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KS - December 9 2024

GOP targets Kansas governor; Ford County sues Big Oil; Kansas tackles water crisis; Marshall grills USPS chief; Bird flu spreads in Kansas; Sports

Greg Loving

• 5 min read
KS - December 9 2024
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1. National GOP Eyes 2026 Kansas Governor’s Race, Kemp Targets Democratic Incumbency

With the 2024 elections over and the 2026 elections on the horizon — including a gubernatorial race in Kansas — national Republicans plan to go on offense in the Sunflower State. The Republican Governors Association announced in November that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was elected the new chair of the RGA. Kemp identified the 2026 gubernatorial race in Kansas as a priority, according to an RGA statement last week that highlighted comments Kemp made to Fox News. "We'll be working with the Trump administration and a lot of other people to make sure that that's happening not only in Georgia, but in other states around the country, in places like Kansas, where we have a Democratic governor right now, in places like Arizona, where we have a really good shot at winning the governor's races," Kemp said. "So we're going to be on offense." Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has two years remaining in office, after being elected in 2018 and reelected in 2022. Kelly is the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, taking over in August to fill the remaining term of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

Ford County, Kansas, is suing Exxon, Chevron, Dupont and a handful of other oil, gas and chemical companies alleging them of misrepresenting the recyclability of plastics causing increased costs for waste management. The lawsuit, led by Sharp Law out of Prairie Village, is seeking an undisclosed amount in excess of $5 million for Ford County and other counties that join the class action suit against plastics manufacturers. “Plastic pollution is one of the most serious environmental crises facing the world today. Between 1950 and 2015, over 90% of plastics were landfilled, incinerated, or leaked into the environment. Plastic waste is ubiquitous — from our rivers, lakes, and oceans to roadways and coastlines,” the lawsuit says.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

3. Kansas Confronts Water Crisis: Gov. Kelly Pushes Multi-Generational Solutions

At the 2024 Governor’s Water Conference, Nov. 13-14 in Manhattan, she summarized progress in carrying the Kansas Water Plan to fruition “For too long, water has been treated as an issue for the next generation to solve,” she told conference attendees. “That has to change, and we are the ones to change it. It has to be a multi-generational promise, a commitment that each generation will protect our water supply. Each generation takes steps to ensure that two generations from now, Kansans still have the water they need.” Water challenges differ across the state. Western Kansas must face the long-term viability of the Ogallala Aquifer; eastern Kansas may face sedimentation in reservoirs. “But every generation has a role in extending our diversity further into the future,” she said, “And it starts with us.” In creating the framework for a strategic plan, in the last year the Kansas Water Authority has hosted 28 regional advisory meetings. Fourteen in-person local council meetings have been held across the state, and more than 50 focused discussions have been held with stakeholders who have an array of interests. Kelly said by the end of the year, the state will have recommendations based on the feedback of its citizens.

Article Source: HPJ

4. Sen. Marshall Confronts Postmaster General Over USPS Failures

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall delivered bleak messages to the nation’s postmaster general about the beleaguered U.S. Postal Service by channeling frustration of Kansans, specifically Dana from El Dorado, Mike from Topeka and Stacy of Marysville. During a hearing of the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., the Kansas Republican quizzed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who took the top USPS job in 2020. DeJoy has faced criticism for inconsistent handling of first-class mail, decommissioning high-speed sorting machines, forming bigger regional processing hubs that slowed delivery to rural customers and six postage rate hikes since 2021. “We asked some folks back home, if you could be in front of the postmaster general, what questions would they ask you,” said Marshall to DeJoy. The senator said Stacy and Mike proposed the same query. “What is justifying the consistent price increases with no change or improvement in delivery time or service?” DeJoy said mail-delivery service was slipping before he was selected by the Postal Service’s Board of Governors. “Senator, we had a defective pricing model for 20 years,” DeJoy said. “Mail volume was cut in half and we weren’t allowed to raise our prices to accommodate that.” The cost of a U.S. first-class stamp was 1 cent in 1863 and didn’t hit the 5-cent plateau for a century. The price of the basic postage stamp hit 50 cents in 2019. Under DeJoy, the cost of a forever stamp surged to 58 cents in 2021, 60 cents in 2022, 63 cents in early 2023, 66 cents in late 2023, 68 cents in early 2024 and 73 cents later in 2024. The Postal Service’s financial trajectory must be stabilized before delivery metrics substantially improve, DeJoy said. He also said there had to be workplace adjustments. “I have my people, 640,000 people, that need to learn how to operate like Fed Ex and UPS,” the postmaster said. “That’s the only way we survive.”

Article Source: KS Reflector

5. Bird Flu Threat Grows in Kansas as Wild Geese Migrate

Wild geese carrying bird flu — formally known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — have migrated into the state. The Kansas Department of Agriculture said no cases of bird flu have been detected in any domestic or commercial flocks, only in the wild. “The virus has been detected in wild birds across the state over the first few weeks of November, so the Kansas Department of Agriculture reminds poultry owners that the threat of exposure to susceptible birds in Kansas is high,” the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks announced Monday in a news release.

Article Source: Wichita Eagle

Kansas Sports Recap

1.    Jayhawks Upset Twice

•      KU vs. Creighton: 63-76

•      KU vs. Mizzou: 67-76

•      Kansas drops to #10 in AP Poll

2.    Chiefs Clinch AFC West

•      Chiefs vs. Chargers: 19-17

•      Secures 9th straight division title in ridiculous win

3.    K-State to Rate Bowl

•      Kansas State vs. Rutgers on 12/26/24

•      Location: Phoenix, Arizona

4.    Jayhawks QB Jalon Daniels Returning

•      Daniels announces comeback for the 2025 season.

Sources

1. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/12/09/kansas-2026-gubernatorial-race-a-prime-opportunity-for-republicans/76746063007/

2. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2024/12/09/ford-county-kansas-sues-plastics-industry-over-recyclability-claims-exxon-chevron/76794096007/

3. https://hpj.com/2024/12/07/kansas-set-to-act-upon-water-issues/

4. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/12/07/sen-roger-marshall-affixes-stamp-of-disapproval-to-usps-mail-delivery-performance/

5. https://www.kansas.com/news/state/article296815989.html

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