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.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
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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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First responders have found the body of a 23-year-old man whose friends saw him struggling in the water as he was swimming in Clinton Lake this evening.
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The wetlands at Haskell Indian Nations University now have interpretive signage to help visitors learn about and engage in the history and significance of the lands.
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Much to his relief, Daniel Lassman’s yard, where he’s restoring native plants, was mowed by mistake rather than someone with ill intent. But other projects have been repeatedly destroyed by mystery mowers.
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Kansas
Kansas law revoked their right to drive and threatens their right to exist, transgender residents say
Some 1,700 Kansans had their driver’s licenses invalidated last month. It wasn’t for racking up speeding tickets or a DUI charge, but because they are transgender.
Kansas is one of five states to prohibit trans people from changing the gender marker on their licenses, but it is the first to pass a law that retroactively cancels licenses that were already changed. The law also invalidated birth certificates for those who updated their gender markers.
Hundreds of trans drivers already received letters from the state informing them their documents were “invalid immediately” and they “may be subject to additional penalties” if they continue to drive, unless they surrender the license to the Kansas Division of Vehicles and receive a new one with their birth sex.
“I’m pretty heartbroken,” said Jaelynn Abegg, a 41-year-old trans woman living in Wichita who received a letter. She said she will not turn in her license and plans to move this month to another state.
“It is a continuation of the message that the Legislature has been sending out for years now, and that is that transgender people are not welcome in Kansas,” she said.
Two anonymous trans residents sued Kansas last month, arguing that the law violates state protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality, due process and freedom of speech. On Tuesday, Douglas County District Judge James McCabria declined to grant a temporary restraining order against the law while the case proceeds.
McCabria wrote in his decision that there isn’t enough evidence to show that trans people will face harassment and discrimination if they have to use bathrooms or show IDs that conflict with their gender identities.
Kansas law was years in the making
Kansas had allowed trans people to update the gender markers on their IDs since 2007. Then in 2023, it changed its legal definition of sex to be male or female and assigned at birth.
Fifteen other states have made a similar change in the past few years — and President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring that there are only two unchangeable sexes. The State Department now prohibits trans people from changing the gender markers on their passports.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sued the state, arguing that allowing people to update their gender markers violated the 2023 law. Last year, the Kansas Supreme Court affirmed an appeals court decision and allowed gender marker changes to resume.
In January, Kobach backed the new bill he said would “correct an error” by the courts. The state Senate added a provision prohibiting trans people from using bathrooms that align with their gender identities in government-owned buildings. It was passed without public comment. The penalties for violating the provision can be $1,000 for individuals and up to $125,000 for government entities with more than one infraction.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill, saying the Legislature “should stay out of the business of telling Kansans how to go to the bathroom and instead stay focused on how to make life more affordable for Kansans.” Days later, the Republican-held state Legislature overrode her veto.
Kansas House Speaker Daniel Hawkins, a Republican, said in a statement at the time that the law’s purpose was to protect women. “This isn’t about scoring political points, but doing what’s right for women and girls across our communities,” he said, according to the Kansas Reflector. Hawkins did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment.
State Rep. Mark Schreiber, the only Republican to vote against the bill, told NBC News he agreed with the appeals court that Kobach could not show how allowing trans people to change the gender markers on their licenses caused harm to the state.
“I don’t have any trans folks in my family, but I know trans people,” he said, adding that they aren’t looking for special privileges and just want to live their lives. “And we seem to keep passing laws that keep getting in the way of that.”
Harper Seldin, one of the ACLU attorneys involved in the lawsuit, said during court arguments Friday that the Kansas Legislature singled out trans Kansans “for unique social stigma.”
“They were suddenly required, with no notice or opportunity to be heard, to present themselves to the DMV to obtain driver’s licenses that announced to everyone — the teller at the bank, the clerk at the hotel, the poll worker on election day — that they are transgender,” Seldin said.
Trans people have long reported facing more harassment and discrimination while using IDs that don’t align with their gender identity or expression, and many trans Kansans said they fear that their daily risk of facing such harassment would only increase as a result of the law.
‘There was no plan whatsoever’
Over the last five years, dozens of states have considered bills targeting transgender people, but the majority of those have targeted people’s ability to play on school sports teams that align with their gender identities and minors’ access to transition-related care. In the last few years, state and federal policies have shifted to focus on changing legal definitions of sex and restricting access to updated identity documents.
Logan Casey, director of policy research at the Movement Advancement Project, an LGBTQ think tank that tracks legislation, described these broader laws as “gender regulation laws” that attack the fundamental rights and identity of trans people.
“The point all along for the people pushing these bills and these attacks has been to single out transgender people and create a license to discriminate against transgender people and remove them from public life,” he said. “In effect, trying to get them to stop being transgender.”
Kansas’ law took effect immediately after it was published in the register Feb. 26. A spokesperson for the Kansas Department of Revenue told the Kansas Reflector that the law invalidated about 1,700 licenses. The department did not respond to a request for comment. During the court hearing Friday, Kobach said the department had so far sent letters to 275 Kansans and 138 had received new licenses.
Andrea Ellis, a 34-year-old trans woman living in Wellington, said she received a letter Wednesday even though she never changed the gender marker on her license — she only legally changed her name on it in December. She drove to the DMV the next day, where she said staff were confused about what to do and said her license had a “flag” on it.
They cut the corner off her license and gave her a temporary one. But later that day, they called her and said she had to return to the DMV because they made an error. When she went back, she said they gave her another temporary license that looked the same as the first.
“They claim that it was thought out, and everything else, but there was no grace period unlike any other kind of rollout program,” Ellis said. “There was no plan whatsoever.”
Some trans residents, like Matthew Neumann, said they still haven’t received any notification regarding their licenses. Neumann, who is the executive director of the LGBTQ Foundation of Kansas, said he’s been checking the validity of his license every day on the Kansas Department of Revenue website, and it’s still valid as of Friday.
Neumann said his organization has raised funds to help trans Kansans pay to update their licenses. Getting a license with an updated gender marker costs $8.75, while receiving a new ID is $26.
Neumann has lived in Larned, Kansas, for 20 years and said he will never leave. He said he’s been threatened over his restroom use, and he fears he could face more harassment under the new law.
“I’m just disappointed and frustrated,” he said. “I’m just hoping that maybe this is the wake up call we need,” he said.
KISMET, Kan. (KWCH) – Last month, wildfires in southern Kansas raged, destroying farmer Randall Thorp’s property, tools and 960 acres of land.
As he handles the massive cleanup project, he knows he is not alone.
“It’s about the greatest show of love I’ve ever seen,” Thorpe said. “I didn’t realize that I would have all this support in my greatest time of need.”
The two main contributors to Thorp’s optimism are the community around him and his faith.
“I’ve seen a lot of darkness that, because of my faith in Jesus, I can see the light in my heart,” Thorp said. “And that’s what keeps me going.”
Throughout the past few weeks, friends, family and neighbors have come to his property to help sort out and clean up the debris.
“I come out here and I’m by myself and I find it hard to do anything, but when a group of people all shows up and they’re wanting to work, then I’m ready to get to work with them, and they’re all ready to help me,” Thorp said.
Even with all the uncertainty following the fire, Thorp has been able to feed the 150 cattle he has, a number that is now growing since it is calving season. Friendly helpers are providing free hay for his animals to eat.
There’s a long way until things will be back to normal, but Thorp is determined to get there.
“You know, I can see some light at the end of the tunnel, but I’ve got to stay strong and keep it going and make it through,” Thorp said.
The powerful show of dependability from fellow Kansans is something he will never forget.
“I’ve been shown lots of love,” Thorp said.
You can still donate to Thorp’s GoFundMe here.
Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
Kansas City International Airport in Missouri was partly evacuated over a “threat” Sunday afternoon but has since resumed “normal operations,” officials said.
“The security incident at [Kansas City International Airport] is now clear and normal operations are resuming,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote on X.
“I want to thank law enforcement including the FBI for their timely response. The safety of our passengers, airport staff, and crew members is always our number one priority.”
Airport representative Jackson Overstreet told The Associated Press in an email that the threat was reported at 11:50 a.m. local time, at which point an entire terminal was evacuated.
He said planes that landed after the threat were being held on the taxiway until it could be fully investigated.
FBI rep Dixon Land said the bureau was “aware of the incident” and worked with “law enforcement officials to determine the credibility of a threat.”
Passenger Logan Hawley, 29, told the outlet he was getting ready to board a flight to Texas when he saw police and K-9 units swarming the terminal.
“Suddenly there was an airport worker saying ‘immediately evacuate,’ people got up fast and rushed out of there,” Hawley said.
Roughly 2,000 people were ushered out of the terminal and onto the tarmac, he said.
Photos and video from the airport circulating online show large groups of passengers being led onto the tarmac or funneling out of the terminal.
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