Lobbyist briefs commissioners on 2026 legislative landscape; property tax reform remains unsettled

Tom Bruno, a lobbyist invited by county leaders, briefed the Riley County Commission on likely topics for the 2026 Kansas legislative session and how they may affect counties.

Bruno outlined the overall political landscape, noting an active governor's race field and potential congressional redistricting conversations. He summarized the state budget outlook — including consensus revenue estimates and an expectation that an initial legislative budget proposal will be drafted in the coming weeks — and stressed that final outcomes will depend on tax policy and committee deliberations.

Bruno said property-tax reform is under active discussion but that legislators have struggled to coalesce around a single solution. "There's a lot of ideas, but not a lot of coalescing around one singular solution at the moment," he said. He also touched on topics likely to appear in committees, including short-term rental regulation, water resources, higher education funding and government-efficiency efforts. Commissioners asked about timing, possible rollbacks on exemptions and the legislative process; Bruno advised engagement with committee chairs and noted timing constraints under an accelerated schedule.