heartland - October 28 2024

1. Kansas Legislature Moves to Seize Budget Authority from Governor
2. Ethics Complaint Filed Against Wichita Mayor by Firefighters Union
3. Kansas Economic Report Highlights Top Earning Careers
4. Agribusiness Spending Reaches Record Highs Ahead of 2024 Election
5. China Projects Record Harvest Amid Food Security Push
Sports

1. Kansas Legislature Moves to Seize Budget Authority from Governor

Kansas legislative leadership approved a new committee to build its own budget from the ground up, a significant diversion to the current process that’s based off the governor’s budget. The process of creating a budget is one of the governor’s most powerful tools, but throughout the process legislative leadership maintained that the change in the process is about efficiency rather than politics. The Interim Special Committee on Legislative Budget will develop budget recommendations for all state agencies. It will be comprised of 23 legislators, eight House Republicans, eight Senate Republicans, four House Democrats and three Senate Democrats.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

2. Ethics Complaint Filed Against Wichita Mayor by Firefighters Union

The International Association of Firefighters Local 135, representing Wichita firefighters, has filed an ethics complaint against Mayor Lily Wu. However, the mayor denies the accusations. The complaint alleges Wu asked Wichita Fire Chief Tammy Snow to lay off 42 employees. It claims the mayor used improper influence and instruction on Snow, violating the city’s ethics code. The union chapter accuses the mayor of going directly to Snow on several occasions to inform her that she must lay off personnel. The mayor said this is just a continuation of the union’s repeated attacks to damage her reputation, something she claims started during last year’s mayoral campaign.

Article Source: KSN

3. Kansas Economic Report Highlights Top Earning Careers

Kansas has new data on jobs and wages — and which careers pay the most. The Kansas Department of Labor's annual economic report shows the median worker in Kansas earned an annual wage of $45,250 last year. However, median pay varied by occupation, and KDOL listed data by 22 occupational groups.  

1.     Management: 72,160 employed people, with a median annual wage of $102,890. 

2.     Computer and Mathematical: 42,500 employed people, with a median annual wage of $89,590. 

3.     Architecture and Engineering: 25,030 employed people, with a median annual wage of $82,080. 

4.     Legal: 8,110 employed people, with a median annual wage of $75,680. 

5.     Business and Financial Operations: 87,910 employed people, with a median annual wage of $70,480. 

6.     Health care Practitioners and Technical: 90,660 employed people, with a median annual wage of $69,340. 

7.     Life, Physical, and Social Science: 11,330 employed people, with a median annual wage of $63,590. 

8.     Installation, Maintenance, and Repair: 63,480 employed people, with a median annual wage of $52,100. 

9.     Construction and Extraction: 61,020 employed people, with a median annual wage of $48,550. 

10.  Educational Instruction and Library: 88,390 employed people, with a median annual

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

4. Agribusiness Spending Reaches Record Highs Ahead of 2024 Election

Agribusinesses with deep pockets have poured record sums of money into lobbying and election campaigns over the past few years as lawmakers debate the farm bill and other policies that shape the way food is grown in the U.S. Entities related to big names like Tyson Foods and Deere & Co. have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to political campaigns or partisan groups, OpenSecrets data shows, with the majority of donations going toward Republicans. Affiliates with Tyson Foods, for example, spent $886,000 on the current election cycle as of June 30, which is already around 80% of what it spent on the 2020 election.  While companies themselves cannot contribute to campaigns, donations from PACs, employees and family members give an indication of the industry’s political priorities. Agribusiness spending on campaigns reached $124 million in the 2023-2024 election cycle, with data not yet available for donations made after June 30.

Article Source: Agriculture Dive

5. China Projects Record Harvest Amid Food Security Push

China is on track for a record grain output this year in a boost for its drive to improve food security. The harvest is expected to exceed 700 million tonnes for the first time this year, after nine straight years of production above 650 million tonnes, agriculture vice-minister Zhang Xingwang said on Friday. At almost 149 million tonnes, the summer harvest saw its biggest jump in nine years, and the autumn harvest, which accounts for three-quarters of the total, had seen a “noticeable improvement” this year, Zhang said. China, the world’s biggest crop producer and consumer, has doubled down on food security amid climate change, turbulence in the global market and growing tensions with the United States, which is a major agricultural exporter.

Article Source: South China Morning Post

Sports

OKC 114 CHI 95 

KSU 29 KU 27  

Chiefs (7-0) 27 Raiders 20 

OKC 128 ATL 104  

KSU ranked at #17 in new AP poll  

K-State wins 16th straight over Kansas in Sunflower Showdown thriller  

By Clark Goble  

Kansas football failed, once again, to hold onto a fourth quarter lead and lost to Kansas State 29-27 on Saturday in Manhattan. K-State’s Chris Tennant kicked a 51-yard field goal with 1:48 left in the game to give the Wildcats the lead. KU’s offense was effective enough, but Jalon Daniels fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter when points might’ve helped KU secure the win. The Jayhawks have a bye week next week before taking on Iowa State at Arrowhead, which will likely be filled with Cyclone fans.

Article Source: AP

Sources

1. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/10/28/kansas-lawmakers-will-break-with-tradition-make-own-budget/75821422007/

2. https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-mayor-responds-to-firefighters-union-accusation/

3. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2024/10/28/what-jobs-in-kansas-pay-best-worst-heres-career-wage-data/75722545007/

4. https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/agriculture-lobbying-2024-election-campaign-spending-farm-bill/730813/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202024-10-24%20Agriculture%20Dive%20%5Bissue:67157%5D&utm_term=Agriculture%20Dive

5. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3284063/china-course-record-harvest-boost-food-security-drive?share=vCyPIZVik9kjZGvLaWrZmM9Zj3K7zghqrW5RmkzaRah91qNaOhxWtfy%2BDRxI9pKeT4A9zVoood%2FRBKISFKDADSEq5x%2BOJcqpSLn4SI0hYh0%3D&utm_campaign=social_share

6. https://apnews.com/article/fe41ec12e107409af3b7bdbca9e66371