Follow the money, they say. Ever since the Watergate scandal, when then-President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign funded a 1972 break-in and wiretap at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., the phrase “follow the money” has been shorthand to describe the often fraught relationship between campaign donations and political influence. […]
Follow the money: Here’s how to research Kansas campaign finance reports
Posted inElections, State Government
Will Missouri’s abortion ban change the outcome at the polls this year?
Missouri voters won’t find a yes or no question about abortion access on their general election ballots. But Democrats hope the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the state’s abortion ban will help them cut into Republican supermajorities in the state legislature. Polls show that a majority of Missourians […]
Posted inElections, Local Government
Kansas City’s police budget can be a mystery — even to the mayor
By state law, Kansas City is required to spend at least 20% of its total revenue on its police department. But, unlike nearly every other city in the country, Kansas City’s elected and appointed officials have very little say about how that money is spent. The budget process for all Kansas City departments begins with […]
Posted inElections, How To, Kansas State Government
Follow the money: Here’s how to research Kansas campaign finance reports
Follow the money, they say. Ever since the Watergate scandal, when then-President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign funded a 1972 break-in and wiretap at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., the phrase “follow the money” has been shorthand to describe the often fraught relationship between campaign donations and political influence. […]
Posted inElections
Need to change your name and gender marker on your ID? Here’s how
With Election Day around the corner, Kansas residents are getting their documents in order as they prepare to vote. Kansas has required specific forms of voter ID since 2012. For transgender voters, photo ID laws can raise concerns about their safety at poll sites and the ability to have their votes counted — particularly if their […]
Posted inElections, Local Government
Changing your gender marker on a state ID can get complicated
With Election Day around the corner, Kansas City area residents are getting their documents in order as they prepare to vote. In Missouri, a new voter ID law will require government-approved photo identification starting in the 2022 general election. Kansas has required specific forms of voter ID since 2012. For transgender voters, photo ID laws […]
Posted inEconomics, Labor
The fight for a living wage in Kansas City no longer stops at $15 an hour
For years, Kansas City workers and organizers have fought to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. The demand was front and center recently when workers at the Taco Bell fast-food restaurant on Wornall Road in Kansas City’s Waldo neighborhood held a walkout over claims of poor working conditions and low wages. “We […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, Elections, Local Government, State Government
How to research federal, state and local candidates on the Johnson County ballot in November
For voters interested in researching candidates, here are the competitive federal, state and local races that will appear on ballots in Johnson County on Nov. 8, with links to each candidate’s campaign website (if one exists) and Ballotpedia page.
Posted inLocal Government
Kansas City needs to become more walkable. Here’s how that can happen
Ira Boydston speaks frankly about the prospects of walking with his children to their elementary school in Kansas City’s Red Bridge neighborhood. “It’s across Red Bridge Road, which can suck to try to get across it,” Boydston said. (Boydston is a Beacon community engagement representative. View a program description here.) “It could be very challenging, especially […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Education
How to get involved with a charter school board
Like traditional school districts, charter schools have different policies and procedures regarding transparency and the ease with which the public can access information.