Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include revisions to the legislature’s website made after this story published, and to add more information sources available to the public. When the 2023 Kansas Legislature convenes on Jan. 9, lawmakers will begin writing, revising and debating laws that will impact the lives of all Kansans. But […]
Kansas state government
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 inHealth, Kansas 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 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 inElections, Kansas State Government
Kansas Supreme Court election: What’s at stake?
In more than 60 years, no Kansas Supreme Court justice has been ousted by voters. But that hasn’t stopped campaigns from trying. And while no such campaign has made itself known yet this election cycle, one expert told The Beacon that attack ads might begin to appear around mid-October, and would likely oppose keeping the […]
Posted inElections, How To, Kansas State Government
Follow the money: Here’s how to research Kansas campaign finance reports
Follow the money, they say. Ever since the Watergate scandal, when then-President Richard Nixon’s reelection campaign funded a 1972 break-in and wiretap at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., the phrase “follow the money” has been shorthand to describe the often fraught relationship between campaign donations and political influence. […]
Posted inKansas State Government
Follow the money: How casinos got what they wanted in Kansas’ sports wagering law
How we reported this story: The Wichita Beacon relied on publicly available information from company websites and press releases; business registration paperwork filed with agencies in at least five states; legislative documents including hearing testimony, lawmaker voting records and archived video feeds of legislative proceedings; and lobbyist registration directories and campaign finance data available from […]
Posted inElections
Kansas 2022 primary: Here are the statewide primary results.
One race was too close to call, while others ended with expected outcomes.
Posted inElections, Kansas State Government
Kansas will be the first state to vote on abortion after Roe. Here’s how we got here.
When the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on June 24, the court not only repealed federal constitutional protections for abortion by overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, it shifted the battle over abortion rights to the states. Kansas is the first battleground. Voters here […]
Posted inCivic Engagement, Elections
Kansas Voter Help Desk: Your questions answered
The Beacon is here to answer your questions about voting in the November general election. We will respond directly to readers’ questions as they come in, and we will also publish the answers here and in our newsletter. Submit your questions about voting in Kansas using this form, by email to miranda@thebeacon.media, or through The […]