Kansas
Engaging with Kansas politics might be complicated. But it's easier than this board game. • Kansas Reflector
With election season bearing down on us like an overzealous predator animal, I’d like to take a quick moment to focus on responsibility.
The chattering class, of which I’m a longtime member, likes to chatter about the responsibility of both politicians and the news media. Lawmakers and journalists should tell us the truth, but they owe us more than mere facts. They should, commenters emphasize, dedicate themselves to principles of representative democracy and civic virtue.
The ultimate responsibility, though, rests on the shoulders of a far larger group. I’m talking about voters. That’s right, the millions of men and women, young and old, Black and white and every color in between, who cast their ballots in primary and general elections. You all have a job to do as well.
A fair number of you have been falling short.
I know you all assume I’m writing about a certain New York real estate developer-turned-politician. He shadows a lot of these conversations. But let’s set him and his strongman act aside. Here in Kansas, voters have enabled a system that stymies exactly the policies that they tell pollsters they want.
They want an expanded Medicaid program. They want recreational marijuana — not even medical marijuana — legalized. They want schools fully funded and a sensible tax structure. Their responses remain consistent over the years, at least according to Fort Hays State University’s Kansas Speaks Poll. Yet these same voters have continued to elect supermajorities of hardcore conservative Republicans to the House and Senate who stand squarely against all of these proposals.
Voters have chosen this course.
What’s the matter?
None of this should come as a surprise. We’ve been doing this in Kansas for decades, and a particularly well-known book lays it all out. Yes, Thomas Frank’s “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” captured hearts and minds and attention two decades ago. Yet the elections keep coming, and the choices keep being made.
Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty pointed to Frank’s work in trying to explain why voters choose politicians who pursue policies contrary to their interests.
“A political party can be effective in making certain issues that might not affect a lot of people be prioritized over issues that these people might support and also may influence them directly,” Beatty wrote me in an email.
In other words, GOP candidates weaponize issues such as immigration, election security, crime and “critical race theory” — all non-factors in Kansas — to advance other goals.
But perhaps there’s a simpler explanation, according to the professor.
“Party identification is the greatest indicator of vote choice, still, in American elections, according to all data,” Beatty wrote. “Primaries in Kansas feature very low turnout, especially for legislative races, and the people who do turn out tend to be more conservative (sometimes much more conservative) than the general population. So, if a conservative Republican wins a primary, even if they’ve got a more moderate district overall, then party ID will kick in.”
Analysis from KFF shows that only 59% of eligible voters in Kansas actually cast ballots in the 2022 elections. That means 41% of those older than 18 who could potentially cast a ballot chose not to do so when Election Day rolled around.
Crunching data from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office and the Census Bureau shows that a substantial number of Kansans don’t even register. Roughly 2.25 million people in the state were above the age of 18 as of July 1, 2023. Only 1.95 million had registered to vote. That works out to about 300,000 going unregistered.
You can’t have a say if you don’t raise your voice.
Our priorities
Over the weekend, several friends and I played a gigantic strategic board game called Twilight Imperium.
In the game, you play one of several alien races battling for power and influence in the galaxy. Playing requires not only understanding two books’ worth of rules, but navigating plastic spaceships across a map assembled from hexagonal tiles. As gameplay progresses, you also draw dozens of cards with potential actions and ways to score points, both publicly and secretly.
Playing a full game of Twilight Imperium can take seven to eight hours, although that’s a best-case scenario if all players know the game well and can leap into action. Our particular game took 10 hours, spread across a Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Believe me, this does have to do with voting. Please bear with me.
Intensely complicated strategy board games may not be your idea of a good time. But many people become intensely involved in various hobbies. Folks of all ages play complex and absorbing video games, which transport them to other worlds while including dense screens full of statistics. A different group of enthusiasts play fantasy sports, in which building and adjusting your own team throughout a season can involve detailed research and even spreadsheets.
We don’t play Twilight Imperium or video games or fantasy football because these pursuits earn us a salary. We enjoy them. We blow off steam and spend time with friends. Yet you cannot ignore that doing so involves learning and manipulating reams of intricate data that have nothing to do with our day-to-day lives.
So why can’t we take a fraction of that absorption and critical thought and put it toward our shared civic conversation?
Why don’t voters step up to participating in their state and nation’s government with the same enthusiasm as they do toward drafting their fantasy team?
Once upon a time, perhaps when “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” came out, a certain ignorance of the internet or 24/7 news cycle could be excused. The world had changed quickly. Yet we’ve now lived more than three decades with the web, two decades with social media and 17 years with the iPhone. If you don’t understand the technology by now, that’s on you.
Multiple resources online separate fact from fiction. Reporters and news sources across the country, including Kansas Reflector, tackle this work every day. If you want to separate legitimate news from misinformation and disinformation, you can.
Each one of us has a responsibility to our state, country and shared future. Each one of us — including voters — should take that seriously.
Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Since losing Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller in the transfer portal, Bill Self has been tasked with rebuilding his frontcourt from the 2025-26 campaign. While he has landed former Utah forward Keanu Dawes to succeed Tiller at the four, the Jayhawks’ roster still lacks a true center to replace Louisville commit Bidunga.
One player KU had hoped to add was Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, who tormented the Jayhawks when the two schools met this past February. However, the chances of him committing to play in Lawrence appear to be dwindling by the day.
The Senegal native recently wrapped up a trip to St. John’s and is set to visit Ann Arbor on Monday to meet with the defending champions, Michigan.
Source: Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam will visit Michigan on Monday.
Recently visited St. John’s.
Averaged 12.8 PPG and 7.1 RPG last season.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 19, 2026
Kansas was initially supposed to be one of the top schools involved in Thiam’s recruitment, but that hasn’t necessarily been the case. The Jayhawks have been relatively quiet so far and haven’t gained much traction toward securing an official visit.
Not only is Michigan a recruiting powerhouse coming off a national title win under second-year head coach Dusty May, but it also boasts one of the largest NIL collectives in the NCAA. If the Wolverines are seriously pursuing Thiam, it likely means he will come at a hefty price tag.
KU is expected to increase the NIL budget this year to handle its roster deficiencies from the past few seasons. Regardless, the program must be strategic with its spending, especially with the decision of 2026 prospect Tyran Stokes still looming.
Who Are Kansas’ Alternatives to Moustapha Thiam?
If the Jayhawks are unable to land Thiam, there are a few alternatives on the open market. Those options may not carry the same hype as the 7-foot-2 phenom, who is ranked as the No. 3 center in 247 Sports’ transfer rankings, but they could still provide solid production nonetheless.
One name to watch is Anton Bonke, another towering big man who has spent time at Providence and most recently Charlotte. He visited KU’s campus earlier this week alongside Dawes and remains a viable option.
Another possible solution could come from within if Paul Mbiya decides to withdraw from the transfer portal and return to Kansas. The incoming sophomore flashed his potential during the postseason and is reportedly open to rejoining the program.
Finally, FC Barcelona center Sayon Keita is an international prospect who could make his college decision within the next month or two. He took an official visit to Kansas last July.
Whoever ultimately replaces Bidunga, Self will need to act quickly before the remaining top targets come off the board. Bringing back Mbiya and adding a transfer would be a strong start.
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. — In 2025 at Kansas Speedway, Kyle Larson set a significant record.
In 2026 at the 1.5-mile intermediate track, the driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet might simply settle for a win in Sunday’s AdventHealth 400.
In winning last year’s spring race at Kansas, Larson led 221 laps, most in NASCAR history for a driver in a 400-mile race on a 1.5-mile speedway.
That victory, however, was Larson’s last in the NASCAR Cup Series, though he did claim the 2025 series title by finishing third in the Championship 4 Race at Phoenix in November.
Statistics augur well for Larson as he tries to end his 32-race drought on Sunday. He has led 761 laps at Kansas Speedway since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021, more than double the total of any other driver. Denny Hamlin is second with 337.
His 1,842 laps led on 1.5-mile tracks in the Gen 7 era (since 2022 inclusive) more than double the total of the next driver on the list (Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron at 912).
Larson has led laps in 21 of the last 22 races on 1.5-mile speedways, including the last 10 in a row. If he leads 25 laps on Sunday at Kansas, he will surpass Kevin Harvick’s track-record of 949.
The two-time series champion is the only repeat winner in the last 11 races at Kansas, having won three times during that span, including the last two spring races.
His history considered, Larson has every reason to be confident at a track he thoroughly enjoys.
“Kansas is a lot of fun,” Larson said. “It’s really fast. You’re always trying to carry a lot of speed and momentum off the corners and run big arcs into the entry. There are two different ends of the racetrack, but I feel like you approach the corners in a similar way.
“In the race, you settle into a comfortable pace and balance and try to run as close to the wall as possible without hitting it. It’s a fun place. It can be challenging, but it’s good because you have options to move around.”
Chevrolet teams have been dealing with a new body style this season. Chase Elliott’s win at Martinsville is the car maker’s only trip to Victory Lane so far.
“I think we’re gaining on it,” Larson said. “I think the body stuff maybe is what we’re fighting right now. Entries (into the turns) seem to be pretty loose at most tracks, and then the window of balance is pretty narrow…
“I think we’re not bad on speed. I feel like we’re close to a win, but at the same time, I feel like we have a lot of work to do to get our cars better to where a win would be much easier.”
If a victory for Larson is realistic possibility, Kyle Busch might be satisfied with a top-10 run. On a miserable afternoon last Sunday at Bristol, Busch started 29th and finished 25th, two laps down, after tangling twice with the Toyota of Riley Herbst.
Busch’s winless streak reached 101 races at Thunder Valley, and Richard Childress Racing, the organization that fields Busch’s Chevrolets, has failed to score a top-10 finish in eight straight races for the first time since 1981. RCR is the only multicar team without a top-10 finish this year.
Ty Gibbs got his first Cup Series victory at Bristol last Sunday, but the odds are heavily against another first-time winner at Kansas. In 40 Cup races at the track, there has never been a first-time winner.
Toyota drivers have won six of the first eight Cup races this season, and they’re likely to be strong again at Kansas. Tyler Reddick could become the fourth driver in series history and the first since Dale Earnhardt in 1987 to win five of the first nine races in a season.
Both Reddick and 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace, who is making his 300th career start, are former winners at the 1.5-mile track. The 23XI organization has three victories at Kansas, most at any single venue.
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin boasts four Kansas victories, more than any other driver. He has finished in the top-five in seven of the last nine races there.
If a Toyota driver wins on Sunday, it will be the first time a single manufacturer has won seven of the first nine races in a season since Chevrolet accomplished the feat in 2007.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) – Three Kansas City-area school districts violated federal law according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department said to came to the conclusion after investigating claims for eight months.
The districts involved are:
- Olathe Public Schools
- Shawnee Mission Public Schools
- Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools
Topeka Public Schools was also found in violation of federal law.
The department said the investigation focuses on alleged Title IX violations and violations involving the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, or FERPA.
FERPA INVESTIGATION FINDINGS
The department said it opened the investigation in August after the Defense of Freedom Institute filed a complaint alleging the violations.
The investigation determined all four school districts have policies that likely prevent schools from notifying parents whether their children are using different pronouns, going by different names, or having different names printed on their diplomas.
The department of education said the policies violate parents’ rights under FERPA to access school records pertaining to their children.
TITLE IX INVESTIGATION FINDINGS
The Department’s Office for Civil Rights said it determined the Kansas City, Kansas, Public School District and Topeka Public Schools violated Title IX .
The investigation found the two districts have policies that allow male students to use female restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms, according to the department.
The findings went on to say the two districts have “single-sex athletics based on gender identity.”
In addition, the Office for Civil Rights reported that KCK schools denied investigators access to information during the inquiry.
The department also said its investigation determined that Olathe and Shawnee Mission School Districts violated Title IX with policies that allow students to use restrooms, locker rooms and changing rooms based on gender identity.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DEMANDS
To remedy the violations the districts must take action, according to the Department’s Offices of Civil Rights and Student Privacy Policy.
According to information from the department, those actions must include, but are not limited to:
- The Districts will no longer allow students to participate in athletics based on “gender identity,” rather basing participation on the student’s sex;
- The Districts will ensure that the use of bathrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and overnight accommodations is based on sex, not “gender identity;” and,
- The Districts will inform school personnel that “gender support plans” and other related documents having to do with a student’s so-called ‘gender transition’ will be made readily available and accessible to parents and guardians.
If any district involved cails to reach an agreement, the districts could lose federal funding, according to the Department of Education.
OLATHE RESPONDS
The Olathe School District responded to the notice Friday afternoon.
In a letter, the district said it has responded to all three issues involved in the investigation. It also points out that it has met with investigators over the claims for months.
The district says the claims, and investigators findings are not accurate.
“The three issues were not new to Olathe as the District was already in compliance with the law at the time of your 2025 letter. Olathe has confirmed that its staff were, and continue to be, in compliance with the law as they work with our students and families,” the district said in a letter.
Read the full letter to the Department of Education below:
KCTV5 asked Kansas City Kansas Public Schools and the Shawnee Mission School District for responses to the findings.
Their responses will be added to this article when they are received.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
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