Kansas
Kansas Legislature opens 2024 session amid tax policy salvo, dash of winter weather – Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — The House and Senate launched the 2024 legislative session Monday amid anticipated criticism of Gov. Laura Kelly’s attempt at bipartisanship on tax reform and substantial enthusiasm for a nonbinding resolution delving into Middle East foreign policy.
While the threat of six inches of snow by Tuesday led the Democratic governor to release early executive branch employees and close state office buildings in Shawnee County, both chambers passed the measure condemning Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Hours earlier, GOP lawmakers gave a chilly reception to Kelly’s comprehensive tax reform plan endorsed by Republicans, Democrats and an independent legislator.
House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said snowfall meant the House would convene Tuesday “proforma,” which meant members didn’t have to be present. He said one House committee, a panel devoted to water policy, would meet Tuesday. A collection of other committees were postponed. The Senate was expected to have a more robust committee schedule despite the storm.
Hawkins said the 2024 Legislature would engage during the next few months in rigorous debate on tax reform, especially a proposal to establish a single, flat individual income tax rate. He said lawmakers also would work to find solutions to the Kansas child care crisis. He didn’t expect the Legislature to dive deeply into private or home school vouchers, abortion restrictions or Medicaid expansion.
“Taxes, taxes, taxes — that’s my top priority in this session and that’s what I’m working towards,” Hawkins said.
What about abortion rights?
“I doubt it,” he said. “We are going to do some ‘life’ issues, but not abortion issues.”
The House and Senate convened at 2 p.m. Monday for what could be a 90-day session in an election year with the entire House and Senate up for grabs.
Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, said she would advocate on behalf of state funding to K-12 public education, including additional spending on special education programs.
“I want to see some improvement there and continue to protect our public schools,” Sykes said.
Sykes said she anticipated Republicans would soon introduce a bill creating a flat individual income tax rate in Kansas. In 2023, the GOP sought a 5.15% rate for all Kansans, but it was vetoed by the governor. Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, vowed to bring the flat tax back.
“I think it will probably come up fairly quickly, the flat tax and hopefully we are able to sustain a veto on that again,” Sykes said.
Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, said he would concentrate on advancing the $1 billion, three-year tax reform bill made public by the governor. It contained property, sales and income tax reforms.
“If this were my decision, this is the kind of tax cut I would make for every Kansan,” he said.
Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, said the opening of the Senate was a departure from the tradition of dealing primarily with ceremonial activities. The Hamas resolution altered that dynamic, he said.
“It’s quite an interesting way to start a session,” Haley said. “Normally, the opening day is an opportunity to rekindle our ties and to start our agenda, but it was the choice of leadership today to begin with a spirited discussion about an issue that is of national concern, but doesn’t really necessarily affect the state.”
Meanwhile, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee announced their intention to break the Republican supermajority in the House and Senate during the 2024 elections.
“It’s essential we elect Democrats to the Kansas Legislature to return veto power to Gov. Kelly as an important check on Republican power,” said Heather Williams, president of the national group. “The 2024 legislative session will put on sharp display how out of step Republicans are with Kansas families, as Democrats combat GOP attacks on fundamental rights like abortion access.”
Kelly is scheduled to deliver the annual State of the State speech at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to a joint session of the Legislature inside the House chamber.
Meanwhile, Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert will give the 2024 State of the Kansas Judiciary address to the Legislature at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday also in the House chamber.
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Dr. Robert Rowland, a University of Kansas Communication studies professor, said that the most successful presidents tend to be the best persuaders.
President Joseph R. Biden and Former President Donald J. Trump are trying to prove that point in the June 27th, 2024 Presidential Debates.
Biden and Trump have different rhetorical skills and styles, making this first presidential debate one to remember.
Dr. Rowland believes that Biden often speaks to a shared identity between all Americans, while Trump activates negative emotions, that resonate with his base.
Both candidates will need to answer public doubts over their perceptions.
“A lot of people are fearful about former President Trump and he needs to reassure them,” said Dr. Rowland. “His normal tendency is to attack, attack, and attack, and that risks activating the same kind of fear that led to President Biden being elected.”
Biden has a couple of issues he must address on the stage tonight. “President Biden needs to reassure people about the status of the economy, and that he gets it; that he knows that the inflation spike has been hard on people. He especially needs to reassure people about his vigor. That he has the mental acuity and the energy to serve another four years.”
The debate will be tonight at 7 pm. CST. You can view it on our station at that time.
Copyright 2024 WIBW. All rights reserved.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, police released the name of a teenager found shot to death June 24 in the parking lot of a church at Bannister and Raytown roads.
Tytus Bridgeford, 16, was found about 9:30 a.m.
Police asked for the public’s help to identify the victim and were able to get that information released Thursday.
No motive is known for the homicide and no arrests have been made.
This is the 72nd homicide of the year in KCMO.
There had been 97 homicides in KCMO at this time last yearl
—
If you have any information about a crime, you may contact your local police department directly. But if you want or need to remain anonymous, you should contact the Greater Kansas City Crime Stoppers Tips Hotline by calling 816-474-TIPS (8477), submitting the tip online or through the free mobile app at P3Tips.com. Depending on your tip, Crime Stoppers could offer you a cash reward.
Annual homicide details and data for the Kansas City area are available through the KSHB 41 News Homicide Tracker, which was launched in 2015. Read the KSHB 41 News Mug Shot Policy.
Strike a pose and snap a photo at Topeka’s most Instagrammable location.
An organization recently named the Topeka Zoo the eighth most Instagrammable place in Kansas.
Top 10 most Instagrammable places in Kansas
Bonus Finder, a media company based in Denmark, checked the social media hashtags of more than 2,700 landmarks across the United States.
These were found to be the most popular Kansas sites, according to the hashtags.
- No. 1: Flint Hills has the most popular Kansas hashtag with 75,888 posts.
- No. 2: Kansas Speedway has 22,275 posts under its hashtag.
- No. 3: Allen Fieldhouse has 13,353 hash tagged posts.
- No. 4: The Sedgwick County Zoo hashtag has 13,327 posts.
- No. 5: Grinter Sunflower Farms has 10,795 hashtagged posts.
- No. 6: INTRUST Bank Arena has 7,323 posts.
- No. 7: Monuments Rocks Natural Landmark has 7,111 posts hashtagged.
- No. 8: Topeka Zoo had 5,865 hashtagged posts.
- No. 9: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve has 5,116 hashtagged posts.
- No. 10: The Wichita Gardens have 3,371 posts hashtagged.
Topeka Zoo employees and other reaction to the ranking
The Topeka Zoo has nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram. The zoo also has a TikTok account with more than 35,000 followers and 1.3 million likes. On Facebook, the zoo has more than 55,000 followers and more than 44,000 likes.
“That’s very exciting,” guest engagement supervisor Brea Schmidt said. “I’m very happy to hear that. We definitely work hard every day to make sure we are sharing what we think guests want to see. So, to hear we were found eighth most Instagrammable is pretty exciting.”
Jen Goetz, creative and strategy director for the zoo, said the magic is in finding balance between what people want to see and following the zoo’s mission of conservation and education.
When asked what other Topeka sites they would have liked to see on the list, Schmidt and Goetz gave a shout-out to their neighbor, the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center.
“I’m not surprised our incredible, growing Topeka Zoo made the list! From special displays like Zoo Lights to the furry faces that greet you, the Topeka Zoo is a must-visit attraction here,” president of Visit Topeka Sean Dixon said in a written statement. “The zoo is located in our beautiful Gage Park, which is where you’ll find more photogenic fun like the carousel and mini train.”
Here are some more Instagrammable sites in Topeka
Dixon said while the list didn’t include them, there are plenty of Instagrammable places across the city.
“And there are several other Instagrammable spots across Topeka that would have made our list,” Dixon said. “Don’t miss the rainbow-painted Equality House, the stunning Kansas Capitol, NOTO and its many murals, the Governor’s Mansion trails, and more.
“There is no shortage of photo ops when you know where to look.”
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