KS - March 24 2025
Justice resigns as reform looms; Kelly vetoes mail ballot bill; Schwab has cancer, campaigns on; Cropland prices stabilize; K-State women reach Sweet 16
Kansas Supreme Court Justice Resigns Amid Health Crisis and Judicial Reform Debate
Governor Kelly Vetoes Bill to End Mail Ballot Grace Period
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab Reveals Cancer Diagnosis, Vows to Continue Campaign
Kansas Cropland Prices Rise Slightly as Market Stabilizes
K-State Women’s Basketball Advances to Sweet 16 After Overtime Thriller
GET THE CITIZEN JOURNAL APP - FREE!
1. Kansas Supreme Court Justice Resigns Amid Health Crisis and Judicial Reform Debate
A Kansas Supreme Court justice is resigning due to a medical diagnosis amid a political push for judicial selection reform. The Kansas Judicial Branch announced March 24 that Justice Evelyn Wilson is resigning, effective this summer. That triggers the existing nomination process for the governor to appoint her successor, which is the subject of a constitutional amendment that voters will see on the ballot next summer. "I was recently diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, or 'Lou Gehrig's disease,'" Wilson wrote in her resignation letter to Gov. Laura Kelly. Wilson's resignation gives Kelly, a Democrat, the opportunity for at least one more appointment to the Supreme Court before a potential change in how Kansas selects its justices.
Source: CJOnline
2. Governor Kelly Vetoes Bill to End Mail Ballot Grace Period
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill that would repeal the three-day grace period for mailed ballots. Because the bill passed with an apparent supermajority, the veto could get overturned. Kelly called the bill an "attack on rural Kansans" participating in elections, and said she will reject any bill that "deprives Kansans from having their vote counted." "The three-day grace period for mail ballots was a bipartisan solution approved by the Legislature in 2017 to address delays in processing of mail by the United States Postal Service, particularly in rural areas. The goal was to ensure that all Kansans had their votes counted, no matter where they lived," Kelly said in a veto message. House Republican leaders called Kelly's veto reckless and vowed to override it. “We eagerly anticipate overriding the Governor’s misguided veto to safeguard our elections and ensure quick, reliable outcomes. By setting a firm election-day deadline, we reaffirm Kansans’ trust in our elections,” said House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita; House Speaker Pro Tem Blake Carpenter, R-Derby; and House Majority Leader Chris Croft, R-Overland Park, in a joint statement.
Source: CJOnline
3. Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab Reveals Cancer Diagnosis, Vows to Continue Campaign
Kansas politician Scott Schwab announced a cancer diagnosis on Friday, but said it won't keep him from continuing in his current job or from running for higher office. "During a routine cancer screening in December doctors found that I have a lung nodule that is cancerous, and I will be undergoing surgery next week to have it removed," Schwab, the secretary of state, said in a social media post Friday afternoon. "It has not spread or changed. "My doctors have confirmed it was found very early, and no further treatment will be required post-surgery. I will make a full recovery. While I will take some time to recover, I remain committed to serving Kansans as Secretary of State and returning to the campaign trail as I continue my run for governor."
Source: CJOnline
4. Kansas Cropland Prices Rise Slightly as Market Stabilizes
Non-irrigated cropland prices in Kansas rose 3.8% last year, while pasture and hay ground increased by approximately 2.7%, according to information in the 2024 Kansas Agricultural Land Values and Trends publication released earlier this year. Kansas State University farm economist Robin Reid said these figures point to land prices tapering off after many years of rapid growth, as much as 24% per year in some areas. With some regions of the state seeing decreases compared to 2023, Reid notes that land values may lower even more considering tightening margins and decreasing farm income. “If we look at the state level, we are up just a little bit,” she said. “You will see in the book there are regions that have come down, but overall, I would say the market is starting to flatten and that land values are stabilizing, not continuing to increase at the rapid, unsustainable pace that they have in recent years.”
Source: KSRE
5. K-State Women’s Basketball Advances to Sweet 16 After Overtime Thriller
The Kansas State women’s basketball team is heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than two decades. K-State won a thrilling overtime game against Kentucky 80-79 on Sunday at Memorial Coliseum in Lexington to survive and advance beyond the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament
Source: Kansas.com
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE TO GET THE HEARTLAND CITIZEN JOURNAL IN YOUR INBOX - FREE!
Sponsors (click me!)
Sources
- https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/03/24/kansas-supreme-court-justice-resigns-before-vote-on-selection-reform/82641259007/ (CJOnline)
- https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2025/03/24/kansas-gov-laura-kelly-says-grace-period-repeal-harms-rural-voters/82636465007/ (CJOnline)
- https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/government/2025/03/24/kansas-politician-scott-schwab-shares-cancer-diagnosis-amid-campaign/82635283007/?tbref=hp (CJOnline)
- https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news-and-publications/news/stories/2025/01/agriculture-kansas-land-values.html (KSRE)
- https://www.kansas.com/sports/college/big-12/kansas-state/article302632104.html?tbref=hp (Kansas.com)