25-4169a. Use of public funds, vehicles, machinery, equipment and supplies and time of certain officers and employees to influence nomination or election of candidate prohibited; exceptions; misdemeanor. (a) No officer or employee of the state of Kansas, any county, any unified school district having 35,000 or more pupils regularly enrolled, any city of the first class or the board of public utilities of the city of Kansas City, Kansas, shall use or authorize the use of public funds or public vehicles, machinery, equipment or supplies of any such governmental agency or the time of any officer or employee of any such governmental agency, for which the officer or employee is compensated by such governmental agency, to expressly advocate the nomination, election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate to state office or local office. The provisions of this section prohibiting the use of time of any officer or employee for such purposes shall not apply to an incumbent officer campaigning for nomination or reelection to a succeeding term to such office or to members of the personal staff of any elected officer.
(b) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.
History: L. 1991, ch. 150, § 15;
L. 1998, ch. 117, § 13; July 1.
Governmental Ethics Commission Opinions:
City governmental access television channel may carry debate among election candidates under format described. 94-30.
Use of public vehicles and equipment, by state officers and employees, in performing official duties of providing security for public officials who are attending or participating in political acts or events. 97-35.
Use of state property or equipment to prepare and distribute information soliciting opposition or support of a legislator's actions or criticizing or making personal comments regarding a legislator. 1999-14.
Personal staff of elected official may be used to promote the campaign of any
candidate.
2000-21.
1. Payment of vouchers for contested legislative election costs by director of accounts and reports does not violate section. Legislative Coordinating Council v. Stanley, 264 K. 690, 698, 957 P.2d 379 (1998).