KS - January 16 2025

1. Kelly Budget Plan Features Pay Raises, Medicaid Expansion, Education Funding
2. Conservative Majority Takes Control of Kansas Education Board
3. Kansas Senate Weighs 3% Property Appraisal Increase Cap
4. $15.5M Federal Grant Boosts KC Black Housing Redevelopment
5. Local Content Creators Fear Looming TikTok Ban
Sports: No. 2 Iowa State Dominates Kansas 74-57

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1. Kelly Budget Plan Features Pay Raises, Medicaid Expansion, Education Funding

The proposed state budget crafted by Gov. Laura Kelly features a 2.5% pay raise for state employees, expands Medicaid eligibility for 150,000 lower-income Kansans and fully finances K-12 public education. Kelly’s blueprint contained a $30 million surge in appropriations for water resource programs and called for appointment of a special task force to develop a 10-year plan for conserving the precious resource. She also proposed $10 million in matching grant funding to further spur expansion of child-care capacity statewide. Adam Proffitt, the governor’s budget director, briefed the House and Senate budget committees Thursday on a budget outline that held base budget spending increases at 2%. The governor’s budget wouldn’t substantially deflate the robust balances of $1.2 billion in the general state treasury and $1.7 billion in a separate state emergency fund, he said.

Article Source: KS Reflector

2. Conservative Majority Takes Control of Kansas Education Board

Education politics is entering a new year, with a new conservative majority on the Kansas State Board of Education and larger Republican supermajorities in the Kansas Legislature. Voters in the 2024 elections gave conservatives a majority on the 10-member board for the first time in two decades. The election results followed the Republican-led Legislature drawing new maps during redistricting with an explicit goal of shaking up the balance of power on the board. The new board chair is Cathy Hopkins, R-Hays, who was elected unanimously. She replaces Melanie Haas, D-Overland Park, who remains on the board. Board member Danny Zeck, R-Leavenworth, is the new vice chair, defeating Haas 7-3. Education politics in Kansas have seen conflict and power struggles between lawmakers and the state board. While conservative Republicans may now be in charge of the state board and the Legislature, recent public discussions by both suggest that friction will continue.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

3. Kansas Senate Weighs 3% Property Appraisal Increase Cap

Topeka resident Lanell Griffith urged senators Thursday to support a proposed constitutional amendment that would cap annual increases in appraised property values that result in higher tax bills. Describing herself as a representative of “grassroots unpaid activists,” Griffith said past legislation that requires local officials to hold public meetings before raising property taxes was only a step in the right direction. She said she is subject to 10 taxing entities and finds it difficult to attend every meeting. The Senate tax committee heard testimony from Griffith and others on Senate Concurrent Resolution 1603, which would cap annual increases in appraised value at 3%.

Article Source: KS Reflector

4. $15.5M Federal Grant Boosts KC Black Housing Redevelopment

Officials announced this week that developers snagged a multi-million dollar federal grant to help rebuild a historically Black former housing cooperative on Kansas City’s East Side. Plans have been in the works for years to redevelop Parade Park Homes, one of the country’s oldest Black-owned housing co-ops until 2022. The complex, in the 18th and Vine Jazz District, faced high vacancy rates and poor conditions in some units in recent years, and community leaders have pushed to find a way forward. Flaherty & Collins Properties and Twelfth Street Heritage Development Corp. took ownership of the site last spring, and the city approved plans in the fall to remake Parade Park Homes with over 1,000 new homes. Current residences would be demolished and replaced with mixed-use commercial space, new amenities and a mix of housing units at various price points, including market-rate units, affordable units and senior housing. The plan includes protections for current residents from displacement and prioritizes them for the new units. The project, with a nine-digit price tag, will be constructed in phases through spring 2031. On Wednesday, Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver II, D-Missouri, announced that the project will be awarded a $15.5 million federal grant through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funding comes through the department’s Section 202 Supportive Housing for the Elderly Program, which offers funding for the rehabilitation and development of housing for people age 62 and up with qualifying incomes.

Article Source: KC Star

5. Local Content Creators Fear Looming TikTok Ban

The end of TikTok in the U.S. may be near, with some saying that the social media giant poses a national threat as it’s a Chinese company. But many who make their living on the platform are worried about what comes next. If the federal government decides to make that ban official, users and content creators could have just five days left with TikTok. While this may amount to nothing more than a change in screen time for some, for others, it is a source of income and how they connect with the rest of the world. 12 News spoke with local social media influencers about the possible ban. “It will impact my life in a really big way because I am an influencer, this is what I do for a living,” said influencer Gabriel Gonzalez who makes popular videos related to skincare. “I do think TikTok is a resourceful tool for not only creators but like for people. What about like the local restaurants, the local boutiques, they sometimes have to create content to reach to the people, you know to make a sale, to make their living,” Gonzalez said. Alex McGinty who uses social media to showcase and promote his talents as a barber said he’s grateful for how TikTok contributed to changing his life. “I’ve realized that there’s a way to connect with so many people around the world as well as just being able to show people and help people build confidence with themselves,” McGinty said. McGinty started creating content on TikTok less than a year ago and he’s built a following of nearly half of a million people.

Article Source: KWCH

Sports: No. 2 Iowa State Dominates Kansas 74-57

Kansas basketball suffered a 74-57 defeat on Wednesday on the road during Big 12 Conference play against Iowa State. The No. 10 Jayhawks (12-4, 3-2 in Big 12) led for only a few minutes over the course of the contest. The No. 2 Cyclones (15-1, 5-0 in Big 12) controlled the vast majority of the game, even when Kansas took its opportunities to cut the deficit closer. It wasn’t just that Iowa State had the benefit of playing in front of a home crowd inside Hilton Coliseum, it’s that it was the better team overall.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

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Sources

1. https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/16/democratic-gov-laura-kelly-presents-new-state-budget-to-republican-led-house-senate/

2. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/01/16/kansas-politicians-reminded-of-constitutional-authority-on-education/77694132007/

3. https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/16/kansas-senate-considers-constitutional-amendment-to-cap-taxable-property-values/

4. https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article298658548.html

5. https://www.kwch.com/2025/01/14/local-influencers-react-possible-end-tiktok-us/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=organicclicks&tbref=hp

6. https://www.cjonline.com/story/sports/college/hawk-zone/2025/01/15/kansas-basketball-bill-self-score-loss-in-big-12-road-game-at-iowa-state-in-top-10-matchup-2025/77715896007/