So much going on across the state on Wednesday, it’s time to catch you up on what you may have missed but need to know from a hot news day.
Data mess & KanCare
A new legislative audit explains that state data is so bad that it’s almost impossible to know for sure whether KanCare is working effectively. 
In short the audit concludes: “A lack of reliable Medicaid data limited our ability to fully conclude on KanCare’s effect on Medicaid costs and service use, and entirely prevented an analysis of its effect on health outcomes. Several factors appear to contribute to this problem.
“Those include inconsistencies in how Medicaid data is coded and reported, the large and complex amount of Medicaid data maintained, and challenges related to retaining employees with both a thorough understanding of how Medicaid works and how to appropriately summarize Medicaid data.”
Here’s a story from the Kansas City Star and a link to the audit as well.
Department of Revenue layoffs
Some very good reporting from Tim Carpenter at the Topeka Capital-Journal about the layoffs at the Department of Revenue after the agency decided to outsource development and operation of a new tax management computer system. As an aside, the company that got the state contract also was blamed for the technical problems that hampered the start of Obamacare in 2013. Here’s the coverage.
Congressional race gets even more crowded
As if the race for the GOP nomination for the 2nd Congressional District wasn’t already competitive enough. On Wednesday, former Kansas House Speaker Doug Mays joined the race with primary election day just three months away.
Mays joins a GOP field that includes state Sens. Caryn Tyson and Steve Fitzgerald, state Rep. Kevin Jones, Army veteran and outdoor adventurist Steve Watkins, Tyler Tannahill and Basehor City Councilman Vernon Fields.
So far, Republicans have been struggling to raise money as Democrat Paul Davis, the former House minority leader, has raised more than a $1 million. Fitzgerald and Tyson have raised the most so far, but have had to put considerable sums of money into their own campaigns.
The six candidates – not counting Mays – have already personally lent their campaigns $600,000 combined. But the national Republicans are expected to help in the general election. They have booked about $1.25 million in ad time in the district already Here’s the coverage of Mays’ announcement from The AP and the Cap-Journal.
Kansas selected for national drone program
Maybe the most underreported story of the day (and I share some blame, too). The Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday selected the Kansas transportation department as one of 10 agencies to study commercial use of drones. Drone testing in Kansas will focus on search and rescue of stranded motorists, explore infrastructure inspection and remote safety assessment applications for transportation nationwide. 
Kansas was one 10 city and state applicants chosen for the testing out of a field 149 applicants. The goal of the study is to find safe ways to integrate drones into the national airspace. Here’s the FAA announcement and the announcement from KDOT.
Here’s a sampling of the national coverage of the program and what it means for the commercial use of drones going forward. Potentially, it’s kind of a big deal. Thorough coverage from the San Diego Union-Tribune, Bloomberg, National Public Radio, and Reuters and the Washington Post. All worth a read.
Out-of-state candidates
Well, we have a guy from Queens who’s already come to Kansas and plopped down $2,200 to run for governor of Kansas. He was in town Tuesday to announce his candidacy and no one – with the exception of some media – paid any attention.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt, meanwhile, has gone to court seeking a declaratory judgement to prevent out-of-state candidates from running for Kansas governor.
While no specific law bans someone from out-of-state for running for governor, Schmidt believes that several laws enacted over the years indicate that it’s the Legislature’s intent for gubernatorial candidates to be residents of the state.
A judge has set a hearing date on the case for May 21 and hopes to rule by the June 1 filing deadline for candidates. Here’s a story from The AP.
