IN THESE FOUR STATEMENTS, A DAMNING ACCOUNT OF HOW KANSAS MAKES LAW BY STRONG-ARMING LAWMAKERS

Clay Wirestone, kansasreflector.com

Let’s consider four statements today about Kansas legislative leadership — and what those statements suggest about how bills become law in our state. Let’s consider if the way we legislate upholds the virtues of collegiality and good-faith debate we expect from representative government. Let’s consider what they mean as the Legislature returns this Thursday for a veto override session. Let’s consider, in other words, if we’re making fools of ourselves. I’m going to present the statements one right after the other, with just a splash of context about when and where they were said. Bear with me here. You’ll see where I’m heading soon enough. Read more here.

More April 23, 2024 News We Can Use here.

WORDS OF WARNING FROM KANSAS TO ARIZONA AS ABORTION RIGHTS TAKE CENTER STAGE

Clay Wirestone, kansasreflector.com

In a world without Roe v. Wade, abortion rights have a way of clobbering long-held political beliefs and assumptions. Such was the case in Kansas back in August 2022, when a bipartisan majority of voters decisively rejected a state constitutional amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to outlaw the procedure. And such appears to be the case now in Arizona, where the state supreme court ruled that a law from 1864 prohibits abortion in nearly all cases for residents of the Grand Canyon State. Read here.

More April 16, 2024 News We Can Use here.

KANSANS LEGISLATURE BUBBLES OVER WITH FURY AND FRUSTRATION AS LAWMAKERS BUCK KELLY, HAWKINS

Clay Wirestone, kansasreflector.com

And it’s over! For now. The Kansas Legislature dragged itself kicking and screaming toward the finish line Friday night, working through a morass of tax and budget proposals. As I wrote this column Friday afternoon and evening, I honestly couldn’t tell you how everything was going to turn out. As it stands, a whole lot else happened this week, including Facebook declaring falsely that we were a cyber threat. Here are a few of the highlights. Read here.

More April 9, 2024 News We Can Use here.

DESPITE OVERWHELMING KANSAS PUBLIC SUPPORT, MEDICAID EXPANSION BILL SHOT DOWN

Rachel Mipro, kansasreflector.com

Republican lawmakers brought a Medicaid expansion bill to a halt, after one day of discussion, 900 testimonies in support and dozens of statewide rallies held by Kansans desperate for more health care coverage.  “It is clear that Kansans resoundingly support expanding Medicaid and have growing concerns over legislative inaction,” Kelly said. “I urge Kansans to continue making their voices heard so we can get this bill to both the House and Senate floors for a debate and vote.” Read here.

More March 26, 2024 News We Can Use here.

STATEHOUSE SCRAPS: REALITY-DISTORTION ZONE ENSHROUDS LEGISLATURE. MEDICAID EXPANSION PROGNOSIS

Clay Wirestone, kansasreflector.com

Why did senators who opposed a flat tax plan that overwhelmingly benefited the rich decide to change course and back a new flat tax plan that … overwhelmingly benefited the rich? Sure, the plan has been tweaked to distribute cuts a bit more fairly. But does that make it more appealing than Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposal from earlier in the session? Senators haven’t even had the chance to vote on that as a body. Read more here.

More March 19, 2024 News We Can Use here.

‘AUGUST WAS NOT A FLUKE’: KANSAS ADVOCATES WARN AGAINST RAFT OF BILLS LIMITING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Rachel Mipro, kansasreflector.com

Since the end of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Kansas has become one of the few states left in the region that protects abortion rights. Unable to change state constitutional protections, some lawmakers are now doing their best to discourage abortion through a slew of legislation instead. “August was not a fluke,” Sellers said. “August was the official declaration of Kansans, saying that ‘my right is my right and my choice is my choice.’ Our legislature needs to recognize that and respect that.” Read here.

More March 12, 2024 News We Can Use here.

Women for Kansas commemorates Women’s History Month with a panel discussion which celebrates Kansas voters’ protection of reproductive rights in August 2022 and how to continue this work in the 2024 Kansas Legislature elections. Panelists Erin Thompson, lawyer with the Erin Thompson Law Office, Ashley All, formerly of Kansans for Constitutional Freedom and currently of Kansas Coalition for Common Sense, and Taylor Morton, Planned Parenthood of the Great Plains discussed the ways reproductive rights are being challenged in Kansas Legislature and what we can do to protect these rights in 2024!

Make no mistake, reproductive rights are on the ballot in 2024. Every Kansas House and Senate seat is up for re-election. Even with the defeat of the 2022 amendment, in the last two years, the legislature has considered dozens of laws that could restrict reproductive rights. We must elect legislators who share our views on this issue.

VOTE IN 2024 BECAUSE “IT’S STILL ABOUT NO!” Watch here.
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