A legislative committee advanced an omnibus slate of gubernatorial nominees, moving nominations for service on several state boards and authorities to the full Senate and referring one regent nominee to the Committee on Education for additional review.

The motion the committee approved by voice vote named appointments and reappointments including: Brad Sollers (Public Employee Relations Board); Jennifer McCausland (Public Employee Relations Board); Dave Harrison (University of Kansas Hospital Authority Board); Natalie Hague (Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission); Matt Crocker (Kansas Board of Regents); and reappointments including Stuart Hite to the Crime Victims Compensation Board. The motion also advanced other nominees (Gilchrist, Berry, Cross, Admanabaugh). Committee members voted to refer Peter Johnston’s nomination to the Board of Regents to the Committee on Education for more time and consideration.

Nominees presented short biographical summaries and answered brief committee questions. Brad Sollers described a legal practice focused on Taft–Hartley employee benefit plans and said his experience working with both labor and management would suit the Public Employee Relations Board. Dave Harrison described a 44-year real estate career and leadership of VanTrust, a national development firm, and noted prior advisory work with the University of Kansas health system. Jennifer McCausland, Andover city administrator, discussed human-resources and public-management experience and said the League of Kansas Municipalities nominated her. Natalie Hague detailed decades of regulatory and corporate governance experience and outlined her role establishing the state gaming agency in 1995; senators questioned her about tribal gaming compacts and whether state or local governments lose tax revenue when tribal entities acquire land in trust.

Peter Johnston, a Salina-based hospital and health-care lawyer nominated to the Kansas Board of Regents, emphasized workforce and rural health care implications of higher education. Committee members asked Johnston about impartiality, given his KU background; Johnston said regents must serve the system and cited workforce priorities such as nursing. Matt Crocker, also nominated to the Board of Regents, said he would bring a business-minded focus on return on investment and alignment with employer needs.

Stuart Hite, a reappointment to the Crime Victims Compensation Board, described 30 years in local law enforcement and five years already served on the compensation board. The committee’s motion to advance the slate was seconded by Vice President Schonberger and approved by voice vote; the transcript records the voice vote but no numeric roll-call tally.

Speakers who testified included several nominees and introducing officials; committee members asked procedural questions about nomination sources and policy areas relevant to each board. The committee advanced the slate to the full Senate for consideration and referred Peter Johnston’s regent nomination to the Committee on Education.

The hearing also listed five reappointments (Cheryl Gilchrist, Mary Berry, Connor Cross, Citra Paddamanabam and Stuart Hite) and noted reappointed members were welcome to appear but were not required to do so. The committee adjourned after completing the motion and voice vote.