The Kansas Democrat who cast a decisive vote that banned transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports teams has lost reelection. Rep. Marvin Robinson, a Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat, joined Republicans in 2023 to overturn the governor’s veto of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act. The law requires athletes in high schools and public colleges […]
A Kansas City-area Democrat who backed transgender sports ban loses reelection
Posted inLocal Government
A Kansas City Council donor wants tax money to build KC Current stadium parking
Even on a weeknight, KC Current fans fill nearly every parking spot at the women’s soccer stadium at the Berkley Riverfront.
Parking spaces are in short supply by design — to encourage people to stick around after games and to rely on public transit.
A proposal making its way through City Hall would do add more parking. The Parking Co. of America, or PCA, wants three kinds of public subsidies to build a 1,500-spot parking garage next to the stadium, where the temporary parking currently sits.
Posted inElections
Missouri votes yes on Amendment 4, forcing Kansas City to increase police spending
Missouri voters once again approved a ballot measure that requires Kansas City to increase its minimum police funding – but by a much narrower margin than in 2022. Amendment 4 passed with 51% of the statewide vote, compared to 63% of voters supported the measure. The measure requires Kansas City to spend at least 25% of its […]
Posted inElections
Missouri election results: Voters reject Amendment 1, property tax exemptions for child care providers
Missouri voters on Tuesday rejected a pitch to give state lawmakers the power to pass property tax exemptions for child care facilities. Amendment 1 failed, with roughly 55% of Missourians voting ‘no’ on the measure in unofficial results. The measure would have let the General Assembly pass legislation exempting child care providers from their property […]
Posted inElections
Melesa Johnson wins Democratic primary for Jackson County Prosecutor: ‘It’s time for change’
Melesa Johnson, a young lawyer who grew up in Kansas City’s Oak Park neighborhood and promised change for communities affected by crime, won a three-way race in the Democratic primary Tuesday, Aug. 6 for Jackson County Prosecutor. Johnson, who currently serves as Mayor Quinton Lucas’ director of public safety, beat John Gromowsky, an assistant county […]
Posted inElections
Prasanth Reddy wins GOP primary to face U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in Kansas 3rd Congressional District
Dr. Prasanth Reddy won the Republican 3rd Congressional District primary Tuesday night, giving him the chance to flip the increasingly-blue district back to red. Reddy beat Karen Crnkovich by about 3,000 votes and a 53% to 47% margin in unofficial election returns in the Republican primary for the Kansas City-area seat in Congress. He raised […]
Posted inState Government
What vaccine requirements you need to follow before school resumes in Kansas
Kansas requires students to be vaccinated against certain diseases before attending any public or private school. Parents can request exemptions to these vaccine requirements for documented medical conditions or religious objections. Caregivers will need to provide proof that students have all required vaccines before starting school. State law requires school districts to help spread the […]
Posted inBehind the Beacon
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Beacon articles have been republished 1,238 times by more than 100 outlets, bolstering local news coverage.
Posted inWichita
As Wichita pushes for more EV charging stations, some worry about fire risks
Driving around Wichita, you’ll see the occasional Tesla, electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup or even one of the city’s battery-powered buses quietly cruising around town. With more electric vehicles have come more worries about what happens if they catch fire. They burn much hotter, emit noxious gases and pose an electrocution risk. But the idea […]
Posted inWichita
A parent’s guide to enrolling kids in Wichita-area schools
Micah Vannover spent Tuesday afternoon with her children touring Earhart Environmental Magnet School with confidence. “I do feel like this is going to be a really good school for my kids, just for the opportunities that it has compared to the others,” Vannover said. “Education is what gets kids going far in life. You can […]