I’m assured that 2022 will final twelve months as regular. Nonetheless, just a few callithumpian years felt like they had been piled collectively.
We began by battling a dreaded COVID-19 remnant. omicron variant tearing Kansas and the State Home. A foul legislative session, in addition to re-limitation and next court battle. However this was only the start. Roe – Wade overthrownand Kansas’ August abortion modification vote received us simply eight months. Then we entered an epic midterm marketing campaign season. Candidates’ meticulous speech He accompanied us till Election Day and past.
That is only the start! Have we had many tradition wars? black history and LGBTQ students? We have undoubtedly achieved it on just a few totally different waves over the yr. Did we’ve a $4 billion Panasonic mega challenge? announcement someplace in the summertime? Sure. Is Emporia State College suspend the term and firing a bunch of professors? Truly.
Additionally, and this actually occurred, Dr. Anthony Fauci muttered “What an fool. Jesus Christ,” after a very foolish questioning by Kansas’ personal US Senator, Roger Marshall.
Earlier than the vacations, Kansas Reflector workers gathered at our Topeka workplace to report a podcast that wraps up the yr. Editor Sherman Smith, senior reporter Tim Carpenter, and reporter Rachel Mipro chatted with me in regards to the prime tales of 2022. Additionally they highlighted the tales which might be essential to understanding 2022, which isn’t seeing the identical visitors, however nonetheless very violent. .
Put these collectively and we’ve six tales. They observe together with all of the hyperlinks and concise feedback you could possibly ask for.
one. Kansas voters beat abortion amendment in unexpected landslide (August 2, by Sherman Smith and Lily O’Shea-Becker)
OVERLAND PARK — Kansas voters overwhelmingly defeated a constitutional modification Tuesday that might strip residents of their abortion rights, difficult polls and political observers who anticipated an in depth consequence.
The poll failed by a 60-40 margin late Tuesday after voters responded. an intense and costly campaign marked by questionable claims by supporters of the change and dissolution of protections by the US Supreme Courtroom.
The most important 2022 Kansas story a number of soccer fields in size, the rejection of an anti-abortion modification by Kansas voters shocked nationwide consultants. It stunned me too, as I anticipated the vote to be shut a minimum of. Whereas voters rejected anti-abortion extremism by about 20 %, it wasn’t. as me then he wroteConstitutional protections for bodily autonomy turned out to work fairly properly on the poll field. What does this imply for future state politics? I am undecided anybody has significantly grappled with this query but.
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2. Johnson County sheriff threatens to deploy ‘army’ of lawmakers against IRS agents (September 9, by Tim Carpenter)
TOPEKA — Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden stated a federal legislation permitting the Inner Income Service so as to add 87,000 workers poses a menace to individuals in Kansas’ most populous county and will require the appointment of attorneys to take away tax inspectors.
Describing the IRS as a “creepy, terrifying entity,” Hayden garnered applause from a gaggle of practically 30 individuals throughout a two-hour public assembly at Johnson County Sheriff’s Division headquarters who pledged to guard their properties like castles. .
Hayden’s embrace of electoral conspiracy theories made headlines throughout the state. However Carpenter seen the sheriff’s belligerent rhetoric about IRS brokers and penned Reflector’s second-most learn story of the yr. Regardless of the launch terrible bullshitHayden achieved a major victory within the November election. A change that assured that posts like him would proceed to be elected, versus being appointed by county commissioners who needed to quell controversy, was handed by a large margin.
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3. The future of Kansas town’s library is in jeopardy as it refuses to remove ‘divisive’ books (November 14, by Rachel Mipro)
ST. MARYS—The Pottawatomie Wabaunsee Regional Library is embellished for the vacations, with a small snow-covered Christmas village nestled amidst piles of books. There is a princess mural full with a unicorn on one wall, and a dinosaur figurine subsequent to the children’ nook.
By January, they might all be gone.
The town council is debating whether or not to resume the library’s lease with town after it refused to just accept a lease clause that requested the library to take away all materials that could possibly be seen as socially, racially or sexually divisive, together with all LGBTQ content material.
The e book ban wasn’t all the fad once more on my 2022 bingo card, however possibly I ought to have. Board sport owned by Dungeons & Dragons gained newfound popularity, lastly. Why not resurrect one other ethical panic of the early Eighties? st. The actually optimistic end result of the dialogue at Marys was that extra individuals heard about Alex Gino’s delicate novel “Melissa” a few transgender little one.
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4. Analysis: How the Kansas Legislature avoids public scrutiny by hiding in the dark (Might 8, by Sherman Smith)
TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature protects itself from public scrutiny by secrecy, complicated entrance video games, and silenced opposition.
Republicans who management the legislative course of conduct hearings with selective unilateral testimony and don’t forewarn a committee’s plans to behave on essential legal guidelines.
They refuse to acknowledge the non-public pursuits concerned in writing the authors or authorities coverage. They might even delay the submission of a invoice in order that it can’t be scrutinized by information reporters or dissidents earlier than a listening to on the legislation takes place.
Smith doesn’t often fall throughout the realm of study. When it does that, it does the mathematics. This stark compendium of the shortcuts, obfuscations, and malice of Kansas legislative leaders ought to be learn by anybody fascinated about understanding how the state authorities truly works. It might come as an unwelcome shock, and that is the purpose. No matter your ideological beliefs or social gathering, Kansans deserve higher than the present, deeply flawed system and those that made it potential.
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5. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is re-elected against Republican candidate Derek Schmidt (November 9, by Sherman Smith)
Democrat Davids was re-elected to the U.S. House along with three Kansas GOP officials (November 8, by Tim Carpenter)
Kobach wins Kansas AG race, vows to fight Biden administration (November 9, by Rachel Mipro)
Carpenter put these three tales collectively throughout our podcast, and with good motive. All three of those election outcomes got here as a minimum of a slight shock. Consultants see Democrat Kelly’s race for re-election in crimson Kansas as a stretch. Republicans re-demarcated the state’s congressional districts to make U.S. Consultant Sharice Davids weak to Amanda Adkins. And Kris Kobach had misplaced two races in a row earlier than he took off his hat for legal professional basic. All three received November 8.
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6. Voters say disabled Kansas voters are thwarted by restrictive laws (October 20, by Rachel Mipro)
TOPEKA — In Kansas, suffragists say the legislation handed up to now two years has damage voters with disabilities and voters of coloration in Kansas and decreased their means to vote within the November election.
Ami Hyten, managing director of the Topeka Impartial Dwelling Useful resource Heart, highlighted the Home Payments, saying she is worried in regards to the influence the 2021 legislation can have on voters with disabilities. 2183 and 2332.
What does the fitting to vote truly imply? Rachel Mipro, who began Reflector in September, wrote down the thorny query of her choice this yr. The Kansas Legislature has made the job tougher for individuals with disabilities and folks of coloration in its try to fight nonexistent voter fraud. Add the aforementioned conference re-limitation; divided Wyandotte Countyand you’ve got a scenario the place votes are diluted and made tougher to make use of.
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What’s subsequent for Kansas?
We’re all about to search out out. The Legislature returns subsequent week, vigorous and stuffed with vitality, and keen to succeed in consensus with the governor. Reflector personnel shall be readily available to report what occurred and discover out what they do not need you to know. This opinion part will write down what all of it means. Thanks for following with us in 2022.
Please be a part of us for all of the loopy and messy adventures and confusion this yr too.
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