GOP looks to limit governor’s power on Kansas election laws

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas are advancing a measure to prevent the governor from entering into legal agreements that change state election practices without getting prior approval from the GOP-controlled Legislature or its top leaders. A Senate committee approved a bill Monday in response to an agreement Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly reached in October with voting-rights groups to head off a lawsuit. It allows Kansas residents to register to vote at state agencies that provide social services benefits. The measure goes next to the full Senate. If the full Legislature were in session, it would have to approve a settlement. Otherwise, the Legislature’s top eight leaders would have to approve.