Weeks of political wrangling over Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s authority to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic ended when Republican leaders agreed to a compromise that increased their oversight of emergency orders and $1.2 billion in fede

Medicaid Expansion, Abortion In The State Constitution And Taxing Streaming Services

Apr 14th, 2020 14m 10s

The legislative session in Kansas is just getting underway, but lawmakers are already at odds on the hot-button issues of abortion and Medicaid expansion. Republican leaders are pushing for quick passage of an anti-abortion amendment to the Kan

Coronavirus Closures Send Kansas Unemployment Claims Soaring

Mar 27th, 2020 19m 36s

The coronavirus continues to spread in Kansas. The result of emergency orders is that many people are staying in their homes. The shutdown of businesses across the state has triggered a record wave of people seeking unemployment benefits. The p

Kansas Lawmakers Question Kelly's Use Of Emergency Powers Before Fleeing Coronavirus Threat

Mar 20th, 2020 16m 57s

Kansas lawmakers approved a basic budget this week before heading home to await whatever the coronavirus has in store for the state and their communities. They’re hoping to reconvene in late April to wrap up their work for the year. But they le

With Talk Of Shortened Session, Kansas Lawmakers Still Stuck on Abortion And Medicaid

Mar 13th, 2020 16m 35s

Kansas lawmakers are making contingency plans in case the spread of the coronavirus forces an early end to the 2020 legislative session. A shortened session would lessen the chances of lawmakers resolving their differences on abortion and Medic

Kansas Officials Steel For Coronavirus; Lawmakers Seek End To Stalemate

Mar 6th, 2020 17m 59s

Kansas health officials say the state is ready to deal with the new coronavirus now that Kansans are starting to get sick. Lawmakers still aren’t ready to move past a dispute on abortion and Medicaid expansion that is blocking progress on both

Halfway Through But A Lot Left To Do - Plus, Getting Young Kansans To 'Nerd Out' On Politics

Feb 28th, 2020 14m 39s

Kansas lawmakers sped through dozens of bills this past week to keep them alive past a “turn around” deadline marking the midpoint of the session. Measures to legalize sports betting and to give citizens more control over property taxes were am

How Abortion Battle Could Boost Wagle's Lagging U.S. Senate Campaign

Feb 21st, 2020 14m 37s

Conservative Republicans at the Kansas Statehouse are attempting to block passage of Medicaid expansion until lawmakers send a constitutional amendment on abortion to voters. The amendment, which would overturn a recent Kansas Supreme Court rul

Abortion And Vaping Laws: The Latest At Kansas Legislature

Feb 14th, 2020 14m 8s

Kansas is slipping to the back of the pack on some critical economic measures. In this episode of Statehouse Blend Kansas, host Jim McLean talks with Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary David Toland about what the agency is doing to try to

Abortion Vote Fails, And A Look At The Kansas DOT

Feb 8th, 2020 16m 36s

The Kansas House of Representatives has stopped — at least temporarily — an all-out push by anti-abortion groups for a constitutional amendment that they say is needed to maintain the state’s ability to regulate the procedure.

Abortion, Sports Gambling And Rural Kansas

Jan 31st, 2020 13m 55s

Kansas lawmakers are nearing decisions on two big issues — Medicaid expansion and a constitutional amendment on abortion. They’re also talking about how to raise more money without increasing taxes. One idea is to legalize wagering on sporting

We'll Pick That Back Up In 2020

Jun 1st, 2019 8m 9s

Battles over a Republican tax cut proposal and Medicaid expansion persisted through the last day of the Kansas Legislature's 2019 session … and remain unresolved. Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning says he plans to address healthcare and tax po

All Wrapped Up — But Not With A Medicaid Expansion Bow

May 7th, 2019 9m 27s

All Kansas lawmakers really had to do to end the 2019 legislative session was pass a budget. They did that, with gusto. But also without passing Medicaid expansion. That's one of the items left on freshman Rep. Brandon Woodard's to-do list for

School Funding Passed, Commerce Secretary Confirmed, We Are Adjourned

Apr 7th, 2019 8m 5s

Things got a little chippy during the final week of the regular legislative session, but Kansas lawmakers came away with a school funding plan and a permanent commerce secretary. And now Sec. David Toland is ready to move on to reinvigorating t

Dollars Vs. Policy — A Clash Of School Finance Titans

Mar 31st, 2019 7m 58s

The Kansas Senate has agreed to give school districts raises. The House has not. Instead, negotiators are headed to the bargaining table with a stack of new requirements for reporting how schools spend their money. Rep. Kristey Williams is the

It's Not Really About The Tweets

Mar 24th, 2019 8m 2s

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's new administration experienced some social media mishaps this past week, and conservative Republicans pounced. Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty says there's more going on than meets the eye.

Governor Kelly Keeps Her Veto In Her Back Pocket

Mar 17th, 2019 8m 3s

Just after approving the school funding Gov. Laura Kelly asked for, the Kansas Senate turned around and gave the final okay to a tax relief package she opposes, daring the new governor to issue her first veto.

Round And Round On Medicaid Expansion

Mar 10th, 2019 8m 4s

Gov. Laura Kelly signed her first bill and school finance got some attention, but roundtable discussions on Medicaid expansion dominated a short week at the Kansas Statehouse. Sara Collins, a healthcare economist with the Commonwealth Fund, and

Red Light, Green Light For Bills And Highways

Mar 2nd, 2019 8m 16s

Kansas lawmakers have given the green light to a slew of bills to proceed past a mid-session break, while stopping other proposals in their tracks. Meanwhile, new KDOT Secretary Julie Lorenz is looking forward to getting the state highway progr

Slow The Decline Of Rural Kansas How?

Feb 23rd, 2019 7m 54s

Rep. Don Hineman got a new assignment this session to figure out how to sustain rural Kansas. The three things the chairman of the Rural Revitalization Committee says rural communities need most: broadband, housing, and, of course, health care.

The Return On The Medicaid Expansion Investment

Feb 16th, 2019 8m 2s

The Kansas House has rejected Gov. Laura Kelly's plan to refinance pension debt. But the new governor says that won't tank the state budget or doom her priorities, including Medicaid expansion. Should expansion come to be, it'll be Health Secre

The Senate Says 'Yes' To Tax Relief

Feb 9th, 2019 7m 58s

With Republican Senate President Susan Wagle leading the charge, the Kansas Senate sent a massive tax relief measure on to the House. Wagle says Kansas has to do something to make sure individuals and businesses don't get stuck with a bigger st

Getting To Know Kansas' Medicaid Expansion Bill

Feb 2nd, 2019 7m 54s

Republicans are pushing hard and fast for tax relief that could threaten Gov. Laura Kelly's budget priorities, including Medicaid expansion. The governor has unveiled her plan to extend Medicaid coverage to another 150,000 low-income Kansans. T

The Lines In The Sand

Jan 26th, 2019 8m 2s

Now that the ceremonial parts of the 2019 legislation are over, it's back to politics as usual. Republicans and Democrats are digging in on tax cuts, Medicaid expansion, and school funding. House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer talks about the start

So It Begins...

Jan 20th, 2019 7m 52s

In her first week in Kansas' corner office, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly laid out her top priorities: ending litigation over school funding, expanding Medicaid coverage, addressing the crisis in the foster care system. Republican lawmakers are c