Kan. Stat. § 74-561
The secretary of agriculture may appoint an assistant secretary or secretaries of agriculture, who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary of agriculture. Any such assistant secretary of agriculture shall be in the unclassified service under the Kansas civil service act and shall receive an annual salary fixed by the secretary of agriculture with the approval of the governor. The secretary of agriculture also may appoint such other staff assistants and employees as are necessary to enable the secretary to carry out the duties of the office. Except as otherwise provided in this act and in K.S.A. 75-2935, and amendments thereto, such staff assistants and employees shall be within the classified service under the Kansas civil service act. The assistant secretary or secretaries of agriculture and such other staff assistants and employees shall be within the Kansas department of agriculture and shall have such powers, duties and functions as are assigned to them by the secretary or are prescribed by law. Such assistant secretary or secretaries of agriculture, staff assistants and employees shall act for and exercise the powers of the secretary of agriculture to the extent authority to do so is delegated by the secretary of agriculture.
K.S.A. 74-561