
Dylan Lysen
Political Reporter, Kansas News ServiceAs a Kansas political reporter, I want to inform our audience about statewide government and elected officials so they can make educated decisions at the ballot box.
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 those lawmakers and candidates for office about those changes and what they plan for the future of the state. And most importantly, it includes making sure the voices of everyday Kansans are heard.
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The state entered an agreement with Integra Technologies to provide $300 million of incentives for the company to build the plant and create 2,000 new jobs in Wichita. But the deal still hinges on federal funding.
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Kansas Republicans are considering the removal of a three-day grace period for returning ballots by mail and creating runoff elections for statewide races. Democrats and voter turnout advocates say they are voter suppression efforts.
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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly laid out her Kansas spending priorities in a budget plan presented to the Republican-led Legislature Thursday.
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Gov. Laura Kelly said during her inauguration address that Kansas politicians should work together for good policy. But her agenda likely faces strong opposition from Republican lawmakers.
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Kansas has more than $2 billion in budget surplus. The Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly may use the 2023 session to spar over how that money can be used through tax cuts and government spending, among other political issues.
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Despite Democrats flipping three Kansas House seats in Johnson County — the state’s most populated area — Republican strength in rural communities remains as strong as ever. That gives rural lawmakers more say in important budget and policy-making discussions.
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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly wants to accelerate the phaseout of the state’s food sales tax. That could have the greatest impact on people with low incomes. But Republican lawmakers may not feel the need to do it.
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The workers are on site in Washington County to survey and clean the Keystone pipeline oil spill that moved about three miles downstream in Mill Creek.
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The civil rights group argues the Kansas Supreme Court incorrectly interpreted federal law when it ruled race wasn’t a factor in the map drawn by the Republican-dominated Kansas Legislature.
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The proposed amendment failed by less than 10,000 votes in the initial ballot count. It would have allowed the Kansas Legislature to take away some policy-making capabilities from the governor's administration.