenue from the use of money and property, gifts, donations, federal grants, and other revenues. The function view identifies revenue for high-level activities and programs of the State…
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Kansas agency expenditures
30
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Kansas agency expenditures

Data regarding State of Kansas agency spending presented in an interactive visualization. The source of this data is KanView, the Kansas transparency portal, through its download center. Data from multiple years are combined into one database. Data starts with fiscal year 2011. (more…)
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Kansas jobs, December 2020
26
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Kansas jobs, December 2020

In Kansas for December 2020, the labor force shrank while the number of people working rose, resulting in a drop in the unemployment rate. Data released today from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, part of the United States Department of Labor, shows a mixed employment picture in Kansas for December 2020. (more…)
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Kansas unemployment claims are high and rising
19
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Kansas unemployment claims are high and rising

A visualization of unemployment insurance claims by state, adjusted for population, shows Kansas as an outlier among states. The number of people filing for unemployment insurance each week is a useful indicator of the condition of the economy. I present this data for each state and the nation in an interactive visualization. Because states vary widely in their population (the most populous state has 68 times the population of the least populous), I've cast the data as claims per thousand residents of each state. (more…)
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Kansas tax revenue, December 2020
05
Jan
By Bob Weeks

Kansas tax revenue, December 2020

For December 2020, total Kansas tax revenue was 1.8 percent greater than last December 2019. Over the six months of the current fiscal year, tax revenue is 16.6 percent higher than at the same point of the previous fiscal year. (more…)
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