Category: News
What is Kansas Department of Commerce hiding from public scrutiny?
Two requests filed by the Sentinel under the Kansas Open Record Act (KORA) with the Kansas Department of Commerce for…
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Wichita approves sales tax increase and paying $3 million for a parking lot
A week after approving a 22% hike that customers will pay for a natural gas franchise tax, For the second…
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…
Kansas drops to #34 in state business tax climate
Kansas dropped seven places in the Tax Foundation annual state business tax climate index. Kansas is in 34th place nationwide,…
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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Instead of closing loopholes in the property tax lid, Rep. Rhiley wants to eliminate it
Kansas Representative Bill Rhiley (R-Wellington) says there are too many loopholes in the property tax lid and cities and counties…
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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…
Wichita city council approves 22% gas franchise fee hike
The Wichita City Council unanimously approved a 22% increase in the franchise fee it charges by Kansas Gas at its…
3-legged stool scheme sets up a $1 billion income tax hike
Governor Kelly and her tax council say a balanced 3-legged stool theory, with equal amounts of income, sales, and property tax…
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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 Council considers sweetheart deals for Riverfront Partners
The Wichita City Council is considering a private development agreement with Riverfront Partners for mixed-use development north of the new…
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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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Wichita city council approves property tax increases in Delano TIF
The Wichita city council unanimously approved an emergency measure today to expand the Delano TIF district, so the city can…
Tax Foundation recommends Kansas changes to spur economic growth
The Kansas Chamber partnered with the Tax Foundation to produce a Kansas tax reform guide to spur economic growth in…
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Blue Valley schools a nightmare for students with dyslexia
A mother still in scrubs after her shift stood before the Blue Valley Board of Education in a faltering voice,…
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Audit: No accountability of at-risk spending by districts
A Legislative Post Audit of the at-risk spending by school districts in the state of Kansas found that most at-risk…
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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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Report for America grant raises objectivity concerns for Wichita Eagle
Two more full-time reporters will be coming to Kansas as part of the Report for America Grant program, but the…
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Gov. Kelly, David Toland need to answer questions on student achievement
On Nov. 14 of Kansas Framework For Growth, created by Governor Kelly’s administration and Commerce Secretary David Toland, put out a…
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Missouri passes Kansas on Nation’s Report Card
The 2019 results on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the Nation’s Report Card, shows Missouri…
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McKinsey invitation-only workshops focus on growing government
McKinsey & Company recently completed a series of workshops across the state as part of the firm’s $800,000 contract to…
Sentinel welcomes new investigative reporter
The Sentinel is pleased to welcome Patrick Richardson to the team as a freelance investigative reporter. Patrick has been a…
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Wichita proposes a convention center despite ‘overbuilt buyers market’
Downtown boosters want a new and much larger convention center as the centerpiece of the Wichita Riverfront Legacy Masterplan, but…