Property taxes, state spending, water security, and concerns about fraud in social service programs dominated a wide-ranging legislative forum this week featuring Rep. Virgil Peck and Rep. Ron Goddard.
Peck opened the discussion by noting that rising property valuations remain one of the most persistent concerns he hears from constituents. Some Kansans, he said, have seen valuations rise more than 200 percent in recent years despite stable mill levies.
“Property taxes continue to be a major issue,” Peck said, adding that lawmakers are evaluating a constitutional amendment that would cap annual valuation increases at 3 percent. Some states use longer freezes, he noted, including caps lasting up to seven years.
He said legislators have also discussed limits on how much revenue local governments can raise, arguing that taxpayers should come first. “Senior citizens are being taxed out of their homes,” he said.
Goddard echoed the concern, noting that in many cases, residents now pay more in property taxes than they do on their mortgages. He said some reforms — such as regional appraisal districts rather than county-by-county systems — may offer efficiencies and more uniform assessments.
Peck said state spending increased by $1 billion between fiscal years 2024 and 2025, rising from $9.3 billion to $10.3 billion. He was one of the lawmakers who voted against the most recent budget.
“We are spending more than we collect,” he said, noting that state reserves could be depleted by 2029 if trends continue. He will serve on a special budget committee meeting in Topeka this week.
K-12 education accounts for roughly half of the state budget, and current funding expires in July 2027. Social service programs now account for about 31 percent of spending — up from 18 percent in earlier years, according to Peck.
Peck criticized what he described as substantial fraud, waste, and abuse within state-administered federal programs, including Medicaid, SNAP, and other social services. Citing unspecific estimates of 7 to 9% waste — and some outside projections, as 20% — he said lawmakers must address the issue.
again without verifiable sources, as high
Kansas established an Inspector General to investigate fraud, Peck said, but the Legislature did not fund the additional staff positions needed to support the office.
“We authorized nine more positions, but without funding, they can’t produce results,” he said.
According to the Office of the Inspector General webpage, Steven Andersdon is the current Inspector General. He has served since 2021. Initially, the office was specifically tailored to medicaid fraud but was amended during the 2025 legislative session “to increase accountability, integrity, and oversight of all Kansas cash and food assistance programs, in addition to medical assistance programs, through audits, reviews, and investigations,” according to the webpage. Two auditors were hired for the department in 2022. In July of 2023 two full-time special agents and a financial analyst were also hired. The Kansas Legislature also approved a budget enhancement in 2025 to assist with the expansion of duties for the OIG for three full-time employees. An auditor, an analyst, and a special agent were hired and began working for the OIG on July 7, 2025.
Goddard said dependency on state programs has grown, arguing that many people who can work opt not to.
“We have a much larger group of dependent people,” he said, urging Kansans to focus less on federal debates and more on state-level accountability.
Both lawmakers highlighted water security as an urgent long-term issue.
Peck said reservoirs and lakes in southeast Kansas continue to fill with silt, reducing capacity and threatening future supply. He said dredging projects can cost millions and that nutrient-rich sediment often loses agricultural value after long submersion.
Goddard said preserving water should be viewed as essential for agriculture, communities, and economic development. He pointed to heavy rain events that wash large amounts of silt into waterways and strain infrastructure such as the John Redmond Reservoir.
“It’s not about building a pipeline,” Goddard said. “We have to conserve our resources here.”
The legislators also fielded questions on: Convention of States: Peck said 19 states have approved resolutions calling for a constitutional convention to propose amendments such as congressional term limits and a federal balanced-budget requirement.
Neither legislature had much to comment on the very new nuclear project in Labette County. They stressed the importance of public transparency.
Marijuana legislation: Peck said he remains opposed to medical or recreational legalization, calling it a “slippery slope.”
Goddard noted that the federal government may soon consider reclassifying marijuana, which could drive future debate, but said no action is expected this coming session.
Redistricting: Peck confirmed he supports a special election for future redistricting debates, saying Kansans deserve full representation in the process. Goddard said redistricting inevitably means some communities “win something and lose something,” but emphasized that the goal should be fairness.
Both legislators verbally distanced themselves from the controversial policies of their Republican party at the national level and wanted to focus on local issues.
“I have the same single vote (when it comes to federal elections) as you do,” Goddard said.
Audience questions ranged from taxation to social safety nets. One attendee argued that inflation and changes to social services have eroded support for seniors. Peck responded that Kansans must plan for the future and that eliminating waste would help protect programs for those who truly qualify.
Both lawmakers said they expect a challenging legislative session when lawmakers return to Topeka. “A lot needs to be done,” Peck said. “We want to do the right thing for Kansas.”
