Kansas

Opinion: This idea could bring middle back to Kansas politics and temper extremes

Published

1 year ago

November 3, 2024

Opinion: This idea could bring middle back to Kansas politics and temper extremes

Don Hineman
| Special to The Capital-Journal

I can’t wait until Election Day is behind us. Politics has gotten so nasty. Whichever party you support, we’ve forgotten that the people on the other side are Americans, too.

Democrats are not an “enemy” worse than our actual adversaries overseas. And Republicans are not “fascists” if they simply disagree with Democrats about the issues. This level of hostility is not the Kansas way.

I’ve been a Republican my entire life and I don’t plan on changing. But let’s face it. The reason things have gotten so polarized is because of the two-party system itself. Instead of listening to the public, both major parties have become captive, to varying degrees, to their worst extremes.

We weren’t so badly divided a generation ago. But with the rise of talk-radio and then the internet, it’s become easy to become popular and make money simply by stoking more and more political rage among society’s different silos. And in a system with only two parties, both are incentivized to keep fighting each other.

But history and experience teach us that America has only progressed when both parties have worked through their differences on hard issues, gotten to reasonable compromises and passed bipartisan legislation with broad public support. And that doesn’t happen much anymore thanks to our hyper-polarized two-party system. The center has been abandoned.

What we desperately need is a way to give people in the middle — moderates who understand that working together to solve problems is more important than bludgeoning your enemies — a bigger voice in the process.

That’s why I am so intrigued by the new United Kansas Party, which was started earlier this year by a group of moderate Republicans, Democrats and independents. Even more interesting to me is its effort to revive fusion voting. The basic idea is simple. With fusion, two or more parties can each nominate the same candidate. Each party gets its own line but in effect they “fuse” their support.

If the candidate welcomes each party’s nomination, voters can support the candidate on the ballot line of the party that best reflects their values.

If you’re a centrist Republican like me, and the United Kansas Party cross-nominates a Republican candidate, you could vote for that candidate on the United Kansas line. If that candidate gets, say, 10% of the vote on that line, you can bet they’re going to pay more attention to what United Kansas stands for: values like moderation, problem-solving, and respect for the rule of law.

It would work the same way on the opposite side. If Republicans nominate someone really extreme and the Democrats back someone more moderate, United Kansas could endorse the more moderate choice, and someone like me could vote for them on that line, rather than having to back them as a Democrat.

With fusion, people in the abandoned center could really improve things. Fusion makes it possible for smaller parties to form and maintain their identities distinct from the major parties, without forcing them to be spoilers. (In our two-party system, third-party candidates very rarely win, but do often inadvertently help to elect the least preferred candidates.) It also has the merit of strengthening our constitutional rights to free speech and free association.

Since achieving legal party status, United Kansas has nominated candidates from both major parties. Not surprisingly, there has been resistance from entities which have sought to preserve laws passed more than a century ago that took away fusion voting. The party intends to continue pursuing their right to freely associate with the candidates of their choice. As legal challenges take shape, let’s hope the Kansas courts recognize this important right.

With fusion voting, we’d probably end up with a multiparty system with the two major parties buttressed by a couple of additional fusion parties. We’d have more competition, and voters would have more choices. The major parties would become more responsive to the will of the people.

Most importantly, we’d break the spiral that the two-party system has caught us in, which is making this fall election so ugly. And that would be good for all of us.

Don Hineman served 12 years in the Kansas House, including two as majority leader, before retiring in 2020. He is the chairman of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund.

Source link

Click to comment

Kansas

3 hospitalized in Kansas City after Sunday morning house fire

Published

11 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

3 hospitalized in Kansas City after Sunday morning house fire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three people were taken to the hospital after a house fire in Kansas City, Missouri on Sunday morning.

The Kansas City Fire Department was called to the 3300 block of Askew around 10:37 a.m., when crews reported smoke on the second floor of a two-story house.

All residents in the house were able to evacuate the home on their own. The fire was quickly brought under control and contained to a single room.

KCFD transported all three residents to the hospital. Their condition is currently unknown.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by KCFD.

Source link

Kansas

Kansas Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 winning numbers for Dec. 20, 2025

Published

23 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

The Kansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 20, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

04-05-28-52-69, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Midday: 2-0-6

Evening: 3-9-2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning 2 By 2 numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

Red Balls: 13-26, White Balls: 08-21

Check 2 By 2 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

08-21-30-41-47, Lucky Ball: 15

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

09-12-34-45-50, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Super Kansas Cash numbers from Dec. 20 drawing

07-08-17-20-32, Cash Ball: 19

Check Super Kansas Cash 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.

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.

Source link

Kansas

Kansas museums see overall boost despite national attendance decline

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Kansas museums see overall boost despite national attendance decline

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Museums across the United States are struggling with declining attendance since the COVID-19 pandemic, but Kansas institutions are bucking the national trend strong visitor numbers.

A recent survey by the American Alliance of Museums asked more than 500 museums nationwide and found traffic remains down since the pandemic began in 2020.

Kansas museum reports record attendance

The Kansas Aviation Museum experienced its highest attendance year ever in 2024, according to Ben Sauceda, president and CEO of the museum.

“2024 was our highest record attendance year ever as a museum, and so we’re seeing a lot of momentum around that,” Sauceda said.

Sauceda credited state programs for boosting museum visits across Kansas.

“Things like the Sunflower Summer Program that Kansas offers. That has been a huge boost to attendance in museums across our state,” he said.

The Gathering Place also reported increased traffic since the pandemic, according to museum officials.

Adam Smith, president and CEO of Exploration Place, said Kansas museums have remained stable.

“I think in general, Kansas is, you know, we’ve seen, we’ve been pretty solid, actually,” Smith said.

Financial challenges persist nationally

The national study shows one-third of museums reported loss of federal grants and contracts impacted them this year.

Museum leaders said institutions must adapt to succeed in the current environment.

“Even as museums, we are still businesses that have to operate in a manner of innovation and creativity. And so again, I think the ones that are finding success right now are the ones that are learning and finding ways to innovate and change and meet the demands of the market where they’re at right now,” Sauceda said.

Smith emphasized the importance of family engagement.

“And so finding ways in which families like to spend time together while creating unique learning or exposure opportunities is how you have to move forward,” he said.

Museums like the Kansas Aviation Museum continue advocating at the state level for renewal of the Sunflower Summer Program for the 2026-2027 season.

Source link