Non-religious voters wield clout, tilt heavily Democratic

One of the simplest ways to define politics is as a struggle for power. This power struggle has flared up again. The legislature began their 2023 session by introducing a bill that would further disrupt the current power division between state and local and also undermine Kansas voters. Often, in...

TOPEKA — When Rep. Tory Marie Blew first won election to the House in 2016, people told her she was losing money by going to Topeka. She was 23 years old at the time, and her only expenses were rent and student loan repayment. As she has grown older — and married, with a mortgage — the financial implications of public service have come into focus. Lawmakers earn $88 per day during the legislative session.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The leader of Missouri's state Senate on Thursday said Republican senators are unified against letting transgender girls play on girls' sports teams. Senate President Pro Tem Caleb Rowden's comments to reporters on Thursday signal that restrictions on what teams transgender student athletes can play...

Rock salt saves lives by helping tires grip icy roads. It avoids broken bones when homeowners use it on slick sidewalks, driveways and parking lots. And in Kansas, one of the country’s top salt producers, rock salt generates paychecks. But it also costs Americans billions in corroding cars and...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of abortion rights filed separate lawsuits Wednesday challenging two states' abortion pill restrictions, the opening salvo in what’s expected to a be a protracted legal battle over access to the medications. The lawsuits argue that limits on the drugs in North Carolina and West...

TOPEKA — Lawmakers have begun evaluating legislation in an effort to fix years of built-up problems within the juvenile justice system. First up: A bill that could expand access to behavioral health treatment through crisis intervention centers. During a House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee meeting Monday, a week...

Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, is the Kansas House Appropriations Chairman and 109th District state representative which includes:. * Barton County: Cities: Albert, Claflin, Galatia, Odin, Olmitz and Susank; Townships: Beaver, Cheyenne, Clarence, Cleveland, Fairview, Grant, Independent, Logan, Union, Walnut and Wheatland. * Jewell County: Cities: Burr Oak, Esbon and Mankato;...

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly this week announced that 10 Kansas communities are receiving grants to assist with the creation of Family Resource Centers. These funds, granted by the Kansas Department for Children and Families, are part of its ongoing efforts to decrease the need for families to have formal contact with the agency.

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area man has been charged in connection with a domestic assault that also involved firing a handgun inside and outside a Lee's Summit residence that the suspect later failed to come out of after police surrounded the residence, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

A wind chill advisory is in effect for most of northwest Kansas through Monday morning. The National Weather Service in Dodge City is predicting a bitterly cold start to the work week, with a high temperature of just 16 forecast for Monday. There is a slight chance of snow flurries...