Good morning everyone:
The news picked up again last week with a couple of close primary races decided and a major decision by the Kansas Human Rights Commission to hear discrimination cases against the LGBTQ community following a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that found federal civil rights law protected someone from being fired because of their sexual orientation. There also seems to be an indication that Aaron Coleman might be having second thoughts about following through on his House race. Here’s a look at the most significant stories that we published.
- U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran revealed he’s starting a state PAC.
- What happened to the moderate GOP class of 2016?
- The state Human Rights Commission decided to protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations.
- Democratic interests funded a PAC that ran ads against Congressman Roger Marshall in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.
- Gov. Laura Kelly issued a new executive order placing limits on evictions and mortgage foreclosures.
- House Democrats are building up their campaign fund to amounts not seen since the 1990s as they head to the general election.
- Aaron Coleman eeked out a win over state Rep. Stan Frownfelter in the primary for House District 37. Frownfelter is now mounting a write-in campaign. He could become the second incumbent in Kansas history to lose a primary campaign and then win the race as a write-in candidate. On Sunday, he withdrew from the race.
- Former state Rep. Virgil Peck narrowly edged state Sen. Dan Goddard in the GOP primary for Senate District 15. There is no Democrat on the ballot.
- Popular Olathe Mayor Mike Copeland passed away last week at 58.
Gambling on Kenny Rogers
Democratic state Sen. Tom Holland is wasting little time taking the offensive in his reelection bid to the state Senate with a country music twist.
Holland has been running radio ads against his challenger, state Rep. Willie Dove, that you might appreciate (or might not) if you happen to be a Kenny Rogers fan.
Holland borrows loosely from Rogers’ 1969 hit (with his band The First Edition) “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.”
The ad against Dove? “Willie, don’t take your gun to town.”
The ad makes fun of Dove for leaving a loaded gun in 2017 under a table in a statehouse committee room where it was found by a secretary.
“This Election Day, vote for me, the responsible gun owner, state Sen. Tom Holland, and let’s send Willie Dove packing,” the ad says.
The ad ends with a parody of that indelible line from the Rogers song:
“Willllllieeeeeee, don’t take your gun to town.”
“What can you say?” Dove said when asked about the ad.
“People make mistakes. I made a mistake. And that was it,” he said.
Holland struck a more serious tone in a second ad that criticizes Dove for taking a trip at Tyson Foods’ expense to visit a plant in Tennessee.
The trip came at a time when there was a public uproar over Tyson Foods’ plans to move a plant to Tonganoxie in 2017. The plan was ultimately scrapped.
The ad touts Holland standing up against the chicken processing plant while accusing Dove of flip-flopping on the issue.
Dove said he took the trip to get more of an understanding about what Tyson was proposing for Kansas.
“He didn’t want to listen to what was going on, and that was it,” Dove said of Holland.
“I didn’t want to come out and say anything about Tyson until I had the facts.”
Dove told Kansas News Service in 2018 that he saw the project as a potential economic boon for the community and didn’t want to rule it out until learning more.
The KNS story recounts how Dove ran into political opposition two years ago because it was perceived he supported the plant.
“There is nothing that says that I was promoting it,” Dove said in an interview.
“I think a legislator’s job is to do what’s necessary to get the information, and that was that,” he said. “I didn’t come out and say, ‘I think we should do it.’
“Because (Tyson) wouldn’t come out and give me the data that I had asked for, I couldn’t promote that,” he said.
We Build the Wall — the Florida angle
Former Secretary of State Kris Kobach endured another bad news week after several organizers of We Build the Wall, including former presidential adviser Steve Bannon, were indicted for fraud.
Kobach has often touted his work for We Build the Wall as a director and the group’s general counsel. Kobach wasn’t talking last week after the indictments were handed down, but there have been some key stories since that are worth reading.
A very interesting — and perhaps overlooked — report out of Florida shows the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service continues to investigate We Build the Wall but has now brought in federal authorities.
The story from the Northwest Florida Daily News is significant because it reveals details about where the complaints about We Build the Wall are originating.
The newspaper says the Florida investigation stemmed from at least three consumer complaints that originated outside the state, including one from an assistant attorney general in Minnesota who had concerns about the fundraising effort for the wall project.
The newspaper ties Kobach to the case, pointing to complaints brought by Common Cause that accuse his Senate campaign of campaign finance violations in connection with a fundraising email he sent to a list maintained by We Build the Wall.
Common Cause filed complaints with the Federal Election Commission and the U.S. Justice Department, charging the email violated multiple campaign finance laws.
Meanwhile, CNN is reporting that Kobach claimed that President Donald Trump was supportive of the border wall project. Here’s another account of that story from The Hill newspaper.
Coleman lashes out at Democats
Aaron Coleman put his foot on the gas last week after winning the Democratic nomination for the Kansas House, although he’s been repudiated by his own party after acknowledging allegations of online bullying, blackmail and revenge porn.
He gave interviews to The New York Times, the Times of Israel and to The Intercept, a left-leaning national online publication that generally covers national security, digital privacy, politics and civil liberties.
In the interview with The Intercept, he discusses the difficulties of growing up in a household where one of his parents suffered from a “severe mental illness” and how he was locked in a closet when he was in elementary school.
Coleman said the fact that he has acknowledged and apologized for how he treated girls in middle school should be a lesson to other teenage boys.
He told The Intercept that he’s changed. He used the opportunity to ask for donations to reach his fundraising goal of $7,500.
“Even though I was 12 years old, I have to take responsibility now for what I did because it’s so horrendous,” he said.
“These girls, now women, are going to have to live with what I did, and I am going to have to live with what I did for the rest of my life,” he said.
“Coming out now and not only admitting to what I’ve done but apologizing for what I’ve done, I think that will show other teenage boys — who are 12 and 13 — if they hear my story hopefully that will show them not to do what I’ve done,” he said.
Coleman also took aim at state Democrats and Rep. Stan Frownfelter, the lawmaker he beat by 14 votes and who is now running a write-in campaign in the general election.
“The fact that the establishment is running him again, just shows a really clear disconnect and disrespect for the voters,” Coleman said.
“This is not about the Democrats wanting to take me out. This is about the Democrats supporting their friend,” he said. “If they were so concerned about the seat, they would run somebody without his baggage.”
Later in the interview, Coleman added in this criticism of the state Democrats.
“They don’t care about victims. The Democratic Party creates victims,” he said. “All they care about is the money and their power.”
Here’s the full interview.
Coleman post script
Is Aaron Coleman thinking about withdrawing from the House race? Yes, apparently.
Early Sunday about 1 a.m., Coleman seemed to be lamenting about getting into the race with a couple of tweets that indicated he might be having a change of heart.
Thirteen hours later Coleman was out.
“In all seriousness, feminism hasn’t got a chance so long as Donatism remains on the march,” Coleman tweeted Sunday morning.
“The progressive circular firing squad has done more to uphold the status quo than conservatives could have ever dreamed of. I will be releasing a press release in the morning.”
In a second tweet, Coleman expressed regret for his past actions, saying he hoped to “continually learn from them as I grow into the person I hope to be.
“My dad is in the hospital and I never expected this kind of attention. It’s too much. I need to focus on taking care of my family & surviving the COVID great depresssion.”
By Sunday afternoon, Coleman announced he was withdrawing.
Some tweets in response were supportive, others not so much.
“You have to do what you think you should, of course, but wish you’d stay. Am a long time feminist, and I know people change, everyone knows this,” wrote one on Twitter. “Please take care, keep growing we need you – you’re still so very young.”
Others disagreed.
“You need professional help,” tweeted someone else. “The earlier and sooner you get it, the least damage you will do to your own life and those of others.”
At this point, Coleman can only withdraw his name from the ballot under strict circumstances such as severe medical hardship or if he moves out of state.
Marshall, Bollier clash over post office vote
Congressman Roger Marshall on Saturday voted against a bill providing $25 billion to the U.S. Postal Service, calling the legislation a “piece of trash.”
It was a vote that was immediately criticized by Democratic rival Barbara Bollier as “partisan politics.”
The bill passed the House on a 257-150 vote.
Marshall said the idea that the post office is in financial trouble is a “hoax” promoted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi trying to “frame” the president.
“The post office is OK. They have enough funding to get by for at least a year,” Marshall said in a Facebook video, adding it was a “political circus.”
“The post office is fine. They need improvement, absolutely. They’ve got to come into the 21st century eventually. The elections are good to go.”
Marshall said the post office can “easily” handle the influx of mail-in ballots that are expected because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This is all a manufactured hoax,” Marshall said. “This is Chapter 19, the same book. Let’s see what we can do to wreak havoc and confuse America, but America is going to figure this out.”
Bollier issued a statement Saturday afternoon as soon as Marshall signaled how he would vote on the bill.
“For so many Kansans, including veterans and people living in rural areas, the United States Postal Service is an essential service and a link to family, friends, and commerce,” Bollier said in a statement.
“The USPS deserves our support during this public health crisis and I’m disappointed that my opponent will be voting against a bipartisan bill to provide emergency funding for the Postal Service.
“Once again, he has put partisan politics before the needs of Kansas families.”
Ballot drop boxes
The Kansas secretary of state’s office is asking counties across Kansas if they want collection boxes for voters to drop off their ballots.
The Associated Press reports that the secretary of state is willing to pay for up to two drop-off ballot boxes in each county for voters who don’t want to send their ballots by mail or are apprehensive about voting in person because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The state would pay for the boxes from the coronavirus relief money it received from the federal government.
Sports bar prevails in COVID-19 related case
The city of Emporia last week dropped a case against a sports bar that it contended had violated a county health order because it wouldn’t close during the pandemic.
The Emporia Gazette reported that the bar was cited in late May when Lyon County was under “modified Phase 2” of Gov. Laura Kelly’s statewide reopening plan.
The city cited the bar because it was not a bar and grill.
Lawyers for the business challenged the citation because it violated the bar’s right to due process and because the city ordinance was unconstitutionally vague.
Here’s some more coverage from WIBW and KVOE radio.
Kansas unemployment
The state’s unemployment rate slid for the third straight month, although it is still more than double what it was a year ago.
Kansas’ unemployment rate for July came it at 7.2%, down from 7.5% in June and 10% in May. Last year, the state’s unemployment rate in July was 3.1%.
The state’s unemployment rate reached its highest point in more than 40 years in April, when it climbed to nearly 12% after businesses closed down as the state tried to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
“While the number of unemployed decreased by more than 4,000 over the month, the current unemployment level remains around 64,000 more than the March low of 42,644,” acting Labor Secretary Ryan Wright said in a statement.
Seasonally adjusted job estimates indicate total Kansas nonfarm jobs increased by 10,000 from June.
Private sector jobs, a subset of total nonfarm jobs, increased by 6,800 from June, while government positions increased by 3,200.
The state had almost 19,600 initial unemployment claims for the week ending Aug. 15, up about 4,600 from the week before and about 18,300 from a year earlier.
The number of new claims is spiking again after falling to about 8,800 claims in June.
Economic fallout of pandemic
University of Kansas economist Donna Ginther presented some stark data last week to the governor’s recovery task force about how the pandemic is affecting the state’s economy.
Ginther presented census data showing that 46% of all Kansas households reported a loss of employment income during the week of July 16-21.
Thirty-nine percent delayed medical care, and 26% indicated they were behind on their mortgage or rent payment for the last month or couldn’t make the payment in the current month.
The data showed that food was scarce in 10% of Kansas households, meaning there were times when there wasn’t enough food to eat in the last seven days.
For homes with children, about 34% were having trouble making mortgage or rent payments and 11% were food insecure.
A month ago, the data showed that about 20% of homes with children were having trouble with mortgage and rent payments, while food issues have been relatively flat.
Meanwhile, claims for social assistance are rising in Kansas.
In June, 4,537 households in Kansas were receiving cash assistance in Kansas, up from 3,743 in March, about the time the pandemic hit the state.
Also in June, the number of households receiving food stamps had risen to 101,142 from 90,280 in March.
Plains PAC financing
A report last week revealed that a super PAC allied with Senate Republican leaders put $3.35 million into the political action committee created to help Congressman Roger Marshall get elected to the U.S. Senate.
The Senate Leadership Fund put the money into Plains PAC, which was run by C.J. Grover, who once worked as an aide to former Congressman Kevin Yoder.
The PAC dumped millions into the Republican primary for U.S. Senate to help Marshall emerge from the crowded filed and win the GOP nomination.
On a side note, Republican activist Mike Egan, who once lived in Kansas but now resides in Osage Beach, Missouri, gave $10,000 to the PAC.
Mask news
Here’s a roundup of the latest news from across the country on one of the most controversial issues of the pandemic.
- Forbes reports that three studies examining new ways about how the coronavirus spreads suggest that masks are necessary.
- The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says 70,000 lives could be saved if there were a universal mask mandate.
- Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson explains his executive order requiring masks.
- A new study out of Temple University suggests that a mask makes you attractive.
- Another lawsuit was brought in Minnesota over that state’s mask mandate.
Olathe teacher’s COVID-19 database
An Olathe teacher last week made national news over a database she created that tracks coronavirus-related school closings, quarantines, cases and deaths. The story was first reported by the Bridgewater Courier-News and has since been picked up by The Washington Post, USA Today and ABC News. Here’s more local coverage from KSHB in Kansas City. Also, here’s a piece the teacher wrote for Newsweek about her efforts.
Love connection
There will be an interesting Kansas angle at this week’s Republican National Convention.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York, considered to be a rising star in the GOP, is expected to have a prime-time speech at the convention.
Curious enough, Stefanik is married to Kansas native Matt Manda, who worked as a spokesman for Congressman Kevin Yoder and served as the political director for Jerry Moran’s successful Senate campaign in 2010.
There’s a story about this from a rather unorthodox source called Your Tango, which characterizes itself as the leading online magazine dedicated to love and relationships.
OK, it’s a little out there for us, but we thought the story was interesting and we wanted to have a little fun on a Sunday. It can’t be all serious.
Watkins news
Outgoing Congressman Steve Watkins probably won’t be making a lot of headlines between now and when his term ends. But here’s one: The Associated Press reports that a judge last week rejected Watkins’ efforts to get the district attorney removed from his case because of an alleged conflict.
Watkins contended the prosecutor conspired with the congressman’s Republican rival because they had the same political consultant. The judge found the connection too tenuous to make the case for a conflict of interest.
2nd District debate set
Congressional hopefuls Michelle De La Isla and Jake LaTurner will meet in a regionally televised debate set for 6:30 p.m. Oct 14.
The debate will be broadcast on KSNT in Topeka, KSNF in Joplin and Fox4KC.com in Kansas City. Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty will moderate.
De La Isla, the mayor of Topeka, and LaTurner, the Kansas treasurer, are running for the 2nd Congressional District seat now held by Steve Watkins.
Watkins, now facing voter fraud charges, lost the Republican primary to LaTurner.
Wagle staffer departs
Senate President Susan Wagle’s legislative director stepped down from her post Friday.
Bailey Corwine is leaving the Capitol to take a job as a media relations specialist with the American Farm Bureau in Washington.
The University of Arkansas graduate worked with the Farm Bureau as an intern last year.
