Politics + Government
Path to civic engagement for Kansas’ marginalized communities littered with barriers
TOPEKA — Shannon Portillo remembers the glares and sideways glances cast at her father, a darker-skinned, Mexican American man, and her mother, a blond, blue-eyed, white woman, as they entered their polling location together. Despite the looks, her parents took pride in voting, said Portillo, the assistant VP of academic affairs at the University of […]
Kansas State Fair outlines $2.3 million revenue shortfall, requests budget bailout
TOPEKA — Cancelling commercial aspects of the Kansas State Fair compelled the organization to halt building renovations, impose staffing cuts and set in motion a plan to raid its charitable foundation to cover an estimated $2.3 million revenue shortfall. David Tobias, interim general manager of the state fair, said the state fair could avoid some […]
Kansas enters race for Space Command headquarters
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly announced Friday she would make a strong push to land the new U.S. Space Command in Kansas. The governor’s office said four Kansas communities have submitted proposals to become the home for headquarters of the U.S. Space Command, which is responsible for military operations in space. The cities are Derby, […]
Kansas tribes seek clarity with federal, state law enforcement
TOPEKA — In Vivien Olsen’s experience as an American Indian tribal attorney, she has seen firsthand how the complicated tribal, state and federal law enforcement relationship has led to over-victimization of native people in Kansas. Olsen, the former tribal attorney for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas, said native people often face questions about […]
GOP blocks Gov. Laura Kelly’s request for a $400 weekly surge in jobless benefits
Gov. Laura Kelly says state Department of Labor will apply for $300 in weekly supplemental jobless benefits paid by the federal government.
U.S. House, Senate candidates dive into desires and jitters of COVID-19 response
TOPEKA — Democratic congressional candidate Kali Barnett is convinced Congress must pass a new COVID-19 stimulus bill for struggling businesses and the millions of unemployed people despite cringeworthy accumulation of trillions of dollars in federal debt. “Right now it is incredibly important that we take care of our working Americans,” said Barnett, who is running […]
Why D.C. lawmakers are voting remotely during the pandemic
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans have a new line of attack against some Democrats, accusing them of failing to show up for work. The criticism refers to 2020’s practice of proxy voting in the House, which enables lawmakers of either party to cast votes even when they are not at the Capitol. The emergency measure […]
Kansas health secretary wary of Lake Perry motorcycle rally: ‘I’m sure we’ll see an outbreak’
TOPEKA — Kansas health secretary Lee Norman renewed warnings Wednesday about rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, including a deadly two-day spike, and cautioned Kansans against participating in a large motorcycle rally planned for Lake Perry. State officials also announced they plan to reveal the locations of outbreaks — a decision previously delegated to county officials […]
Sen. Julia Lynn flubs paperwork, will remain on November ballot
The Kansas Secretary of State’s office on Wednesday denied Sen. Julia Lynn’s last-minute effort to drop off the November ballot. Lynn announced her plans to retire on Tuesday, the deadline to be removed from the ballot, citing her sister’s failing health. Kansas law allows candidates to quit after the primary if they have a severe […]
Economic recovery task force approves unemployment assistance program
TOPEKA — Kansans receiving unemployment benefits due to job loss caused by COVID-19 should soon receive much-needed support in the form of up to $400 in additional payments from a federal unemployment program. The program temporarily provides an additional $300 per week for those who are receiving unemployment benefits. Each state may also choose to […]
Legislature’s auditors assess economic prospects of Kansas’ fledgling hemp crop
Value of Kansas' hemp crop in 2019 was modest, while Kansas State University is studying potential of using hemp flowers as cattle feed.
EPA targets two southeast Kansas lead smelter sites for Superfund list
The federal Environmental Protection Agency is focusing on two southeast Kansas lead smelting sites for inclusion in the Superfund program.