Good afternoon, everyone:
For most of you, politics is the last thing on your mind with the Chiefs about ready to play one of the most significant games in their history later this afternoon against the New England Patriots.
It may be the one day out of the year when Kansas Democrats and Republicans can agree on one thing — or maybe not (perhaps there are Steelers fans out there somewhere who we can’t account for). And honestly, does anyone really like the Patriots outside of Boston?
All that said, we began the week with the inauguration of Laura Kelly as the state’s 48th governor, and before her first week was out her proposed budget was already in trouble.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are mired in an internal squabble over a tax bill that a committee chair — by several accounts — will not introduce.
So, Senate President Susan Wagle took matters into her own hands and has created a special committee to examine legislation that would return the so-called revenue windfall gained from changes to the federal tax code to the taxpayers.
Now, onto other news in Kansas politics:
Female voters surge
Women turned out in extraordinarily large numbers — perhaps even setting a record — during the 2018 midterm election, new state data show.
More than a half-million women — 560,091, to be precise — cast ballots last fall, according to the secretary of state’s office. It was highest number of females voters to cast a ballot in a midterm general election since at least 2006.
By comparison, 460,850 women cast a ballot in 2014 when Democrat Paul Davis lost to former Gov. Sam Brownback. Eight years ago, 445,599 women cast a ballot in the midterm general election won by Brownback. And in 2006, 459,319 women cast ballots.
The number of women who turned out last fall rivaled numbers similar to what you might have seen in a presidential election. For instance, 649,971 women turned out for the 2016 presidential election in Kansas, and 626,904 voted in 2012.
Overall, the number of female voters casting a ballot last fall was about 22 percent higher than 2014, the last midterm general election. By comparison, the number of men casting ballots last fall was up 18 percent compared to 2014.
The surge in female voters came in a year when Laura Kelly won the governor’s race over Republican Kris Kobach and Sharice Davids beat Kevin Yoder in the 3rd District congressional race.
It’s worth noting that while women may have been out more in force this year, they made up about the same proportion of the overall number of voters.
Women made up about 53 percent of all voters casting ballots last fall, which is about typical for Kansas, data show. For instance, 53 percent of the voters were women in the 2016 general election, and 52 percent were women in the 2014 general election.
Despite the fact that women turned out in larger numbers last fall, they didn’t fare as well in legislative races against men. In 30 general election races pitting female candidates against male candidates, the woman won just nine times.
Sierra Club agenda
The Kansas chapter of the Sierra Club has rolled out its agenda for this year’s legislative session. Among other things, the group wants to update the process for protesting applications for oil and gas wells, including the creation of a 60-day protest period and a public data repository on the Kansas Corporation Commission’s website.
The Sierra Club also would like to see the state establish a consumer protection group similar to the Citizens’ Utility Ratepayer Board to watch over injection/disposal well issues that affect residents and make recommendations to the KCC.
It also wants to eliminate the sales tax on food at farmers markets, enhance pesticide protections and incent farmers to put in conservation buffers along rivers, lakes and streams to improve water quality. Here’s the Sierra Club’s 2019 agenda.
Estes gives up pay
Republican Congressman Ron Estes joined fellow Republican Congressman Steve Watkins in not taking pay during the government shutdown.
“Throughout the ongoing partial government shutdown, I have called on Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats in Congress to negotiate with President Trump to secure our border and reopen government,” Estes said in a statement.
“Unfortnately, it is clear Democrats are not interested in engaging in serious negotiations and are willing to use federal workers as pawns,” Estes said.
“I have asked my paycheck to be withheld at this time and once again call on Democrats to come to the table to address the crisis at our border and reopen government.”
About two weeks ago, Watkins announced that he would refuse his pay during the government shutdown amid the funding dispute over the border wall.
Future of Interstate Crosscheck
The future of the controversial database that Kansas used to check for voter fraud may be in doubt with Kris Kobach out as secretary of state.
A spokeswoman for newly elected Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab told The Associated Press that the agency is reviewing the program, which was challenged in court last year. 
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit last summer, charging that “reckless” operation of the database was compromising sensitive voter data.
The lawsuit alleged that Kobach’s office was sharing personal voter information in unencrypted emails that leave voters vulnerable to identity theft.
Critics say the system is vulnerable to security breaches and removes voters from the rolls because it erroneously confuses people sharing the same name and birth date.
Kobach getting back in the game?
Former Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach told The Associated Press he’s looking at getting in the race to replace Pat Roberts in the U.S. Senate. Kobach told The AP’s John Hanna that he’s seriously considering a bid. Of course, Kobach is just coming off a race for govenor that he lost handily to Democrat Laura Kelly.
Kobach completes classwork
Kobach filed papers in federal court last week showing that he had completed his six hours of continuing legal education coursework. U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ordered Kobach to take the continuing education classes after she sanctioned him for not following the rules of civil procedure during the state’s defense of its proof-of-citizenship requirement for prospective voters. Robinson ruled the law unconstitutional. The case is now on appeal.
Pompeo speculation
Speculation over U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo getting in the Senate race heated up last week after the Washington Post reported that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was encouraging him to get in the race.
Pompeo is viewed as a formidable candidate who is considered by some to be a slam-dunk to win a Senate race if he decides to run to replace the retiring Pat Roberts. More coverage from The Hill newspaper about a planned meeting between Pompeo and Roberts. There’s also this coverage from McClatchy.
A Democratic renaissance?
The Topeka Capital-Journal looks at the prospects of a Democratic comeback after the election of Laura Kelly as governor and Sharice Davids in the 3rd Congressional District. The Democrats are further emboldened by Sens. Barbara Bollier and Dinah Sykes and state Rep. Stephanie Clayton leaving the Republican Party to become Democrats. The Democratic Party is optimistic about its chances for building the party for the future.
Laura Kelly beer
If you want to toast new Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Topeka brewery has the perfect drink.
The Blind Tiger Brewery in Topeka has made 600 gallons of Kelly’s Kölsch to celebrate her inauguration.
The brewery’s owner, Jay Ives, tells WIBW in Topeka it “may be one of the lightest of all the German beer styles.” He says the beer has its own taste and flavor.
Ives called it a “session” beer, meaning that if you’re hanging out with friends, you can have more than one. After this legislative session, we all may need more than one.
This is very much a nonpartisan thing. Back in 2010, the brewery introduced the Brownback Wheat Beer just before former Gov. Sam Brownback was inaugurated.
“I do like a good beer, and they’ve done a nice job here with the wheat beer,” Brownback told The Associated Press at the time. “I’m partial to wheat beer, being a Kansan.”
Mr. Schmidt goes to Washington
Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt traveled to Washington last week to testify before a U.S. Senate committee on the need to strengthen efforts to combat fraud against older Americans.
Among other things, Schmidt recommended increasing the level of outreach and education to help seniors be alert to scams.
He also suggested changing federal law to let states use their Medicaid Fraud Control Units to investigate and prosecute fraud against Medicaid patients. Here’s a copy of Schmidt’s testimony to the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging.
Schmidt’s appearance in Washington drew the attention of McClatchy’s Washington Bureau, which produced this story about the attorney general’s trip.
KanCare clearinghouse
The McClatchy folks take a look at Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to spend $7 million to get Medicaid applications processed faster at the troubled KanCare clearinghouse. The money will go to hire more than 300 workers who will assume control over some responsibilities that had been privatized under former Gov. Sam Brownback.
Waymaster’s staff
Republican state Rep. Troy Waymaster, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, announced his staff last week. Waymaster said Jeffery House would be his chief of staff; Cassidy Meadows would be his legislative intern and oversee constituent services; LaVerne Engelhardt would be his office assistant; and Kathy Holscher would be his committee assistant.
In case you missed it…
Here is a full-length video of Gov. Kelly’s inaugural speech if you didn’t get to catch it last Monday. The video is courtesy Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty, who stockpiles years of political video and commercials.
