Making sure your child has a nutritious meal at school is important for their academic success and health. If you don’t have the time or money to pack a lunch, school lunches are a healthy alternative. School meals as a whole promote a better diet among participants. And eating breakfast at school reduces student absences and […]
Kansas State Government
Stories from The Wichita Beacon that cover issues from the Kansas state government.
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 inEducation
How the Kansas open enrollment law is playing out in Wichita-area schools
Aaron McCarty sees houses going up everywhere around Maize and thinks of the families who will fill them — and the children who will fill up classrooms. So he believes the Maize school district’s decision to shut off the enrollment of students from other towns makes sense, he said. “Are we going to need more […]
Posted inElections
The Kansas primary election races that could shift political balance in the Statehouse
Battles over school funding and bans on gender-affirming care could change in the upcoming Kansas Legislature session based on what happens in a handful of primary election races. The Kansas Statehouse remains firmly in Republican control. The party holds a veto-proof majority and will almost certainly retain a comfortable margin in both the House and […]
Posted inElections
Chuck Schmidt and Veronica Gillette run in Wichita Democratic primary for Kansas House
Chuck Schmidt and Veronica Gillette both want to flip a Republican seat for Democrats in the Kansas House. The two face off in the Aug. 6 Democratic primary in hopes of challenging Republican Rep. Sandy Pickert in the general election for the seat from the 88th District in southeast Wichita. You can find your polling […]
Posted inElections
Steve Huebert, Jesse McCurry, Darren Pugh running in Wichita Kansas House Republican primary for District 90
Incumbent state Rep. Carl Maughan suspended his reelection campaign after a DUI arrest. That drew three challengers — Steve Huebert, Jesse McCurry and Darren Pugh — into the Republican primary for District 90. The winner of the primary takes on Tracy Edingfield in the general election this November. The primary election is Aug. 6. You […]
Posted inElections
Jill Ward and David Hickman: Get to know the Wichita-area primary candidates
Two conservative candidates — Jill Ward and David Hickman — are running for a Kansas House seat after the retirement of longtime state Rep. Brenda Landwehr. Landwehr was first elected in 1997 and stayed in office until 2012. She then returned to office in 2017. But her possible replacements in the Republican primary have little […]
Posted inKansas
Chase Blasi takes on J.C. Moore in Kansas Senate Republican primary for District 26
Incumbent Sen. Chase Blasi, a Wichita Republican, is trying to defend his Statehouse seat from J.C. Moore, who has served in the Legislature before. Moore sells himself as more of a moderate Republican while Blasi leans more conservative in a key Republican primary race. The winner of the primary takes on Raymond Shore Jr. in the […]
Posted inState Government
The newest abortion law in Kansas requires putting questions to patients. Here’s what that means
What’s the harm in asking? Abortion rights supporters say quite a bit. Republicans in the state Legislature are trying to gather more data about the practice. Starting July 1, any medical professional performing an abortion is required by Kansas statute to ask patients their reasons for getting it. The law passed the Kansas Legislature this […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas might use STAR bonds to lure Chiefs and Royals. Here’s how they worked on other projects
Kansas lawmakers have returned to Topeka for a special tax-cutting session and are expected to vote on a STAR bond proposal to finance a new stadium.