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Kansas doctors stress need to stay vigilant as monkeypox becomes a public health emergency
TOPEKA — Kansas doctors are hoping to combat misinformation and general fatigue toward infection control protocols as a new public health emergency emerges, this time for monkeypox. COVID-19 cases have leveled out the past few weeks in Kansas, and heat maps nationwide show similar trends, but the public health emergency remains with warnings about new […]
Narrow vote gap in Kansas Republican state treasurer race triggers special audit
TOPEKA — A narrow margin in the race for the Republican nomination for state treasurer triggered a new provision in state law requiring counties to conduct additional audits in especially close contests. As of Thursday, state Rep. Steven Johnson held a slim 314-vote lead over opponent state Sen. Caryn Tyson. The race has not been […]
Primary election brings mixed bag of results for Kansas legislative incumbents
TOPEKA — Several incumbent Kansas legislators are on their way out of the Statehouse after Tuesday’s election. Others are just barely hanging on. Among those who missed the mark in their reelection effort is Rep. Aaron Coleman, a Kansas City Democrat, who lost in a three-way race in Wyandotte County. Melissa Oropeza, a health care […]
Kansas reports tax revenue above expectations for 24th consecutive month
TOPEKA — Kansas brought in $127.6 million more in tax receipts than expected in July, for an estimated total of about $586 million collected. Gov. Laura Kelly touted the 24th consecutive month during which Kansas topped expectations as an example of the state’s economic successes. “That represents more money our state can use to continue […]
Kansas doctors warn of lax approach to coronavirus variants
TOPEKA — Doctors with the University of Kansas Health System warn of a lack of preparation surrounding a COVID-19 subvariant driving rising case numbers. The BA.5 variant has led health care providers in eastern Kansas to report levels similar to surges seen with Delta and Omicron. Steve Stites, chief medical officer for the University of […]
Kansas expands postpartum Medicaid coverage up to 12 months
TOPEKA — Kansas mothers now have health care coverage under KanCare up to 12 months post-delivery, Gov. Laura Kelly announced Tuesday. The plan, approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is retroactive to April 1. It also extends coverage to postpartum beneficiaries of the more than 500,000 Kansans enrolled in Kansas Medicaid of […]
Kelly, Schmidt campaigns raise more than $2.2 million combined in 2022 in Kansas governor’s race
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly has raised more than double what her Republican challenger, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, raised so far this year. New fundraising reports show that Schmidt, who is without a major primary opponent, raised $707,279.02 from Jan. 1 to July 21. Kelly, on the other hand, brought in $1.5 million for […]
Kansas vote on abortion raises stakes for marginalized communities, advocates say
TOPEKA — Pere DeRoy says for marginalized communities the Kansas constitutional amendment on the right to abortion is not the beginning or the end of the issue of medical mistreatment. DeRoy, a doctoral student in the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program at the University of Kansas, says people of color have been ignored or […]
Kansas establishes task force to study and improve wildfire emergency response
TOPEKA — A new task force is focusing on ways communities can better prevent, respond and recover from wildfires. The formation of the group is a response to the many parts of Kansas struck by major wildfires within the past 10 years. The financial losses and threats to the safety of Kansas residents led the […]
Poll shows Kansans closely divided on constitutional amendment on abortion
TOPEKA — The first public poll for the Kansas constitutional amendment on abortion shows a close race and exposes other ideological divides over reproductive rights. Kansans will decide in the Aug. 2 election whether to remove a right to abortion from the state’s constitution. Advanced voting is underway across the state. The vote will be […]
Kansas voting rights groups appeal dismissal of challenge to 2021 election law
TOPEKA — Voting rights groups are appealing the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging a 2021 election law they fear will impact voter registration efforts and suppress voters. The Kansas Court of Appeals declined last month to block the law, which criminalizes impersonation of an election official, among other things. The court ruled the plaintiffs lacked […]
Early demand for under-5 COVID-19 vaccines promising amid rising case numbers, Kansas doctors say
TOPEKA — As COVID-19 case numbers approach levels not seen since February, Kansas doctors are encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated. A month removed from the vaccine receiving emergency use authorization for children younger than 5, Danielle Johnson, a clinical psychologist with the University of Kansas Health System, said many pediatricians’ offices are running […]