Samuel Brownback
This Friday, May 28, 2021 photo shows a sign directing visitors to a meditation room through double doors to a hallway in the basement of the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The room once was located on the second floor, but Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly moved it to the basement to create more space for her staff, and the room's location has become a point of dispute between her and Republican lawmakers. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Plan would return Kansas Statehouse prayer room to 1st spot

By John Hanna May. 29, 2021 03:04 PM EDT

Editorial Roundup: Kansas

By The Associated Press May. 18, 2021 12:46 PM EDT
Kansas City Star. May 14, 2021. Editorial: GOP blames Kelly for delays getting Kansans the unemployment checks they want to end ...

FILE - Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks to reporters during a news conference, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday, March 17, 2021 that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as they use their own funds to do so. Kelly, who vetoed two GOP tax-cutting bills in 2019, welcomed the restrictions on using federal pandemic aid to offset state tax cuts. She said Kansas is still “digging out” from several years of budget shortfalls that followed a tax-cutting experiment in 2012-13 under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas expects federal policy to cost it $360M over 3 years

By John Hanna Apr. 01, 2021 06:31 PM EDT

In this photo from Wednesday, March 31, 2021, Kansas state Sen. Rob Olson, right, R-Olathe, confers with Senate Vice President Rick Wilborn, left, R-McPherson, during the chamber's session at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Olson is chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, which has handled legislation aimed at modernizing the state's unemployment system. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
GOP legislators disagree over Kansas unemployment upgrades

By John Hanna Apr. 01, 2021 02:32 PM EDT

FILE - Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks to reporters during a news conference, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Responding to concerns from state officials, the U.S. Treasury Department said Wednesday, March 17, 2021 that states can cut taxes without penalty under a new federal pandemic relief law — so long as they use their own funds to do so. Kelly, who vetoed two GOP tax-cutting bills in 2019, welcomed the restrictions on using federal pandemic aid to offset state tax cuts. She said Kansas is still “digging out” from several years of budget shortfalls that followed a tax-cutting experiment in 2012-13 under Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Treasury says state tax cuts OK if separated from virus aid

By David A. Lieb Mar. 17, 2021 05:02 PM EDT

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks to reporters, Monday, Feb. 22, 2021, during a Statehouse news conference in Topeka, Kan. The Republican-controlled Legislature is pursuing multiple proposals to curb the Democratic governor's power. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
GOP Kansas attorney general launches campaign for governor

By John Hanna Mar. 09, 2021 08:30 AM EST

In this Dec. 20, 2018 file photo, then-Gov. Jeff Colyer answers questions during an Associated Press interview in his Statehouse office in Topeka, Kan. Colyer, who lost his 2018 Republican primary race, has signaled that he's planning to run for governor again in 2022 by appointing a campaign treasurer, a step required by law to raise money. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Ex-Kansas Gov. Colyer signals he'll make 2022 governor bid

By John Hanna Mar. 05, 2021 01:18 PM EST

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly answers questions during a news conference, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The Democratic governor is facing increasingly vocal criticism from the Republican-controlled Legislature over problems at the state Department of Labor, that include a flood of fraudulent claims for unemployment benefits. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas lawmakers hope for number on unemployment fraud cost

By John Hanna Feb. 22, 2021 04:32 PM EST

GOP plan to curb jobless aid during pandemic sparks backlash

By John Hanna Feb. 19, 2021 01:40 PM EST
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators and a powerful business group are pushing a proposal to make it harder for unemployed Kansas workers to get extended...

Kansas Senate Commerce Committee Chair Rob Olson, R-Olathe, makes a point during a hearing on a bill that would make changes in the state's unemployment system, Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The bill would set up a council to monitor upgrades of the state Department of Labor's unemployment system, and Olson is even suggesting removing control of the agency from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas lawmakers seek more control on unemployment upgrades

By John Hanna Feb. 17, 2021 11:38 AM EST

Editorial Roundup: Kansas

By The Associated Press Feb. 09, 2021 10:00 AM EST
Lawrence Journal-World. February 6, 2021. Editorial: It is the wrong time to spend $600K on an assistant football coach at KU ...

Gene Suellentrop, R-Wichita, was elected majority leader to the senate Monday, Dec. 7, 2020, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. (Evert Nelson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP)
GOP lawmakers narrow bill for cutting Kansas income taxes

By John Hanna Feb. 03, 2021 01:52 PM EST

This computer screen capture from Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's page on Facebook shows her giving the annual State of the State address, Tuesday, Kan., Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Topeka, Kan. Kelly says that given the recent mob violence in Washington, the state's leaders must "must commit ourselves to set an example" of working together. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Governor: Kansas officials must 'set example' after DC riot

By John Hanna Jan. 12, 2021 08:00 PM EST

Davids, Adkins trade shots in debate for Kansas House seat

By Heather Hollingsworth Oct. 26, 2020 08:07 PM EDT
MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids and Republican challenger Amanda Adkins on Monday sought to portray each other as too extreme to...

This photo from Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020, shows the new meditation room on the basement floor of the Kansas Statehouse. Former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback created a meditation room in 2012 on the building's second floor, but Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly moved it to create more space for her staff so that they could social distance during the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas Capitol meditation room moved to create staff space

By John Hanna Sep. 28, 2020 09:21 AM EDT

Recent Kansas editorials

Jun. 30, 2020 11:37 AM EDT
The Manhattan Mercury, June 28 K-State’s football team is on strike, and the university administration is in an extremely difficult spot,...

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly answers questions from reporters following a meeting with legislative leaders about budget issues, Friday, June 26, 2020, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The Democratic governor is locked in a partisan dispute with the Republican-controlled Legislature over her plan to close a projected shortfall tied to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
Kansas governor, GOP scrap again over COVID-19 budget plan

By John Hanna Jun. 26, 2020 03:07 PM EDT

In this photo from Wednesday, May 6, 2020, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly answers questions about the coronavirus pandemic during a news conference at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Kelly's top Republican critic in the Legislature has launched a new effort to curb the governor's power during emergencies. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
GOP critic moves to curb Kansas governor's emergency power

By John Hanna May. 07, 2020 06:00 PM EDT

Jump in claims spurs Kansas to ask people to limit filings

Apr. 16, 2020 03:43 PM EDT
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is asking jobless workers to limit when they file claims for unemployment benefits and has temporarily suspended a website function...

In this April 1, 2020, photo work continues at the TCF Center to build temporary hospital rooms in the convention center in Detroit. In the decade before Michigan and its largest city became the latest hotspot for the deadly coronavirus, officials were steadily cutting back on their first line of defense against pandemics and other health emergencies. Approaching bankruptcy, Detroit disbanded most of its public health department and handed its responsibilities to a private nonprofit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
In years before outbreak, investment in public health fell

By Sara Burnett Apr. 05, 2020 07:39 AM EDT