Kansas
‘Somehow exploitable’: Election security debate returns to Kansas Statehouse – Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Russian hackers, George Soros and the Chinese. In the few days since the 2024 Kansas legislative session started, debate about election security has already resumed and a heap of election bills are up for discussion.
Republican legislators are once again pushing concerns about advanced ballots, drop boxes and voter registration, despite zero evidence that widespread election fraud happens in the state or national levels.
During a Thursday meeting of the House Committee on Elections, Vice Chair Rep. Paul Waggoner, R-Hutchinson, said anyone with “any sensibility” would realize the issue is nonpartisan.
“If you have security flaws in your voter machine that are somehow exploitable, you don’t know if it’s going to be George Soros exploiting it or some Russian hacker or the Chinese or any other sort of ideological persuasion,” Waggoner said. “You have to realize that hacking is a fairly nondenominational profession.”
Breaking party lines, two other committee Republicans cautioned against one-sided hearings and claims of election hacking. Rep. Leah Howell, R-Derby, and Rep. Kenneth Collins, R-Mulberry, referenced September 2023 hearings held by the Special Committee on Elections.
“We have a pretty good system here,” Collins said. “The county people, they’re doing their best, and I don’t think there’s any widespread hacking or anything going on.”
During the September hearings, Chairman Republican Sen. Mike Thompson had outside groups testify about voter conspiracy theories to justify further extreme election regulations.
One group claimed Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly reached a “secret agreement” to send voter registration forms to people who receive state services. The program informs people of opportunities to register to vote and stems from federal voting rights law.
The hearings sparked outrage from voter rights groups as well as a letter from Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who told committee members that Kansas elections continue to be safe and secure.
“All of us should take seriously the security and accuracy of our elections,” Howell said Thursday. “But I also think that we should be careful to be very discerning. … Some of the things that I noticed that they said could not be accurate and were not consistent.”
Some of the ideas talked about in September are reflected in newly introduced legislation. Thompson sponsored a bill about advance ballots Thursday in the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
Senate Bill 343 bans county election officials from sending out advance voting ballot applications to voters unless the application has already been requested by the voter.
Thompson, who chairs the committee, said the bill was needed because an election official in Johnson County had sent out many unrequested advance ballot applications. He said $75,000 worth of ballots had been printed in what was an “unnecessary expenditure.”
He also introduced a bill requiring more voter identity verification for advanced voting. The bill would require that a voter identity verification form be attached with advance ballots.
“We already have to give our DL number; not sure why more would be needed,” tweeted Rep. Stephanie Clayton, D-Overland Park. “Assuming under this bill we would have to sign mail ballots in our own blood.”
In the release of his 2024 legislative agenda, Schwab himself emphasized election security.
The secretary of state has worked to modernize and improve election laws with lawmakers ahead of the election cycle to “provide voters transparency, security, and accountability in the state’s election system,” the release read.
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – As cases climb in the nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Sedgwick County provided clarity on the “explosive” diarrheal illness’s impact at the state and local levels.
Data from KDHE shows 22 cases in Kansas. Further localizing cyclosporiasis cases, there are five confirmed cases in Sedgwick County. The county clarified that all five local cases are Sedgwick County residents.
Regarding whether any of the local cases resulted in hospitalization, Sedgwick County said that for privacy reasons it couldn’t provide that information, “due to the small number of cases.”
While questions continue surrounding the outbreak, Health experts announced on Tuesday that lettuce and other salad greens are a potential source.
To protect yourself from cyclosporiasis and bacterial illnesses connected with produce, Sedgwick County offered the following guidance:
- Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly under running water before eating, cutting, or preparing them.
- Scrub firm fruits and vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers, with a clean produce brush.
- Cut away any damaged or bruised areas on fruits and vegetables before preparing and eating.
- Avoid bagged lettuce or salad mixes. When eating a whole head of lettuce, remove the first two or three layers of leaves and thoroughly wash the inner leaves under running water. Separate the leaves as you wash them.
- Heating food to 158 degrees or higher kills the parasite.
- Practice good hand hygiene by washing hands with soap and water before preparing or eating food and after using the bathroom or changing diapers.
- Travelers to cyclosporiasis-endemic areas should follow food and water precautions, including avoiding foods and beverages that may be contaminated.
- Be aware that Cyclospora is unlikely to be killed by routine chemical disinfection or sanitizing methods.
- If you develop symptoms of cyclosporiasis, especially persistent watery diarrhea, contact a healthcare provider for evaluation and treatment recommendations.
Copyright 2026 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email news@kwch.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – One creator has written an anthem for Kansas City to reflect the metro’s historic summer for years to come.
An Omaha-based Afrobeat artist, Kusher Snazzy, released a World Cup song, ‘KC to the World,’ celebrating the tournament’s culture and diversity.
The song features soccer players and dancers representing multiple nations that played in the World Cup, including Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Italy. It was filmed locally in multiple locations, including a metro studio and rooftop.
READ MORE: Kansas City eyes 2031 Women’s World Cup bid after hosting FIFA tournament
Kusher Snazzy’s goal with the song was to depict the once-in-a-lifetime summer. His passion for soccer and the Midwest inspired the lyrics.
“We don’t know when FIFA is going to choose KC again,” said Kusher.
Joseph Termini is the mastermind behind the project. He took a vision and made it come to life. As a Kansas City native, he knew the importance of showcasing his city positively through a music video.
“Kansas City has been under the radar, and I feel like this is the first time we’re being put on a pedestal, and that pedestal is allowing other people to realize that this is more than just a small-town city,” said Termini.
Listeners can find the hit song on YouTube.
ALSO READ: Heart structure may stay in Kansas City after Fan Festival ends
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The pilot of a crop duster aircraft appears to have survived without serious injury after a crash on Monday in northeast Kansas.
The Jackson County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office was called around 12:30 p.m. Monday on a crash involving a crop duster aircraft south of Kansas Highway 9 near Whiting, Kansas, or about 80 miles northwest of Kansas City.
Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse said that after the crash, the pilot was able to exit the aircraft before it caught fire. The pilot walked to a nearby farmhouse for help.
Several area fire departments responded to the location to extinguish the fire.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
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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.
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