Category: News
Half of state unemployment payouts may be overpayments or fraud
As Kansas grapples with record levels of unemployment claims and rampant fraud, economist Michael Austin, Director of the Kansas Policy…
Tips for handling school district ‘quarantine’ notices
Parents are growing increasingly frustrated with school districts over their handling of alleged exposure to COVID, particularly with the lack…
Lawmakers consider education savings accounts
A former school board member announced to the Kansas House K-12 budget committee on Monday that she changed her mind…
Parents, students tell lawmakers remote learning is hurting students
Hybrid and remote learning is taking a toll on Kansas students, parents and kids told the House K-12 budget committee…
KS education lobby attacks opportunity – Part 1
Parental support for school choice is on the rise in Kansas and across the nation, but the Kansas education lobby…
Accidental ‘hack’ exposes major security flaw in unemployment system
A glaring security flaw in the Kansas Unemployment System was discovered by an average user who was able to accidentally…
Black Lives Matter speech controversy at Auburn-Washburn
A series of Black Lives Matter posters in the hallways of Washburn Rural High School in the USD 437 Auburn-Washburn…
KS Justice Institute restores religious freedom in Dickinson County
The Dickinson County Commission backtracked on a public health order to limit capacity at church gatherings after receiving a warning…
Commerce can’t – or won’t – substantiate “jobs created” claim
In late November of last year, the Kansas Department of Commerce announced that there had been $2 billion in new…
School board, Sen. Baumgardner tussle over in-person learning data
A nine-page letter the Gardner Edgerton School District sent to the Kansas Senate Education Committee about in-person learning sparked a…
KS lawmakers anticipate few changes to state election laws
While Republican lawmakers in several states are preparing legislation to overhaul election processes, Kansas legislators are looking at minor updates…
Spring Hill scraps COVID gating criteria; in-person learning starts Feb. 1
Middle and high school students in the Spring Hill School District are heading back to school in-person starting Feb. 1.…
Kansas Dems in lockstep with Biden, propose $15 minimum wage
As newly-sworn in President Joe Biden has signed executive orders promoting a $15 minimum wage — and has it as…
KDOL spins unemployment rate, ignores people leaving workforce
The Kansas Department of Labor put its own spin on bad economic news earlier this week. Kansas’s unemployment rate dipped…
Kansas Dems hope to repeal the Adoption Protection Act
Two Johnson County representatives have introduced a bill that — if passed — would repeal the Kansas Adoption Protection Act…
KDHE quietly reduced cycle threshold on COVID tests
Earlier this month — and without fanfare — the Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Health and Environmental Laboratories reduced…
Damaging COVID response, taxes top concerns of Kansas businesses
Kansas business owners believe the state’s COVID response damaged the economy more than necessary, according to an annual poll commissioned…
Legislature debates extending COVID emergency declaration
UPDATE: The Governor signed SB 14 into law today, Jan. 25, extending the state of emergency declaration through March 31.…
Stanford study: no evidence that lockdowns slow COVID
A study conducted by researchers at Stanford University finds “no clear, significant beneficial effect of mrNPIs (more restrictive non-pharmaceutical interventions)…
Senate advances property tax transparency legislation
A property tax transparency bill is headed to the Kansas House of Representatives for consideration. The legislation, Senate Bill 13,…
Kelly admin pays Accenture $48 per hour for call center employees
With tens of thousands of Kansans out of work and waiting for unemployment pay, a Sentinel Open Records investigation shows…
Legislators signal they’ll reject Kelly’s tax-and-spend budget proposal
Gov. Laura Kelly’s FY 2022 budget proposal appears to be dead on arrival at the Kansas Legislature. Her record-setting $8…
David Toland draws two salaries as Lt. Gov. and Commerce Sec.
Recently-sworn-in Lt. Governor David Toland will be continuing to serve as Secretary of Commerce during his tenure — and will…
De Soto students headed back to in-person learning Feb. 1
Middle and high school students in the De Soto School District return to full-time, in-person learning on Feb. 1. That…