March 30, 2025

Keeping Media and Government Accountable.

Tag: Dave Trabert

Johnson County loses another ‘dark store theory’ court case

The Kansas Court of Appeals issued yet another ruling against Johnson County’s “dark store” justification for increasing property taxes on…

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Kansas job growth essentially flat since August 2020

Kansas unemployment remains high, with 57,000 fewer private-sector jobs in December compared to a year ago; January employment was down…

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Alarming trends suggest undereducated future Kansas workforce

Recent high school graduates set aside plans to attend technical school, community college, and university last year, slowing entry to…

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Kelly nominee may legislate from the bench to raise property tax

Johnson County Commission Chairman Ed Eilert and Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, have called on Kansas Governor Laura…

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KDHE orders Riley County to halt COVID vaccine distribution

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has ordered Riley County health officials to cease COVID vaccine distribution. The problem?…

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CDC, KS school board issue stringent school opening guidance

The Center for Disease Control and the Kansas State Department of Education issued new, stringent school opening guidance week, but…

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Kansas has 4th-worst tax environment for retirees in the nation

According to Kiplinger’s, Kansas is the fourth-worst state in the nation for retirees, based on each state’s tax scheme. According…

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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…

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Lawmakers fast-track SB 13 Truth in Taxation property tax bill

The Truth in Taxation transparency measure vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly last year is back as SB 13, which requires…

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Outsourcing could make more money available for instruction in SMSD

The Shawnee Mission School District will ask voters to approve a property tax increase next January in order to hire…

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KPI: $264 million Shawnee Mission bond issue is built on false premise

Shawnee Mission Superintendent Mike Fulton says shifting funding from capital outlay to operating expense and passing a bond issue is…

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JoCo eliminates public comment for Dec. 3 meeting

Johnson County commissioners will not permit verbal public comment at their next board meeting. Instead, the commission will meet by…

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JoCo ignores resident pleas, adopts tighter COVID restrictions

Bars and restaurants in Johnson County must close by midnight beginning Monday. That’s part of the decision of a divided…

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KDHE shows no interest in obtaining cycle threshold data

Despite it being clear the State of Kansas is using overly-sensitive COVID tests that, according to officials, will return positive…

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Kansas is being bombarded with unemployment fraud

Dave Trabert, the CEO of Kansas Policy Institute, was surprised to learn that he was a victim of unemployment fraud. …

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Blue Valley backs away from Timber Creek quarantine order

Approximately 100 Timber Creek elementary students who had allegedly been ordered into quarantine by their school are returning to their…

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KPI: Johnson County should fix flawed COVID policy metrics

The COVID policy metrics being used to make public health decisions and to decide when — or if — to…

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Kansas has 9th highest state and local sales tax rate

According to the Tax Foundation 2020 mid-year sales tax ranking, Kansas has the ninth-highest combined state and local sales tax…

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KPI calls on Kelly to use COVID stimulus funding for property tax relief

Kansas Policy Institute today asked Governor Laura Kelly to follow the lead of Idaho Governor Brad Little, who is leveraging…

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Kelly keeps bars, nightclubs shut down in revised Phase 2

Democrat Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday that the state would be moving into “Phase 2” of her reopening plan…

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Gov. Kelly stonewalls records request on no-bid contracts

Democrat Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has expressed long-standing opposition to the troubling practice of awarding no-bid contracts — government contracts…

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Reopening Kansas: challenges and opportunities

Even as the Kansas Policy Institute, which owns the Sentinel, and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce released their plans for…

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COVID-19: massive unemployment, except in government

Last week a record 55,428 people filed for unemployment in Kansas, and nationally the number stands at 7.14 million due…

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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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