Podcasts about Kansas Senate

On Wednesday, February 26, the Kansas Senate debated SCR 1604 (COS Action's Article V application). After some introduction from Regional Directors Andrew Lusch and Deanna Becket, the episode goes to the playback of the debate. State senators discussed the resolution and voted on various amendments to the resolution. In the end, the Senate advanced the resolution on a voice vote to Third Reading. The Senate is expected to take a final vote on the resolution on February 27.

On Thursday, Feb. 27, the Kansas Senate voted on COS Action's Article V application to rein in federal power, impose fiscal restraints, and propose term limits for Congress and federal officials. Despite the Kansas Constitution's two-thirds rule for Article V resolutions, the Senate successfully passed the measure by a 29-11 vote. This exceeds the two-thirds threshold and marks the first time that the COS Action resolution has been successfully adopted by the Kansas Senate. Regional Director Deanna Becket and Senior Vice President Rita Peters react to this historic victory for the COS Kansas team, and they also preview what's next in the Kansas legislature.

On February 3, 2025, the Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs held public hearing on COS Action's Article V application for imposing fiscal restraints, jurisdictional constraints, and term limits on federal officials. COS co-founder Michael Farris gave expert testimony. Afterwards, Rita Peters and Deanna Becket react and detail what's next. COS LIVE

Speaker of the Kansas House Dan Hawkins joins the program to discuss the Republicans clean sweeps in both the Kansas House and the Kansas Senate.

Ty Masterson, Kansas Senate President | 11-7-24See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democrat Andrew Mall and Republican Sen. Mike Thompson squared off on issues important to Johnson County in a debate on KCUR's Up To Date. The tight race could help determine the fate of the Kansas Legislature's GOP supermajority.

Gov. Laura Kelly predicts voters in the Nov. 5 election will enable Democrats to claim at least two more seats in the Kansas House and three more seats in the Kansas Senate to eliminate the two-thirds supermajority held by Republicans at the Statehouse.

Hour 1 - Guests include Elizabeth Patton with Americans For Properity and Keenan Smith, who is a Republican candidate for Kansas Senate in district 25.

REALTOR® Andrew Mall is running for a seat on the Kansas Senate. He talks with Bobbi and Alex about his history with political advocacy, how it affects real estate, and how he would use a seat on the Kansas Senate to advocate for housing issues. Bobbi's Book Bit: Quiet Power by Susan Cain (Jump to interview at 16:35)

20-year-old Ephren Taylor III is running in the Democratic primary for the Kansas Senate's 4th District, challenging longtime incumbent state Sen. David Haley. In a KCUR debate, the two candidates clashed on taxes and whether the state should bring over the Chiefs.

Incumbent Kansas state Sen. David Haley and Ephren Taylor III are facing off in the 2024 Democratic primary for the 4th Senate District. The candidates joined KCUR's Up To Date for a debate on the issues facing their district and the Sunflower State at large.

The Chevron Deference is overruled and VOTE FBF's endorsements for the Kansas Senate and House.

Ty Masterson joins Pete Mundo to discuss the Chiefs potentially moving to Kansas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a special Mother's Day episode, Maggie Mick interviews Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and her eldest daughter Kathleen Kelly Daughety. The conversation focuses on both of their careers, the governor raising her daughters in Topeka - the state capital, and insights for working moms in policy and politics.   Governor Laura Kelly is the 48th governor of Kansas. A member of the Democratic Party, she represented the 18th district in the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2019. Kelly was elected governor in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. Kathleen Kelly Daughety is the Vice President of Campaigns and Civic Engagement at Inseparable. Kathleen began her career in Kansas politics, campaigning to elect Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius twice. She continued her career with the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), Governor Jay Nixon (MO), U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (CO), Priorities USA and has held private sector posts with Liberty Media and Uber.

Kansas Senate and House Commerce met yesterday trying to get a bill together where they could get both the Chiefs and Royals.

Erin has arrived in Canada, eh! Hear her journey of navigating her Vancouver-adjacent AirBNB with no furniture and a non-functioning double oven. Bryan is in New York and has a tale of a Broccolini-filled dinner experience with a gaggle of gay lawyers chatting next to him. Erin showcases Nike's skimpy Team USA uniform kits for this summer's Olympics, and Bryan details Kansas' Governor's vetoing of multiple anti-LGBTQ+ bills, but alllowing one to pass preventing media online that may be "harmful to minors". For hours of additional bonus content, visit www.patreon.com/attitudes Join us on Discord for episode discussions and Wednesday night Watch Parties! https://discord.gg/gK2eZHCSM7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hour 3 - The bill now heads to the Kansas Senate.  Local and national news headlines on Steve and Ted in the Morning.

It's Wednesday, March 27th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark 161 acts of persecution against Christians so far in 2024 During the first 75 days of 2024, the United Christian Forum documented 161 incidents of persecution against Christians in India. Christians in the Hindu-majority country often face accusations of forced conversion.  The group noted Christians experienced the most persecution in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It said, “There is clear evidence of state-sponsored harassment of Christians in this state, as the police file false allegations of conversion against pastors, even for praying in birthday parties and other social gatherings.” One billion people in India expected to vote Nearly a billion people will head to the polls in India next month. It's considered the largest democratic election in history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to win a third term in a row. His Hindu-nationalist party, known as the Bharatiya Janata Party, is also expected to remain in power. India overtook China as the world's most populated country last year. India also overtook the U.K. as the fifth largest economy in 2022 and is on track to be the third largest behind the U.S. and China. Isaiah 40:15 reminds us, “Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales; Look, [the Lord] lifts up the isles as a very little thing.” Air & Space Museum in trouble for mocking pro-lifers In the United States, a national museum agreed to a $50,000 settlement with pro-life tourists. Twelve students visited the National Air and Space Museum last year, wearing pro-life apparel. Museum staff mocked the students and forced them to leave. Patrick Murphy, one of those pro-life students, appeared on Sean Hannity's Fox show and explained what happened. MURPHY: “We got done with the March for Life and we decided to go to the Air and Space Museum. We ended up but the Flight Brothers exhibit. At this time, we were addressed by security guards and they tell, ‘All people wearing a pro-life hat, take it off.' One of the students with us proceeds to say, ‘We use these hats for identification purposes. This is for our group.' “We were approached by a large man as we were walking out, rubbing his hands together, saying ‘Y'all are about to make my day!' He tells us he's got reports saying we said no to taking our hats off and we're in trouble for some odd reason. I then said, ‘This is a violation of our First Amendment right. This is a government-funded building.' He said, ‘It's a neutral zone, and that doesn't apply here.' And we were blown away. We had almost no words.” The Smithsonian oversees the museum and agreed to the settlement, offering the students a private tour. Jordan Sekulow with the American Center for Law and Justice wrote, “This was a clear-cut First Amendment violation, not only of their freedom of speech but of religion as well. The federal government simply cannot ban speech with which it or its employees disagree.” Kansas pro-life bill would end chemical abortion In welcome news,  Students for Life Action applauded the roll call vote on Senate Bill 286 in the Kansas Senate, which, if signed into law, will greatly increase pro-life protections in Kansas, stopping dangerous Chemical Abortion pills and ending intentional abortion.  This vote resulted from the hard work of Students for Life Action intern Cheyenne Vandeventer, who helped introduce the law in 2023, and was championed by Kansas GOP State Senator Dr. Mark Steffen. Ship crashed into Baltimore bridge, causing collapse A massive, Singapore-flagged container ship, named Dali, bound for Sri Lanka, crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge yesterday at 1:30am in Maryland, causing it to collapse. Watch the video. The ship was departing from Baltimore, Maryland when it lost power. The collision sent people and cars into the icy Patapsco River. First responders rescued two people from the river, but six more are unaccounted for and presumed dead.  Maryland's Democratic Governor Wes Moore spoke to the press. MOORE: “This morning our state is in shock. To our first responders, I'm in awe of you. I'm in awe of your courage. I'm in awe of your strength.  You saw a crisis and you said, ‘What can I do to help' to rescue and recover the victims of this collapse literally as we speak.” Ship traffic to the Baltimore Harbor is suspended for now. The port is the busiest one in the United States for car shipments. Maternal mortality rate did not skyrocket at all A new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found the U.S. maternal mortality rate may have been overestimated. In 2003, death certificates started to include a box if someone was pregnant near the time of death. This led to the appearance of a 143% increase in maternal mortality rates over the last 21 years. However, researchers found the rate only increased by two percent in reality.  LifeSiteNews noted, “Maternal mortality is frequently used as an excuse to expand legal abortion. … Across the globe, statistics have shown that legal abortion does not lower the maternal mortality rate.” Alabama defunded “woke” programs Last Wednesday, Alabama's Republican Governor Kay Ivey signed a bill to defund diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. The state will no longer fund such woke programs at schools, public colleges, and government agencies. The law put restrictions on “divisive concepts” like the idea that “any individual should accept, acknowledge, affirm, or assent to a sense of guilt, complicity, or a need to apologize on the basis of his or her race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity, or national origin.” Weekly U.S. church attendance down 12 points And finally, Gallup released a new poll on church attendance in America. Overall, 30% of Americans say they attend religious services weekly or almost weekly. Eleven percent attend once a month, and 56% seldom or never attend. Since 2000, weekly or almost weekly religious attendance is down 12 points for U.S. adults. It's down 12 points for Catholics and down four points for Protestants. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another.” Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Wednesday, March 27th in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Hour 3 - The flat tax now goes to the House for approval before heading to the Governor's desk. Governor Kelly has vetoed similar proposals before.

Lauren Boebert won't compete in special election to replace Rep. Ken Buck | MO voters favor abortion rights | Kansas GOP's flat tax favors the wealthiest 20% | JB Pritzker wants to end prior authorizations in mental health | Texas right-wing billionaires get their way ELECTION 2024Missourians back initiative to restore abortion rights by small margin, new poll findsThe St. Louis University/YouGov poll found many undecided voters as ballot campaign gathers signatures. The poll also found strong support for repealing the sales tax on food and sports wageringBY: RUDI KELLER - MARCH 13, 2024 6:00 AMhttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missourians-back-initiative-to-restore-abortion-rights-by-small-margin-new-poll-finds/In June of 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established federal constitutional protections for abortion. Under current Missouri law, abortions are only allowed to save the life of the mother or when “a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” This has made abortion virtually inaccessible in the state.Now, a group called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom is collecting signatures to put abortion rights on the November ballot. They must gather at least 171,000 signatures from registered voters by early May.A new poll shows plurality of Missourians support restoring abortion rights as they existed under Roe v. Wade, but a large undecided group holds the key to victory. The St. Louis University/YouGov Poll conducted in February found that 44% of those surveyed would vote for abortion rights after hearing the ballot language, while 37% were opposed. Almost one-fifth of voters, 19%, said they were unsure how they would vote.71% of Democrats and 24% of Republicans support the proposal.If the measure makes the ballot, poll director Steven Rogers said there are enough undecided voters to sway the result. A sports wagering initiative campaign is also underway and the poll found 60% of those surveyed back legal betting on professional sports.That poll surveyed 900 likely Missouri voters between Feb. 14 and Feb. 26, with a 3.74% margin of error. Along with the major initiatives, the poll included questions tracking attitudes toward President Joe Biden, Congress, major Missouri political figures and the General Assembly.The poll also questioned voters about their choices for governor and their views on the biggest issues confronting the state as well as current legislative debates like school choice.37% of those surveyed said they approve of the job President Biden is doing, a rating similar to the findings in four previous surveys dating to July 2021. Gov. Mike Parson, who will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits, has an approval rating of 52%, among the highest ever found by the poll. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican seeking re-election this year, has an approval rating of 50%.The race to succeed Parson is wide open, at least for the August primaries. Without named candidates, the poll found 52% of those surveyed will vote for the Republican candidate for governor while 38% selected the Democrat.When those who said they would vote Republican were asked which candidate they preferred, “not sure” was selected by almost half of those polled. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had the largest number of committed voters, with 28%, followed by Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe at 10% and state Sen. Bill Eigel at 8%.On the Democratic side, “not sure” was selected by 66% of respondents, with House Minority Leader Crystal Quade chosen by 21% and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra chosen by 4%.New Kansas flat tax proposal would mainly benefit state's top 20% of earnersBY: RACHEL MIPRO - MARCH 13, 2024 11:19 AMhttps://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/13/new-kansas-flat-tax-proposal-would-mainly-benefit-states-top-20-of-earners-analysis-shows/TOPEKA — A revamped flat tax plan touted by Kansas Senate lawmakers on Tuesday would cost the state nearly $650 million annually, give 40% of the benefits to the state's wealthiest 20%, and reap billionaire Charles Koch a half-million dollar windfall, according to independent analysis.During the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation hearing, Republican lawmakers claimed the bill, Senate Bill 539, would address Kansans' needs. Committee Chair Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who requested the bill's introduction said, “It is a product of listening to people and trying to come up with the best solution,”The state currently uses a graduated income tax rate: 3.1% for income under $15,000, 5.25% for income between $15,000 and $30,000 and 5.7% for income above $30,000. Couples filing together have those income amounts doubled.SB 539 would change income tax rates over six years, starting with a universal income tax rate of 5.7% in 2024, and reduced by .05% each year until 2029, which would set the rate at 5.45%. Under current law, the standard state deduction for income taxes is set at $3,500 for single filers and $8,000 for married couples filing jointly. The bill would set the deduction at $4,000 for single filers in 2024 and increase the standard deduction for all taxpayers by the cost-of-living adjustment published in the Internal Revenue Code beginning in tax year 2025.However, researchers estimate the top 20% of earners – those with annual incomes of over $315,000 – would see nearly 40% of the benefits. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan research organization that favors a progressive tax system, estimated the plan would cost the state nearly $650 million annually once fully implemented.A Kansas household making less than $55,000 a year would see $237 in benefits. Billionaire Charles Koch would receive an estimated annual $485,000 in tax breaks under the proposal.The bill would also cut the standard tax rate for banks from the current 2.25% rate to 1.94% in tax year 2024, and down to 1.63% in 2025. For savings and loan associations, taxes would be reduced from the current 2.25% rate to 1.93% in 2024 and down to 1.61% in 2025. Other provisions include eliminating the state's 2% sales tax on groceries by July 1. Currently, the tax is set to end on Jan. 1, 2025.Earlier in the legislative session, a Republican-driven effort fast-tracked the 5.25% income tax plan that would have reduced tax collections by more than $300 million per year and primarily benefited the state's top earners. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposal in late January, characterizing it as “reckless.” Despite the GOP supermajority in the House and Senate, a veto override attempt failed in the House due to opposition among conservative and moderate Republicans who felt the proposal didn't do enough for the state's lower-income residents.Governor Kelly has said she will continue to veto “irresponsible flat tax proposals.”House panel opens hearings on Pritzker's health insurance reformsWednesday, March 13, 2024Bill seeks to reduce denials of coverage, improve provider networksBy PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comhttps://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/house-panel-opens-hearings-on-pritzkers-health-insurance-reformsSPRINGFIELD – A panel of Illinois lawmakers began hearing testimony Wednesday on Gov. JB Pritzker's proposals for sweeping changes in the state's health insurance industry. The changes, which Pritzker first unveiled in his State of the State address in February, would limit the ability of companies to deny claims or steer patients toward cheaper, and possibly less effective, treatments. They are contained in an amendment to House Bill 5395. They include banning prior authorization requirements for people to receive in-patient treatment at a psychiatric facility as well as all forms of so-called “step therapy” for prescription drug coverage. Step therapy refers to the practice of requiring a patient to try one or more cheaper, alternative medications before being allowed to access medications prescribed by their doctor.Other changes in the plan include requiring insurance companies to publicly post the types of treatments and therapies that do require prior authorization; requiring them to maintain accurate lists of the providers who are in their networks; and banning the sale in Illinois of short-term, limited duration insurance plans that don't meet the minimum standards under the federal Affordable Care Act.Emily Miller, a senior advisor in Pritzker's office, tried to assure the House Human Services Committee Wednesday that the administration was not waging war against the health insurance industry.“Insurance has a role to play, and I'm not here to demonize the insurance industry,” she said. “I am here, though, to say that it is time for consumers to have a say in how insurance companies are administering their health care plans. And we want to make sure that consumers are protected.”During the hearing, the committee heard personal stories from individual patients and their families, including some legislators, who spoke about their experiences having claims denied by their insurers. Among them was state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, whose son was born with a rare heart malfunction that requires treatments for which he needs prior authorizations. He also had a daughter who died following a long battle with leukemia. He said, “We had her stay four days in the hospital because we couldn't get a nausea medication that we knew worked after chemo (round) two. We couldn't get it authorized in chemo (round) three. Very frustrating. Four days in the hospital, and I'm not sure how that saves somebody money.”Dr. Mary Dobbins, a pediatrician and psychologist who is a past president of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, testified about what she called a “mental health crisis” among children and youth in the United States. She said the crisis has been “artificially magnified by the requirements that tie up our clinical time.”She said “I've had multiple patients who destabilized because medicine they'd been doing well on was now denied, and the parents couldn't afford to pay for it out of pocket. The appropriate level of care is commonly denied.”The committee took no action Wednesday, but Chair Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, said the committee plans to hold more discussions and could vote as early as next week to advance the bill to the full House.Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Amid white supremacist scandal, far-right billionaire powerbrokers see historic election gains in TexasAll told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May.BY ROBERT DOWNENMARCH 8, 2024https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/08/tim-dunn-farris-wilks-defend-texas-liberty-election/West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks entered the 2024 primary election cycle wounded.Their political network was in the middle of a scandal over its ties to white supremacists. Republicans were calling on each other to reject the billionaires' campaign money. And their enemies believed they were vulnerable — one bad election day from losing their grip on the state.Instead, Dunn and Wilks emerged from Texas' primaries last Tuesday perhaps stronger than ever — vanquishing old political foes, positioning their allies for a November takeover of the state Legislature, and leaving little doubt as to who is winning a vicious civil war to control the state party.In race after race, more moderate conservative incumbents were trounced by candidates backed by Dunn and Wilks. Their political network made good on its vows for vengeance against House Republicans who voted to impeach their key state ally, Attorney General Ken Paxton, advancing more firebrands who campaigned against bipartisanship and backed anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Tuesday's election also paved the way for the likely passage of legislation that would allow taxpayer money to fund private and religious schools — a key policy goal for a movement that seeks to infuse more Christianity into public life.All told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by the two billionaires won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May. And, in a sign of how much the state party has moved rightward, five of their candidates beat incumbents in rematches from 2022 or 2020 — with some House districts swinging by double-digits in their favor. Of the candidates they backed, they donated $75,000 or more to 11 of them — six who won, and four who went to runoffs.Among the triumphant on Tuesday was Mitch Little, aided by at least $153,000 in Dunn and Wilks cash, who defeated Rep. Kronda Thimesch in a campaign that focused on Little's defense of Paxton from impeachment charges in the Senate trial last summer. Three days before he won, Little appeared at an event in Denton County with Paxton and, among others, Steve Bannon, the political operative who helped rally the far right behind then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016.And another Dunn and Wilks candidate, David Covey, stunned the state by winning more votes than House Speaker Dade Phelan — the No. 1 target of the state's far-right in part because of his role in the Paxton impeachment and refusal to ban Democrats from House leadership positions. Phelan now faces a runoff from Covey and the prospect of being the first Texas Speaker since 1972 to lose his primary.This election cycle, the billionaires' targets also overlapped with Gov. Greg Abbott, who poured more than $6 million into his quest to rid the Texas House of Republicans who defied his calls for school voucher legislation last year. Meanwhile, Paxton barnstormed the state as he sought retribution against incumbents who supported his impeachment. And, perhaps most importantly, former President Donald Trump was active in many contests — following the lead of Paxton and his other ally, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and offering late endorsements that bolstered right-wing candidates.We can't wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas' breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.Here's how the special election to replace Ken Buck will work in ColoradoLauren Boebert indicates she will not compete in special electionBY: SARA WILSON - MARCH 13, 2024 5:01 PMhttps://coloradonewsline.com/2024/03/13/special-election-to-replace-ken-buck-colorado/Colorado voters in the 4th Congressional District will vote in two separate elections on June 25: the congressional primary for November's general election, as well as a special election to immediately replace Republican Rep. Ken Buck, who announced on Tuesday that he is resigning and leaving Congress nine months ahead of schedule.It could add confusion to the a competitive and crowded race in Colorado's Eastern Plains.Buck had already announced his intention to retire and not seek reelection this year, but he surprised the political world this week by announcing that he would leave Congress on March 22, versus sticking around until the end of his term.That sets off a seldom-used process to fill a congressional vacancy via special election that, according to a decision announced by Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday, will coincide with the June 25 congressional primary election. The winner of that special election will fill the remaining months of Buck's term, but would still need to win the party's nomination that day and then the general election in November to secure a full term in Congress.Each party will convene a special convention made up of party insiders to select one nominee for the special election. According to state statute, those special conventions need to happen within 20 days of the governor issuing a formal order for the special election, which hasn't technically happened yet.The 4th District leans more Republican than any in the state, so whoever wins the special Republican nomination will likely go on to win the special election, and whoever wins the Republican primary will likely go on to win the general election.That opens up a couple possibilities: The district will be represented by the same person from June 25 onward because they win both elections, or the winner of the special election will hand the seat off to the winner of the general election — almost certainly the winner of the Republican primary — early next year.The state Democratic Party said on Tuesday night that it will hold its special convention no later than April 1. The convention will include the district's central committee members and all the precinct organizers in the district. Ike McCorkle and John Padora have both signaled they will seek the Democratic special nomination.The state Republican Party has not yet made its special convention plans public and leaders did not reply to requests for comment Wednesday. That gathering will involve officers of the congressional district and the county chairmen in the district, according to party bylaws. The state party's assembly, where delegates will pick candidates to appear on the primary ballot, is already set for April 5 in Pueblo.Nine Republicans were vying for the Republican nomination in the district before Buck's early retirement announcement: current 3rd Congressional District Rep. Lauren Boebert, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf, conservative radio host Deborah Flora, former state lawmaker Ted Harvey, businessman Chris Phelen, businessman Peter Yu and Justin Schreiber.Those candidates can all put themselves forward to be considered for the special election nomination.Sonnenberg, Flora and Harvey have all indicated they will pursue the nomination.“This new vacancy doesn't change my race, nor my commitment to proving to Republicans voters why I am the strongest conservative voice to serve them in Washington. I look forward to earning this nomination and getting to D.C. as soon as possible,” Sonnenberg wrote in a statement.Flora wrote in her own statement that the district can't afford a “placeholder” between Buck's retirement and the new term next year.Holtorf has not indicated if he will seek the special nomination, but he called Buck's decision a “selfish move” that will “potentially create bias during the election cycle” in a statement Tuesday.Boebert, however, will not seek the special nomination. If she wins the special election, she would have to resign her current position representing the 3rd District, setting off a vacancy process in that district.“I will not further imperil the already very slim House Republican majority by resigning my current seat and will continue to deliver on my constituents' priorities while also working hard to earn the votes of the people of Colorado's 4th District who have made clear they are hungry for a real conservative,” she said in a statement.She called Buck's announcement a “swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election.”With Buck's resignation, the GOP's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will shrink to 218-213.The 4th District includes most of Douglas County and the Eastern Plains. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Lauren Boebert won't compete in special election to replace Rep. Ken Buck | MO voters favor abortion rights | Kansas GOP's flat tax favors the wealthiest 20% | JB Pritzker wants to end prior authorizations in mental health | Texas right-wing billionaires get their way ELECTION 2024Missourians back initiative to restore abortion rights by small margin, new poll findsThe St. Louis University/YouGov poll found many undecided voters as ballot campaign gathers signatures. The poll also found strong support for repealing the sales tax on food and sports wageringBY: RUDI KELLER - MARCH 13, 2024 6:00 AMhttps://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/13/missourians-back-initiative-to-restore-abortion-rights-by-small-margin-new-poll-finds/In June of 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established federal constitutional protections for abortion. Under current Missouri law, abortions are only allowed to save the life of the mother or when “a delay will create a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” This has made abortion virtually inaccessible in the state.Now, a group called Missourians for Constitutional Freedom is collecting signatures to put abortion rights on the November ballot. They must gather at least 171,000 signatures from registered voters by early May.A new poll shows plurality of Missourians support restoring abortion rights as they existed under Roe v. Wade, but a large undecided group holds the key to victory. The St. Louis University/YouGov Poll conducted in February found that 44% of those surveyed would vote for abortion rights after hearing the ballot language, while 37% were opposed. Almost one-fifth of voters, 19%, said they were unsure how they would vote.71% of Democrats and 24% of Republicans support the proposal.If the measure makes the ballot, poll director Steven Rogers said there are enough undecided voters to sway the result. A sports wagering initiative campaign is also underway and the poll found 60% of those surveyed back legal betting on professional sports.That poll surveyed 900 likely Missouri voters between Feb. 14 and Feb. 26, with a 3.74% margin of error. Along with the major initiatives, the poll included questions tracking attitudes toward President Joe Biden, Congress, major Missouri political figures and the General Assembly.The poll also questioned voters about their choices for governor and their views on the biggest issues confronting the state as well as current legislative debates like school choice.37% of those surveyed said they approve of the job President Biden is doing, a rating similar to the findings in four previous surveys dating to July 2021. Gov. Mike Parson, who will leave office at the end of the year due to term limits, has an approval rating of 52%, among the highest ever found by the poll. U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican seeking re-election this year, has an approval rating of 50%.The race to succeed Parson is wide open, at least for the August primaries. Without named candidates, the poll found 52% of those surveyed will vote for the Republican candidate for governor while 38% selected the Democrat.When those who said they would vote Republican were asked which candidate they preferred, “not sure” was selected by almost half of those polled. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft had the largest number of committed voters, with 28%, followed by Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe at 10% and state Sen. Bill Eigel at 8%.On the Democratic side, “not sure” was selected by 66% of respondents, with House Minority Leader Crystal Quade chosen by 21% and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra chosen by 4%.New Kansas flat tax proposal would mainly benefit state's top 20% of earnersBY: RACHEL MIPRO - MARCH 13, 2024 11:19 AMhttps://kansasreflector.com/2024/03/13/new-kansas-flat-tax-proposal-would-mainly-benefit-states-top-20-of-earners-analysis-shows/TOPEKA — A revamped flat tax plan touted by Kansas Senate lawmakers on Tuesday would cost the state nearly $650 million annually, give 40% of the benefits to the state's wealthiest 20%, and reap billionaire Charles Koch a half-million dollar windfall, according to independent analysis.During the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation hearing, Republican lawmakers claimed the bill, Senate Bill 539, would address Kansans' needs. Committee Chair Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who requested the bill's introduction said, “It is a product of listening to people and trying to come up with the best solution,”The state currently uses a graduated income tax rate: 3.1% for income under $15,000, 5.25% for income between $15,000 and $30,000 and 5.7% for income above $30,000. Couples filing together have those income amounts doubled.SB 539 would change income tax rates over six years, starting with a universal income tax rate of 5.7% in 2024, and reduced by .05% each year until 2029, which would set the rate at 5.45%. Under current law, the standard state deduction for income taxes is set at $3,500 for single filers and $8,000 for married couples filing jointly. The bill would set the deduction at $4,000 for single filers in 2024 and increase the standard deduction for all taxpayers by the cost-of-living adjustment published in the Internal Revenue Code beginning in tax year 2025.However, researchers estimate the top 20% of earners – those with annual incomes of over $315,000 – would see nearly 40% of the benefits. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a nonpartisan research organization that favors a progressive tax system, estimated the plan would cost the state nearly $650 million annually once fully implemented.A Kansas household making less than $55,000 a year would see $237 in benefits. Billionaire Charles Koch would receive an estimated annual $485,000 in tax breaks under the proposal.The bill would also cut the standard tax rate for banks from the current 2.25% rate to 1.94% in tax year 2024, and down to 1.63% in 2025. For savings and loan associations, taxes would be reduced from the current 2.25% rate to 1.93% in 2024 and down to 1.61% in 2025. Other provisions include eliminating the state's 2% sales tax on groceries by July 1. Currently, the tax is set to end on Jan. 1, 2025.Earlier in the legislative session, a Republican-driven effort fast-tracked the 5.25% income tax plan that would have reduced tax collections by more than $300 million per year and primarily benefited the state's top earners. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the proposal in late January, characterizing it as “reckless.” Despite the GOP supermajority in the House and Senate, a veto override attempt failed in the House due to opposition among conservative and moderate Republicans who felt the proposal didn't do enough for the state's lower-income residents.Governor Kelly has said she will continue to veto “irresponsible flat tax proposals.”House panel opens hearings on Pritzker's health insurance reformsWednesday, March 13, 2024Bill seeks to reduce denials of coverage, improve provider networksBy PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.comhttps://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/house-panel-opens-hearings-on-pritzkers-health-insurance-reformsSPRINGFIELD – A panel of Illinois lawmakers began hearing testimony Wednesday on Gov. JB Pritzker's proposals for sweeping changes in the state's health insurance industry. The changes, which Pritzker first unveiled in his State of the State address in February, would limit the ability of companies to deny claims or steer patients toward cheaper, and possibly less effective, treatments. They are contained in an amendment to House Bill 5395. They include banning prior authorization requirements for people to receive in-patient treatment at a psychiatric facility as well as all forms of so-called “step therapy” for prescription drug coverage. Step therapy refers to the practice of requiring a patient to try one or more cheaper, alternative medications before being allowed to access medications prescribed by their doctor.Other changes in the plan include requiring insurance companies to publicly post the types of treatments and therapies that do require prior authorization; requiring them to maintain accurate lists of the providers who are in their networks; and banning the sale in Illinois of short-term, limited duration insurance plans that don't meet the minimum standards under the federal Affordable Care Act.Emily Miller, a senior advisor in Pritzker's office, tried to assure the House Human Services Committee Wednesday that the administration was not waging war against the health insurance industry.“Insurance has a role to play, and I'm not here to demonize the insurance industry,” she said. “I am here, though, to say that it is time for consumers to have a say in how insurance companies are administering their health care plans. And we want to make sure that consumers are protected.”During the hearing, the committee heard personal stories from individual patients and their families, including some legislators, who spoke about their experiences having claims denied by their insurers. Among them was state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, whose son was born with a rare heart malfunction that requires treatments for which he needs prior authorizations. He also had a daughter who died following a long battle with leukemia. He said, “We had her stay four days in the hospital because we couldn't get a nausea medication that we knew worked after chemo (round) two. We couldn't get it authorized in chemo (round) three. Very frustrating. Four days in the hospital, and I'm not sure how that saves somebody money.”Dr. Mary Dobbins, a pediatrician and psychologist who is a past president of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, testified about what she called a “mental health crisis” among children and youth in the United States. She said the crisis has been “artificially magnified by the requirements that tie up our clinical time.”She said “I've had multiple patients who destabilized because medicine they'd been doing well on was now denied, and the parents couldn't afford to pay for it out of pocket. The appropriate level of care is commonly denied.”The committee took no action Wednesday, but Chair Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, said the committee plans to hold more discussions and could vote as early as next week to advance the bill to the full House.Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.Amid white supremacist scandal, far-right billionaire powerbrokers see historic election gains in TexasAll told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May.BY ROBERT DOWNENMARCH 8, 2024https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/08/tim-dunn-farris-wilks-defend-texas-liberty-election/West Texas oil billionaires Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks entered the 2024 primary election cycle wounded.Their political network was in the middle of a scandal over its ties to white supremacists. Republicans were calling on each other to reject the billionaires' campaign money. And their enemies believed they were vulnerable — one bad election day from losing their grip on the state.Instead, Dunn and Wilks emerged from Texas' primaries last Tuesday perhaps stronger than ever — vanquishing old political foes, positioning their allies for a November takeover of the state Legislature, and leaving little doubt as to who is winning a vicious civil war to control the state party.In race after race, more moderate conservative incumbents were trounced by candidates backed by Dunn and Wilks. Their political network made good on its vows for vengeance against House Republicans who voted to impeach their key state ally, Attorney General Ken Paxton, advancing more firebrands who campaigned against bipartisanship and backed anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Tuesday's election also paved the way for the likely passage of legislation that would allow taxpayer money to fund private and religious schools — a key policy goal for a movement that seeks to infuse more Christianity into public life.All told, 11 of the 28 House candidates supported by the two billionaires won their primaries outright, and another eight are headed to runoffs this May. And, in a sign of how much the state party has moved rightward, five of their candidates beat incumbents in rematches from 2022 or 2020 — with some House districts swinging by double-digits in their favor. Of the candidates they backed, they donated $75,000 or more to 11 of them — six who won, and four who went to runoffs.Among the triumphant on Tuesday was Mitch Little, aided by at least $153,000 in Dunn and Wilks cash, who defeated Rep. Kronda Thimesch in a campaign that focused on Little's defense of Paxton from impeachment charges in the Senate trial last summer. Three days before he won, Little appeared at an event in Denton County with Paxton and, among others, Steve Bannon, the political operative who helped rally the far right behind then-candidate Donald Trump in 2016.And another Dunn and Wilks candidate, David Covey, stunned the state by winning more votes than House Speaker Dade Phelan — the No. 1 target of the state's far-right in part because of his role in the Paxton impeachment and refusal to ban Democrats from House leadership positions. Phelan now faces a runoff from Covey and the prospect of being the first Texas Speaker since 1972 to lose his primary.This election cycle, the billionaires' targets also overlapped with Gov. Greg Abbott, who poured more than $6 million into his quest to rid the Texas House of Republicans who defied his calls for school voucher legislation last year. Meanwhile, Paxton barnstormed the state as he sought retribution against incumbents who supported his impeachment. And, perhaps most importantly, former President Donald Trump was active in many contests — following the lead of Paxton and his other ally, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and offering late endorsements that bolstered right-wing candidates.We can't wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas' breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today.Here's how the special election to replace Ken Buck will work in ColoradoLauren Boebert indicates she will not compete in special electionBY: SARA WILSON - MARCH 13, 2024 5:01 PMhttps://coloradonewsline.com/2024/03/13/special-election-to-replace-ken-buck-colorado/Colorado voters in the 4th Congressional District will vote in two separate elections on June 25: the congressional primary for November's general election, as well as a special election to immediately replace Republican Rep. Ken Buck, who announced on Tuesday that he is resigning and leaving Congress nine months ahead of schedule.It could add confusion to the a competitive and crowded race in Colorado's Eastern Plains.Buck had already announced his intention to retire and not seek reelection this year, but he surprised the political world this week by announcing that he would leave Congress on March 22, versus sticking around until the end of his term.That sets off a seldom-used process to fill a congressional vacancy via special election that, according to a decision announced by Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday, will coincide with the June 25 congressional primary election. The winner of that special election will fill the remaining months of Buck's term, but would still need to win the party's nomination that day and then the general election in November to secure a full term in Congress.Each party will convene a special convention made up of party insiders to select one nominee for the special election. According to state statute, those special conventions need to happen within 20 days of the governor issuing a formal order for the special election, which hasn't technically happened yet.The 4th District leans more Republican than any in the state, so whoever wins the special Republican nomination will likely go on to win the special election, and whoever wins the Republican primary will likely go on to win the general election.That opens up a couple possibilities: The district will be represented by the same person from June 25 onward because they win both elections, or the winner of the special election will hand the seat off to the winner of the general election — almost certainly the winner of the Republican primary — early next year.The state Democratic Party said on Tuesday night that it will hold its special convention no later than April 1. The convention will include the district's central committee members and all the precinct organizers in the district. Ike McCorkle and John Padora have both signaled they will seek the Democratic special nomination.The state Republican Party has not yet made its special convention plans public and leaders did not reply to requests for comment Wednesday. That gathering will involve officers of the congressional district and the county chairmen in the district, according to party bylaws. The state party's assembly, where delegates will pick candidates to appear on the primary ballot, is already set for April 5 in Pueblo.Nine Republicans were vying for the Republican nomination in the district before Buck's early retirement announcement: current 3rd Congressional District Rep. Lauren Boebert, former state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg, state Reps. Mike Lynch and Richard Holtorf, conservative radio host Deborah Flora, former state lawmaker Ted Harvey, businessman Chris Phelen, businessman Peter Yu and Justin Schreiber.Those candidates can all put themselves forward to be considered for the special election nomination.Sonnenberg, Flora and Harvey have all indicated they will pursue the nomination.“This new vacancy doesn't change my race, nor my commitment to proving to Republicans voters why I am the strongest conservative voice to serve them in Washington. I look forward to earning this nomination and getting to D.C. as soon as possible,” Sonnenberg wrote in a statement.Flora wrote in her own statement that the district can't afford a “placeholder” between Buck's retirement and the new term next year.Holtorf has not indicated if he will seek the special nomination, but he called Buck's decision a “selfish move” that will “potentially create bias during the election cycle” in a statement Tuesday.Boebert, however, will not seek the special nomination. If she wins the special election, she would have to resign her current position representing the 3rd District, setting off a vacancy process in that district.“I will not further imperil the already very slim House Republican majority by resigning my current seat and will continue to deliver on my constituents' priorities while also working hard to earn the votes of the people of Colorado's 4th District who have made clear they are hungry for a real conservative,” she said in a statement.She called Buck's announcement a “swampy backroom deal to try to rig an election.”With Buck's resignation, the GOP's majority in the U.S. House of Representatives will shrink to 218-213.The 4th District includes most of Douglas County and the Eastern Plains. @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Ty Masterson, Kansas Senate President | 1-29-24See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Flyover Friday, December 15, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 15th, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Welcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. With me as co-host today is Adam Sommer, how you doing Adam?We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com  SEAN: Speaking of - the website over at  THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE DOT COM - if you have not yet checked it out, it is full of not just shows but articles too, including a recent on on abortion laws by Rachel Parker, really sharp stuff.  ADAM: Yeah, hats off to you and the team, shout out my and special thanks to Allyn for all the work, I think folks will like what they find over there at the site, and that article by Rachel goes great with the pod from Wednesday which was Rachel with Jess Piper and Laura Belin was back from Bleeding Heartland, a powerhouse group of women talking about abortion laws, absolutely not to be missed.  SEAN:  Plus, we're back in the saddle this coming week with the LAST CALL shows, which are for members only, we have a lot of fun on those shows and that's for patreon members, you can sign up today, $5 per month unlocks that feature, go to THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE DOT COM and click the button to sign up today to join us for those member only bonus shows. Alright! Let's get into the storiesSOURCES: Wisconsin Examiner, Missouri Independent, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Ohio Capital Journal, Colorado Newsline; Indiana Capitol Chronicle  Rep. Sarah Unsicker has pulled out of the Dem AG primary after a two week period in which she appears to have had serious issues pop upVery odd turn of events, disgusting anti-semetic smears and a final move of a Dark Night jOker like videoMissouri Dem leader and candidate for Governor, Crystal Quade, is taking the charge on the abortion issue in Missouri.  https://x.com/crystal_quade/status/1735330641967759416?s=20Sen. Josh Hawley (drop) has failed to include funding for nuclear waste cleanup for Missourians.  https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/12/defense-radioactive-senate-st-lous/Wisconsin Secretary of State calls for removal of fake elector who was part of 2020 scheme for Donald Trump  https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/12/11/wisconsin-secretary-of-state-calls-for-removal-of-election-commissioner-who-served-as-fake-elector/Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and the two Democrats on the Senate elections committee are calling for Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) to remove state elections commissioner Robert Spindell from his position.  Democrats are calling for Spindell's removal because he served as a fake elector following the 2020 presidential election, casting a false Electoral College vote for former President Donald Trump despite Joe Biden's victory in the state. Last week, Spindell and the nine other Republicans who  joined him settled a lawsuit against them for their actions — stating publicly that Biden had won the election and agreeing not to serve as electors for Trump again.On Monday, Godlewski said Wisconsinites can't trust Spindell to have a say in how the state's elections are run.  “Wisconsin Election Commissioner Robert Spindell Jr. admitted that he was not a qualified 2020 presidential elector and co-signed a fraudulent Certificate of Votes and submitted them to my office,” Godlewski said in a statement. “That unlawful certificate was used as part of a larger scheme to overturn the election. The people of Wisconsin cannot trust the integrity and moral compass of Commissioner Spindell to administer our elections. Senator LeMahieu should immediately remove him from Wisconsin's Election Commission.”Democrats on the Senate elections committee, Sens. Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire) and Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) said Monday that Spindell's admission that he participated in an effort to overturn the election results should be enough for him to resign or for LeMahieu to remove him.  “Bob Spindell has continued to serve without any repercussions for his actions and statements celebrating lower turnout and successful voter suppression,” the two senators said in a statement. “Now, Bob Spindell has admitted his involvement in the scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election, and it is abundantly clear that the Senate Majority Leader's excuses and deflections must come to an end. Bob Spindell has admitted to signing and sending false documents claiming that he was a presidential elector for the state of Wisconsin. If there were any remaining questions about whether Bob Spindell should go, they were answered when he finally acknowledged that he signed falsified documents submitted to public officials despite President Joe Biden winning the 2020 election in Wisconsin. Bob Spindell should resign. If he doesn't, Senator LeMahieu must remove him. We understand the Wisconsin Elections Commission is made up of partisan appointees, but surely Senator LeMahieu can find a different Republican who didn't attempt to illegally overturn a presidential election. The people of Wisconsin deserve better than Bob Spindell.”  Democratic Rep. Keri Ingle of Lee's Summit calls for removal of STL area Shrewsberry Rep. Unsicker from Democratic caucus in Missouri  https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/missouri-house-democrat-calls-for-ouster-of-shrewsbury-state-rep-from-caucus/article_8b475036-9945-11ee-b25d-e3f3e17972df.htmlRep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee's Summit, said in a news release that state Rep. Sarah Unsicker of Shrewsbury “failed to denounce” antisemitic attacks, as well as accusations that members of their caucus worked for the Israeli government, in a recent livestreamed conversation with conspiracy theorists.Her press release said Democratic caucus leadership should “begin the process” of removing her.“As long as she persists in enabling and spreading this kind of rhetoric, I believe my Democratic colleagues must take swift action to uphold our caucus' commitment to fight and confront hate and intolerance by ousting her from our ranks,” Ingle said.Her press release added that Unsicker had helped “propagate hateful, antisemitic, and conspiratorial and racist rhetoric which has hurt people and sparked online harassment campaigns.”Ohio Legislation for so called “Parent's Bill Of Rights” gets push backhttps://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/13/counselors-psychologists-and-school-officials-speak-out-against-parents-bill-of-rights/Dozens, including school counselors and psychiatrists, testified Tuesday against a bill in the Ohio Senate that would force schools to notify parents on “sexuality” content, and possibly on a student's sexuality, calling it “censorship” and potentially risky for students.“Young people are people who are entitled to their own privacy,” said Mallory Golski, of the Kaleidoscope Youth Center. “Young people are people who should have the freedom to read stories that reflect their own lives and experiences.”Ohio House Bill 8 could be up for a vote this week, as the bill seeks to put the control of education more into parent's hands, by allowing them to opt out of certain curricula based on the “sexuality” content. According to one of the bill's sponsors, state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, school districts would also be “prohibited from keeping changes in the health of the student from their parent, and the school district is also prohibited from encouraging the student to hide these issues from their parents.”Amanda Erickson, also of the Kaleidoscope Youth Center, worried about the impact the bill will have on teachers, who may not only be required to speak with parents about information they were told by a student, but could also be impacted themselves, based on their own life choices.Erickson herself trained as a teacher, before she moved on to the nonprofit sector after graduation. A career in a classroom did not appeal to her after the efforts of the Ohio legislature, now and in the past.“Why would I want to be a teacher in Ohio when my legislators are so obsessed with gender and sexuality that they do not have time to pass legislation that would actually improve our schools,” Erickson asked of the Senate Education Committee.Erickson also argued that the law might ban her and others from putting family pictures on her desk, as it might suggest a discussion she's not allowed to have.“Since this bill does not define ‘sexual concepts' or ‘gender ideology,' there are those who would argue that my wedding photo or the questions it could prompt would qualify as one or the other,” Erickson said.The committee heard from some that currently are in the education field with members of the Ohio School Psychologists Association and the Ohio School Counselor Association both submitting in opposition to the bill, saying the bill is “not workable,” and ignores parents as an already “key tenet” in a student's education. The Missouri and Kansas border war went from civil war to friendly sports rivalry, and is reemerging as a political battle about health carehttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/11/university-of-kansas-deal-with-missouri-hospital-feels-terribly-wrong-to-lawmakers/The proposed takeover of Liberty Hospital in Missouri by the University of Kansas Health System is being greeted with scorn by lawmakers from both sides of the state line and both political parties.Leading the charge against the takeover in Missouri is Kansas City Democratic state Sen. Greg Razer, who said the idea of KU owning a hospital in suburban Missouri is “terribly wrong.”“There are boundaries for a reason, and they've crossed one,” said Razer, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia.The Republican leader of the Kansas Senate also has expressed concern about the takeover, along with at least one member of Liberty Hospital's board of trustees.Earlier this month, Razer pre-filed a bill in the Missouri General Assembly that would put a stop to a proposed partnership between the University of Kansas Health System and Liberty Hospital by prohibiting hospital boards to partner with an out-of-state health system “operated by an institution of higher education” without voter approval.“I can't imagine the outrage of Missouri taxpayers if we opened up (University of Missouri) Health in Olathe, Kansas,” Razer said, calling the proposed arrangement “mind boggling.”Liberty Hospital announced in May it was looking to partner with another health system to help it expand to meet growing demand in the Kansas City suburbs north of the Missouri River. In October, it announced it had chosen KU.The two health systems have signed a letter of intent but are still in negotiations, and the terms of the deal are not yet available. But Liberty Hospital CEO Dr. Raghu Adiga said in an interview Friday that KU had pledged to continue the services the hospital provides, including cardiothoracic surgery and a level-two trauma center.  Adiga said those are rare for a hospital Liberty's size.“They put the patients first just like us,” Adiga said, “ensuring high-quality health care that we can provide right here in town.”In a video announcing the deal in October, he said the partnership “will bring world class clinical excellence across the river to every Northlander's doorstep.”Razer said the arrangement would take health care dollars from Missouri to “prop up Kansas,” and feared it would be a recruiting tool for the University of Kansas.  “Liberty has a lot of high school students. … They get great grades. It's a great school district up there. They're all going to be driving by a Jayhawk every day in the state of Missouri,” Razer said.Razer's primary objection centered on the idea of having a Kansas state institution plant its flag in Missouri.The University of Kansas Health System is governed by the University of Kansas Hospital Authority, a board established in Kansas statute, primarily appointed by the Kansas governor and affiliated with the University of Kansas School of Medicine. But the health system hasn't been owned by the state in 25 years. It receives no state or local tax dollars. Indiana, one of the most “red” states in the union, is struggling to keep up economically speakinghttps://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/12/13/hoosier-economic-policy-improving-slower-than-competitors-report-says/Indiana has improved on key economic development criteria in recent years, but has still fallen in national rankings, the influential Indiana Chamber of Commerce found in a report card Tuesday.The chamber in August released a vision for Indiana in 2035, with 31 goals for the state's education, entrepreneurship, economic growth, energy and infrastructure, health, quality of place and workforce.The report cards — expected to be biannual — log progress on 59 metrics related to those goals.Compared to previous years, the state scored better on about 67% of the metrics — but its national rankings on those metrics improved just 41% of the time.“What that tells us is that we're improving overall — but the progress isn't happening fast enough, because other states are improving at a faster pace,” outgoing President and CEO Kevin Brinegar told reporters Tuesday. “We need to pick up the pace.”Indiana's strongest performance was a third-place ranking for the 11% of Hoosiers working in knowledge- and technology-intensive industries, like manufacturing or software development.It came in fourth for the 63% of foreign-born Hoosiers with science or engineering bachelor's degrees, as well as for the 10% of non-white workers who are self-employed.More Rail Service In Colorado… coming soon?  https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/front-range-rail-development/Front Range Passenger Rail District will get a $500,000 planning grant as part of the federal Corridor ID program, which aims to help development of intercity passenger rail projects. The idea, Bose said, is to get projects into the pipeline for implementation, eventually connecting an entire corridor of cities to rail service.The Front Range Passenger Rail District, which was created through 2021 legislation, is planning a rail line that would connect cities between Fort Collins and Pueblo.“Colorado is very, very well positioned in the Corridor ID program,” Bose said, partly because the district has already defined the scope of its service development program and can move forward to the second step of the program. There are “tens of millions of dollars” for project planning now that the scope is set.The Colorado project is one of 70 that the Federal Railroad Administration selected to get money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.“The fact that we have a federal administration that's committed to helping us dream up and execute a project like this is not an opportunity that we can take for granted. I think it shows us what kind of a moment we have,” Lew said.Polis is pushing a housing agenda that encourages development along transit corridors, and he is likely to champion related legislation next year. Though the state is years away from putting Front Range residents onto passenger rail cars, the agenda represents a goal for people to live near their primary mode of transportation and commute more easily without adding traffic congestion.“Coupled with bus rapid transit and transit oriented neighborhoods, passenger rail is a huge lynchpin in this vision we have for smarter growth, for improving affordability, livability and sustainability as Colorado grows,” Polis said.   @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Flyover Friday, December 15, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, December 15th, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:Welcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado. With me as co-host today is Adam Sommer, how you doing Adam?We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on social media with @ THE heartland pod, and learn more at thehearltandcollective.com  SEAN: Speaking of - the website over at  THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE DOT COM - if you have not yet checked it out, it is full of not just shows but articles too, including a recent on on abortion laws by Rachel Parker, really sharp stuff.  ADAM: Yeah, hats off to you and the team, shout out my and special thanks to Allyn for all the work, I think folks will like what they find over there at the site, and that article by Rachel goes great with the pod from Wednesday which was Rachel with Jess Piper and Laura Belin was back from Bleeding Heartland, a powerhouse group of women talking about abortion laws, absolutely not to be missed.  SEAN:  Plus, we're back in the saddle this coming week with the LAST CALL shows, which are for members only, we have a lot of fun on those shows and that's for patreon members, you can sign up today, $5 per month unlocks that feature, go to THE HEARTLAND COLLECTIVE DOT COM and click the button to sign up today to join us for those member only bonus shows. Alright! Let's get into the storiesSOURCES: Wisconsin Examiner, Missouri Independent, St. Louis Post Dispatch, Ohio Capital Journal, Colorado Newsline; Indiana Capitol Chronicle  Rep. Sarah Unsicker has pulled out of the Dem AG primary after a two week period in which she appears to have had serious issues pop upVery odd turn of events, disgusting anti-semetic smears and a final move of a Dark Night jOker like videoMissouri Dem leader and candidate for Governor, Crystal Quade, is taking the charge on the abortion issue in Missouri.  https://x.com/crystal_quade/status/1735330641967759416?s=20Sen. Josh Hawley (drop) has failed to include funding for nuclear waste cleanup for Missourians.  https://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/12/defense-radioactive-senate-st-lous/Wisconsin Secretary of State calls for removal of fake elector who was part of 2020 scheme for Donald Trump  https://wisconsinexaminer.com/2023/12/11/wisconsin-secretary-of-state-calls-for-removal-of-election-commissioner-who-served-as-fake-elector/Wisconsin Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski and the two Democrats on the Senate elections committee are calling for Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu (R-Oostburg) to remove state elections commissioner Robert Spindell from his position.  Democrats are calling for Spindell's removal because he served as a fake elector following the 2020 presidential election, casting a false Electoral College vote for former President Donald Trump despite Joe Biden's victory in the state. Last week, Spindell and the nine other Republicans who  joined him settled a lawsuit against them for their actions — stating publicly that Biden had won the election and agreeing not to serve as electors for Trump again.On Monday, Godlewski said Wisconsinites can't trust Spindell to have a say in how the state's elections are run.  “Wisconsin Election Commissioner Robert Spindell Jr. admitted that he was not a qualified 2020 presidential elector and co-signed a fraudulent Certificate of Votes and submitted them to my office,” Godlewski said in a statement. “That unlawful certificate was used as part of a larger scheme to overturn the election. The people of Wisconsin cannot trust the integrity and moral compass of Commissioner Spindell to administer our elections. Senator LeMahieu should immediately remove him from Wisconsin's Election Commission.”Democrats on the Senate elections committee, Sens. Jeff Smith (D-Eau Claire) and Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit) said Monday that Spindell's admission that he participated in an effort to overturn the election results should be enough for him to resign or for LeMahieu to remove him.  “Bob Spindell has continued to serve without any repercussions for his actions and statements celebrating lower turnout and successful voter suppression,” the two senators said in a statement. “Now, Bob Spindell has admitted his involvement in the scheme to illegally overturn the 2020 presidential election, and it is abundantly clear that the Senate Majority Leader's excuses and deflections must come to an end. Bob Spindell has admitted to signing and sending false documents claiming that he was a presidential elector for the state of Wisconsin. If there were any remaining questions about whether Bob Spindell should go, they were answered when he finally acknowledged that he signed falsified documents submitted to public officials despite President Joe Biden winning the 2020 election in Wisconsin. Bob Spindell should resign. If he doesn't, Senator LeMahieu must remove him. We understand the Wisconsin Elections Commission is made up of partisan appointees, but surely Senator LeMahieu can find a different Republican who didn't attempt to illegally overturn a presidential election. The people of Wisconsin deserve better than Bob Spindell.”  Democratic Rep. Keri Ingle of Lee's Summit calls for removal of STL area Shrewsberry Rep. Unsicker from Democratic caucus in Missouri  https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/government-politics/missouri-house-democrat-calls-for-ouster-of-shrewsbury-state-rep-from-caucus/article_8b475036-9945-11ee-b25d-e3f3e17972df.htmlRep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee's Summit, said in a news release that state Rep. Sarah Unsicker of Shrewsbury “failed to denounce” antisemitic attacks, as well as accusations that members of their caucus worked for the Israeli government, in a recent livestreamed conversation with conspiracy theorists.Her press release said Democratic caucus leadership should “begin the process” of removing her.“As long as she persists in enabling and spreading this kind of rhetoric, I believe my Democratic colleagues must take swift action to uphold our caucus' commitment to fight and confront hate and intolerance by ousting her from our ranks,” Ingle said.Her press release added that Unsicker had helped “propagate hateful, antisemitic, and conspiratorial and racist rhetoric which has hurt people and sparked online harassment campaigns.”Ohio Legislation for so called “Parent's Bill Of Rights” gets push backhttps://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/12/13/counselors-psychologists-and-school-officials-speak-out-against-parents-bill-of-rights/Dozens, including school counselors and psychiatrists, testified Tuesday against a bill in the Ohio Senate that would force schools to notify parents on “sexuality” content, and possibly on a student's sexuality, calling it “censorship” and potentially risky for students.“Young people are people who are entitled to their own privacy,” said Mallory Golski, of the Kaleidoscope Youth Center. “Young people are people who should have the freedom to read stories that reflect their own lives and experiences.”Ohio House Bill 8 could be up for a vote this week, as the bill seeks to put the control of education more into parent's hands, by allowing them to opt out of certain curricula based on the “sexuality” content. According to one of the bill's sponsors, state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, school districts would also be “prohibited from keeping changes in the health of the student from their parent, and the school district is also prohibited from encouraging the student to hide these issues from their parents.”Amanda Erickson, also of the Kaleidoscope Youth Center, worried about the impact the bill will have on teachers, who may not only be required to speak with parents about information they were told by a student, but could also be impacted themselves, based on their own life choices.Erickson herself trained as a teacher, before she moved on to the nonprofit sector after graduation. A career in a classroom did not appeal to her after the efforts of the Ohio legislature, now and in the past.“Why would I want to be a teacher in Ohio when my legislators are so obsessed with gender and sexuality that they do not have time to pass legislation that would actually improve our schools,” Erickson asked of the Senate Education Committee.Erickson also argued that the law might ban her and others from putting family pictures on her desk, as it might suggest a discussion she's not allowed to have.“Since this bill does not define ‘sexual concepts' or ‘gender ideology,' there are those who would argue that my wedding photo or the questions it could prompt would qualify as one or the other,” Erickson said.The committee heard from some that currently are in the education field with members of the Ohio School Psychologists Association and the Ohio School Counselor Association both submitting in opposition to the bill, saying the bill is “not workable,” and ignores parents as an already “key tenet” in a student's education. The Missouri and Kansas border war went from civil war to friendly sports rivalry, and is reemerging as a political battle about health carehttps://missouriindependent.com/2023/12/11/university-of-kansas-deal-with-missouri-hospital-feels-terribly-wrong-to-lawmakers/The proposed takeover of Liberty Hospital in Missouri by the University of Kansas Health System is being greeted with scorn by lawmakers from both sides of the state line and both political parties.Leading the charge against the takeover in Missouri is Kansas City Democratic state Sen. Greg Razer, who said the idea of KU owning a hospital in suburban Missouri is “terribly wrong.”“There are boundaries for a reason, and they've crossed one,” said Razer, a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia.The Republican leader of the Kansas Senate also has expressed concern about the takeover, along with at least one member of Liberty Hospital's board of trustees.Earlier this month, Razer pre-filed a bill in the Missouri General Assembly that would put a stop to a proposed partnership between the University of Kansas Health System and Liberty Hospital by prohibiting hospital boards to partner with an out-of-state health system “operated by an institution of higher education” without voter approval.“I can't imagine the outrage of Missouri taxpayers if we opened up (University of Missouri) Health in Olathe, Kansas,” Razer said, calling the proposed arrangement “mind boggling.”Liberty Hospital announced in May it was looking to partner with another health system to help it expand to meet growing demand in the Kansas City suburbs north of the Missouri River. In October, it announced it had chosen KU.The two health systems have signed a letter of intent but are still in negotiations, and the terms of the deal are not yet available. But Liberty Hospital CEO Dr. Raghu Adiga said in an interview Friday that KU had pledged to continue the services the hospital provides, including cardiothoracic surgery and a level-two trauma center.  Adiga said those are rare for a hospital Liberty's size.“They put the patients first just like us,” Adiga said, “ensuring high-quality health care that we can provide right here in town.”In a video announcing the deal in October, he said the partnership “will bring world class clinical excellence across the river to every Northlander's doorstep.”Razer said the arrangement would take health care dollars from Missouri to “prop up Kansas,” and feared it would be a recruiting tool for the University of Kansas.  “Liberty has a lot of high school students. … They get great grades. It's a great school district up there. They're all going to be driving by a Jayhawk every day in the state of Missouri,” Razer said.Razer's primary objection centered on the idea of having a Kansas state institution plant its flag in Missouri.The University of Kansas Health System is governed by the University of Kansas Hospital Authority, a board established in Kansas statute, primarily appointed by the Kansas governor and affiliated with the University of Kansas School of Medicine. But the health system hasn't been owned by the state in 25 years. It receives no state or local tax dollars. Indiana, one of the most “red” states in the union, is struggling to keep up economically speakinghttps://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/12/13/hoosier-economic-policy-improving-slower-than-competitors-report-says/Indiana has improved on key economic development criteria in recent years, but has still fallen in national rankings, the influential Indiana Chamber of Commerce found in a report card Tuesday.The chamber in August released a vision for Indiana in 2035, with 31 goals for the state's education, entrepreneurship, economic growth, energy and infrastructure, health, quality of place and workforce.The report cards — expected to be biannual — log progress on 59 metrics related to those goals.Compared to previous years, the state scored better on about 67% of the metrics — but its national rankings on those metrics improved just 41% of the time.“What that tells us is that we're improving overall — but the progress isn't happening fast enough, because other states are improving at a faster pace,” outgoing President and CEO Kevin Brinegar told reporters Tuesday. “We need to pick up the pace.”Indiana's strongest performance was a third-place ranking for the 11% of Hoosiers working in knowledge- and technology-intensive industries, like manufacturing or software development.It came in fourth for the 63% of foreign-born Hoosiers with science or engineering bachelor's degrees, as well as for the 10% of non-white workers who are self-employed.More Rail Service In Colorado… coming soon?  https://coloradonewsline.com/briefs/front-range-rail-development/Front Range Passenger Rail District will get a $500,000 planning grant as part of the federal Corridor ID program, which aims to help development of intercity passenger rail projects. The idea, Bose said, is to get projects into the pipeline for implementation, eventually connecting an entire corridor of cities to rail service.The Front Range Passenger Rail District, which was created through 2021 legislation, is planning a rail line that would connect cities between Fort Collins and Pueblo.“Colorado is very, very well positioned in the Corridor ID program,” Bose said, partly because the district has already defined the scope of its service development program and can move forward to the second step of the program. There are “tens of millions of dollars” for project planning now that the scope is set.The Colorado project is one of 70 that the Federal Railroad Administration selected to get money from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.“The fact that we have a federal administration that's committed to helping us dream up and execute a project like this is not an opportunity that we can take for granted. I think it shows us what kind of a moment we have,” Lew said.Polis is pushing a housing agenda that encourages development along transit corridors, and he is likely to champion related legislation next year. Though the state is years away from putting Front Range residents onto passenger rail cars, the agenda represents a goal for people to live near their primary mode of transportation and commute more easily without adding traffic congestion.“Coupled with bus rapid transit and transit oriented neighborhoods, passenger rail is a huge lynchpin in this vision we have for smarter growth, for improving affordability, livability and sustainability as Colorado grows,” Polis said.   @TheHeartlandPOD on Twitter and ThreadsCo-HostsAdam Sommer @Adam_Sommer85 (Twitter) @adam_sommer85 (Post)Rachel Parker @msraitchetp (Post) Sean Diller (no social)The Heartland Collective - Sign Up Today!JOIN PATREON FOR MORE - AND JOIN OUR SOCIAL NETWORK!“Change The Conversation”Outro Song: “The World Is On Fire” by American Aquarium http://www.americanaquarium.com/

Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka for the 2024 legislative session next month, and cannabis may be on the topic list. While Republican Senate President Ty Masterson is opposed to fully legalizing weed in Kansas, he says he's open to a discussion about medical marijuana.

Ty Masterson, Kansas Senate President | 5-4-23See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ty Masterson joins Pete Mundo to discuss Laura Kelly vetoing over two dozen bills in the past couple of days and if there is hope for an override. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ty Masterson, Kansas Senate President | 4-10-23See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On March 21, 2023, the Kansas House of Representatives debated our resolution for an Article V convention that could propose fiscal restraints, term limits, and other limits on federal overreach. In this audio, the legislation successfully passes on Second Reading and awaits a final vote on Third Reading. A similar result was achieved in the Kansas Senate on the same day. Take action.

The Kansas Senate approved a sweeping proposal that would eliminate tax brackets and create one flat income tax rate of 4.75%. But could the plan actually mean a tax increase for lower income Kansans?

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson joins Pete Mundo to discuss Governor Laura Kelly's state of the state. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Minister Joe Wright brought to the new session of the Kansas Senate a true coming to Jesus moment. Hunter Biden's high-powered legal defense team doesn't come cheap... who's paying that bill?

Ty Masterson joins Pete Mundo to discuss the in-fighting with Kansas Republicans and the effect it had on the midterms. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about our local Kansas Senator Tom Hawk on this episode of the ThinkMHK Podcast. Senator Hawk represents District 22 for the Kansas Senate which includes Clay, Riley, and parts of Geary counties. Throughout this episode he shares his work with many great accomplishments including the State Highway Plan, establishing the 988 hotline and many more. He discusses how politics have changed since he first started serving and the difference between serving with the Kansas Senate vs. House. Plus he shares some interesting fun facts most people don't know about!

   You've probably read a lot about 2020 election fraud in Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and several other swing states.  But what have you learned about what happened right in your own backyard?    Do you believe Joe Biden was the first Democrat to win Johnson County, KS since 1916?  Or that 99% of eligible voters were registered?   There are so many shocking abnormalities that one private Johnson County resident has made it his mission for over a year to convince people in charge that something is terribly wrong with the way we vote.      Thad Snider was so impressive with his presentation the the Kansas Senate he got a standing ovation.  Now he's here to tell the story of what he says happened with mail in voting and drop boxes in a county that's overwhelmingly conservative. 

The Advocate staff is joined again by KASB's Kansas Advocacy Network as they record today's podcast! As always, it's been a busy week in the legislature as a flurry of bills has been coming before the Kansas Senate and House. Join Leah Fliter and Mark Tallman as they give you the latest updates and highlights. Tune in every Friday throughout the legislative session. 

The debate over Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine has arrived in the Kansas Statehouse and Andrew Bahl and Jason Tidd are here to break it down. They also discuss the Board of Healing Arts Investigation into a sitting Kansas Senate member and where the pandemic is headed. Like what you hear? Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Play.

The debate over Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine has arrived in the Kansas Statehouse and Andrew Bahl and Jason Tidd are here to break it down. They also discuss the Board of Healing Arts Investigation into a sitting Kansas Senate member and where the pandemic is headed. Like what you hear? Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Play.

Session is over and Andrew is all alone. So to mix things up, we bring you a interview with one of the most powerful people in Topeka: Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover. Reflecting on session and what was accomplished in the Kansas Senate, Andrew also gets Masterson to reflect on a tumultuous first year in his leadership position. You can find more episodes of Chillin' in the Statehouse on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and at cjonline.com.

Join us today for our exclusive interview with the one and only Mallory Callahan! Author of "Mary Jane & The Medicane Train". A Childrends Book about the medical benifets of Cannabis. We also discuss what the Top Republican Senator said recently on HS for SB158 in the Kansas Senate. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bbks/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bbks/support

The top headlines from The Kansas City Star on Monday, April 12, 2021, including Kansas Senate majority leader ousted, updated COVID-19 case numbers, a police standoff and the upcoming reopening of the Starlight Theatre with "Godspell."

Kansas voters overhauled the Kansas Senate in 2020, filling more than 1/3 of the 40 seats with newcomers. The chamber has 15 new members, a dozen Republicans and three Democrats. One of those freshman senators is Ethan Corson, D-Prairie Village, who had never before held elective office, but was no stranger to politics. Host Tim Carpenter sits down with Corson to discuss his impressions of his first session in the Legislature.

2-16: Ty Masterson, Kansas Senate President by KCMO Talk Radio

In this episode, we talk about the huge tax bill the Kansas Senate passed this week, and how for some, it hearkens back to the Brownback tax cuts.

In this episode, we talk about the huge tax bill the Kansas Senate passed this week, and how for some, it hearkens back to the Brownback tax cuts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we talk about the huge tax bill the Kansas Senate passed this week, and how for some, it hearkens back to the Brownback tax cuts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

1-15: Ty Masterson, Kansas Senate President by KCMO Talk Radio

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.