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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Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is about to begin her final year in office. She joined KCUR's Up To Date to talk about her policy priorities heading into the 2026 legislative session in Topeka, as well as the prospects for Democrats in next year's midterm elections. -
KBIA’s The Next Harvest podcast tells the stories of farmers in the Midwest using regenerative agriculture practices and high-tech tools to make their farms sustainable -- including agrivoltaics, drones, precision agriculture, and cover crops. -
In January, all access to hormone treatments and other gender-affirming care for transgender youth will end in Kansas. Some families have already moved to avoid the ban. -
The private prison company had previously argued it didn't need a permit to operate the now-idle prison as a detention center for immigration detainees. Now, CoreCivic says it will apply for the special use permit. -
Documents promoting AI deepfakes, money scams and pornography appear under the “ag.ks.gov” domain and dozens of others. The links are now inactive, but the source remains unknown. -
The families of two transgender teens are asking a state judge to temporarily block the ban on care. That would allow young Kansans to resume hormone therapies and other treatments. -
Kris Kobach, the Republican attorney general, says that several Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents have been trained to make arrests in collaboration with federal immigration authorities. He talked about the state's recent law enforcement initiatives, plus his clashes over legal authority with Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, in an interview with KCUR's Up To Date. -
Kansas Republican leaders couldn't rally enough support this fall for a special session on redistricting. It's just one example of lawmakers pushing back on a new round of partisan gerrymandering. -
The setback means passing new congressional maps will be difficult. However, the effort to make it harder for Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids to hold her seat will return next year. -
Republican state lawmakers want to break up Johnson County to help defeat the one Kansas Democrat in Congress. Local officials say the state’s wealthiest and most populous county has benefited from remaining in a single congressional district.
