By Charlotte O’Hara
Former JoCo Commissioner
Candidate for Kansas Governor
January 21, 2026
The Chiefs’ Star Bond rocket train continues speeding down the tracks without any of the normal public meetings required by the Kansas Open Meetings ACT, WHY???
I kept hearing that the representatives and senators on the Legislative Coordinating Council were required to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) on the Star Bond deal and now the same thing is happening at the local level, the public is not welcome, the public is not allowed information on the negotiations and details of the Chiefs’ contract will not be made public until July 1, 2029.
How can this happen when TRANSPARENCY is required under the Kansas Open Meetings Act Adopted in 1972 it states:
KSA 75-4317 Open meetings declared policy of state; citation of act.
(a) In recognition of the fact that a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate, it is declared to be the policy of this state that meetings for the conduct of governmental affairs and the transaction of governmental business be open to the public.
Ok, if a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate…that would be you and me…why in the world have we been and continue to be shut out of the process on this $2.775 billion Chiefs’ Star Bond deal, the biggest tax giveaway in the history of OUR state?
I had to look no further than the notorious HB 2001 adopted in the 2024 Special Session which opened the door wide open for this colossal Star Bond deal. What I found is that the chairperson of the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC), at their discretion, may prohibit public disclosure. The chairman was Senate President Ty Masterson (my opponent) until January 2, 2026, and now the chairman is Speaker of the House, Dan Hawkins.
From HB 2001 under section 1 sub 3 (c) page 2:
“Notwithstanding the provision of the open meetings act, in the discretion of the chairperson of the council, any review, testimony or discussion, or provisions thereof, regarding a proposed agreement shall not be open to the public.” And continuing to (d)…”The provisions of this paragraph providing for confidentiality of records shall expire on July 1, 2029.”
Let me decipher this little jewel for you. All transparency requirements under the Open Meetings Act have been thrown under the bus, GONE… by the discretion of the chairperson of the LCC. That is why WE THE PEOPLE cannot get one word of information as to what is happening in the negotiations with the Chiefs at the city level in Olathe and at the Unified Government in WyCo/KCK.
Earth to Senate President Ty Masterson and Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins – wave your magic wand and give us back OUR RIGHTS under the Kansas Open Meetings Act so that we may be a well-informed electorate.
I believe we need two opinions from our AG:
1. May a state statute override the Open Meetings Act at the discretion of the chair of the LCC to prohibit public disclosure of “any review, testimony, or discussion, or provisions thereof,” regarding a proposed agreement on a Star Bond for a major sports team? And may those details be sealed from the public until July 1, 2029?
2. May a state statute which overrides the Open Meetings Act at the discretion of the chair of the LCC extend to the local governing entities including cities, counties or unified government (WyCo/KCK)?
God Bless,
Charlotte O’Hara