Debbie Detmer has a lot of memories in her house. She’s lived there 40 years and raised three children in it. Detmer is retired now and lives on a fixed income in Johnson County. She hasn’t done any work on her house, yet she pays more in property taxes each year. The bill is rising […]
State Government
Posted inState Government
Transgender Kansas Citians face growing restrictions and mounting fear
Suzanne Wheeler and her wife don’t want to leave the Kansas City area, their eight adult children and their seven grandchildren. They don’t want to walk away from their friends, their community and their support system. But they are making plans nonetheless. The middle-aged transgender couple already bought property in Portugal, where transgender rights are […]
Posted inState Government
As Missouri teens get into deadly car wrecks, a lawmaker wants to require driver’s education
You’re more likely to fail your driver’s license test in Missouri than in nearly every other state in the country.
In fact, you’re more likely to fail your test than you are to pass it.
When Missourians line up to take the written test before getting their learner’s permit, only 39% will get a passing score. Compare that to Kansas, where 76% pass the test.
One reason for such poor performance? Missouri is one of just 10 states that do not require any driver to take driver’s education classes before getting behind the wheel.
Posted inState Government
Kansas has banned gender-affirming care for transgender minors
Kansas Republicans have finally passed a bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. Only a lawsuit can stop the ban from becoming law. That means no puberty blockers, no hormone treatments and no gender-affirming surgeries for people until they are 18 years old. The bill also prohibits state funds from being used for the […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas wrestles with ways to shorten waitlist for disability care
Holly Oleson helps people who are intellectually disabled live as independently as possible. She’s a lead direct support professional at Honey Bee Community Services in the Kansas City area, acting as the “brakes and gas” for the people she serves. “The person served remains at the wheel with full control of their lives,” she said, […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Is the bill legal?
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed a bill banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors. That could include puberty blockers, hormone treatment or gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth. Under the bill, doing so could get a doctor sued and cost them their license. This is just the latest veto fight over gender-affirming care for minors. Kansas […]
Posted inState Government
Sports betting in Missouri won’t be ready for the Super Bowl, and probably not MLB opening day
This is the last Super Bowl that Missouri will miss out on money from sports betting. Sports betting was approved by voters in November, but the rulemaking process to bring sports betting to Missouri still isn’t finished. It won’t be ready before the Chiefs play Sunday in the Super Bowl. And it likely won’t be […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas lawmakers might change the legal definition of neglect for foster care
Kansas lawmakers may change the definition of neglect in the foster care system. Their goal is to clarify that poverty shouldn’t be the reason kids are taken from their parents. But some fear the bill would put kids in danger. State law currently says that poverty is not a reason to put a child in […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas joins effort to stop counting noncitizens in census, but communities fear damage
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wants to stop counting noncitizens in the U.S. census. Counting unauthorized immigrants hurts states like Kansas, argues a lawsuit that Kobach joined. States like Texas and California have larger noncitizen populations. When counted, that means Texas and California get more Electoral College votes, more representation in Congress and a larger […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas is trying again to ban gender-affirming care for minors
Kansas lawmakers are trying to ban gender-affirming care for minors after several failed attempts. The proposal would ban puberty blockers, hormone treatments and gender-affirming surgeries, which are rare. State funds couldn’t be used for these operations and state agencies or employees couldn’t promote gender-affirming care for minors. Republicans keep reviving the proposal because they say […]