News

Laci Ybarra, Jamie Klem, Rob Klem, Brandi Kaus and Clayton Kaus stand outside the Augusta Historic Theatre. (Photo submitted by Brandi Kaus)

Kansas lawmaker tells concerned Augusta community, educators: ‘Some kids do need Jesus first’

BY: - March 20, 2023

TOPEKA —  Kansas children don’t generally find a “spiritual perspective” in public schools, Rep. Kristey Williams said, defending a voucher-like program that would funnel state tax dollars to unregulated private schools to her Augusta constituents.  “There are some kids that do need Jesus first, before they care about science and math,” said Williams, speaking with […]

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner

Virginia senator defends rollback of U.S. banking rules, blames managers for bank failures

BY: - March 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — The recent bank failures that shocked the markets and caused a speedy government bailout were “basic prudential regulation failure” by management, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia said Monday. The Democratic senator, who sits on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, told reporters he stands by his position that 2018 […]

President Biden Delivers State Of The Union Address

Biden administration details potential cuts in education, food aid and more under GOP plan

BY: - March 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — Federal departments and agencies say U.S. House Republicans’ plans to cut federal spending would result in reductions to key programs like food aid, education assistance and wildfire management. The series of letters from across the federal government released Monday detail exactly how plans to cut at least $130 billion in domestic spending during […]

Sen. Beverly Gossage, R-Eudora, said she was offended a colleague referred to people claiming election fraud were also likely fearful of alien invasion. She said those concerned about election security weren't likely to claim they saw UFOs. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas Senate committee moves to block use of fentanyl test strips to stem overdose deaths

BY: - March 20, 2023

Senate committee deletes from a House bill a provision allowing people to legally use fentanyl test strips to reduce potential of overdose deaths in Kansas.

A view of electricity transmission lines stretching across a partly cloudy sky above a field

Missouri, Kansas utilities back bills to reestablish monopoly on transmission projects

BY: - March 20, 2023

Missouri’s largest electric utility believes a bill aimed at reducing competition and giving monopoly providers an advantage in building transmission lines will avoid cost overruns and deliver better results for customers. In its home state, where it stands to benefit, Ameren Missouri has offered its full-throated support to legislation aimed at giving the company the […]

Brenden Wirth, right, and Joel Leftwich, both staff with Kansas Farm Bureau, are intrigued by creation of a coalition of Kansas organizations to recruit more candidates for city council, county commission and local school board races. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Coalition of Kansas organizations strives to entice candidates for city, county, school board

BY: - March 20, 2023

A coalition of diverse Kansas organizations find common ground in quest to recruit candidates for school board, city council and county commission.

Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican and candidate for state treasurer, warned colleagues not to let Gov. Laura Kelly take credit for signing into law tax reform bills offering property tax relief to businesses closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas Senate budget bill features 3.25% spending cut, imposes DEI ban at universities

BY: - March 19, 2023

The Kansas Senate's budget debate hit on Medicaid, diversity and equity, conflicts of interest, concentrated political power and, of course, state spending.

Limits on foreign ownership of U.S. farmland gain support in Congress, despite skepticism

BY: - March 19, 2023

WASHINGTON — Bipartisan momentum is building in Congress to restrict China and other foreign adversaries from purchasing U.S. farmland, a reflection of a similar push by some states as well as apprehension over Chinese spy balloons, rising land prices and growing international competition. “Foreign ownership of agricultural land threatens small family farms and the overall […]

Heather Cessna

Public defender: Kansas faces crisis point on 60th anniversary of landmark U.S. Supreme Court case

BY: - March 18, 2023

TOPEKA — A top public defender in Kansas says the state is at a crisis point on the 60th anniversary of a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that guarantees legal representation for those who can’t afford to hire an attorney. Heather Cessna, executive director of the Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services, described the […]

First Republic Bank office

Regulators end week like they started — tamping down fears, rescuing a bank

BY: - March 18, 2023

Financial regulators, policymakers, and bank executives spent the week trying to abate fears that a banking crisis will spread across the U.S. financial system.  On Friday, President Joe Biden released a statement calling on Congress to take action to make it easier for regulators to hold senior bank executives accountable for their mismanagement. “It should […]

Attorney General Kris Kobach denounced the election-law opinion issued by the Kansas Court of Appeals as "illogical" and the nation's most radical decision in an election rights case. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)

Court of Appeals reverses lower court on Kansas lawsuit challenging restraint of voting rights

BY: - March 17, 2023

Kansas Court of Appeals issues election-law opinion reversing district court judge and irritating Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach.

Gov. Laura Kelly

Kansas governor vetoes legislation banning transgender athletes from school sports

BY: - March 17, 2023

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly for the third straight year has vetoed model legislation that would ban transgender girls from playing school sports with cisgender girls. The Democratic governor said Friday the annual attack on transgender students sends “a signal to prospective companies that Kansas is more focused on unnecessary and divisive legislation than becoming […]