Zane Irwin
Political Reporter, Kansas News ServicePolitical discussions might make you want to leave the room. But whether you’re tuned in or not, powerful people are making decisions that shape your everyday life, from access to health care to the price of a cup of coffee. As political reporter for the Kansas News Service and KCUR, I’ll illuminate how elections, policies and other political developments affect normal people in the Sunflower State.
You can reach me at zaneirwin@kcur.org.
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The Kansas News Service interviewed lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about their use of AI chatbots in the legislative process. There are no restrictions on lawmakers using ChatGPT, Claude and other services. -
The city commission voted to grant a permit allowing private corrections company CoreCivic to hold over 1,000 federal immigration detainees in a shuttered facility. -
A Douglas County District Court judge ruled that the law may be enforced during an ongoing lawsuit by transgender Kansans and the American Civil Liberties Union. -
Some transgender Kansans received letters urging them to request new IDs that conflict with their gender identity and presentation, because their current ones are "invalid immediately." It’s the result of a new law that also regulates which bathrooms transgender people are allowed to use. -
Tuesday’s meeting was one of the last chances for opponents and supporters of the proposed immigration detention center to testify. Leavenworth, Kansas, officials plan a vote to approve or deny a permit request in the coming weeks. -
Republican lawmakers will try to override the Democratic governor’s veto and put the ban into law. It penalizes individuals who use restrooms that don’t match the sex they were assigned at birth. -
After enthusiasm swelled behind the idea, the policy has hit several major bumps on its way to becoming law. -
A planning commission in Leavenworth recommended granting CoreCivic a permit to open a detention center, but with qualifications. The final decision will be left to the city’s commission. -
Government entities — including schools — could be held liable for allowing transgender Kansans to use bathrooms based on their gender identity. -
In ongoing debates over the NFL team’s planned move to Kansas, Republicans and Democrats are forming rare alliances on both sides of the issue.
