Kansas
Candidates for Kansas Senate District 19 discuss school funding, Medicaid and more in forum
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Candidates running to represent parts of Douglas and Shawnee counties in the Statehouse answered questions about topics including school funding, Medicaid expansion, renewable energy and more Saturday.
The forum included all five candidates running for Kansas Senate District 19: Democrats ShaMecha King Simms, Vic Miller and Patrick Schmidt, and Republicans Cynthia Smith and Tyler Wible.
The candidates will face off in the partisan Tuesday, Aug. 6 primary election. The winners will advance to the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election.
Ursula Minor moderated the forum, hosted by the NAACP and League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County.
Candidates Marci Francisco and Christina Haswood, Democrats running to represent Senate District 2, also participated in the forum. We’ll link that story here once it’s published.
Where is District 19?
You can check your voter info at myvoteinfo.voteks.org to make sure you know which Senate district you’re in. A lot of districts have changed significantly in recent years.
Senate District 19 includes much of northern Douglas County and some parts of Lawrence north of Sixth Street. Its southernmost boundary is Sixth Street between Queens Road to the west and Kasold Drive to the east; its boundaries meander north along Kasold and east along Tomahawk Drive to include Deerfield Elementary School. North of Princeton Boulevard, homes west of Arrowhead Drive are included, as are the areas north of Interstate 70 but south and west of the Kansas River, which creates the district’s easternmost boundary. West of Lawrence, the district includes Lecompton and parts of rural Douglas County, and parts of Tecumseh and Topeka in Shawnee County.
Click here to see a map.
ShaMecha King Simms (Democrat)
King Simms said in her work as an educator and particularly as a substitute teacher, her role has been “to walk into a space that is often dealing with chaos, and try to find some way forward. That is the gift that I bring to this opportunity.”
She said funding is not getting where it needs to go in schools, and there needs to be a conversation around that.
“Under the current conversations that we’re having, just around vouchers and open enrollment, I’m afraid that we still have some work to do,” she said.
King Simms said she would ask for hearings on Medicaid expansion as soon as possible if she were elected, and that the expansion “would be critical” to the people living in the low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in the 19th District.
In regards to sustainability and renewable energy, she said she thinks the Legislature’s role is “to provide a framework that local governments can use to be able to determine what their next steps need to be.”
King Simms said she wants to see more storytelling in the Legislature.
“You need a legislator who has the heart to engage conversations all across this district, so that you can see in Lawrence what’s happening in Topeka, and Topeka can see what’s going on and Lawrence and everything in between,” King Simms said in closing.
Vic Miller (Democrat)
Miller, of Topeka, currently represents Kansas’ House District 58. He’s currently serving as the House Minority Leader — but “I call it the Democratic Leader,” Miller said, “and I’m so proud of that title and the responsibilities that go with it.”
He noted that the Kansas Supreme Court recently released its control over school funding following a lengthy legal battle to force the Legislature to adequately fund public schools.
“I’m very hopeful that people on the other side got the message so that we don’t end up in court again,” he said. He also said he believes public dollars should go toward public education.
Miller said he voted in favor of Medicaid expansion when it passed the Legislature once, but former Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed it.
He said he’s been appalled by Republicans who hold the majority of seats in the Statehouse not even allowing expansion to make it to the floor for a vote. He said if expansion doesn’t pass in the upcoming session, it might be time for a citizen-led ballot initiative.
He said he believes the Legislature needs to keep an eye on the Kansas Corporation Commission to try to make sure their policies are friendly toward renewable energy, “and we have to be ready to pass legislation to respond if that is not the case,” he said.
In closing, Miller said the state needs to elect more Democrats if residents want to see change, and the senator for District 19 “has to understand the concentration of state employees and retirees in this district, and they have to be the principal spokesperson for that group of people.”
Patrick Schmidt (Democrat)
Schmidt said he is a veteran of the Navy, and the proud son of two teachers.
“I’m proud to have served aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. I’m proud to have served the Special Forces Unit in Bahrain, hunting Iranians,” he said.
He said after knocking doors, he knows people aren’t happy with the state of public education, and that they don’t believe the same resources are available from district to district.
“We can do more to lift all families, especially those with special needs kids, and take care of those in Kansas that need it most,” he said.
He said he thinks it’s “criminal that we have not expanded Medicaid in the state,” and he will do everything in his power to make that happen.
“I think everyone in this room has a story, knows how mental health is causing problems in our state and what needs to be done in Lawrence and Topeka,” he said. “Medicaid expansion would provide millions of dollars every year to help with that problem.”
He said he thinks the state should leverage tax credits to help people take the steps to fix up older homes to make them more energy-efficient, and to empower people to take advantage of energy that is cleaner, such as heat pumps and solar panels.
In closing, he said state legislatures need to “be that bulwark for families trying to get by and thrive in Kansas, just the same way that my family did when they settled here 160 years ago.”
Cynthia Smith (Republican)
Smith, of Lawrence, said she is an attorney, and most of her experience is in health care. She said she was on the legal team of the over-the-counter drug industry during the Tylenol tampering crisis, and she’s worked with a group of safety net hospitals.
She said she was present around the Statehouse for more than a decade, and oftentimes education lobbyists’ pleas for more funding are not always taken seriously. She said she’s heard that increases in school funding don’t make it to classrooms.
And “While private schools help public schools handle the numbers, I would oppose taxpayer dollars being used to fund Bible studies, for example,” she said.
Smith said she thinks the Affordable Care Act marketplace has evolved a lot, and “it’s my understanding that some of those who would benefit from Medicaid expansion actually already have access to very low-cost health insurance.”
“I don’t feel the taxpayers should foot the bill for health care when the working poor have health insurance options available to them for a very low cost,” she said.
She also said she worked for Kansas City Power & Light, and some companies are eager to take the lead on renewable energy.
“Generally, I believe that the market will look toward these goals, and little if any involvement by the state Legislature is really needed,” Smith said.
“I have the moxie to hit the ground running and be a great senator,” she said in closing. “Again, I am a moderate Republican — I’m a fiscal conservative and moderate on social justice issues. We need more of us in the Legislature.”
Tyler Wible (Republican)
Wible, of Topeka, said he grew up in poverty, but over time, and working two or three jobs, he was able to purchase his own home. He said he’s seen property taxes and cost of living increase, and he believes state representatives have a responsibility to keep taxes down.
He said he believes school districts’ spending should be regulated the way special education funding is to ensure that dollars reach the classrooms.
And he thinks taxpayer dollars from concerned parents “should be able to follow their student as to where they choose, whether that be private school or just changing school districts,” Wible said.
He said he doesn’t believe in Medicaid expansion but does believe in a “reconstruction” of Medicaid. He said private insurance companies should be lowering prices to fight for consumers.
“I do believe that we do need affordable health care, but I do believe the only way to do that is through private industry,” he said.
He said he believes wind energy is “ineffective and inefficient” and emphasized nature conservation.
“Renewable energy is nice to talk about, and green initiatives. But realistically, we’re hurting the nature around us, and that’s a huge problem,” he said.
He said young people are often “shunned by an older generation,” and that they need to be informed about voting and how to be part of society.
The last day to register to vote in order to cast a ballot in the Tuesday, Aug. 6 primary election is Tuesday, July 16. Early voting begins July 17.
Kansas voters can take care of their voter registration and request an advance ballot to vote by mail at ksvotes.org.
Look for more forum coverage and candidate questionnaires still to come at lawrencekstimes.com/election2024.
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Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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Four candidate forums are coming up, featuring candidates running for Douglas County Commission as well as the Lawrence- and Douglas County-area candidates running in the primary elections for Kansas House and Senate.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
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Candidates running for Douglas County Commission seats largely agreed during a forum Saturday that housing inequality and increasing property taxes are pervasive but shared differing viewpoints on environmentalism and equity strides.
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HUTCHINSON — Throughout their formative years, they grew up playing side-by-side, on rival teams or simply admired each other’s success from afar.
Now that their high school football careers are over, Salina Central’s Cooper Reves and Jesus Delgado, Salina South’s Jaxon Myers and Brody Chambers from Southeast of Saline, share the honor of playing for the West team in this weekend’s Kansas Shrine Bowl.
Perhaps just as important in their minds, they get to represent Salina for either the first or the last time wearing identical uniforms.
Jesus Delgado
“Us Salina guys are kind of sticking together, I like to say,” Delgado, an all-state linebacker on Central’s 2025 Class 5A state championship team, said Tuesday during the West training camp Tuesday at Hutchinson Community.
On Thursday, the East and West teams convened in Emporia, site of the 53rd annual Shrine Bowl, set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Emporia State’s Welch Stadium. But not before four days of intense practice at their respective camps in Hutch and Ottawa.
For the Salina contingent, the free time between workouts and meetings was an opportunity to connect, reconnect and reminisce.
Jaxon Myers
“We’re all from near each other, so we kind of know each other, or we’ve heard of each other,” said Myers, a standout wide receiver at South. “We’ve got some pretty good dudes in Salina.
“It’s not just us, but there’s a lot more that could have been here.”
While Reves, an all-state running back, and Delgado helped lead Central to a 12-1 record and its first state title since 2005, Myers was part of a struggling South team that suddenly caught fire in the playoffs after a 1-7 regular season. Road victories in the first two rounds led to the Cougars’ first postseason showdown with their crosstown rivals since 2004.
“That was one of the craziest football games I’ve been a part of in my entire life, just from the fan bases to everything building up to it,” Delgado said of Central’s 49-24 victory after trailing 17-14 at halftime. “But as of right now, it’s really just trying to soak everything in, going to college, and we’re all going on to different opportunities.”
“Some people are playing ball, some people are doing other things, but we’re really all just trying to get to know each other, build some connections and embrace it.”
While Myers’ memories of the playoff game aren’t as fond as those of his rivals, he said it spoke to the mutual respect the teams shared amid all the hoopla.
“It was fun, but not fun at the same time,” said Myers, who did catch a touchdown pass in the game. “You want to win those types of games and you want to keep the Cinderella story going, but they’re a tough team and they won state, so it’s not much you can do about that.”
“You’ve got to eat it from time to time, but this is a part of the game, and it’s all respect. We all respect each other.”
Myers, a Class 5A all-state selection by KSHSAA Covered, caught 45 passes for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns in just nine games for South as a senior. He will play at Garden City Community College this fall.
“Jaxon’s been killing it,” Reves said of Myers’ early West camp practices.
Cooper Reves
Reves, a KSHSAA Covered Top 11 selection and first team 5A pick, knows a little about killing it. As a senior, he rushed for 2,814 yards and 32 touchdowns, including 243 with four scores in the Mustangs’ 51-34 state championship victory over Basehor-Linwood.
Reves also caught 28 passes for 256 yards and another touchdown to finish with 3,070 total yards for the season.
Reves is not the only KSHSAA Covered Top 11 pick representing Salina. Chambers, a 6-foot-1, 285-pound lineman, helped Southeast of Saline to a Class 2A runner-up finish, one game shy of a second straight state championship. While also starting on the offensive line, he had 85 tackles, including 17 for loss, for the 12-1 Trojans.
And then there’s Delgado, the heart of Central’s defense, a first team 5A all-state selection, who had 145 tackles, 21.5 for loss, a sack and an interception in the Mustangs’ championship run.
Among the Salina players, there are several unique connections.
Cooper Reves and Jesus Delgado: One last game together
Delgado, who has signed with Butler Community College in El Dorado, will play his final game alongside Reves, who is headed to Northern Iowa on a wrestling scholarship after winning two state titles at Central.
“Having that state championship, there’s not really much like it,” Reves said. “I feel like me and Jesus were leaders, and we kind of felt like we’d take that role on this year.”
“Just having someone like that next to you the whole way and being able to bring each other up and be there for each other has been great.”
Good memories, indeed, Delgado agreed.
“Early on, when we got (to camp), we were kind of chatting about what it’s going to be like in a different environment,” he said. “We’ve been looking back on old memories, videos and things like that with the guys.
Jesus Delgado and Jaxon Myers: Teammates for just one game
For Delgado and Myers, their history as rivals also represents the future. After teaming up in the Shrine Bowl, they are headed back to rival camps in the Jayhawk Conference.
“He’s like, ‘Some things just never change.’ But right now, for one week, we’ll just let it slide,” Delgado said with a smile. “What some of the guys are doing is putting some of the other team’s decals on their helmets. It might be the only time I agree to put some of the other guys’ decals on.”
Myers, for his part, isn’t too worried about future rivalries.
“It’s fun not having to go against them just because of how good they are and seeing how hard they work,” he said. “It’s a lot different, but it’s fun watching them play.”
Appreciating success at different levels
While South and Central were doing their thing, including the historic playoff clash, they were not too busy to appreciate what Chambers, all-state running back Grady Gebhardt and Southeast of Saline were accomplishing just 15 miles away near Gypsum.
“They’ve been successful, and I think Brody’s been a big part of that,” Reves said. “He’s a good dude and amazing athlete.”
Chambers has something else in common with Reves as a two-time state wrestling champion, and he played both football and baseball with Delgado growing up.
Like his South and Central counterparts, Chambers kept an eye on their postseason successes.
Brody Chambers
“It was definitely fun to watch Central’s run to the state championship and winning it,” said Chambers, who will continue his football career at Grand View University, a high-level NAIA school. “We kind of came up short, unfortunately, but it was really cool that we had two Salina teams I the state championship.”
“We didn’t watch any of the games because we were still focused on us, but I did see a whole bunch of Facebook stuff about (the South-Central playoff game), and we were excited for them. We root for each other since we’re not in the same division.”
Proud to represent Salina in Shrine Bowl
When the final whistle blows at the Shrine Bowl on Saturday, Delgado, Reves, Myers and Chambers all will go their separate ways.
But not before proudly representing their hometown.
“It’s awesome to say that we have four guys from Salina be on this team when there’s only 40 guys from around the state,” Reves said. “So, that’s 10% of the team just from Salina.
“It says we have the right people doing the right things, and I think that’s pretty special.”
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Colorado-based chicken restaurant Birdcall is expanding into Kansas.
The company announced Friday its plans to expand into Kansas and five other Midwestern states over the next five years. Birdcall plans to add six to eight fast-casual restaurants in Wichita and Topeka.
“The Midwest represents a tremendous opportunity for Birdcall,” CEO Mark Lohmann said. “From our award-winning chicken sandwiches and other handcrafted menu offerings to our commitment to innovation and community, we believe Birdcall offers an experience that resonates with today’s guests and is a natural fit for the region.”
Other locations announced are:
- Indiana – 10 to 15 restaurants across Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville and Fort Wayne
- Missouri – Up to 18 restaurants across St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City
- Nebraska – Seven to 10 restaurants across Omaha and Lincoln
- Ohio – Up to 20 restaurants across Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo
- Wisconsin – 10 to 15 restaurants across Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton
Birdcall’s menu features a variety of chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers and nuggets, salads, tater tots, fries, and more. The restaurant also makes its own in-house sauces and serves up draft beer and house-made margaritas, with happy hour specials.
The company said each restaurant will use self-service kiosks and occupy about 2,300 square feet, with indoor and outdoor seating that can serve up to 150 people.
Birdcall currently operates 17 restaurants across Colorado, Arizona and Texas.
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KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.
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A video shared by a viewer, shows a resident speaking at the Osawatomie, Kansas City Council meeting being escorted out by police on Thursday evening.
The video shows a man holding a “Hell No Alcove” sign, while commenting about a blighted property, which according to public records is owned by Pacific Apartments, LLC, operating out of the same address as Alcove Development in Lawrence, Kansas.
KSHB 41
Alcove Development is behind the effort to build a $1 billion, 283-acre data center development in Osawatomie’s northland property.
The video, shared by a viewer, goes on the show two law enforcement officers approaching the individual, who is Lee Brewer, at the podium, after he begins to yell, while the crowd joins in behind him. Lee Brewer reached out to KSHB 41 late Thursday night, identifying himself as the person who was escorted out.
Osawatomie, Kansas Police Chief Dave Stutteville is seen in the video also approaching the man.
Fabian Rosales/KSHB
KSHB 41 Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa reached out to the Police Chief, City Manager, and Mayor Nick Hampson for comment late on Thursday night and is waiting on a response.
Residents in contact with Gamboa attending the meeting shared the meeting was still in session after 9:30 p.m.
Thursday night’s meeting was the city and Alcove Development’s attempt at sharing potential benefits of a data center for the community.
Gamboa has long covered the data center project in Osawatomie, Kansas — and neighbors to the project have voiced their opposition to the proposed development.
Brian Luton/KSHB
This is the first time Alcove Development has approached the public, but not the first time it has worked with the city of Osawatomie.
In late 2025, Alcove Development approached the city with the project and weeks later, a pre-development agreement was signed giving Alcove exclusive rights to the development for three years.
But city council meeting records from 2023 show, the city of Osawatomie entered into a pre-development agreement with Alcove Development to redevelop a property known as Old Swenson School.
Alcove Development had six months to asses the condition of the property and determine a course of action for redevelopment, and the overall agreement would last 18 months, according to public records.
Will Shaw/KSHB
The pre-development agreements states, Alcove would consider asking for tax breaks on the project, including utilizing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.
At the time, the property had sat in disrepair since 2016, according to the records, and was frequently found in violation of city code.
If the re-development were to fall through, the city would be on the hook to purchase the property from the developer for $25,000, with unclear total costs for infrastructure improvements.
KSHB 41
KSHB 41 will follow up on the status on this project at a later date.
Earlier this week, Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa, sat down with Donna Ingram who doesn’t live far from the data center site.
Ingram expressed her concerns about the amount of infrastructure that would be built to operate a data center, and how it might overtake the land around her home.
Ryan Gamboa/KSHB
She expressed concerns because the City of Osawtomie changed the public comment guidelines of a promise town hall with the developer.
“Watching this process play out is disheartening,” Ingram said in an interview on Monday. “A town hall was promised that didn’t come to fruition… I don’t believe it’s the definition. This is a city council meeting. We’re the ones that are gonna live next to it. We’re the ones that live in the path of the infrastructure.”
The city told KSHB 41 on Monday in a statement, they changed the format to prioritize the voices of city taxpayers, as county taxpayers have dominated the public comment periods over the past couple of months.
Brian Luton/KSHB
Mayor Nick Hampson also told Gamboa in an earlier interview he was hoping to have a productive “town hall” — instead, the first meeting with the public and the developer of the project was during a formal and regularly scheduled city council meeting.
The city also required residents to submit questions ahead of time, and the city would filter questions to the developer, while limiting public comment to three minutes.
“We have been and will continue to hear from the residents that are in the county and closest to this project,” Hampson told KSHB 41 in an email on Monday.
Miami County, Kansas
Residents shared a record to KSHB 41, submitted to the city for a formal investigation into 1009 Pacific Avenue in Osawatomie, which is owned by a company operating out of Alcove Development’s address.
The dilapidated property is the a former school house, that sits with broken windows, and other parts of the building breaking down.
The Miami County Republic reporting on Thursday, the city launched an investigation into the building.
Ryan Gamboa/KSHB
Residents cite the buildings deteriorating condition and potential danger to the public, and lack of property maintenance.
Lee Brewer issued a comment regarding the incident at Thursday night’s meeting, stating he was escorted out after the Mayor closed public comment, and he was not on the list.
Brewer told KSHB 41, he has a time -stamped email of pre-submitted questions ahead of the meeting. KSHB 41 asked Brewer to review the email, and is waiting for an answer.
I am severely disappointed in our Mayor and the city council. They told us we were required to send in an email with our questions and our address to prove we were citizens of the town by Wednesday the 24th at noon. I have my email which is timestamped at 10:26 a.m. Wednesday the 24th. They shut me down and first told me I didn’t put the email in and then once I was kicked out of there I was told by people coming out that they were told I turned in my email too late. I’m not a math teacher but last time I looked at my clock 10:26 a.m. falls just over an hour and a half before noon. I mean correct me if I’m wrong. I thought because the mayor and I were having decent conversations on Facebook Messenger, whereas I would ask him questions and he would answer to the best of his ability. And I would thank him I thought we were pretty cordial. So to basically call me a liar in front of the entire town on video recording, take away my freedom of speech My first amendment right, and have me removed from a public building was completely wrong I am very disappointed in our city council and mayor. When I approached the podium all I was trying to do was point out that resolution number 1169 in Osawatomie Kansas refers to Alcove development LLC being the owner of the old Swenson School at 1009 Pacific. As I pointed out in these earlier messages to you Alcove has left this building dilapidated in ruins and a danger to our community. Our great city council and mayor seem to have other plans for me being able to speak though.
Lee Brew, via Facebook to KSHB 41 News
KSHB 41 reached out to Alcove Development late on Thursday night, and is waiting on a response.
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