2025 Veterans Summit helps connect service members to the statehouse

TOPEKA (KSNT) – The 2025 Veterans Summit on Nov. 8 is an opportunity for current service members, veterans, families and service organizations to talk directly to their elected lawmakers about veteran issues.

Kansas House Majority Leader Chris Croft served as an army officer for 30 years, and this summit is a way for him to continue serving his brothers and sisters in arms.

“Every year we try to get done the things that matter to the Veteran or the Veterans community,” Croft said. “So that’s why this thing is so powerful and so important, and I’m excited because it keeps growing every year.”

The annual veterans strategy summit began six years ago when Croft was trying to get approval and funding for a home for veterans through the statehouse. Now, it’s bigger than ever, featuring breakout sessions, small group discussions and opportunities for political leaders to share what they’ve accomplished for our veterans locally, regionally and nationally.

“Not everything requires a bill, some of it just requires us to get together as a team and work toward that objective,” Croft said. “I do think it’s (the summit) super valuable, and this is not partisan, this is a bipartisan issue, this is something we try to push everybody to get out and talk about.”

At the summit, veterans and political leaders will discuss ongoing issues like property taxes, long-term care and other issues that directly affect our services members. Furthermore, the summit is also designed to try and keep military personnel in Kansas.

“That’s probably the core piece, is how do we keep Kansas, our veterans, in Kansas,” Croft said. “It is such a valuable piece of our community. We don’t want them to all of a sudden just retire and leave, and run away to another state.”

For Croft, it takes a village to make sure no veteran is ever forgotten or left behind. The summit is a free event from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8 on the first floor of the Kansas Statehouse.

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