Author

Tim Carpenter

Tim Carpenter

Tim Carpenter has reported on Kansas for 35 years. He covered the Capitol for 16 years at the Topeka Capital-Journal and previously worked for the Lawrence Journal-World and United Press International. He has been recognized for investigative reporting on Kansas government and politics. He won the Kansas Press Association's Victor Murdock Award six times. The William Allen White Foundation honored him four times with its Burton Marvin News Enterprise Award. The Kansas City Press Club twice presented him its Journalist of the Year Award and more recently its Lifetime Achievement Award. He earned an agriculture degree at Kansas State University and grew up on a small dairy and beef cattle farm in Missouri. He is an amateur woodworker and drives Studebaker cars.

Gov. Laura Kelly nominated Sedgwick County prosecutor Lesley Isherwood, of Wichita, to a vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals. The nomination is subject to confirmation by the Kansas Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Gov. Kelly nominates Sedgwick County prosecutor for appellate court
By: - February 18, 2021

Gov. Laura Kelly selected a Sedgwick County prosecutor with 20 years on the job for a vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals.

Kansas state Treasurer Lynn Rogers said a one-month record of $6.3 million in unclaimed property was returned by the treasurer's office to 6,000 people during August. The previous record of $4.2 million was set in 2019. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Coalition of 17 state treasurers calls for $350 billion in federal COVID-19 aid to municipalities, states
By: - February 18, 2021

Seventeen state treasurers appeal to Congress for $350 billion in direct aid to cities and states struggling with revenue shortfalls in the pandemic.

Former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, a former U.S. senator from Kansas, is preparing to undergo treatment Monday for lung cancer. (Pool photo by Olivier Douliery/Getty Images)

Former U.S. Sen. Dole to undergo treatment for lung cancer
By: - February 18, 2021

Former U.S. Sen. Robert Dole, the GOP nominee for president in 1996, says he has stage 4 lung cancer and is preparing to undergo treatment.

Kansas House proposes state university tuition rebates for online courses, skipped academic days
By: - February 17, 2021

Kansas House committee wants state universities to give 100% tuition refund for online classes and 50% refund for every day cut from calendar during pandemic.

Attorney Kris Kobach, a former Kansas secretary of state, endorsed a Senate bill that restores firearm rights to people who have felony convictions expunged and eliminates certain five- or 10-year bans on possession by felons. (Screen capture/Kansas Reflector)

Kris Kobach takes aim at law prohibiting felons from possessing firearms
By: - February 17, 2021

TOPEKA — Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach returned to the Capitol on Wednesday to seek backing for a bill allowing felons who have convictions expunged or pardoned to regain the right to possess a firearm. Existing Kansas law places a ban ranging from five years to a lifetime on possession of a firearm or […]

Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Republican and chairman of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, has taken the lead in the Kansas House on development of a bill legalizing sports gambling in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

House, Senate renew annual rivalry on Kansas legislation legalizing sports gambling
By: - February 17, 2021

Kansas House committee offers bill legalizing sports gambling in Kansas with collaboration among casinos, racetrack and the lottery retailers.

Kansas bill applies modern DUI approach to pilots flying under influence drugs, alcohol
By: - February 17, 2021

Kansas legislators working to modernize law to deal with pilots flying under the infuence of alcohol or drugs. One group of aviators not happy.

GOP Rep. Wasinger derides public universities in Kansas for falling enrollment, degree duplication
By: - February 16, 2021

Kansas House committee embraces 5.5% cut in spending on state universities under scrutiny for falling enrollment, duplicated degrees.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary Lee Norman says during a recording of the Kansas Reflector podcast that he would prefer mask mandates to curtail the spread of COVID-19. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

KDHE confirms 2nd case of UK variant of COVID-19 in Kansas
By: - February 15, 2021

KDHE confirms Kansas' second laboratory-confirmed case of UK variant of COVID-19 afflicting a resident of Sedgwick County.

Treasurer Lynn Rogers tracks down $8K in unclaimed property owed to 40 Kansas legislators
By: - February 15, 2021

State Treasurer Lynn Rogers was on the job only a few weeks when he found unclaimed property owed 40 members of the Legislature.

Clock is ticking: Ditch the switch for year-round standard or daylight saving time?
By: - February 14, 2021

A pending Kansas House resolution pleads with Congress to adopt year-round daylight saving time, but opponents are pretty wound up about it.

Sen. Bud Estes, a Dodge City Republican state senator and former Kansas House member, has died at age 74 following a lengthy illness. (Submitted/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas Republican state Sen. Bud Estes passes away after lengthy illness
By: - February 13, 2021

Dodge City Sen. Bud Estes, a Republican, passes away after lengthy illness. Colleagues remember his as dedicated lawmaker.

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