Kansas Reflector Podcast
Kansas Reflector Podcast
The Kansas Reflector Podcast, hosted by senior reporter Tim Carpenter, presents voices from the people and politics of Kansas.
What we learned from the Kansas abortion vote and primary results
The Aug. 2 election was a political earthquake in Kansas. The headline was a 59-41% vote against a constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion. But there were a host of other high-profile races as well. Read more: These four dumb responses totally misread the stunning Kansas abortion rights vote Auto-generated […]
Kansas political ads for the Aug. 2 primary
It’s primary time again in Kansas, and the television ads are assaulting viewers with images, ideas and ideology of candidates. Bob Beatty, political science professor at Washburn University and the state’s foremost chronicler of Kansas political ads, joins Tim Carpenter to march through some of the season’s campaign ads. Read more: Kansas primary delivers advertisements […]
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly on her time in office and reelection campaign
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is seeking a second term as the state’s chief executive. The former state senator from Topeka is traveling the state to make her case for reelection. She joins Tim Carpenter on the Kansas Reflector podcast to discuss her work as governor the past four years and her approach to the fall […]
Kelly Sommers on the role of Kansas nurses in abortion services
Kansas voters are already casting advanced ballots on a constitutional amendment that would remove the right to abortion access in Kansas. The Aug. 2 election will be the first time voters in any state make their voices heard on reproductive rights following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Kansas Reflector editor in […]
Examining the Kansas political issues of this summer of discontent
Now is the summer of our discontent. The end of Roe vs. Wade has shaken the nation. Kansas has been gripped by an amendment vote on just that subject scheduled for next month. Political candidates circle one another like irritable peacocks, knowing that weeks or months of conflict await. Nationally, inflation has stressed households and […]
Young Kansas House Democrats running unopposed
The 2022 election cycle for the Kansas House is unique in the sense that 55 of the 125 seats are already decided. That is because only one candidate filed to run for election to the state Legislature in those districts. Three young Kansas House Democrats — Christina Haswood, Brandon Woodard and Rui Xu — who […]
Gun laws, education and civic engagement with Kansas Reflector interns
You may have noticed two new names making regular appearances on Kansas Reflector story bylines recently — Margaret Mellott and Lily O’Shea Becker. They joined Kansas Reflector this summer as interns and are tackling topics ranging from gun laws to teachers leaving the field to youth civic engagement. Mellott, a recent graduate of Emporia State […]
Kansas certification for community health workers
Health care is often a difficult system to navigate, with concerns of costs, access or finding the right fit to address your intimate needs. The challenges are amplified for uninsured patients or those who don’t speak English as a primary language, but a new Kansas certification will establish the widespread practice of community health workers, […]
Paul Buskirk seeks Kansas Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate
The U.S. Senate Republican and Democratic primaries are less than two months away and the eight candidates in the running must bear down to lock away votes in those competitive primaries. The incumbent, Kansas Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, is a known commodity, but the six Democrats in the contest are still introducing themselves to […]
Kansans for Constitutional Freedom opposing abortion amendment
Kansas voters head to the polls Aug. 2 to nominate Republicans and Democrats for all sorts of political offices in preparation for the November general election. Another issue on the August ballot is a proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution. The amendment embraced by a conservative state legislators and lobbyists would essentially reject a 2019 […]
How the Kansas Legislature impacts Kansas children
Kids can make the most hardened person smile. In the Statehouse in Topeka, there is a lot of debate about policy and funding aimed at Kansas children. Influencers in this process include Kansas Action for Children, a nonprofit that works to improve the health, education and welfare of the state’s vulnerable youths. Jessica Herrera Russell […]
Secretary of State Scott Schwab talks Kansas elections
Scott Schwab has served as the Kansas Secretary of State since 2019. Before election to be the state’s top elections official, the Republican served in the Kansas house for 15 years, representing part of Johnson County. Schwab joins senior reporter Tim Carpenter for the Kansas Reflector podcast to break down recent election law, the safety […]