September 26 2024

INFO Election Dates
1 Kansas School Meal Debt Surges from $4.45 Million to $23.5 Million Post-Pandemic
2 Gerrymandering in Kansas Big 1st for Republicans Could Backfire, Professor Warns
3 Kansas Delegation Splits 3-3 on Temporary Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown
4 Pharmacy Closures in Kansas City and Wichita Highlight Growing Healthcare Access Crisis
5 Wichita Proposes Anti-Camping Ordinances as Homelessness Rises Amid Affordable Housing Shortage
Sports

INFO Election Dates

Here are Kansas’ key election dates, from the Kansas Secretary of State’s website: 

Oct. 15: Last day to register to vote.

Oct. 16: Advance voting begins in Kansas. Exact start dates can vary by county.

Oct. 29: Last day to apply for advance ballot 

Nov. 4: Early voting ends

Nov. 5: Election Day

Source: Wichita Eagle

1 Kansas School Meal Debt Surges from $4.45 Million to $23.5 Million Post-Pandemic

More than 90,000 children in Kansas face food insecurity, with school meals providing critical support for low-income students. From March 2020 to June 2022, a federal initiative made school meals universally free as part of COVID-19 relief. During the 2022-23 school year, 41% of Kansas students qualified for free meals and 7% for reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program, with eligibility based on family income thresholds. Following the end of the universal meals program, Kansas school districts have seen a sharp rise in unpaid meal debt. Prior to the pandemic, statewide meal debt totaled $4.45 million, but by 2023, it had surged to $23.5 million. Schools often allow students to charge meals temporarily, but only 22% of meal debts are typically paid by families, leaving districts to cover the remaining costs, often at the expense of educational resources. The increase in meal debt coincides with rising inflation, the end of other pandemic relief programs, and higher school meal costs, further straining families and districts across the state.  

Ed note: John Oliver did a bit on this, Kansas is referenced around 14:25

Source: Kansas Appleseed

2 Gerrymandering in Kansas Big 1st for Republicans Could Backfire, Professor Warns

Wichita State University political science chairwoman Alexandra Middlewood suspects Kansas Republicans made a tactical error by gerrymandering left-leaning Lawrence into the conservative, rural 1st congressional district that extends to the Colorado border. Lawrence was removed from the 2nd District of U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner, a Republican, and buried in the 1st District controlled by hard-right GOP U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann. In exchange, LaTurner absorbed part of Democrat-rich Wyandotte County stripped from U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the 3rd District Democrat. This remapping exercise was designed to undercut support for Davids, but she won reelection in 2022. Middlewood said during a Dole Institute of Politics forum Wednesday at the University of Kansas that continued population growth in Lawrence and emergence of young immigrant-family voters in portions of southwest Kansas could within eight years or so make the 1st District competitive for a Democrat.  

Ed note: Interesting perspective but I’m skeptical. Can you assume those immigrant voters in SW KS will be Democrats?

Article Source: KS Reflector

3 Kansas Delegation Splits 3-3 on Temporary Spending Bill to Avert Government Shutdown

Facing the increasing likelihood of a government shutdown, Congress on Wednesday passed a temporary spending measure to keep government agencies funded into December. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. Three of the six members of the delegation representing Kansas (two senators and four representatives), voted in favor of the measure that avoids a shutdown while punting final spending decision until after the Nov. 5 election. The Senate approved the measure by a vote of 78-18 shortly after the House easily approved it. Representing Kansas, Senator Roger Marshall joined a minority who voted “no.” Senator Jerry Moran voted “yea.” The final House vote was 341-82 with two Kansas representatives, Republicans Ron Estes and Tracey Mann voting “no,” and Republican Jake LaTurner, and Democrat Sharice Davids voting “yea.”

Article Source: KWCH

4 Pharmacy Closures in Kansas City and Wichita Highlight Growing Healthcare Access Crisis

Pharmacy closures across the U.S., including in cities like Kansas City and Wichita, are raising concerns over healthcare access, particularly in lower-income areas and small towns. Pharmacies provide essential services such as filling prescriptions, administering vaccines, and offering medical advice. The closure of nearly 100 pharmacies in Kansas City over the last decade, including locations from CVS and Walgreens, highlights the growing issue. Nationally, around 7,000 pharmacies have shut down since 2019. The closures are largely driven by declining profits from prescription sales due to complex insurance reimbursements. The rise of prescription drug use—from an average of 2.4 per person in 1950 to 17.3 in 2015—has not translated into sustained profits for pharmacies. Chain pharmacies, which expanded rapidly in the 1990s, are now scaling back, in part due to legal settlements related to the opioid crisis. Independent pharmacies have been hit hardest, with the National Community Pharmacists Association estimating that one independent pharmacy closed daily in 2023, a trend expected to continue. The shift to online and mail-order prescriptions has further strained local pharmacies, leaving many communities without convenient access to healthcare.

Source: Kansas Beacon

5 Wichita Proposes Anti-Camping Ordinances as Homelessness Rises Amid Affordable Housing Shortage

The city of Wichita is drafting two new anti-camping ordinances in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that held local governments can impose civil and criminal penalties on homeless people for camping on public land — even if the city doesn’t have enough shelter space to house those people. City Manager Robert Layton said last week that the City Council has called for changes so Wichita can be “more aggressive” at policing homeless camps on public property. While the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers Wichita one of the most affordable metro areas in the nation, the number of unsheltered homeless people in Wichita is increasing, with a 25% increase in the past year alone, amid rising rents, an affordable housing shortage and historically high housing and utility costs.

Article Source: Wichita Eagle

Sports

The Kansas City Royals are set to play the Washington Nationals today in the third and final game of the series, looking to complete a sweep after back-to-back shutout victories. On September 24, the Royals edged out the Nationals 1-0 in 10 innings, followed by a 3-0 win on September 25.

Sources

1. https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article293018264.html

2. https://www.kansasappleseed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/final_meal_debt_report-1-2.pdf

3. https://kansasreflector.com/2024/09/25/kansas-gerrymandering-may-eventually-imperil-republicans-firm-grip-on-1st-district/

4. https://www.kwch.com/2024/09/26/kansas-delegation-split-temporary-spending-bill/

5. https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/09/23/communities-lose-health-care-with-pharmacies-closing-in-kansas-and-missouri/

6. https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article292686009.html