Dylan Lysen
Social Services and Criminal Justice Reporter, Kansas News ServiceAs the Kansas social services and criminal justice reporter, I want to inform our audience about how the state government wants to help its residents and keep their communities safe. Sometimes that means I follow developments in the Legislature and explain how lawmakers alter laws and services of the state government. Other times, it means questioning the effectiveness of state programs and law enforcement methods. And most importantly, it includes making sure the voices of everyday Kansans are heard. You can reach me at dlysen@kcur.org, 816-235-8027 or on Threads, @DylanLysen.
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Interest in Choose Topeka’s relocation incentive has spiked among first-generation Latino immigrants. Program officials say the city's established Spanish-speaking community is a big reason why.
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Burying existing overhead power lines in developed neighborhoods would cost billions of dollars. That cost would immediately show up on electricity bills.
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A bill in the Kansas Legislature that would cut millions from the state’s wildlife department comes after a lawmaker threatened to defund the state agency for considering deer-baiting restrictions.
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Excitement around Taylor Swift’s connection to the Chiefs is adding to what is already the biggest sports betting day of the year. But the state of Kansas, where sports gambling is legal, might end up with little tax revenue.
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Shelly Lamb argues in a federal lawsuit that coworkers and inmates at the Kansas Department of Corrections harassed her and the department violated her civil rights and committed sex discrimination because she is a transgender woman.
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Kyle Flack was sentenced to death in 2016 after he was convicted of killing three adults and a child. He had argued police violated his right to remain silent during interrogations.
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Gov. Laura Kelly’s likely doomed push for Medicaid expansion is aimed at setting the table before this fall’s election. But Republican leaders want to focus on other ideas, like cutting taxes.
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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said the state will listen to residents and lawmakers opposing the new design and try again.
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Nearly one-third of Kansas election officials have left since 2020 amid harassment and criticism fueled by unsubstantiated voting fraud claims. The continued scrutiny may cause additional stress in 2024.
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A new survey finds more than two-thirds of Kansans support legalizing recreational marijuana, but Republicans in the Kansas Senate keep blocking legislation to allow cannabis for even medical uses