Good evening/morning everyone:
Call this the early edition of the Sunflower Sunday Reader, just like the good old days of newspapering when the Sunday edition of the paper came out early on Saturday night.
Yeah, we’re that dated.
Hope everyone is having a great Memorial Day weekend.
We are moving this out early because we are leaving for North Carolina on Sunday morning to visit Dad, who we haven’t seen in more than a year since the pandemic hit.
Dad is excited. But it will be heartfelt trip. Dad is getting up there in age, and who knows how many times we will get to see each other again.
Returning home will not be easy.
We will be doing some work from our North Carolina office, but it will be limited.
The Sunday Reader will be taking next week off (unless for some reason we find a need to do an abridged version). Thanks for your indulgence.
Everyone have a great weekend and do your best next week not to make news.
Now onto the significant stories we published last week and other news you may have missed but need to know…
- Abortions in Kansas climbed to their highest level last year since 1999.
- Former state Senate candidate Stacey Knoell is now going to lead the state African American Affairs Commission.
- Rep. Mark Samsel is accused of kicking a Wellsville High School student in the crotch.
- Former Kansas House candidate Terry Frederick is planning to run again in House District 48 after narrowly losing last year.
- Pedestrian fatalities more than doubled in Kansas last year, climbing to their highest mark in the last 16 years.
- Federal wildlife regulators are proposing to list the lesser prairie chicken as threatened in Kansas, setting off complaints that it would harm the state’s economy.
- Senate Republicans elected a new majority leader.
- Democratic state Rep. Elizabeth Bishop of Wichita is leaving the Legislature.
- A new school finance bill expands a school choice program, but the group that sued over education finance warned about future plans for any voucher-like plan.
- Legislative leaders agreed to extend the governor’s emergency COVID-19 declaration until June 15 but revoked an executive order prohibiting evictions and foreclosures.
Seven months from COVID-19 immunity?
Bloomberg’s vaccine tracker shows that Kansas might not reach a point where it’s close to herd immunity from COVID-19 until the end of the year.
At its current pace, Kansas is not projected to cover 75% of its population for another seven months, the data shows.
As of Friday, state data shows that about 42% of the population has now received at least one dose of the vaccine and 35% of the population is fully vaccinated.
Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious-disease expert, has said that vaccinating 75% to 85% of the U.S. population would enable a return to a more normal social environment.
The state is now averaging about 8,500 doses a day, down from about 30,000 on April 8, according to Bloomberg’s data.
State Health Secretary Lee Norman addressed the issue last week in an appearance on a broadcast of the University of Kansas Health System’s daily COVID-19 briefing.
Norman said it wasn’t a matter of reaching the 65 and older demographic. He said that 80% to 90% of that age bracket is already vaccinated.
He said the vaccines need to get into the arms of a younger generation, ranging anywhere from 20 to 55 years of age.
“When we get to that population, it will go up quickly,” Norman said.
The vaccination rates among young adults in Kansas are the lowest in the state.
For instance, the rate for vaccinations in the 18-to-24 bracket is 329 per 1,000 people, state data shows. The rate for 25- to 34-year-olds is 381 per 1,000.
By comparison, the rate is more than double for the 65 to 74 age group, which is about 808 per 1,000 people.
Norman said mass vaccinations have now given way to vaccinating Kansans in small groups or even one or two at a time.
“The mass vaccination clinics…are not carrying the day anymore,” he said.
“We’re going out to the communities,” he said.
“We’re going down to fishing holes, behind dams,” Norman said. “We’re going into tough-to-reach communities and just having to be happy with 50 to 75 vaccinations at a time instead of a 1,000 a day.
“At this rate, it’s going to take a long time,” he said.
The state has already mounted a vigorous ad campaign promoting vaccinations.
The state spent about $980,000 on the Roll Up Your Sleeves campaign that Gov. Laura Kelly announced in March.
It was not known whether that money came from state general funds, COVID-19 relief dollars or some other pot of money.
That campaign is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
The state, meanwhile, has started working with a national vendor to assist in the development of marketing materials geared toward vaccine-hesitant populations.
The contracts are still being finalized, a spokeswoman said.
Meanwhile, Norman suggested the possibility of some type of prize incentive to encourage vaccinations.
“We are working with the lottery commission to put together a lottery that will be, I think, the right size for the state of Kansas and serve as a real stimulus. It appears to be working in Ohio.”
Ohio just announced a seried of drawings for $1 million that are open to anyone 18 years and older who received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Anyone from 12 to 17 who has been vaccinated can enter the drawing for a full-ride scholarship to any of Ohio’s state colleges and universities, including full tuition, room and board.
The first $1 million winner was just announced last week.
Other states such as New York, Oregon, Maryland and California are offering similar lotteries.
In Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway is offering people16 and older who choose to be tested and vaccinated the chance to their car or truck on the 2.66-mile track.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association is partnering with Gov. Ned Lamont to launch where participating Connecticut restaurants will offer complimentary drinks to vaccinated patrons beginning May 19.
And Illinois is giving out 50,000 free Six Flags tickets to anyone who has been vaccinated through a partnership with Six Flags Great America payment.
Here’s a complete state by state breakdown of incentives from the National Governors Association.
Meditation room settlement
Our good friend John Hanna from The AP got to this before we could, but he takes a look at a proposal to settle the dispute over the Capitol meditation room.
Hanna’s story describes how Senate President Ty Masterson proposed moving the room back to its original local on the second floor of the Capitol through a series of room swaps in the building.
The meditation room had originally been on the Capitol’s second floor since former Gov. Sam Brownback agreed to allow it to be part of the governor’s office suite.
But a budget proviso that kept the room in that location expired and Gov. Laura Kelly’s staff moved it to an out-of-the way location on the Capitol’s ground floor.
The governor’s office moved constituent services staff into the old meditation room in its place.
The move angered some members of the Republican caucus who said they weren’t given ample notice about relocating the room.
Here’s our look at the entire Capitol drama highlighted by the governor’s line-item veto of language in the budget that would have put the room back on the 2nd floor.
Motocycle fatals highest in years
New state data shows that motorcycle fatalities in Kansas jumped about 63% in 2020, mirroring a national trend.
The state reported that there were 65 motorcycle crash fatalities in 2020, up from 40 the year before and the highest since at least 2018.
It was the highest number of motorcyles deaths since at least 2010, state data shows.
The state has averaged about 47 motorcycle deaths a year from 2010 to 2019.
In 2018, there were 61 motorcycle fatalities in Kansas; in 2017, there were 55.
The preliminary data compiled by the state highway department reflects what’s happening in other states.
Texas recently reported a 17% jump in motorcycle fatalities in 2020, New York saw a 30% increase in deadly motorcycle crashes and Wisconsin reported a 36.6% increase in motorcycle fatalities.
Candidate fined
The state ethics commission last week fined abortion rights opponent Mark Gietzen for campaign finance violations stemming from his campaign for Wichita mayor in 2019.
The ethics commission fined Gietzen $5,000 for filing late campaign finance reports in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He could have been fined as much as $15,000.
He also owed the state another $600 for previous campaign violations when he ran for the state Senate and the Wichita City Council. He owed $300 for each race.
“My apologies for it happening,” Gietzen said. “I am not proud of it. I’m embarrassed by it. I feel terrible.”
Gietzen finished fifth in a nine-person field in the 2019 primary for Wichita mayor with 5.8% of the vote.
Gietzen also had a history of accumulating fines. He had been hit with $2,860 in fines since 2008, including $1,500 in 2020 and 2021.
Gietzen, chairman of the Kansas Coalition for Life, was charged most recently with three counts of campaign finance violations that each carried with it a $5,000 fine.
The commission ordered Gietzen to pay a total of $5,600, with the possibility that it could be increased to $7,500 if it’s not paid within 60 days.
Gietzen, who also has led the Kansas Republican Assembly, blamed the late filings on computer problems, an excuse ethics commission members greeted skeptically.
He asked the commission not to levy any fine against him. He said there wasn’t any information hidden from the public that it needed for making a decision at the polls.
“The public was not affected in any way by any of this,” he said.
The commission disagreed.
“With all due respect to Mr. Gietzen, I am not comfortable in any way, shape or form with his walk-away proposal,” Ethics Commissioner Todd Scharnhorst said.
“We need to take violations seriously when there is a 100% agreement there is a violation of Kansas law, we need to take that seriously.
“In my view, we don’t and should not let people walk, regardless of the circumstances.”
He added, “I also don’t think the computer explanation, as detailed as it might have been, is sufficient justification for failing to follow up and heed the numerous notices he received from the commission to take care of these outstanding obligations.”
Stem cell debate
Kansans for Life doesn’t lose much at the Kansas Capitol.
But it came up short last week when lawmakers decided against overriding the governor’s veto of $500,000 for clinical trials using stem cells to treat COVID-19 at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
The trials would have been done at KU’s Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center, which was created by the Legislature in 2013.
Kansans for Life rallied to save the money in the state budget, urging lawmakers to override the governor’s line-item veto of funding for the clinical trials.
KFL supports adult stem cell medical research and opposes embryonic stem cell research methods.
The group said KU researchers have been working with adult stem cells derived from umbilical cords and are ready to test a therapy in a small clinical trial for patients with severe cases of COVID-19.
“The funding vetoed by the governor would have enabled at least 10 patients to participate in the trial, which could offer a critical advancement opportunity in the race to address complications for those with severe COVID-19 responses,” KFL said in an email that went out before the last day of the legislative session.
“If successful, this small investment could also promote Kansas medical researchers to a lead position in this emerging field.”
Kelly vetoed the money, pointing to a 2018 article from the Journal of the American Medical Association that found the median cost of a clinical trial is $19 million, with half of the trial cost estimates ranging from $12 million to $33 million.
“Given those realities and the proven effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments that are now widely available, we should focus our efforts on increasing the number of Kansans who are vaccinated so that we can prevent infections, severe illnesses, and deaths,” Kelly said in vetoing the provision.
The Senate decided against moving ahead with trying to override the veto, blaming the governor for creating confusion about the funding.
Senate President Ty Masterson issued a joint statement with Shawnee Republican Sen. Mike Thompson explaining the decison not to attempt a veto override.
Masterson and Thompson said the article cited by the governor also indicated that a less expensive trial could be done in the range of $40,000 a patient.
“Due to confusion created by the governor’s misleading veto message, we elected to further educate members of the Legislature in the off-session about the importance of funding these important trials to fast forward a potential treatment of severe cases of COVID-19,” they said in their statement.
“It is unfortunate the governor decided to use her veto pen to undermine this research, but the Senate is committed to securing this funding.”
At one point, former Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer, who is running to reclaim the governor’s mansion, got involved in the dispute with the governor’s office.
Colyer accused Kelly of “stifling” medical innovation in Kansas “by weakening our investment in medical research.”
“This move limits the strength of Kansas health systems and sends the wrong signal to the national research community,” he said.
Davids’ interested in Virginia governor’s race
Democratic Congresswoman Sharice Davids is raising money to help Jennifer Carroll Foy, who is running for governor in Virginia.
Carroll Foy, one of the first women to graduate from the Virginia Military Institute, is running to be the first woman elected governor of Virginia and the first Black woman to be governor nationwide.
Carroll Foy is among five Democrats running for the seat, including former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, Delegate Lee J. Carter and state Sen. Jennifer McClellan.
“All across our country, women are breaking barriers and defying the odds to serve as leaders of their communities,” Davids said in an email.
“Now, it’s time for Virginia to do the same in electing a smart, powerful woman of color as their next governor, and I think Jennifer Carroll Foy is the right candidate to do just that,” Davids said.
“I’m supporting Jennifer Carroll Foy for Virginia because she is the right person to bring necessary progress to Virginia, and it’s about time we elect America’s first Black woman governor.”
New school PAC
A familiar name to Kansas political insiders surfaced last week when it was revealed that a new national political action committee has been formed to back school board candidates who oppose public schools teaching critical race theory.
The PAC — called the 1776 Project — also will support school board candidates who oppose teaching anything about the 1619 Project, a New York Times project detailing the history of slavery and the role it played in shaping the country, Axios reported.
The brains behind the 1776 PAC is Ryan Girdusky, who if you recall also chaired the Free Forever PAC that played a big role in the 2020 U.S. Senate race.
Girdusky chaired the Free Forever PAC, which spent about $2 million trying to get Kobach elected to the U.S. Senate last year.
The PAC’s largest contributor was PayPal founder Peter Thiel, who funneled about $2 million into the Kansas Senate race.
Girdusky told Axios that he’s now focused on school board races in North Carolina and Florida and will build out from there.
Axios previously reported that conservative groups are becoming increasingly involved in local school board races, whether it’s Patriots for Delaware endorsing pro-school-reopening candidates or Pennsylvania parents starting a PAC to support school board candidates running to keep kids in the classroom.
Transgender sports litigation
Civil liberties advocates have brought what appears to be the second lawsuit challenging a West Virginia state law that restricts transgender girls and women from participating in sports for female athletes.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of an 11-year-old transgender girl who wanted to compete in cross country in middle school.
The lawsuit names the state Board of Education, the Harrison County Board of Education as well as the state and county education superintendents.
Here’s the complaint if you want to read further.
A lawsuit blocked a similar law in Idaho, and the case was recently heard by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Last month, a federal judge in Connecticut dismissed a lawsuit that tried to keep transgender athletes from participating in high school sports for girls.
The judge tossed the lawsuit on technical grounds because the litigation focused on two transgender athletes who already had graduated and the plaintiffs could not identify any other female transgender athletes.
The Connecticut litigation was brought by the families of three high school runners who argued that allowing transgender females to compete cost them track titles and scholarship opportunities.
Kansas House weighs in on Israel
Before the Legislature wrapped up its business for this year, the Kansas House voiced support for Israel and condemned Hamas.
The resolution was supported by Republican state Rep. Chris Croft of Overland Park, who is now considering a run for Congress.
“Israel continues to thrive despite continued acts of antisemitism worldwide, including a tragic event in Overland Park in 2014,” the resolution said.
The resolution alluded to an antisemite’s murder of three people at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City and Village Shalom, a Jewish retirement community.
“Israel endeavors to work toward peace with Palestinians and ensure security for Israel’s people, neighbors and citizens of the world,” it stated.
“The people of Kansas share a connection with the people of Israel and view Israel as a trusted ally,” it said.
Here’s The AP’s account of the House debate on the resolution, which the news service said would be sent to Israeli government officials in the United States.
The resolution passed 83-27.
Unemployment votes
Last week, the Kansas Legislature passed a resolution urging Gov. Laura Kelly to end the state’s participation in federal supplemental unemployment benefits.
It was the latest effort by Republicans to get the governor to end those supplemental benefits for Kansans, saying they are discouraging people from returning to work.
They blame the benefits on employers’ inability to hire workers after the pandemic, an issue that others argue is more a result of low wages, a lack of child care assistance and a fear of returning to work when the pandemic is not over.
Kelly has already agreed to meet with a group of businesses to discuss ways to help them recover from the pandemic.
Meanwhile, here’s the vote on last week’s resoution, which passed 27-11 in the Senate and 79-38 in the Senate.
Dole Sunday morning appearance
Kansas political legend Bob Dole sits down with “CBS Sunday Morning” and talks about his stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis.
“I’m doing very well,” Dole tells correspondent Rita Braver. “But, I have to keep in mind, I’m also going to be 98 in July. So, I’m getting to be a senior citizen.”
Dole and his wife, Elizabeth, are expected to discuss their relationship, his military career and their life together Sunday morning.
Here’s a preview of the show, which typically airs at 8 a.m. in the Kansas City area.
Colyer ad
Can never be too early for political ads. Here’s a digital ad from Republican Jeff Colyer’s campaign for governor.
