Guide to Officials

About the Kansas Legislature

The state legislature typically convenes the second week of January each year for a scheduled 90-day session, adjourning in early April. The legislature then reconvenes again in the last week of April for a “veto session”, a period when lawmakers reconsider bills that have been vetoed by the governor and take action on any unfinished business.

Currently there are 33 legislators that represent at least a portion of Johnson County – 25 members of the 125-member House of Representatives and 8 members of the 40-member Senate.

If you are a Johnson County resident and you are unsure who represents you in the Kansas legislature, contact the Johnson County Election Commission at (913) 715-6800. The Commission can quickly determine your senator or representative based on your address.

During the legislative session, state lawmakers may be contacted by mail by writing to:

The Honorable [Legislator’s Name]

State House Room [Number]

300 S.W. 10th Avenue

Topeka, Kansas 66612

The salutation should read: Dear Senator [Last Name] or Dear Representative [Last Name].

Lawmakers can be contacted by phone either directly or by calling the State House switchboard at (785) 296-0111. The Johnson County Commission also sponsors a direct telephone service from citizens to area lawmakers and the Governor’s Office. To utilize this service, call (913) 715-5000 between 8:00am and 5:00pm during the legislative session and ask the operator to forward your call.

The legislative reference section of the State Library operates a toll-free hotline to assist with general questions concerning the legislative session, including status of bills, calendars, journals, and committee agendas. To reach the hotline, call (800) 432-3924. Calls and questions are confidential.

In addition, for more comprehensive information about the state legislature and its activities, including the full text of legislation and explanatory notes, committee information, rosters, calendars of the week’s schedule, journals recapping previous business, contact information, statutes, and video/audio links, citizens can explore the legislature’s official website free-of-charge at www.kslegislature.org.

Legislative action is also often detailed and tagged on Twitter using #ksleg.

About the U.S. Congress

Unlike state legislatures, the U.S. Congress essentially meets year-round, usually recessing during the month of August and significant portions of January and December.

Currently there are three federal lawmakers that represent Johnson County in the U.S. Congress – one member of the 435-member U.S. House of Representatives and two members of the 100-member Senate.

If you are writing to a federal lawmaker, correspondence should be addressed to The Honorable [Name]. The salutation should read: Dear Senator [Last Name] or Dear Representative [Last Name].

Federal lawmakers may be contacted by phone by dialing the U.S. Capitol’s main switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and asking the operator to forward your call.

For comprehensive information about the U.S. Congress and its activities, including the full text of legislation, rosters, calendars, and contact information, citizens can explore official congressional websites free-of-charge at www.congress.gov or www.senate.gov or www.house.gov.

Directory of Elected Officials