TOPEKA - The three major candidates for governor in Kansas squared off in their last televised debate Tuesday evening, offering their thoughts and ideas on a handful of issues that hadn't been widely discussed during the campaign, such as their own campaign ads and their views about transgender bathrooms. The debate, which took place in the studios of KSNW-TV in Wichita and was simulcast by its sister station ...
TOPEKA — After taking steps in recent years to shore up the state's troubled pension system, Kansas lawmakers got good news about the fund's long-term outlook Monday. Its unfunded liability — how much the pension fund will have to pay out over the next 40 years that isn't covered by current assets and assumed earnings — fell by $154 million during calendar year 2017, while the overall size of the pension ...
TOPEKA - This close to Election Day, a lot of people may be wondering why their mail boxes are stuffed with particular kinds of political ads, and why their friends or neighbors might be getting completely different mailers, or maybe even none at all. The answer is, it's about your "score." That's a number, and sometimes a whole set of numbers, that political parties and campaigns use to predict how likely you ...
The office of state treasurer is one of the lower-profile elected offices in Kansas state government. Its primary function is to manage the state's idle fund accounts. But the office also manages a number of specialized programs such as the unclaimed property division, the state's Learning Quest college savings plans, and ABLE, a tax-advantaged savings plan that helps people with disabilities and their families ...
The office of insurance commissioner opened up this year when incumbent Republican Ken Selzer decided to run for governor. He finished fourth in a crowded GOP primary. The office is generally in charge of regulating the insurance industry in Kansas, which includes licensing insurance agents and overseeing compliance with state laws and regulations that govern the insurance business. The candidates this year ...
This year's race for attorney general features two-term incumbent Republican Derek Schmidt, a former state senator, against Democrat Sarah Swain, a Lawrence defense attorney. The attorney general is considered to be the state's chief law enforcement officer, assisting local county and district attorneys in criminal prosecutions. But the office also represents the state in court whenever the state is sued or its ...