Author
Kansans embark on statewide civics experiment of abortion amendment vote, outcome unknown
The abortion amendment battle comes to a head this August election day, and if nothing else it proves that civic debate thrives in Kansas. TV ads burble, yard signs protrude and glossy fliers stuff mailboxes from one side of the state to the other. Online forums buzz with the back and forth. Folks chat in […]
In Kansas abortion amendment debate, three big lies prevent honest exchanges
For a group of people presumably interested in the guidance of the Lord Almighty, backers of the “Value Them Both” amendment have a lot of problems with the Ninth Commandment. They’re lying an awful lot. The state constitutional amendment on the ballot Aug. 2 has been debated ad nauseam in recent months. It would preempt […]
One simple question Kansas abortion-rights advocates could ask their opponents
Should a 10-year-old girl be forced to give birth to her rapist’s baby? If they want to stop a proposed constitutional amendment from passing, Kansas abortion-rights activists should be asking anti-abortion forces that one question each and every day. If they want a message that slices through congealed rhetoric, that’s the one they should deploy ruthlessly […]
In rare bipartisan achievement, Kansas leaders dream big to land $4B Panasonic megaproject
Sometimes, all you need is a dream, a little luck and a billion dollars. Such was the case with the Panasonic battery plant “megaproject” that Kansas leaders announced Wednesday. Lt. Gov. and Commerce secretary Dave Toland, along with Gov. Laura Kelly and assorted legislative leaders — not to mention U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran in Washington, […]
Derek Schmidt campaign tries to have it both ways on Kansas diversity and fundamental rights
Derek Schmidt’s campaign talks out of both sides of its mouth when it comes to diversity. When handling questions about fundamental rights, the presumptive Republican gubernatorial candidate’s operation says different things depending on the audience. Should women have a right to access birth control? Should LGBTQ people have a right to, well, exist? It depends! […]
Summer’s discontents weigh on Kansas mood, political races and long-term outlook
Now is the summer of our discontent. The end of Roe v. Wade has shaken the nation. Kansas has been gripped by an amendment vote on just that subject scheduled for next month. Political candidates circle one another like irritable peacocks, knowing that weeks or months of squabbling await. Nationally, inflation has stressed households and […]
Kansas senator’s bullying of county health officials is the height of self-regarding delusion
Kansas Sen. Mark Steffen acts as though he’s the hero in his own story. In reality, he’s a single state legislator drunk on imagined power. The Hutchinson anesthesiologist’s high-on-his-own-supply tendencies have been apparent for a while now, but his latest posturing deserves special note. He decided to send a letter to the Reno County health […]
From insulin to abortion, Kansas political leaders put profits ahead of people
Type 1 diabetes was on my mind this long weekend. A story from States Newsroom’s national bureau explained how U.S. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire have united for a bill capping insulin costs. Liz Hamor wrote a moving column for the Reflector about a couple facing a kidney and […]
We’ve endured a week of historic despair. Let’s keep the embers of hope alight in Kansas.
After a week of horrible news, I’m here to write about a word that wasn’t used a lot. Hope. I’m writing about hope today despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s egregiously incorrect rulings on abortion and emissions, despite the appalling testimony before the Jan. 6 committee, despite the fears of what rights will be targeted next […]
With Roe’s end, will Derek Schmidt protect birth control and marriage rights in Kansas? I asked.
Derek Schmidt’s gubernatorial campaign wants you to take the U.S. Supreme Court at its word. Despite last week’s bombshell ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the attorney general’s campaign manager wrote to say we shouldn’t worry about other fundamental rights — birth control or gay marriage, say — being stripped by the activist court. Happy last […]
Grad student’s moral clarity exposed bigotry in the Kansas Statehouse. There is more to her story.
Never underestimate the power of an individual setting out to change minds. That’s proved by the story of Brenan Riffel, a University of Kansas graduate student who confronted state Rep. Cheryl Helmer, R-Mulvane, over a bill targeting transgender people. Helmer’s bigoted response drew national attention at just the moment the Kansas Legislature was attempting to […]
End of Roe v. Wade ushers in a new Dark Age for Kansas and our country
Welcome to the new Dark Age. With the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the 49-year-old precedent of Roe v. Wade, Americans and Kansans can no longer depend on our government safeguarding our individual and inalienable rights. We can no longer depend on a commonly agreed upon public policy that respects the rights of women, people of […]