Kansans will soon be able to use fentanyl test strips without fear of being prosecuted after Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 174 earlier this month, a measure that addiction experts hope will prevent deaths from accidental fentanyl poisoning. “By decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, we are helping Kansans protect themselves from a deadly poison that […]
Kansas Government
Posted inKansas State Government
2023 Kansas legislative session: What passed, what didn’t, what was vetoed
Kansas lawmakers concluded this year’s legislative session last Friday after a three-day flurry of veto overrides and finalizing budgets for both public schools and the state, but without passing any of the tax relief policies each party wanted at the start of the session. Neither did Gov. Laura Kelly achieve the major priorities she laid […]
Posted inKansas State Government
‘I trusted her wholly.’ After breaking from Gail Finney, can Rep. Ford Carr earn constituents’ trust?
When state Rep. Gail Finney, a Democrat from Wichita, died in August, her successor Ford Carr knew that she left big shoes to fill. So much so that Carr has a pair of women’s shoes — presumably Finney’s, but Carr didn’t confirm this when The Beacon asked him — displayed in his office, a dedication […]
Posted inState Government
These laws could curb fentanyl deaths. Why won’t Kansas lawmakers enact them?
Update: On May 11, Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 174 into law. The bill decriminalizes fentanyl test strips. Read more here. On Monday, the Kansas Legislature introduced a bill that, if passed, would decriminalize a tool used to test drugs for the presence of fentanyl. House Bill 2328 was introduced with little fanfare in […]
Posted inKansas State Government
These laws could curb fentanyl deaths. Why won’t Kansas lawmakers enact them?
Update: On May 11, Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 174 into law. The bill decriminalizes fentanyl test strips. Read more here. On Monday, the Kansas Legislature introduced a bill that, if passed, would decriminalize a tool used to test drugs for the presence of fentanyl. House Bill 2328 was introduced with little fanfare in […]
Posted inKansas State Government
Who represents me in the 2023 Kansas Legislature?
Wichita and the surrounding area account for only a fifth of the state’s population, but the region’s representatives in the 2023 Kansas Legislature include some of the most powerful politicians in Topeka, including House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson. Both men have the power to set the agenda of the entire legislature, […]
Posted inHealth, State Government
Medicaid expansion in Kansas: What to know, how we got here and what’s next
Update as of March 14, 2023: In February, Democratic lawmakers introduced two bills, SB 225 and HB 2415, that propose expanding Medicaid eligibility in Kansas. Both bills have stalled since they were introduced, with no movement so far from legislative leadership. On March 31, a pandemic measure that prevented states from removing people from Medicaid […]
Posted inDIY Democracy, Kansas State Government
DIY Democracy: How to follow the Kansas Legislature
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include information about the 2024 legislative session. The Kansas Legislature meets from January through at least early May each year, holding countless committee meetings and hours of floor debate, which frequently can last into the wee hours. Hundreds of lobbyists and a dozen or so journalists monitor […]
Posted inElections, Kansas State Government
Changes to checks and balances: What these constitutional amendments could mean for Kansas
Kansans may have seen postcards in their mailbox, videos in their Facebook feed or commercials on television admonishing voters to support House Concurrent Resolution 5014, a proposed constitutional amendment listed on the November ballot as Constitutional Question 1. But while the ads are long on platitudes, they’re short on specifics, leaving many Kansas voters to […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, Elections, Kansas State Government
Live coverage: Wichita’s 2022 primary election
The 2022 primary is no ordinary election day in Kansas. This year, every voter can vote — even unaffiliated voters who may be unaccustomed to voting in primaries. On all ballots: a proposed constitutional amendment that would remove the right to an abortion from the Kansas Constitution. On party-affiliated ballots: primary elections for U.S. Senate […]