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.

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.

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, the Kansas Republican, introduced bipartisan legislation to award the Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Women’s Army Corps assigned to the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only Black, all-woman battalion to serve overseas during World War II. The battalion deployed to England and France in 1945. (Submitted/Kansas Reflector)

Federal gold medal bill honors Black, all-female World War II battalion
By: - February 13, 2021

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran renews quest to award Congressional Gold Medal to only Black, all-woman battalion to serve overseas in World War II.

Kansas Interfaith Action highlighted the record of Black lynchings in the state Friday to emphasize the need to understand history and work against racial terrorism in the future. In 1882, three Black men were hanged by vigiilantes from a Lawrence bridge since replaced by this modern crossing over the Kansas River. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Obscure history of Black lynchings in Kansas inspires activism against modern-day racism
By: - February 12, 2021

Activists say the history of Black lynching in Kansas serves as a point of departure for consideration of modern forms of racial injustice.

The Kansas Supreme Court issued an opinion Friday overturning a Kansas Court of Appeals decision in businessman Gene Bicknell's legendary tax case. The Supreme Court said Bicknell was a resident of Florida, which has no state income tax, during the period in which Kansas officials claimed he owned millions of dollars in state income taxes on sale of a company comprised of Pizza Hut franchises. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Lawrence attorney nominated for vacancy on Court of Appeals
By: - February 12, 2021

Gov. Kelly nominates a Lawrence attorney with experience in health and employment law to vacancy on Kansas Court of Appeals.

Sen. Jeff Longbine, a Republican from Emporia, said allowing convenience stores, as opposed to casinos. engage in the business of sports gambling in Kansas sets taxpayers up to absorb losses sustained through bets placed at those retail stores. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Convenience stores, municipal governments want piece of action if Kansas legalizes sports betting
By: - February 11, 2021

Kansas Senate committee absorbs advice on how to amend a bill legalizing sports betting online and at casinos.

Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, is sponsoring legislation to require K-12 and college athletes to participate based on gender at birth. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas senator sponsors effort to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports
By: - February 11, 2021

TOPEKA — Sen. Renee Erickson is advocating passage of a bill by the Kansas Legislature to forbid individuals declared male at birth who later transitioned to female from participating in women’s sports programs at the elementary, high school and college levels. Erickson, a Wichita Republican and retired school principal, is sponsor of the Fairness in […]

Gov. Laura Kelly and KDHE secretary Lee Norman say resolution of delays in reporting vaccinations will elevate Kansas' standing in national rankings once IT problems are sorted out. (Screenshot/Kansas Reflector)

KDHE digging into vaccination reporting flaws to address ‘credibility’ issue
By: - February 10, 2021

Kansas near the both among states in comfirmed COVID-19 vaccination rates, but KDHE pledges to fix IT issues creating reporting lag.

Kansas casino managers betting Senate bill catalyst for legalizing sports gambling
By: - February 10, 2021

Kansas Legislature takes another swing at legal sports gambling with a Senate bill putting four casinos at the forefront of the venture.

Gov. Laura Kelly said the budget bill passed by the Kansas Senate would inappropriately replace $570 million in state funding to K-12 education with one-time federal COVID-19 aid..(Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas Senate jettisons restraint to transform modest tax bill into $470 million behemoth
By: - February 9, 2021

Gov. Kelly, Democratic legislative leaders not happy with GOP tax-cut bill, suggest amendment raising standard deduction on state income tax filers.

Rodney Steven, owner of Genesis Health Clubs, is part of an organization urging the Kansas Legislature to pass a property tax exemption capable of cutting his business tax obligations $2.5 million annually. In addition, Steven's health clubs in three counties are delinquent on more than $500,000 in property tax payments. (Screenshot/Kansas Reflector)

Tax-break seeking health club kingpin delinquent on at least $549,000 in property tax payments
By: - February 9, 2021

Fitness club operator seeking exemption to property taxes is deliinquent on than $500,000 in property tax owed three Kansas counties.

Janet Williams, founder of Minds Matter, the state's largest provider of services to people with brain injuries, says on the Kansas Reflector podcast the state needs to make the $8 million investment to provide services to children and adults with serious brain injuries. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)

Medicaid brain injury funding in jeopardy, waiting list for services in Kansas may be next
By: - February 8, 2021

TOPEKA — Janet Williams worries about the future of a 14-year-old with a serious brain injury suffered when his bicycle was hit by a car. The Kansas youth endured rehabilitation to relearn or develop skills lost in the accident and is preparing to go home at last, she said. What should be cause for celebration […]

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