CyberCivics

Kansas laws affect our day-to-day lives, but have you ever wondered who makes them or how they are made? This chapter overviews the Kansas legislative branch and gives you a quick lesson on the legislative process in Kansas.

The government of the state of Kansas, established by the Kansas Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the United States government. Like the federal government, the state government has three branches: the executive, legislative and judicial. Through a system of separation of powers or “checks and balances,” each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches, and some of its own authority, in turn, is regulated by the other branches.

The legislative branch of government is responsible for making and maintaining laws within its jurisdiction, i.e., United States representatives and senators are responsible for laws at the national level, and state legislators are responsible for laws at the state level.