The legislation Sen. Silas Miller is carrying and backing in Topeka -- from cutting the sales tax on diapers to reining in prescription middlemen.

The official map of Kansas Senate District 25 in Wichita, Sedgwick County -- boundaries, neighborhoods, and a link to the Kansas Legislature's district map.

Property taxes in Wichita are crushing homeowners and renters alike. Sen. Miller lays out what relief is possible this session and why the Legislature can't keep kicking the can.

Missouri did it. Texas did it. More than 20 states have done it. Kansas still charges full sales tax on diapers, feminine hygiene products, and incontinence supplies. Senate Bill 389 and House Bill 2073 would end that. Simple bills. Bipartisan support among voters. And yet - neither bill has even gotten a hearing in the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee. This isn't a culture war issue. It's a math issue. A family with an infant spends $80-100 a month on diapers. The state is taxing that at the same rate as a TV. That's wrong, and Kansas families know it. I'm a cosponsor of SB 389. I'm pushing the committee chair to schedule a hearing. If you agree this is overdue, call your senator and tell them.

I wish I could tell you we made progress on Medicaid expansion this session. We didn't. Democrats offered amendments. Every single one was voted down along party lines. That's 150,000 Kansans - working people, many of them with jobs that don't offer insurance - left without coverage because of partisan politics. This isn't abstract. I hear from constituents who ration insulin. Who skip follow-ups because they can't afford the copay. Who drive to Oklahoma for care because our rural hospitals keep closing. Forty states have expanded Medicaid. Kansas remains one of the holdouts. The federal government covers 90% of the cost. Our own hospitals support it. Polls show most Kansans support it. The only thing standing in the way is Republican leadership in the Legislature. I'll keep pushing. I'll keep offering amendments. And I'll keep telling you the truth about where the obstruction is coming from.

January 12 was my first day as your state senator. The Chief Justice swore me in, and I got to work. Here's where I'm focused: Property taxes. Multiple bills in play. I'm pushing for real relief that reaches working families - not just corporations. Education funding. 68 education bills carried over from last session. Special education remains severely underfunded. I'm advocating for consistent, predictable funding that doesn't leave our teachers scrambling. Healthcare access. Medicaid expansion continues to be blocked. I won't stop fighting for it. 150,000 Kansans deserve better than political games with their health. Child care. The new Kansas Office of Early Childhood consolidates our fragmented system under one agency. That's progress. But I'm watching closely to make sure safety standards for providers don't get weakened in the process. I serve on the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee (as Ranking Minority Member), the Commerce Committee, and the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. If any of these issues touch your life, I want to hear from you. Call or text: (316) 350-7350 Email: silas.miller@senate.ks.gov Ad Astra per Aspera, Silas

In 2024, the Legislature and the Governor agreed to a four-year plan to properly fund special education. The law says Kansas should reimburse school districts for 92% of special education costs. Right now we're at 75%. The plan called for $73 million this year to start closing that gap. The House Appropriations Committee just cut it to $10 million. That's not a compromise. That's breaking a promise to kids who need the most help. School districts across Sedgwick County are already stretched thin. Special education teachers are burning out. Parents are fighting for services their kids are legally entitled to. And the House decided that $63 million in promised funding just wasn't a priority. I'll say what needs to be said: if you can find room in the budget for corporate tax breaks, you can find room for kids with disabilities. This isn't complicated. It's a question of what you actually value.  I'll fight for the full amount in the Senate.

Vice Mayor Maggie Ballard and Rep. Silas Miller worked together to bring a new opportunity to Wichita.

We're calling this week "Hate Week" because Republican legislators have introduced a slew of discriminatory and anti-LGBTQ bills. Most of the bills were heard in a four day period.