TOPEKA — The Kansas Senate on Feb. 6 confirmed two gubernatorial appointments and approved several consent-calendar bills, while the clerk announced the passage or adoption of additional House measures.

The Senate confirmed Carlin Williams to a position identified on the calendar as a brigadier general for the Kansas National Guard and Kathy Wolf Moore to the Kansas Board of Regents. Senator Klamp praised Wolf Moore's decades of service, saying her "nearly 3 decades of dedicated service in our communities reflect her commitment to improving the lives of Kansans." The chamber confirmed the two appointees as part of a roll call that the clerk reported as 39 ayes and none opposed for the items on pages 7 and 8 that included the confirmations and Senate Bills 8 and 9.

On the consent calendar the Senate approved Senate Bill 8 (traffic regulations) and Senate Bill 9 (United States public land surveys); the clerk reported 39 ayes and none opposed on those items. Senate Bill 14, described on the calendar as an act concerning the state budget, passed on the same roll call with a recorded tally of 31 ayes and 8 nays. Senator Sykes explained his vote against SB 14 on the floor: "I cannot in good conscience vote to abdicate my duty to the constitution and support Senate Bill 14. Our duty is to appropriate funds and to pass a budget," he said.

Clerk announcements also included the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 5004 (a proposition to amend Section 1 of Article 5 of the Kansas Constitution concerning voter qualifications) and the reported passage of House Bill 2020 (an act concerning driver's licenses of noncitizens). The clerk announced those actions on the Senate floor; no roll-call tallies for those items were read on the transcript excerpt.

Senators also introduced a package of Senate bills numbered 223 through 244 covering a range of subjects from taxation and economic development to health care, energy, agriculture and criminal law. The clerk read the short titles for Senate Bills 223–244 on the floor as introductions; committee referrals and further action will follow the chamber's rules.

Ending: After votes and introductions the chamber received committee reports and routine announcements and adjourned pro forma until the next scheduled session.