In a legislative session marked by its brevity, Kansas lawmakers managed to pass an impressive 116 bills. This makes 2025 a productive year for the Legislature. But while this productivity could suggest functional governance, a closer look reveals a shift in the balance of power that raises questions about the state of checks and balances in Topeka.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, operating with a Republican Legislature, signed into law more than 90 bills, demonstrating that our two major parties can work together when they find common ground. The Legislature and governor addressed important topics, ranging from the sustainability of Kansas’ water supply to the opioid epidemic to broadband infrastructure. Many of these bills had broad support, passing both chambers with ease. And even when Kelly did have issues, she allowed eight bills to become law without signing them, which is indication of compromise, not obstruction.

But this spirit of cooperation was balanced by a record-breaking exercise of legislative muscle. Fourteen of Kelly’s 18 vetoes were overridden, the most during her tenure. That in and of itself is a sign of the growing power of Republican supermajorities and the increasingly diminishing role of the executive branch in shaping final policy outcomes.

It’s not easy to override a veto. It takes two-thirds majority in both houses, which is 84 votes in the House and 27 in the Senate. That the Legislature was able to do so 14 times speaks of a branch of government comfortable with its supremacy. In recent sessions, veto overrides were less prevalent. The 2025 session is a departure from that norm.

Furthermore, the Legislature enacted changes to the budgeting process this year. The budget reform shifted actual power away from the governor by allowing a new legislative committee to introduce their baseline budget early in the session. Rather than being the opening offer for negotiation, Kelly’s proposed budget was a supplemental proposal. Supporters of the budget reform argued that these changes were not personally aimed at Kelly’s administration. However, the new budget process coupled with the record number of veto overrides paint the picture of a Legislature increasingly inclined to bypass the governor’s authority.

Though this session’s productivity can be seen as an accomplishment, it is not the only measure of governmental achievement. In the coming years, Kansas will need to contend with a basic question: Can government ever be a sincere system of checks and balances if one branch so consistently overrules the other?

Preserving checks and balances is something we should care about. Enacting legislation is an important part of governing, but ensuring that each branch can effectively check the others is essential to a healthy democracy. The erosion of the governor’s check on legislative power should concern Kansans. Bipartisanship will persist in some policy realms, but the veto override trend and new budget process suggest a Legislature more at ease forging ahead without the governor.

— Brianne Heidbreder is an associate professor of political science at Kansas State University.