The program offered financial incentives to those who were willing to move to the state’s rural areas, places with less than 50,000 residents, in hopes of boosting local economies and combating population decline.
Gov. Laura Kelly has proposed a new minimum wage, bringing 969 employees in the executive branch up to $15 hourly pay and giving all state workers an additional 5 percent raise. The minimum for non-state workers’ pay would remain at $7.25 an hour.
Legislation draws objections from abortion rights proponents and opponents.
Local jails struggling to provide adequate mental health treatment to inmates could benefit from the expansion.
Law enforcement across the state have violated Fourth Amendment rights numerous times over the last decade. That has called into question the training and experience requirements for officers.
Kansas’ safeguards for identifying and weeding out problematic officers are incomplete or not enforced. The lack of thorough background checks allows officers to keep troubling details hidden.
The advocacy group for press freedom has called for a “thorough investigation” into the Marion, Kan., Police Department after its raid at a local newspaper, which many claim was a violation of state and federal laws.
Gov. Laura Kelly appointed Col. Erik Smith to head the state law enforcement department, which has been a consistent source of troubles for years, including allegations of domestic violence, sexual harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination.
Shifting demographics and changing migration patterns have impacted the city, moving it toward the future with programs that reflect the country’s history of blending cultures.
As the administration calls for gun control measures, many congressmembers, including from Kansas and Missouri, have remained silent. A poll found that only 39 percent of Missourians supported a semi-automatic weapon ban.
The Legislature has overridden eight out of 15 vetoed bills in the current session, including a ban on transgender athletes in girls sports and additional work rules for older recipients of food assistance.
The GOP-controlled Legislature has promised to try and override many of Kelly’s vetoes, which cover a variety of issues including transgender rights and income tax rates. The governor sees her re-election as a mandate to check legislative excesses.
So far, there have been 292 assaults at the University of Kansas Health System for the 2023 fiscal year. Advocates are pushing to increase penalties for attacks against health-care workers, but legislation remains in limbo.
The bill will require physicians to provide care to infants “born alive” during abortion procedures and then report data to the state. The bill has enough support to override a governor’s veto.
Lawmakers want to impose new limits on early and mail-in voting to ensure that all ballots are received by the county election office on Election Day to avoid delaying results, which, they claim, sows doubt in the process.
Officials in Kansas and Missouri worry that a federal default could severely disrupt a variety of government services that could cause local layoffs, jettison retirement funds, restrict Medicaid access and more.
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