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In race for Kansas governor, Masterson and Holscher focus on taxes and education funding
With Election Day less than a month away, Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher continue to focus on education and property taxes on the campaign trail.
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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe KANSAS NEWS
Virtual, home-schooled Kansas students enrolled in public school activities up 154%
The number of virtual and non-public school students taking part in public school activities across Kansas jumped 154% in the past three years after a 2023 law forced school districts to allow participation, an audit found.
ACLU, League of Women Voters allege Kansas statute clashes with federal voting rights law
The ACLU of Kansas and League of Women Voters of Kansas put the secretary of state on notice of a potential lawsuit alleging a new election-related state statute conflicts with federal election law.
Bush honeysuckle added to Kansas noxious weed list, forcing landowners to eradicate invasive species
Kansans must eradicate an invasive type of honeysuckle and four other plants from their land after the state Department of Agriculture added them to the noxious weed list.
Kansas and Missouri are surprised by tornadoes after weather service cuts reduce early warnings
The National Weather Service has lost hundreds of employees since Trump took office, and its severe storm forecasts may be suffering. Two tornado outbreaks this year took forecasters by surprise.
How could electing the Kansas Supreme Court affect issues like abortion and school funding?
An August constitutional amendment vote would give voters the ability to directly pick Kansas Supreme Court justices. Critics say the ripple effects for issues such as abortion and school funding could be massive.
Kansas has more rural hospitals at immediate risk of closing than any other state
Rural Kansans could see longer drives to access healthcare or fewer health services because of hospital closures. A report found that Kansas has 28 rural hospitals at immediate risk of closure.
ER visits for tick bites on the rise throughout the Midwest
Emergency rooms in most parts of the United States saw more tick bite-related visits than usual in April, and instances of tick-borne illnesses in Kansas have been tracking higher since 2020.
Insults fly as Kansas GOP gubernatorial candidates compete for dominance during debate
Name-calling and infighting dominated a Republican gubernatorial debate Friday that was preceded by campaigns trying to convince opponents to drop out of the race.
Finalists for Kansas Supreme Court vacancy willing to stand for election if amendment passes
A constitutional amendment on voters’ Aug. 4 ballots would require Kansas Supreme Court justices to be chosen through direct election. Finalists for a vacancy on the bench would be willing to stand for election if the amendment passes but don’t see themselves as politicians.
Kansas U.S. House, U.S. Senate members seek to defend incumbency against 25 challengers
Thirty candidates are running in August to represent Kansas in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, including 12 who are seeking to unseat Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall.
Kansas Democrat’s campaign manager created website with documents used in attack on political rival
Kansas U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Schmidt’s campaign manager left his digital footprint on documents uploaded to a website that linked a political rival to complaints about how he handled reports of child sex abuse.
More than 10,000 Kansas children lose food assistance in wake of federal budget bill
Advocates have sounded an alarm about a report indicating 10,300 children in low-income families in Kansas stopped receiving food aid since Trump signed a sweeping federal law nearly a year ago.
U.S. Senate candidate in Kansas faults Democratic rival’s handling of reported sex abuse
A Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday denigrated the race’s frontrunner, accusing him of covering up a child sex abuse scandal at the church he leads and demanding he withdraw his candidacy.
President Donald Trump endorses Ty Masterson in GOP campaign for governor
President Donald Trump endorsed Senate President Ty Masterson on Sunday in the Republican primary for Kansas governor.
KU Hospital Authority says CVS stole nearly $62 million in prescription drug savings
The KU Hospital Authority is suing CVS, alleging the mega pharmacy company secretly kept $62 million in prescription drug discount savings. The suit says CVS terminated its contract when the hospital asked for an audit.
No Labels Kansas is no more as a political party, despite bizarre bids to hijack the organization
Demise of the No Labels Kansas political party was inevitable after it neglected to fulfill the organization’s central objective when formed in January 2024 to nominate candidates for U.S. president and vice president.
Kansas AG issues opinion exempting some state facilities from anti-trans bathroom law
A few spaces are exempt from Kansas’ new bathroom law that requires people to use the facilities in government buildings that match their sex assigned at birth, Attorney General Kris Kobach said in a new opinion.
Kansas state employees retain choice of Blue Cross, Aetna for health insurance
Kansas state employees can choose between two health insurance companies after the Health Care Commission voted Monday to move forward with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas.
Kansas abortion rights advocate hoping for encore defeat of constitutional amendment in August vote
Kansas Abortion Fund president Sandy Brown wants Kansans to show up in August and repeat their 2022 decision to defeat a constitutional amendment that could upend abortion rights in the state.
State employees speak out against dropping Blue Cross from Kansas health plan
When news broke that the state could save nearly $240 million by choosing Aetna as state employees’ single health plan administrator, state employees quickly expressed concerns.
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