Kansas
Kansas would benefit by returning to Trump-era funding of election infrastructure needs
President Joe Biden has so frequently claimed that the return of former President Donald Trump represents an existential threat to democracy that it has become practically his only argument for voters to return him to office.
But a closer examination of how each President actually supported our election system during their respective terms calls this argument into serious question.
During President Trump’s administration, Congress allocated anywhere from $380 million (in FY2018) to $425 million (in FY2020) to meet America’s election infrastructure needs through Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Election Security Grants. Fast forward to the Biden administration, and that level of commitment has dropped precipitously to just $75 million in fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
And this year, the most recent, last-minute budget bill passed by Congress included only $55 million for election security.
But President Biden hasn’t just woefully underfunded programs designed to strengthen the states’ election systems. He has also acted to subvert the entire election system. On March 7, 2021, President Joe Biden directed the agencies of his administration to use federal funds appropriated by Congress for the operation of their agencies to instead “promote voter registration and voter participation.”
And, of course, just coincidentally, that undue influence has been felt disproportionately among demographics that favor President Biden’s reelection in 2024.
The effects of this executive order have already been felt right here in Kansas.
According to left-wing nonprofit organization Vot-ER’s CEO Krista Postai, federal dollars funneled through her organization to FQHCs in southeast Kansas that were used to send 65,000 text messages to influence the 2022 Value Them Both amendment referendum. She proudly concluded in a webinar about their efforts, “As you can see, we had an impact.”
As a Kansas state representative, chair of the House Committee on Elections, and a professor of homeland security at Wichita State University, I have grave concerns about the safety and security challenges facing our dedicated election officials and poll workers.
Particularly in our many rural regions and communities, election offices are lacking some of the most basic resources they need, not only to prepare for and counter the security threats they face but to simply manage the election process efficiently and effectively.
I am even more concerned by President Joe Biden’s unconstitutional effort to divert funds appropriated by Congress to fund healthcare, food benefits and other social programs to put his thumb on the scale and influence the 2024 presidential election.
My concerns only grew last month when the bill we passed to try to stop this inappropriate activity in Kansas, House Bill 2618, was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Election security is national security. The US Department of Homeland Security designated America’s election infrastructure as “critical infrastructure” in 2017. If we expect our hardworking election officers and workers to do their jobs and keep our elections safe and secure, then we need to make sure they have all the tools and resources necessary to do so.
The paltry $55 million that Congress allocated for election security in fiscal 2024, approximately $1 million to each state, is not enough. The way to ensure our election system remains secure is to return to Trump-era funding levels, authorized through the people’s representatives in Congress, and stop the subversion of our electoral processes by an extra-constitutional misappropriation of funds designed to favor one party.
Pat Proctor, R-Leavenworth, was elected to the Kansas House in 2020, where he represents the 41st District as the chairman of the House Elections Committee.
One of the top prospects in the 2027 boys’ high school basketball recruiting class recently trimmed his list of suitors, and the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves firmly in the mix.
KU is one of eight schools to make the cut for 2027 five-star small forward Demarcus Henry, according to On3 National Basketball Reporter Joe Tipton. His list of eight includes some of the best programs in the country: Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, North Carolina, BYU, Arkansas, UConn, and Louisville.
The 6-foot-7 Charlotte, North Carolina, native is one of the best players in the 2027 class. He’s currently ranked as the No. 5 player overall and the No. 1 player at his position, according to the most recent On3.com 2027 player rankings.
As a junior this past year at Compass Prep High School in Chandler, Arizona, Henry averaged 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game as he helped lead his team to a 25-3 record.
He followed that up with an impressive performance at the NBPA Top 100 camp this summer, leading all attendees in scoring (20.0 points per game) and rebounding (9.3 rebounds per game). He was also a member of the 2026 USA Men’s U18 National Team that earned a silver medal at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup earlier this summer in León, Mexico.
When speaking about his game, Henry mentions his versatility and how he’s developed over the past year.
“I’m just very versatile,” Henry told Rivals in a previous interview. “I can play one through four and just help my teammates and hit shots and play defense. I watch a lot of KD (Kevin Durant) and Paul George. How they score it, and how they could shoot off the dribble, shoot off the catch. I’ve gotten tougher and just more aggressive when I transferred AZ Compass and just being able to get downhill, I feel like that’s really developed for me.”
When asked about what he’s looking for in a potential home at the college level, Henry says he wants to be challenged and grow his game for the NBA.
“What I’m looking for in school is someone that just pushes me to be better,” Henry said. “Help me grow into the person I know I can be and someone who will help me reach my potential. I want to play for a coach that will hold me accountable and help me make me uncomfortable and keep growing and keep getting better and just help me reach the NBA, which is my ultimate goal.”
Early Contenders
Right now the early favorite to land Henry may be the basketball program with the least amount of notoriety of the final eight schools – and that is Ohio State.
Henry has a lot of familial ties to the university as his older brother Chris Henry Jr. is a five-star incoming freshman wide receiver for the Buckeyes football team this year, and his older sister Seini Henry is a talented women’s basketball player at Ohio State.
He’s already taken an unofficial visit to the school and has also taken an unofficial visit to BYU. Thus far, they are the only schools to have received a visit.
Follow
The Royals have been linked to shortstop Jacob Lombard out of Gulliver Prep (Fla.) — if he makes it that far — left-hander Gio Rojas out of Stoneman Douglas (Fla.) HS, outfielder Eric Booth Jr. out of Oak Grove (Fla.) HS, UC Santa Barbara right-hander Jackson Flora and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, among others. Maybe they shake up the board and go with Huntington Beach (Calif.) HS left-hander/outfielder Jacob Grindlinger, who is just 17 years old after reclassifying for this year’s Draft and has legitimate upside as a two-way player. Grindlinger is No. 16 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 250 Draft prospects list and is rising on boards as Draft day nears.
Prep players usually mean a lot of upside but with more risk, while college players bring a higher floor and more experience — often with a chance to move quickly. Over the full Draft, the Royals are going to value both.
“There’s a good mix of high school and college,” Bridges said. “To tell you the truth, our range is pretty broad. There’s a clear-cut four players, five players in this Draft, and then believe it or not, where we’re picking, you can go a number of different directions. So we have a pretty good balance of what we’re looking at, both high school and college.”
The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at July 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from July 7 drawing
02-31-35-36-63, Mega Ball: 12
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from July 7 drawing
Midday: 4-2-9
Evening: 2-7-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning 2 By 2 numbers from July 7 drawing
Red Balls: 07-26, White Balls: 12-18
Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from July 7 drawing
27-43-48-49-50, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Kansas Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at select Kansas Lottery offices.
By mail, send a winner claim form and your signed lottery ticket to:
Kansas Lottery Headquarters
128 N Kansas Avenue
Topeka, KS 66603-3638
(785) 296-5700
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a claim form, and deliver the form along with your signed lottery ticket to Kansas Lottery headquarters. 128 N Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS 66603-3638, (785) 296-5700. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Kansas Lottery.
When are the Kansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3 Midday/Evening: 1:10 p.m. and 9:10 p.m. CT daily.
- 2 By 2: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Super Kansas Cash: 9:10 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Kansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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