KS - November 19 2024

1. Subscription-Based Clinics Grow in Kansas, Cut Health Care Costs
2. Kansas Lawmakers Back 'Sandbox' Bill for Business Deregulation
3. Kansas City Chiefs study fan sentiments as politicians fight for their favor
4. Marshall Denounces Democrats' Farm Bill for Lack of Bipartisanship
5. Wichita Schools Achieve Record-High 84.3% Graduation Rate

1. Subscription-Based Clinics Grow in Kansas, Cut Health Care Costs

Trying to get in touch with a primary care doctor can be difficult. You call, meander through the automated prompts, and oftentimes don’t speak to your doctor directly. This is for good reason: there’s a nationwide shortage of primary care physicians. Family doctors generally have to take on a lot of patients and have limited time to field questions. A facility in Wichita is taking a different approach from top to bottom. Instead of relying on insurance, the group offers a subscription service. For a monthly fee you get care and what patients say is easier access to physicians, like directly texting a doctor.

Article Source: KS NPR

2. Kansas Lawmakers Back 'Sandbox' Bill for Business Deregulation

A Republican-led interim committee of the Kansas Legislature and out-of-state deregulation lobbyists endorsed Tuesday introduction of a new bill allowing exemption of businesses from state laws, rules or regulations hindering delivery of products or services. Under the proposal, Kansas would follow Arizona, Kentucky, Utah and Missouri by creating an innovation “sandbox” for businesses across the spectrum to operate for two or more years under a lighter regulatory framework. A state agency or official would be responsible for approving applications for exemptions. Core objectives would include giving businesses more maneuvering space, attracting entrepreneurial investment and identifying regulatory barriers to profitability.

Article Source: KS Reflector

3. Kansas City Chiefs study fan sentiments as politicians fight for their favor

The Kansas City Chiefs hired a firm to research fan sentiment on where its next stadium should be and what it should look like. Meanwhile, officials in Kansas and Missouri are vying for the team's favor. CSL International is contracted to survey, interview and conduct focus group of stakeholders about the future home of the Chiefs. The team's lease at its current home in Truman Sports Complex expires in 2031.

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

4. Marshall Denounces Democrats' Farm Bill for Lack of Bipartisanship

U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas complained a version of the farm bill released after the November election by the Senate Democrats fell short because details of the farm and nutrition policy legislation weren’t the byproduct of bipartisanship. Congress and President Joe Biden are under pressure to adopt a new five-year law, or another one-year extension of the federal program. The current law expired Sept. 30, but funding for many programs won’t run out until Dec. 31. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat and chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, made public a bill that could be taken up during the lame-duck session of Congress. Prospects of passing the Democrats’ bill were dim because the political landscape will change in January when Republicans control both the House and Senate and President-elect Donald Trump takes office. “Chairwoman Stabenow released her farm bill text — a 1,400-page document that no Republican committee member has reviewed or had the opportunity to collaborate on,” Marshall said. “This is not a sincere or transparent effort to address the urgent needs of rural America.”

Article Source: KS Reflector

5. Wichita Schools Achieve Record-High 84.3% Graduation Rate

Wichita Public Schools announced an increased graduation rate for the class of 2024. The district said 84.3% of last school year’s senior class graduated, a 5.1% increase in one year and the highest graduation rate in USD 259.

Article Source: KWCH

Sources

1. https://kansaspublicradio.org/2024-11-19/subscription-based-clinics-are-growing-in-kansas-and-cutting-health-care-costs

2. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/19/kansas-legislators-back-sandbox-model-for-exempting-businesses-from-state-regulation/

3. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/politics/state/2024/11/19/kansas-city-chiefs-hired-a-firm-to-study-preferences-for-stadium/76330223007/

4. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/19/marshall-touts-bipartisanship-while-denouncing-senate-democrats-farm-nutrition-bill/

5. https://www.kwch.com/2024/11/19/live-wichita-public-schools-celebrates-highest-ever-graduation-rate/