Latest news with #VoteNo
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds protest Trump and Musk in downtown Wichita
Harrison Bateman, a U.S. Air Force veteran, braved the cold Saturday with his 2-and-a-half-year-old son, Ronan, and several hundred others in a protest at Sedgwick County's Historic County Courthouse against the Trump administration and his policies as well as his affiliation with Tesla owner Elon Musk. It appeared to be the largest protest in Wichita since the July 2022 'Vote No' march downtown. The group that organized the event said 1,800 registered to attend but the cold kept a chunk of that away. People chanted and held signs while drivers passing by honked. A similar scene played out across the country. More than 1,200 'Hands Off' protests organized by more than 150 groups took place nationwide on Saturday, The Associated Press said. Bateman, of Wichita, said he lost his contractor job with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in March as part of the cuts under the Department of Government Efficiency. 'I have this guy I got to fight for,' he said, pointing to his son, 'And I can't imagine him growing up in a world where fascism is just allowed.' When asked who he is protesting, he said: 'It's Trump. It's Elon. It's the GOP, hell, it's the Democrats at this point, they're controlled opposition. Can't stand bullies. Can't stand people that dictate what other people's lives are.' He said things will be tight for a little while in their home after losing his job. 'Just going to do what we can in the meantime to keep food on the table,' he said. Signs people held in Wichita hit on a variety of topics: the firing of thousands of federal workers, the deportation of immigrants, reducing protections for trans people, tariffs, and handling of the war in Ukraine. Leading Kansas, an organization formed roughly a month ago, organized the Wichita version of the nationwide 'Hands Off!' protest. The organization was founded by Jess Frieze and Katy Tyndell. 'Everybody wants to talk about waste and fraud and abuse, but when you come right into it, the stuff that he's cutting, Congress has already authorized,' said Tyndell, of Wichita, who manages multiple small businesses. 'Those funds have been appropriated, and now there are elected officials who are just capitulating their power to Trump or to Elon Musk to make those decisions. And so that's really where I think the rubber hits the road, is they need to answer for why they're capitulating their power of the purse.' There were no threats to the Wichita event, she said. But several officers were in attendance just in case. Frieze said people came from Pratt and other parts of the state to attend. There was also a protest at the Kansas Statehouse, where thousands of people gathered, The Topeka Capital Journal reported. The temperature was 43 degrees when the protest started at 1 p.m. but the wind chill made it about 10 degrees colder, according to the National Weather Service
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Civil rights activists protest Act 3 near New Orleans City Hall
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The Southern Poverty Law Center was joined by several civil rights organizations on Saturday for the 'Vote No on Act 3' rally, just steps from the New Orleans City Hall. Organizers say the rally was aimed to inform and educate Louisiana residents about the harms of the proposed Act 3 legislation and encourage them to vote against it. OPDA's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative and Special Victims Unit secure guilty verdicts The proposed constitutional amendment would lead to more juveniles being tried as adults in Louisiana. In 2024, Louisiana's 'Raise the Age' law was reversed, meaning 17-year-olds arrested for any crime will be tried as an adult. Organizers say Act 3 would lift limitations for lawmakers and allow minors as young as 14 to be charged as an adult for 'any crime,' instead of creating pathways to rehabilitate for the youth. 'If we want to add more penalties to our Constitution, for which young people can be charged for and tried for in adult courts, we're not giving them a greater start in life, but we are further penalizing them for simply going through life, trying to understand life, but not teaching them the steps, not providing them the resources for that as well,' said Christopher Johnson, executive director of the Mobilizing Millennials hires Southeastern's Ayla Guzzardo to be women's basketball head coach Civil rights activists protest Act 3 near New Orleans City Hall Kyle Larson eyes a triple-header sweep, after win at Homestead Best Performance Cars for 2025 WATCH: Man caught on camera stealing packages with a child Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kansas House throws weight behind mutated child care bill with loosened vaccine rules
The Kansas Statehouse greets visitors, lawmakers, advocates and the general public on March 18, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) Statehouse scraps Opinion editor Clay Wirestone's weekly roundup of legislative flotsam and jetsam. . Brace yourselves for an especially scrappy version of Statehouse scraps today. I have a mammoth column coming Monday, but I can't ignore my Saturday duties. So let's be quick yet purposeful. First up, from the good folks at Kansas Action for Children, a warning about Substitute for House Bill 2294, a child care bill that passed the House on Thursday. 'While we supported the previous bipartisan compromise, the work by the House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development made this bill into something we can no longer support,' my former colleagues at KAC wrote on Friday. Why's that? you ask. 'On Monday, the committee added two amendments that loosen vaccination requirements and could lead to deregulation of child care settings.' Oh. Oh, dear. The Immunize Kansas Coalition issued its own statement on the bill Friday. The group was 'very disappointed this provision was not removed from the bill before its passage by the House (this change wasn't even mentioned in the much too brief floor debate!), especially now as Kansas is facing a significant measles outbreak. Our youngest children in child care settings — sometimes too young to be vaccinated yet for diseases like measles — are most at risk for complications from infectious diseases, and they rely on everyone around them to keep them safe.' The bill now heads over to the Senate. It's clearly one to keep watching as the session shifts into overdrive. Looks like we're going to have a dramatic and costly election next year to determine how the state Supreme Court works — and whether abortion remains legal in Kansas. Stung by their failure to ban the widely popular medical procedure, Republicans have decided to target the legal system itself. (National Republicans seem to be doing the same.) The proposed constitutional amendment would switch Kansas to direct elections of justices, a surefire way to make big-money court elections part of the landscape. What a delightful prospect. As you might expect, advocacy groups had a lot to say. 'This is a blatant power grab by extremists who refuse to accept that Kansans have spoken — loudly and repeatedly — for fair courts and personal freedom, including the right to abortion,' said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes. 'SCR 1611 isn't about judicial integrity; it's about rigging the system to force an agenda that has already been defeated. These lawmakers lost in court and at the ballot box. You don't get to fire the referee when you're losing the game, and Kansans will see this for exactly what it is. We'll dust off our Vote No signs and win again.' 'This is a blatant attack by the legislators on our justices, and it's part of a decades-long pattern of politicians attempting to punish the judicial branch for issuing decisions on education and reproductive freedom that they disagree with,' said Micah Kubic, ACLU of Kansas executive director. 'We are confident that, just as they did in 2022, the people of Kansas will see this attack for what it is — and once again take action to defend their constitutional rights from the power grabs of extremist politicians in Topeka.' Finally, from the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association: 'There have been no issues regarding the Kansas Supreme Court that necessitated the proponents' push for this constitutional amendment. We trust Kansas voters will reject this amendment. We strongly believe that when voters are exposed to the realities of watching our state's Justices having to raise money and campaign for their seats and the negative impact it will have on our state, they will vote no.' Funny, isn't it, that the issues Kansans get to vote on aren't Medicaid expansion or cannabis legalization, but (once again) banning abortion. In the frothy brew of Statehouse news, these questions floated to the top for me this week. A majority of senators voted against increasing special education funding and eliminating continuous eligibility for Medicaid coverage this week. Do they plan on running for office again? Why do so many Kansas officials see open records laws as suggestions rather than, you know, laws? Sure, a black mass might be 'a despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege to not only Catholics but all people of goodwill.' But it's also protected speech under the First Amendment. Right? Quoth state Sen. Virgil Peck about cheap office space for reporters at the Statehouse: 'When I mention this in a forum back home, people come unglued: 'You are only charging $100 a year for the press to write stories about you,' that frequently are inaccurate. Those are my words.' What stories does Peck think are inaccurate? When he suggested shooting illegal immigrants? Or when he talked about 'God's special creation — females' in supporting an anti-trans bill? What department do Kansas Republican lawmakers think works well? If the answer is none, how is that possible given their decades-long hold of legislative power? Apparently, House Speaker Dan Hawkins' dislike of journalists has been taken to a new level in the chamber he oversees. As I tried to visit a House leadership office Friday, I was stopped by guards who said I couldn't even knock on a door or see a secretary. I had to have an appointment, they said, or be called back. No, the fact that I was a journalist made no difference. Let's be clear: Every other representative has an office accessible through Statehouse hallways. On the other hand, House leaders' offices are located at the front the of the chamber and overseen by these handful of brave souls. What about Hawkins' or Majority Leader Chris Croft's constituents? Can they only glimpse the office doors in the distance as well? Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
USD 259 bond fails, supporters plan next steps
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Wichita public schools will not get $450 million to renovate its buildings and build new ones. The school bond issue failed by just over 300 votes. KSN spoke to both sides of the bond campaign about how they're moving forward. Bond supporters tell KSN that they knew this would be a tough vote. They were hopeful voters would approve it, but that didn't happen. They are now saying that their fight to improve Wichita schools continues. With the vote failing, the district and its supporters are not only going back to the drawing board but also trying to find a deeper connection and understanding with the voters. 'It's time to step back and kind of look at where we are, allow the district to review what happened here, and then let them figure out next steps,' said Bradley Dyer, Jr., with the Vote Yes campaign. The bond would have funded new facilities, security upgrades and repairs to existing buildings. 'We're still going to have kids that would be going into these older buildings. So, the problems are unresolved,' he said. The group that campaigned against the bond says district leaders did not give enough clarity on how it would affect property taxes. It also claims the district mismanaged its finances. 'This wasn't just on taxes, but it was on transparency and accountability. A lot of unanswered questions, a lot of plans that just didn't make sense in the short or the long term,' said Ben Davis with the Vote No campaign. United Teachers of Wichita says district-wide improvements are desperately needed, but the district has a lot of work ahead. 'The district is going to have to work to overcome that and be open, honest and transparent and listen to the community and make sure that they understand the criticisms and how they can work with the community to address them appropriately,' said Mike Harris, Vice President of United Teachers of Wichita. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP strategist credits mail ballots in USD 259 vote. Is KS poised to stop grace period?
Nearly one in four voters in Tuesday's $450 million Wichita school bond election voted by mail after an opposing PAC ran an advance ballot program encouraging that. That's a nearly 10 percentage point increase from the 2024 general election. And the Vote No campaign — run by Republican strategist Ben Davis of Cato Consulting Group — appears to have won. Its lead increased with each round of additional mail ballots that arrived during a three-day grace period in Kansas that allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted. The ballots won't be certified until after March 6. 'The reason we won this election is because of my advance mail ballot program,' Davis said. 'And, frankly, that was the core of the campaign the entire time. Because who the hell goes out and votes at the end of February?' But the Republican-dominated Kansas Legislature has passed a bill that would limit the number of mail ballots that get counted in the future. The bill would prohibit counting any ballots that arrive after 7 p.m. on Election Day, eliminating the three-day grace period that allows more votes to be collected and counted before the election is certified. It passed the Senate earlier and cleared the House on Thursday. The measure is heading to conference committee. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed a similar bill in 2023 and would likely do so again. But a Republican supermajority could override her veto. It passed by more than two-thirds in the Senate but not in the House, where it fell four votes short of the number needed to override a veto. 'I mean, I can see how it would have been beneficial to be able to calculate every vote on Election Day in a close election, so you're not leaving people in limbo,' Davis said. 'But, at the same time, as long as everything is postmarked by Election Day, I don't see the problem. By not giving some time for the mail to be there, it seems like we're cutting ourselves short, we're cutting votes short.' Under current law, ballots count if they arrive up to three days after the election and were postmarked on or before Election Day. The 'grace period' provision has been in place since 2017, when lawmakers added it in response to lagging mail delivery times. President Trump helped fuel a backlash against mail-in voting in 2020. Even as Trump later came to embrace mailed ballots in his most recent campaign, suspicion of mail voting has lingered among many Republicans, who increasingly want to redirect voting to Election Day. The top House Republican on election issues, Rep. Pat Proctor of Leavenworth, has said that 'if it was up to me, Election Day would be Election Day,' according to a video of remarks he made on a conference call last year. The civic advocacy organization Loud Light, which supports early and mail-in voting, provided the video to the Kansas City Star and other news organizations. Proctor also said on the call that he wants to eliminate early voting and that mail-in ballots should be restricted to military members and those with severe disabilities. He tempered his comments by adding that 'I've got to bring 84 people with me so I'm trying to chip away at it' – a reference to the number of representatives needed in the House to override a veto by the governor. Nationwide, Republicans and people who lean Republican are less likely to favor no-excuse early and absentee voting than Democrats, who largely support the practice, according to the Pew Research Center. Republican support for no-excuse early and absentee voting has also fallen sharply since 2018, from 57% in favor in 2018 to 37% in 2024. Proctor's idea to dramatically curtail early and mail-in voting isn't going anywhere soon. No bill taking such a severe approach has advanced and it would likely take years of effort to pass a proposal – Kansas has a legacy of support for mail-in voting that extends back into the 1990s. But taken together, the looming end to the grace period and the future prospect of limiting early and mail-in voting has alarmed some Kansas residents and lawmakers, who see popular forms of voting potentially at risk. As mail delivery comes under strain, it's more important than ever to allow plenty of time for ballots to arrive, they say. 'I think we just need to make it as easy as possible,' Erin Dahl, a Roeland Park resident who has become a frequent poll worker, said about voting. Dahl last mailed in her ballot in 2021 and said she won't do it again. She dropped her ballot into a mailbox but became concerned as days ticked by without the Johnson County Election Office reporting its arrival. She now votes early in person, which she calls 'so important.' Given the area's proximity to Missouri, she's also watched as voters there struggled with more limited access to early and mail-in voting. While Missouri permits absentee voting by mail, ballots must be notarized, a step that often effectively defeats the convenience of voting by mail. 'Especially because we're so close to Missouri, we hear about the very long lines and difficulty getting in,' Dahl said. 'In Kansas, I have never personally experienced that.' Davis, who acknowledges he's an odd man out in Republican political circles when it comes to advance vote by mail, said he thinks his fellow Republicans would benefit from embracing it in the same way Democratic operatives have. On the national level, Republicans made huge strides in mail voting in 2024, and Davis thinks that trend could continue. 'For a lot of people, it's just a really convenient way to do it, especially seniors, with concerns about weather and stuff like that,' Davis said. 'I've never understood why Republicans poo poo it. I think we've lost a lot of elections in the past that we could have won had we just run even a basic advanced-ballot program.' Republicans who champion eliminating the grace period say the current law effectively stretches elections past Election Day. While they acknowledge that mail delivery has suffered, they say the onus is on voters to ensure their ballots arrive on time. Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican who chairs the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee and introduced the bill that would end the grace period, said the current three days provides voters with 'extraordinary relief.' 'Just because the mail is a problem doesn't mean that they're being denied the access to vote,' Thompson said. 'You have a responsibility if you want to vote to vote however it's going to happen. Considering the post office problems that they have right now getting the mail delivered, I would have a lot of hesitancy.' Melissa Campbell said in written testimony to Thompson's Senate committee that she firmly believed 'Election Day should remain Election Day' and that all ballots should be returned by 7 p.m. 'If it's a priority to adults to vote, they can make arrangements to make it happen as election dates are published FAR in advance,' wrote Campbell, who identified herself as a resident of Senate District 9, which includes parts of Johnson, Wyandotte, Douglas and Leavenworth counties. Proctor, who chairs the House Elections Committee, said in an interview that if he was 'king for a day,' everyone would vote on Election Day. 'I stand by that,' said Proctor, who indicated the comments he made on video likely occurred last spring. He said that as the committee chair for the past three years, he's been attempting to address problems with voter confidence. He said the issue has probably been exacerbated by mail-in and early voting, as well as taking ballots for several days after Election Day. 'But I live in the real world and I understand that people like the convenience of mail-in balloting and I know that people like the convenience of early voting,' Proctor said. While GOP lawmakers have attempted to end the grace period for the past few years, voting rights advocates are especially alarmed this time. Last year a proposal to end the grace period also included provisions to move the voter registration deadline back three days while allowing three extra days of early voting. The additional early days aren't in this year's bill. Relatively few ballots are affected by the grace period. Statewide, 2,110 ballots were received after Election Day on Nov. 5 and counted, according to statistics from the Kansas Secretary of State's Office. That's 1.4% of all mail-in ballots that voters sent back to election officials. An additional 603 ballots were received after the grace period and didn't count; 104 ballots arrived after Election Day without a postmark, so they also didn't count. Still, even a few votes can sway an election. And each ballot that doesn't count represents a real voter whose voice wasn't heard. Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat who voted against the bill, said that if the grace period is eliminated, applications for mail ballots should be made available earlier. Sykes' two children both attend college out of state and vote by mail. Last November her youngest son, who attends school in California, requested a mail ballot the first day they were available. It took the ballot two weeks to arrive on campus; he returned it the same day. The ballot arrived the day after Election Day. The grace period meant it was counted. 'I think they're trying to chip away, and I think it will be ballot boxes, all those things, because they want people to have to just go and vote in person on Election Day and not have flexibility,' Sykes said. For his part, Thompson said he has no interest in curtailing mail-in and advance voting and said he would be fine with offering 'a little more time' to vote on the front end, though he cautioned against going too far. 'They have a lot of options,' Thompson said. 'You'd have to be completely isolated and cut off from society not to be able to get your vote in.'
