White House letter highlights fight against waste, fraud and support of private schools
By: Tim Carpenter
Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Republican gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson publicly shared a letter signed by a White House staff member praising the GOP-led Kansas Legislature for tackling issues of wasteful government spending and broadening financial support of private education.
The letter addressed to Masterson, the Andover president of the Kansas Senate, and Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins of Wichita, congratulated state legislators for working during the 2026 session to advance elements of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Masterson is among the Republican field of candidates for governor, while Hawkins is seeking election as state insurance commissioner.
“We applaud your dedication to deliver on President Trump’s priorities and your leadership and courage … in enacting many priorities via veto override,” said Alex Meyer, director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.
On Monday, Masterson said he was proud of Senate support for the Trump administration and of politically positioning Kansas as a conservative model for other states.
“From day one, our mission was clear: Advance President Trump’s America First agenda right here in Kansas,” Masterson said. “We didn’t just talk about it. We delivered.”
Masterson pointed to actions of the Legislature to reduce wasteful spending, strengthen election integrity, expand resources for private schools and protect first responders.
In terms of state spending, the Legislature placed into law a requirement state agencies enter data-matching agreements to verify eligibility for government food and medical assistance. State lawmakers moved to prohibit Kansans from self-reporting income level or household size when applying for assistance.
Democrats in the House and Senate opposed the legislation because it would deny food aid to thousands of Kansans. Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill, but the Legislature overrode the Democratic governor.
The Legislature eliminated “no-excuse” absentee voting and restricted what online websites could be used to register voters. State agencies involved in registration were ordered to share personal data, such as a Social Security numbers, with the Kansas secretary of state’s office.
Opponents of data-sharing questioned the legality of the mandate and warned that computer searches would result in accidental flagging of U.S. citizens who had a right to vote.
The Legislature overrode Kelly’s veto of a bill establishing a 25-foot buffer zone around law enforcement and emergency personnel. Individuals who intentionally remained in the zone could be charged with a misdemeanor and possibly sentenced to six months in jail. Kansas also granted county sheriffs authority to enter agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement without approval of county commissions.
Supporters of the changes said it was to protect first responders from interference by protesters who objected to federal immigration actions. Kelly vetoed the bill, citing First Amendment considerations, but the veto was overridden.
“This legislation creates serious tension between ensuring law enforcement officers can carry out their duties while respecting the First Amendment rights of Kansans to observe and record their actions,” Kelly said.
The Legislature deflected Kelly’s veto of a bill enabling Kansas to take part in the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit program. It offers a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit up to $1,700 starting in 2027 for donations to organizations awarding scholarships to students attending private schools in Kansas.
“This new federal program needs to be thoroughly vetted to understand the potential impact on funding for our public schools,” Kelly said. “If it is, in essence, just another voucher program designed to redirect taxpayer dollars to private schools to the detriment of our public schools, Kansans have made clear they don’t want it.”
The House and Senate also expanded to $20 million the annual cap on state tax credits issued to support scholarships for lower-income students at private schools.