March 29, 2024

Keeping Media and Government Accountable.

Author: Patrick Richardson

Kudos to KC Star on the courage to say ‘we were wrong’

Give a tip of the hat to Kansas City Star Assistant City Editor Maria Martin. Last week the Star ran…

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Informed consent legislation for release of sensitive student data fails

A House bill that would have required informed consent before parents allow their children to participate in a controversial survey…

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Janus bills clear committee, head to full House, Senate

A pair of bills that would bring the State of Kansas into compliance with the United States Supreme Court’s 2018…

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Johnson County legislator proposes 5% ‘privilege’ tax on sale of guns and ammo

Rep. Jerry Stogsdill (D-Prairie Village) introduced a bill in the Kansas legislature that would impose a 5% privilege tax on…

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City of Frontenac violated Kansas Open Records Act, AG’s office finds

In a 17-page finding, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office last week concluded that the City of Frontenac violated the Kansas…

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KPI releases annual “A-F” school grades

The Kansas Policy Institute, which owns the Sentinel, released its annual “A-F” School Grades on Monday, and the results are…

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Senate bill would allow Kansas counties to levy 1 percent income tax

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to remove mention of deductibility from the state income tax; we regret the…

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Proposal to raise income tax rates costs $100 million over 3 years

Yes, that headline is correct.  A tax bill touted as revenue-neutral by its sponsors would actually result in a net…

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Kansas water rights controlled by an unelected state employee

Unbeknownst to many, Kansas water rights are controlled by one unelected employee of the state Department of Agriculture. That person…

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Frontenac continues to obfuscate on open records requests

The City of Frontenac continues to delay and refuse to hand over documents relevant to the decision in September of…

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Kelly’s KPERS reamortization would cost taxpayers $4.4 billion

For the second straight year, Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has proposed a KPERS reamortization plan for the Kansas Public…

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Legislation requires local elected officials to vote on full property tax increase

Senate Bill 294, co-sponsored by 15 state senators, would require city and county elected officials to vote on the entire…

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Polls show overwhelming support for school choice

A new study by the American Federation for Children, conducted by Beck Research shows national support for school choice is…

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Electric rates hurt economic development; Evergy customers getting $41 million rate hike

Having significantly higher electric rates than surrounding states isn’t just a millstone around the neck of the average Kansan, it’s dragging…

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Kansas utility rates include bogus state income tax cost

Not only are Kansans paying higher utility rates — as much as 35% higher than some surrounding states — but…

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Kansans pay 25% higher electric rates than neighboring states

A recently released audit of the electric rates Kansans pay concluded that Kansans pay anywhere from 22 to 25 percent…

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Gov. Laura Kelly out of touch with average Kansan on budget issues

In a press release just before the first of the year, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly said she’s going to “rebuild”…

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Fort Scott discovers it doesn’t need a hospital

“This should not have happened,” Gov. Laura Kelly said in October 2018 after Fort Scott’s Mercy Hospital closed. “Simply put: if…

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Legislators hope to preempt federal red-flag laws

Two Kansas legislators have pre-filed a bill they hope will protect Kansans from so-called “red-flag” laws, sometimes called “extreme risk…

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Kansas school board chair rejects audit findings in contradiction-laden column

After a scathing editorial by the Kansas City Star called out school districts across Kansas for misusing funding for at-risk…

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Wayfair decision hammering catalog sellers into extinction

Not only has the Wayfair decision heavily impacted small e-commerce sites but it’s also threatening an entire industry, with catalog…

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City of Frontenac won’t comply with Open Records requests

Earlier this year, the City of Frontenac in southeast Kansas requested $3,500 to provide documentation surrounding the secretive dismissal of…

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Gov. Kelly’s illegal sales tax policy hurts small businesses nationwide

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s likely illegal attempt to collect sales tax on the first dollar of all internet and catalog sales…

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K-State Olathe spends $122,000 per student

With a budget this year of $7.3 million and just 60 full-time equivalent (FTE) students, K-State Olathe Innovation Campus will…

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