Hippos now roam Colombia’s rivers and lakes, all thanks to drug kingpin Pablo Escobar’s extravagant whims.
He imported four hippos for his private zoo, but after his death, they escaped and multiplied.
Now, they’re an invasive species causing problems for officials trying to control them through sterilization and relocation. Yet, the so-called “cocaine hippos” continue to thrive.
The Kansas Legislature has its version of cocaine hippos—bad ideas that refuse to go away.
Every year, lawmakers deal with bills pushed by out-of-state think tanks and hard-right influencers, none of which address real issues facing Kansans.
Once you recognize these “cocaine hippos” in Kansas politics, they’re impossible to ignore.
They distort policymaking, crowd out rational debate, and make governance more chaotic. Eliminating them would only make the state stronger.
Here are five recent examples:
- The Legislature’s Spending Plan (March 27): Lawmakers passed a budget funding public schools and giving state employees raises, but also eliminating DEI initiatives, regulating pronouns in emails, and putting Kansas on a path to financial disaster within three years. Who was demanding these changes? Kansans are caught in a national culture war over issues that don’t materially affect their lives.
- Refusing to Condemn All Racism (March 26): Rep. Valdenia Winn proposed expanding a bill condemning antisemitism to include all forms of racism. The House rejected it. Discrimination is already illegal, so why was this even up for debate? Kansas hasn’t seen a surge in hate crimes, making this more about political signaling than real problems.
- Disqualifying Advance Ballots (March 25): Despite Kansas elections being secure—confirmed by Republican officials, the Legislature overrode the governor’s veto on a bill that could throw out thousands of mail-in ballots. This follows baseless election fraud claims from Donald Trump, even though Kansas has had no issues.
- Closed-Door GOP Meetings (March 24): Kansas House Republicans have been holding secret meetings this session, breaking tradition and avoiding transparency. With their supermajorities, why are they hiding? What are they afraid of?
- A Resolution on the U.S.-Mexico Border (March 20): Kansas, a landlocked state, passed a nonbinding resolution urging the governor to help secure the southern border. Immigration panic has no real connection to Kansas, yet lawmakers waste time pushing narratives that don’t reflect the state’s reality.
Kansas faces real challenges—underfunded schools, an unfair tax system, and persistent discrimination—but instead, lawmakers chase imaginary threats with pointless legislation.
And those cocaine hippos just keep multiplying.
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