heartland - November 08 2024

FLASH…WB I-70 Closed at Goodland…

Kansas Republicans Preserve Supermajority, Despite Democratic Challenge in Johnson County

Abortion Vote Had Limited Impact on Statewide Results

Census Data Reveals Migration Patterns

First Buc-ee’s in Kansas Nears Approval with $13.3M Tax Incentive Proposal

Fort Hays State Launches Hybrid BSN Program to Boost Rural Nursing Education

Sports Weekend Preview: KU Hosts North Carolina; Chiefs Take on Broncos

FLASH…WB I-70 Closed at Goodland…

1. Kansas Republicans Preserve Supermajority, Despite Democratic Challenge in Johnson County

As Kansas Republicans delivered their closing pitch to Johnson County voters at an Overland Park rally on Saturday, state Rep. Sean Tarwater stressed the importance of maintaining the party’s supermajority in the Legislature while Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly remains in office.  Republicans went on to flip two Kansas House seats in Johnson County. The party kept the supermajority, allowing GOP lawmakers to continue overriding Kelly’s vetoes for the next two years. At the same time, Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids cruised to reelection, winning a fourth term. Democrats won Johnson County sheriff for the first time in nearly a century. And Charlotte O’Hara, a conservative Johnson County commissioner, lost her race for reelection. Johnson County voters delivered a mixed bag for both parties in the election. Republicans and Democrats experienced successes – and failures – in Tuesday’s results. After Johnson County began shifting toward Democrats more than a decade ago, the party this year continued to make inroads in local offices, including some that are officially non-partisan. Davids also won 55% of the vote in the county, down only a single percentage point from 2022. And Vice President Kamala Harris received 52%, even as President-elect Donald Trump easily won Kansas and the nation. But Republicans successfully resisted an intense Democratic effort to target the legislative supermajority – and instead won back two House seats in Olathe. The victories surprised and disappointed Democrats, who had bet that turning red seats blue in Johnson County would break the two-thirds majority in the House and possibly the Senate. The 2024 election could have solidified Johnson County as a Democratic stronghold, said Cole Robinson, executive director of the Johnson County Democratic Party. Instead, the growing and affluent area will remain a “hotly contested battleground” in the future.

Article Source: KC Star

2. Abortion Vote Had Limited Impact on Statewide Results

Kansas surprised the country when it rejected a ballot measure that would have removed protections of abortion access in the state constitution in 2022, but did it have any impact in how Kansas voted in the general election this year? A 2017 Kansas Supreme Court Decision in Hodes and Nauser v. Derek Schmidt interpreted the state constitution as protecting “a woman’s right to make decisions about her body.” But after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade and ended federal protections for abortion, states sought ways to either protect or restrict the practice. The final ruling in Dobbs occurred just six weeks before Kansans voted on the so-called Value Them Both amendment, where almost 60% of voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to restrict abortion rights. Kansas was the first state to then pose a question on abortion to voters, and the results were a sign that even conservative states prefer abortion rights. Kansas’s vote was surprising for some, with former and now-future President Donald Trump describing the vote in Kansas as “much more liberal than people would have thought." Abortion was made a pillar of the Harris campaign in 2024, and she promising to sign in laws that restore federal abortion protections. With the 2022 vote as background, and with a rare Kansas poll predicting a five-point lead for Trump, Democrats expected a tighter-than-normal race in 2024. “Despite recent speculation that the presidential race specifically might be closer, in Kansas, Republicans maintained robust support across the ballot, and that was from everything from or that was everything from the presidential race all the way down to those state legislative races,” said Brianne Heidbreder, an associate professor of political science at Kansas State University. 

Editors note: with >95% of the vote in, Donald Trump won Kansas by 17%

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

3. Census Data Reveals Migration Patterns

Kansas has a population of about 2.9 million, and in 2023 about 77,000 people relocated to Kansas from a different state, according to data from the U.S. Census. Meanwhile, an additional 21,062 people living outside of the U.S. also changed their address to Kansas. The data shows about 92,000 Kansans moved from Kansas to somewhere else in the U.S. Missouri was the most popular location for people to move to Kansas from. According to the data, an estimated 18,573 living in that state moved to Kansas in 2023. The other five states that people moved from to Kansas in 2023 the most are: Texas: 7,229 relocating to Kansas, Colorado: 4,591, Nebraska: 3,841, Oklahoma: 3,534, California: 3,160

Article Source: Wichita Eagle

4. First Buc-ee’s in Kansas Nears Approval with $13.3M Tax Incentive Proposal+

A proposed Buc-ee's location in western Kansas City, Kansas, is nearing final approval. On Monday, the Unified Government’s Economic Development and Finance Committee recommended approval of a development agreement for the project. Development documents show Buc-ee’s is requesting $13.3 million in tax incentives for the $95 million project. A 1% sales tax would be added to purchases at Buc-ee’s, projected to generate $10 million over 20 years. The proposed Kansas City, Kansas, location would include 120 gas pumps, 12 electric charging stations, and a 74,000-square-foot facility. It’s expected to bring more than 200 full-time jobs to Wyandotte County.

Article Source: KAKE

5. Fort Hays State Launches Hybrid BSN Program to Boost Rural Nursing Education

In an exciting development for aspiring nurses across rural Kansas, the Fort Hays State University (FHSU) Department of Nursing has announced the launch of its new hybrid pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. This innovative program is designed to meet the needs of students who seek a flexible educational path, making it particularly beneficial for those living in rural areas who may not have local access to a nursing program. Dr. Tanya Smith, Coordinator of the BSN program, states that the hybrid program is a great option for students who are juggling work commitments and cannot attend a traditional 8-5 nursing program. By offering a combination of virtual and face-to-face learning experiences, FHSU is making it easier for students to pursue their nursing careers without needing to relocate or commute daily to campus. The hybrid format offers the flexibility of taking theory-based courses online, with synchronous learning opportunities that enable real-time interaction with instructors and classmates. To minimize travel, lab and clinical experiences are bundled together, allowing students to make fewer trips to Hays while utilizing clinical sites closer to home.

Article Source: Ad Astra Radio

6. Sports Weekend Preview: KU Hosts North Carolina; Chiefs Take on Broncos

KU (1) v North Carolina (9) at Allen Fieldhouse tonight at 6p cst  

This weekend  

KU v ISU at Arrowhead  

KSU on bye  

Chiefs v Broncos Sunday

Sources

2. https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article295216229.html

3. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/11/08/kansans-rejected-abortion-ban-but-accept-the-politicians-against-it/76110673007/
https://decisiondeskhq.com/results/2024/General/President/

4. https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article295206359.html

5. https://www.kake.com/home/kansas-first-buc-ees-nears-final-approvals-projects-to-bring-200-full-time-jobs/article_186dbc52-9d55-11ef-a03e-3b20c957d1f8.html

6. https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-news/fort-hays-state-university-launches-hybrid-pre-licensure-bsn-program