Republicans are looking for more property tax relief. Democrats proposed their own plans, which may not get GOP support.
Blaise Mesa
Blaise Mesa is The Beacon’s Kansas Statehouse reporter. He has covered the Kansas Statehouse for The Beacon since Nov. 2023 after reporting on social services for the Kansas News Service and crime and local government for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He has a bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism with a concentration in radio from Columbia College Chicago.
Posted inState Government
Bill would stop transgender Kansans from changing sex on driver’s licenses, birth certificates
A previous law faced legal troubles, and the courts sided with Democrats to allow gender marker changes.
Posted inState Government
‘This place is killing me’: Prison medical care in Kansas still struggles to help inmates
A 2022 investigation found serious flaws in the prison medical system. Those same problems persist years later, and the prison medical contractor is making more mistakes.
Posted inState Government
Kansas Republicans don’t have the votes for congressional redistricting, House speaker says
Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said he is about 20 votes short of overriding a veto.
Posted inHealth
Two Kansas hospitals spent $61.4 million on temporary staff. It was just $6 million in 2019
These state hospitals can’t find full-time staff. Contract nurses are needed to serve patients, but expenses keep going up.
Posted inState Government
Kansas City Chiefs are moving to Kansas after lawmakers approve $1.8 billion in stadium funding
Chiefs propose a multibillion-dollar plan to build a domed stadium, training facilities and nearby mixed-use projects.
Posted inState Government
Trump administration wants sensitive voter data from Kansas and Missouri
The Department of Justice is asking for information on voters, like the last four digits of a Social Security number and drivers license information.
Posted inState Government
‘We were begging’: Missouri system lags in serving children with mental health troubles
Kelcie Breece cared for her niece when the child entered foster care. The child had intense needs, and the Missouri foster care system didn’t help them. They had to navigate the system on their own.
Posted inState Government
Trump administration changes may stop hundreds of millions for broadband expansion in Kansas
Kansas was given $451 million for broadband development under the Biden administration. After Trump was elected, the program changed and Kansas may only spend $252 million.
Posted inState Government
A Kansas hospital sued this family over a $230 medical bill. Some patients went to court for less
There have been thousands of lawsuits by Kansas hospitals in recent years, including many lawsuits for less than $500. One lawsuit was for just $104.