Kansas government

In Kansas and nationally, debates over transgender rights and inclusion are playing out in faith communities. For Pastor Charles McKinzie, in Winfield, the duty to welcome gender-diverse congregants has a theological and personal basis.

Kansas lawmakers are considering a proposal that would allow Kansans who obtain raccoon ownership permits to keep the animals as pets.

Unlike in past years, Republicans currently have enough votes to override Gov. Laura Kelly's veto and ban gender-affirming health care for minors. But Democrats and the ACLU says it violates Kansans' constitutional rights.

The "Second Look Act" in the 2024 Kansas legislative session would resentence eligible inmates after a certain amount of time in prison. It doesn’t guarantee their release, just another look at the length of their sentence.

The GOP has tried and failed to pass a ban on puberty blockers and hormone treatments, as well as gender-affirming surgery, for children with gender dysphoria. But this year, Republicans have an even stronger majority in the Kansas Statehouse.

Medical marijuana is becoming a perennial debate in Topeka, and it’s annually unclear how likely it is for a bill to pass. The Kansas House has passed a plan before, but it's the Senate where the roadblock remains.

Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly shares what she'll focus on accomplishing over her last two years in office as she faces an even stronger GOP legislative supermajority. Plus political headlines from across the metro.

Missouri residents voted to legalize abortion, overturning one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the nation. They also voted to raise the minimum wage and send Josh Hawley back to the U.S. Senate. In Kansas, voters reelected Sharice Davids to the U.S. House. Plus, Kansas City and Johnson County voters made big decisions about their top law enforcement officials.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Missouri and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Kansas (although Johnson County opens an hour earlier!). With the U.S. presidential race at the top of the ticket, and a critical abortion rights amendment plus statewide and congressional races below, it's a stacked election. We break down the races on both sides of the state line.

Sedgwick County struggled with staffing levels, especially in public safety departments, after the pandemic. In response, the county poured millions of dollars into increased compensation.

New laws passed by the GOP-led Kansas Legislature will change rules for pornographic websites, overhaul civil asset forfeiture, and ban public universities from requiring diversity pledges.

Missouri House Majority Leader Jon Patterson called the Kansas legislation — which could provide hundreds of millions of dollars for new Chiefs and Royals stadiums — a "wakeup call. He anticipates that Missouri lawmakers will craft a response to keep the two teams.