CORSON ANNOUNCES WORKING FAMILIES AGENDA TO KEEP MORE MONEY IN KANSANS’ POCKETS

TOPEKA, KS — State Senator Ethan Corson today announced a Working Families Agenda for the 2026 legislative session focused on helping Kansans keep more of what they earn in a more expensive world, while strengthening government ethics rules to restore public trust and keep Topeka focused on results.

“Kansans are working hard and still feeling squeezed,” Corson said. “But we can make sure working families get to keep more money in their pockets, and we can make sure the people making decisions in Topeka are playing by the rules.”

Corson’s Working Families Agenda brings together practical affordability proposals, including tax relief, protections for overtime earnings, and targeted property tax related relief, along with commonsense government reforms to reduce conflicts of interest and curb insider influence at the Statehouse.

“Working families don’t have lobbyists. They have bills,” Corson said. “They have groceries, rent, child care, and car repairs. This agenda is about delivering relief people can actually feel, and making sure government is working for Kansans, not for insiders.”

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Corson emphasized that affordability should not be partisan, and neither should ethics.

“This is not about left versus right,” Corson said. “It’s about whether Kansas families can afford to live here, whether seniors can stay in their homes, and whether Kansans can trust that their government is focused on doing the job. We can be responsible with the budget and still deliver relief that families actually feel.”

Corson’s Working Families Agenda includes the following proposals:

Affordability: Keeping More Money in Kansans’ Pockets

Give a car tax rebate
Corson is proposing a $250 vehicle registration rebate applied at the time of registration to reduce or eliminate what Kansans owe when renewing tags.

Cut property taxes for homeowners
Corson introduced SB 309 to double the exemption from the state 20 mill property tax levy from the first $75,000 of home value to the first $150,000 to provide property tax relief.

End taxes on overtime
Corson introduced SB 311 to exempt overtime earnings from state income tax so families can keep more money in their pockets when they pick up extra shifts.

Freeze property taxes for more seniors
Corson introduced SB 215, an expanded property tax freeze for seniors to help older Kansans stay in their homes.

Raise the minimum wage
Corson has introduced legislation, most recently SB 218, to raise the minimum wage every year that he has been in the Legislature because no one who works full time should be living in poverty.

Provide paid sick leave for Kansas workers
Corson introduced SB 216 to establish paid sick leave in Kansas because a healthier workforce is a more productive workforce and no Kansan should have to choose between caring for themselves and their family and keeping their job.

Give a tax break to renters
Corson will be introducing legislation that would restore the renter homestead property tax refund that was eliminated in 2012, recognizing that the ⅓ of Kansans that rent deserve relief too.

Give a tax break to families with kids
Corson supports the Blasi/Sykes Child Tax Credit bill (SB 179) to help Kansas families keep more of what they earn and cover the cost of raising kids.

Bring the parties together to cut taxes and costs
Corson is supporting targeted relief proposals like “no tax on tips” and other commonsense tax cuts for working families, emphasizing that affordability shouldn’t be a partisan issue.

Government Reform: Restoring Trust and Accountability in Topeka

Ban former legislators from becoming lobbyists for four sessions after leaving office
Corson introduced SB 308 to prohibit former legislators from registering as lobbyists for four legislative sessions after they leave office.

Ban legislators from trading individual stocks during the legislative session
Corson introduced SB 313 to prohibit state legislators from trading individual stocks during the legislative session, from January 1 through sine die, and any special session, to prevent conflicts of interest and restore public trust.