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POLITICS
Dodge City Daily Globe
22 Jan, 2020
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Stories are moving fast and furious as the legislative session starts strong. Catch up on the big news you might have missed.
Proposed constitutional amendment evokes strong views on abortion
The high-stakes debate on a proposed constitutional amendment reversing the Kansas Supreme Court decision establishing abortion as a fundamental right attracted a standing room-only crowd that illustrated political, health, legal and religious divisions woven into the issue.
Consultants reject idea of demolishing Docking office building

A feasibility study of Docking State Office Building in Topeka sought by the Kansas Legislature produced a recommendation not to demolish the structure and to consider spending at least $100 million to fully or partially renovate the 62-year-old structure adjacent to the Capitol.

Gov. Laura Kelly selects brigadier general to lead Kansas Guard

Gov. Laura Kelly selected an Air National Guard brigadier general to lead the Kansas Guard as adjutant general.

Washburn University students get personal time with Democratic hopefuls in Iowa

Standing outside a coffee shop in Grinnell, Iowa, Cory Booker turned the camera on the Washburn University students who had pursued and documented the intricacies of his campaign.

Capitol Insider podcast: Kansas in dire need of state energy plan

Consultants hired by the Legislature to examine Kansas' unusually high electric rates bullet-pointed the obvious: Kansas has neglected to develop a comprehensive plan defining the state's energy future.

Former archivist, Kansas Gov. John Carlin laments ‘altering evidence’ from Women’s March

Former U.S. archivist and Kansas Gov. John Carlin says the blurring of images from the 2017 Women's March on Washington breaches public trust and undermines democracy.

Gov. Laura Kelly shifting state employee health, work comp programs

Gov. Laura Kelly wants to move administrative operation of the state employee health plan and a worker compensation program to a different Cabinet agency.

KPERS trustees decline proposal to cut 7.75% rate of return assumption

Trustees of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System decided to retain the current 7.75% investment return assumption rather than heed a recommendation of consultants to lower the foundational economic measure to more closely reflect national expectations.

Commerce study critical of incentives offered in Rural Opportunity Zones

A new report from the Kansas Department of Commerce concludes a state program that provides cash incentives for those who move to rural areas failed to influence relocations or curb systemic population declines across the state.

Leaders hope USMCA deal helps ag economy

The trade agreement aligning economic forces of United States, Canada and Mexico earned bipartisan support of political leaders in Kansas eager to take advantage of opportunity to engage in exportation of agriculture and food products.

Kansas anti-abortion forces fast-tracking constitutional amendment

A coalition of conservative and faith-based political groups gathered at the Capitol for introduction of a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution designed to reverse a state court decision establishing abortion as a fundamental right.

Speaker at King event urges leaders to be ‘representative’ of their communities

Thursday was a big day for DeAngela Burns-Wallace at the Statehouse. Not only was she the featured speaker at the Kansas Governor's Annual March and Celebration honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., an event that began at noon, but the Senate also confirmed her appointment as the next secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration later in the day.

Mark Bruce files lawsuit over ouster from Kansas Highway Patrol, points to ‘debauchery’ of others

Former Kansas Highway Patrol superintendent Mark Bruce is asking the Kansas Supreme Court to let him return to the law enforcement agency as a major.

Gov. Laura Kelly’s budget calls for refinancing KPERS, pay raise for state workers

Gov. Laura Kelly revealed her proposed blueprint for $7.8 billion in government spending on state services next year, including social service investments, aid for higher education and a pay raise for state employees.

KCC explores theory of migrating earthquakes

The Kansas Corporation Commission's conservation director said lack of information inhibited declaring a precise cause of earthquakes into Reno County far away from southern Kansas sites where a surge in seismic activity was linked to injection of oil-and-gas wastewater deep underground.

In State of State speech, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly pushes for Medicaid expansion, tax relief

Gov. Laura Kelly challenged lawmakers to forge a path of prosperity for Kansas in the "Soaring '20s" that stands in contrast to a now-finished decade distinguished by financial chaos.

House Speaker Ryckman rejects Democratic governor’s ‘budget gimmicks’

House Speaker Ron Ryckman said in the Republican response to the governor's annual speech to legislators time had come to move beyond court mandates and political schemes that undermine stability of the state government's budget.

Kansas attorney general offers bill to blunt indoor vaping

The Kansas attorney general introduced a bill to add electronic cigarettes to the state's definition of smoking so that a prohibition on indoor consumption of tobacco could be extended to vaping.

Kansas park system absorbing $11M hit from 2019 flooding

TOPEKA - The top Kansas parks administrator said torrential rains that produced sustained flooding lat year had an estimated $11 million cumulative impact on budgets of the agency responsible for oversight of the state's recreational parks system.

Holcomb expansion project canceled

Sunflower Electric Power Corporation announced that the utility will no longer pursue the Holcomb Expansion Project.