KS - April 29 2025

"Matter of When, Not If": Kansas City Health Leaders Urge Measles Vaccinations as Regional Cases Rise

Kansas Lawmakers Secure School Funding, Reauthorize $875 Million State Property Tax Levy at Last Minute

Kansas Congressman Suggests Medicaid Review as Part of Federal Spending Cuts; State Less Affected by Lack of Expansion

Smoky Hill River Levels Set to Rise as Controlled Water Release Addresses Low Groundwater

Shawnee Seeks Urgent Approval for Summer Pipe Repair to Prevent Sinkhole Growth Near School Campus

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1. "Matter of When, Not If": Kansas City Health Leaders Urge Measles Vaccinations as Regional Cases Rise

A. WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - The KU School of Medicine in Wichita is hosting a training event on Wednesday, focused on ensuring that local physicians are fully equipped in the event that the measles outbreak makes its way to south-central Kansas and beyond. Since March, measles has been spreading across southwest Kansas, with eight counties affected. Now, experts are concerned about a possible spread to Wichita. “Measles is not quite like COVID. With COVID, none of us were immune. With measles, most of us are immune. But there’s a population of individuals who haven’t been vaccinated, and they’re at risk,” said Dr. Rick Kellerman, who oversees family medicine education for medical students at the KU School of Medicine. To combat the threat, the KU School of Medicine is holding a virtual training session on Wednesday for physicians across Kansas. Source: KWCH

B. Kansas City health leaders are bracing for the arrival of measles in the metro, an outcome described as inevitable, as they plead with parents to vaccinate their children. Health officials held a large news conference on Tuesday to deliver urgent warnings about the dangers of the disease and how quickly it can spread. The scene evoked the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic as local leaders sought to prepare the city for an approaching public health threat. But unlike the fearful days of March 2020, Kansas City health leaders possess a powerful weapon against measles – a long-proven and highly-effective vaccine. Whether they can convince enough people to get it to prevent any serious hospitalizations or deaths remains an open question. K-12 schools in three Kansas City ZIP codes currently have measles vaccination rates among their student populations that fall below the 95% rate generally required to achieve herd immunity. In one ZIP code – 64155 in the Northland – the rate is just 84%. “It’s a matter of not if we get cases here in Kansas City, it’s when we get cases in Kansas City,” said Naser Jouhari, deputy director of the Kansas City Health Department. The quickening pace of preparations in Kansas City comes amid a growing number of measles cases nationally. Nearly 900 confirmed cases have been reported across dozens of states, and an outbreak in southwest Kansas has become the third-largest in the country at 37 cases. Across all of Jackson County, 89% of kindergarteners are vaccinated against measles, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. While that’s an improvement from 86.7% in the 2021-2022 school year, it’s still under the near-herd immunity threshold the county achieved as recently as 2019-2020. Clay County’s rate also sits lower than health officials would prefer, at nearly 92%. Platte County has reached 95.2%, a more comfortable rate. The statewide rate is 90.9%. Across the border in Kansas, public school districts in Johnson and Wyandotte counties reported immunization rates between 88% and 94% for the 2023-24 school year, the most recent year with available data – with one exception. USD 500 reported that only 55.8% of all incoming kindergarteners had received all of their required immunizations. Source: Kansas City Star

2. Kansas Lawmakers Secure School Funding, Reauthorize $875 Million State Property Tax Levy at Last Minute

Kansas lawmakers have reauthorized the state property tax used to help fund local school districts, avoiding an $875 million hole in next year's education budget. Under state law, the state levies 20 mills of property tax, and the revenue is used to help fund local schools. The levy was last reauthorized in 2023 as part of the K-12 education budget, which extended it through the 2024-25 school year. This year, the budget that lawmakers sent to the governor did not include a reauthorization. It wasn't until April 11, the last day of the legislative session, that legislators passed House Bill 2125 to reauthorize the 20-mill levy for the next two school years. Source: CJOnline

3. Kansas Congressman Suggests Medicaid Review as Part of Federal Spending Cuts; State Less Affected by Lack of Expansion

A. Congress might cut Medicaid spending as politicians look to extend President Donald Trump's signature tax cuts, but Kansas may face less disruption than other states because it never enacted Medicaid expansion. U.S. Rep. Derek Schmidt, R-Kansas, was in Topeka on April 23 to speak at the Greater Topeka Partnership's legislative luncheon. Schmidt said people are understandably nervous about spending cuts, but the reality is the six biggest categories of federal expenditures are Social Security, Medicare, interest on the debt, national defense, veterans benefits and Medicaid. Schmidt said he agrees with the president: "We're not touching Social Security. We're not touching Medicare." Source: CJOnline

B. TOPEKA — Analysis of potential congressional cuts to Medicaid indicated Kansas’ loss of nearly $350 million in the first year and more than $3 billion over 10 years could shrink coverage for vulnerable populations, escalate family medical debt and raise the risk of hospital closures. Reductions in federal financing of Medicaid could lead to downsizing by 5% to 15% the number of Medicaid enrollees in Kansas and trigger a decline of 22% in Medicaid funding to hospitals in the state. Kansas has two-dozen rural hospitals at risk of immediate closure. Shrinking federal funding to Medicaid could add to the burden of uncompensated patient care and threaten hospitals operating on narrow margins. The findings were in a report released Tuesday by REACH Healthcare Foundation and United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, both health-related philanthropies serving Kansans. The report incorporated analysis from Manatt Health, which provides strategic, policy and legal advisory services in the health care industry. Source: Kansas Reflector

4. Smoky Hill River Levels Set to Rise as Controlled Water Release Addresses Low Groundwater

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) — The Kansas Water Office has announced a scheduled water release from Cedar Bluff Reservoir starting May 5 to support the water supplies for Hays and Russell. This release aims to recharge groundwater and increase streamflow in the Smoky Hill River, which is vital for municipal water wells in both cities. The decision follows requests from Hays and Russell, who both have water storage rights in Cedar Bluff Reservoir. Groundwater levels have dropped significantly due to dry conditions, limiting water availability. The timing of the release is critical before summer heat, as cooler May temperatures will allow for groundwater replenishment. The release, which is set to continue through May 16, means residents along the Smoky Hill River should expect higher water flows, potentially affecting low-lying areas. Source: KWCH

5. Shawnee Seeks Urgent Approval for Summer Pipe Repair to Prevent Sinkhole Growth Near School Campus

A failed stormwater pipe caused a sinkhole to form on the northeast corner of the Mill Valley High School campus. Now, the Shawnee Public Works Department is approaching the City Council to approve emergency repairs during the summer before school starts. While there isn’t a gaping hole in the ground yet — like other areas of the metro have seen in the past — the surface is starting to sink down on the Northwest corner of the campus. Shawnee Public Works wants to take action in the major corridor before it gets worse. The repair project, which will go before Shawnee City Council on Monday, is projected to cost $2 million and take four months to complete, according to the staff report. In order to complete the repair work before school starts in mid-August, the city must take action immediately. Source: Kansas City Star

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Sources

1. https://www.kwch.com/2025/04/29/physicians-training-make-sure-theyre-fully-equipped-handle-further-spread-measles-outbreak-kansas/
2. https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article305307626.html#storylink=cpy
3. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/04/29/kansas-lawmakers-reauthorize-property-tax-used-to-help-fund-schools/83026152007/
4. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/04/29/kansas-congressman-suggests-cutting-medicaid-fmap-reimbursement-rate/83237631007/
5. https://kansasreflector.com/2025/04/29/kansas-medicaid-advocates-share-dire-forecast-of-potential-congressional-funding-cuts/
6. https://www.kwch.com/2025/04/29/cedar-bluff-reservoir-release-water-support-hays-russell/
7. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article305256416.html