July 26 2024

1 Handful of KS primary elections could have outsized impact on school funding, trans law, and other issues
2 This Aug 6 Dem primary could have statewide implications 
3 OB care increasingly sparse in Kansas
4 Much of KS at risk for rapid onset drought
5 KS military contractor repurposes drone for farming
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1 Handful of KS primary elections could have outsized impact on school funding, trans law, and other issues

Battles over school funding and bans on gender-affirming care could change in the upcoming Kansas Legislature session based on what happens in a handful of primary election races. The Kansas Statehouse remains firmly in Republican control. The party holds a veto-proof majority and will almost certainly retain a comfortable margin in both the House and Senate after the general election. But some key GOP-led priorities did not survive vetoes in the past few sessions because some Republicans broke from the party line. These are some key elections on the Kansas primary ballot that could slightly shift the political balance of the state. These races don’t have any general election challengers. 

Sen. Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha Republican, has been a thorn in the side of Republican leadership in the Senate. In 2022, he didn’t help Republicans override the governor’s veto on GOP-drawn congressional maps. Later that year, he ran as an independent candidate for governor. He lost handily, but frustrated conservatives said he siphoned away votes from Republican nominee Derek Schmidt. And this year, Pyle cast key votes to kill some Republican-led tax packages. 

His antics have drawn two Republican challengers in the upcoming primary: Eplee and Craig Bowser. 

Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill banning transgender women from women’s sports in 2023. The bill was on track to die after enough Republicans crossed party lines to support the Democratic governor. But the veto was overridden because Rep. Marvin Robinson II, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, joined Republicans. 
Robinson didn’t explain why he voted the way he did to reporters. But that isn’t his only vote that’s fallen in line with GOP priorities. He’s also voted to increase work requirements to qualify for food assistance programs. Kimberly DeWitt, one of three Democrats trying to unseat Robinson, said the district deserves someone who represents their values. If she was in office during the trans athletes vote, she would have stuck with Democrats. 

Rep. Susan Concannon, a Beloit Republican, has spent just over a decade in the Kansas House. She filed for reelection but has since pulled out of the race. Whoever replaces her will be a more conservative brand of Republican. Concannon is a moderate conservative who supported Medicaid expansion, for example. In the past session, Concannon was a key vote that killed a bill that banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth. Republicans are expected to try again to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth, and both candidates replacing Concannon are against the practice. 

Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican, is the chair of the House Education Committee. She’s pushed for key Republican priorities like school vouchers and a parents’ bill of rights to give families more review over public school course material. She’s drawn a far more moderate Republican challenger. Doug Law, an Augusta Republican, supports Medicaid expansion and wants to see “fully funded public education, including special education, and is committed to keeping public dollars in public education.” The battle over special education funding is an annual issue in the Statehouse. Democrats say Republicans are shortchanging the system and leaving families out to dry. Republicans say they provide more than enough funding for schools to help all kids. Law also supports Medicaid expansion, an issue that’s been blocked by multiple waves of GOP leadership.

Article Source: The Beacon

2 Aug 6 Dem primary could have statewide implications 

In raw numbers, Democrats just need to flip two seats to break up the supermajority in the Kansas House. In spirit, they may need to flip at least three since one of their own tends to side with Republicans on many major issues in the statehouse. As the Aug. 6 primary approaches, there is angst among some Democrats that state Rep. Marvin Robinson might eke out a win in the Democratic primary in a field of four candidates who could split up the vote. Robinson is trying to win re-election with a Republican-flavored voting record

Article Source: Sunflower State Journal

3 OB care increasingly sparse in Kansas

Thirteen counties in Kansas ceased to offer obstetric care services from 2013 to 2023 — a statistic that points to a shrinking availability of maternal care in Kansas, the lack of which can cause poor outcomes in pregnancy and delivery, overburdened hospitals and long drives for women seeking adequate care. Jennifer Cunningham drove more than six hours for care at the University of Kansas Health System for two of her four, high-risk pregnancies because she didn’t feel the limited obstetrics department in her home area of Garden City could take care of her. Garden City, with a population of about 27,000, serves as a local hub for shopping and other services in southwest Kansas. But with a declining number of providers who can deliver, Cunningham said, many of the women she knows are driving to Wichita, or further, to seek adequate care during their pregnancies and for deliveries.

Article Source: KS Reflector

4 Much of KS at risk for rapid onset drought

Much of Kansas has dealt with serious drought at some point this year, but now most of the state is at risk for rapid onset drought. Wichita is working on ways to deal with the ongoing drought but conditions could soon be worsening rapidly. A map by the Climate Prediction Center Thursday afternoon shows that most of the Great Plains will face extreme heat through the first week of August. The map shows the scope of the rapid onset drought risk, including parts of Wichita. The Climate Prediction Center said risk areas will be experiencing extreme heat and dry weather through early August and drought could set in quickly. Northwest Kansas has experienced persistent drought this summer but Shannon Kenyon, the director of the groundwater management district for that part of the state said they’re getting used to it

The Climate Prediction Center said some of the risks associated with the rapid onset drought include rapidly drying topsoil, stress to crops, and enhanced wildfire danger.

Article Source: KWCH

5 KS military contractor repurposes drone for farming

Robotics company and defense contractor Tesseract Ventures is repurposing its military drone tech for use on U.S. farms. The Tesseract Ag Drone uses computer vision to give farmers real-time information on their fields. The drone is meant to be paired with the company’s synthesis software, which analyzes raw data to provide actionable insight. Kansas-based Tesseract is entering the agricultural drone market as the U.S. weighs a ban on China-based DJI, a global leading manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles. The company recently partnered with Landus Farm Cooperative in Iowa to soft launch the technology through an initiative first started under a Department of Defense program.

Article Source: Agriculture Dive

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Sources

1. https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/07/26/kansas-primary-ballot-here-are-the-key-races-august-6/

2. https://sunflowerstatejournal.com/will-crowded-house-race-upset-dems-chances-to-break-gop-supermajority/

3. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/07/25/kansas-maternal-health-care-deserts-mean-hardships-on-mothers-communities-and-providers/

4. https://www.kwch.com/2024/07/25/much-kansas-risk-rapid-onset-drought/?tbref=hp

5. https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/agtech-seedlings-tesseract-farmblox-tyson/722538/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202024-07-26%20Agriculture%20Dive%20%5Bissue:64323%5D&utm_term=Agriculture%20Dive