Kansas Reflector Podcast

Alan Featherstone, of Kansas State University's Agricultural Economics department, and Hal Luthi, of the Kansas Cattlemen's Association and a third-generation farmer, talk trade, the farm bill and hopes for the future.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, is in the midst of her second and final term. As she considers how to use her remaining political capital, she reflects on the accomplishments and pitfalls of the 2025 legislative session, which was dominated by Republican supermajorities.

Immigration attorney Rekha Sharma-Crawford filed a federal lawsuit against the sudden termination of five international students status terminations — and has successfully temporarily blocked the terminations. She argues that the terminations were cruel, opaque, and have significantly harmed the students’ wellbeing.

Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, says public comments to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency, or COGE, show how out of step the Legislature is with Kansans.

Former state health secretary Lee Norman looks back five years to contemplate what was learned and lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kansas state education commissioner Randy Watson's main focus is not on the politics of the Kansas State Board of Education. Instead, it's on improving the lives of young people, he said.

The Kansas legislature wrapped up a two-day veto session Friday, combing through a pile of bills rejected by Gov. Laura Kelly and forcing a fair number of those into law. Meanwhile, lawmakers finished up an array of other business for the year. Senior reporters Tim Carpenter and Morgan Chilson help us make sense of this whirlwind of activity.

Reagan Herrman, a 15-year-old Emporia resident, survived an episode of cardiac arrest during a 2023 basketball game when trained personnel made use of an automated external defibrillator that restarted her heart. She advocates for cardiac emergency planning in public schools and funding for districts to acquire AED equipment and training.

Lawmakers in Kansas, which has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the country, debated firearm legislation this year that revolved around law enforcement. Shannon Little with Moms Demand Action is hopeful that future legislative sessions could include gun violence prevention laws.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone, reporter Anna Kaminski and editor in chief Sherman Smith talk about three recent examples where lawmakers have hidden their work from public scrutiny or directed animus toward journalists.

Rep. Alexis Simmons, a Topeka Democrat, joins former Kansas Republican Party executive director Kris Van Meteren to outline their reservations about a bill that would simultaneously double campaign contribution limits for Kansas Legislature and statewide office positions while also removing caps on donations to county, district or state party committees.

Chris Koliba, a public administration professor at the University of Kansas, is concerned academic standards don't forcefully answer growing threats to core democratic ideals.

Freshman Sen. Patrick Schmidt, a Topeka Democrat, talks about property tax relief, gerrymandering, misplaced priorities, conflicts of interest, and this year's condensed session schedule.

At the end of six weeks worth of session, the Kansas Legislature is barreling ahead at high speed with each chamber passing a bevy of bills. Kansas Reflector staff take stock of where legislators have ended up with a compressed schedule and tensions flaring.

The State of Kansas requires local counties to provide an array of services, from health and safety to road maintenance and administering elections. But lawmakers at the Statehouse are applying scrutiny to counties for the property taxes that largely pay for those services. Bruce Chladny, executive director of the Kansas Association of Counties, and Jay Hall, the association's deputy director and...

Author Katherine Rose-Mockry talks about the example set by University of Kansas students in the 1970s who founded the Kansas Gay Liberation Front. She writes about them in her new book, "Liberating Lawrence."

Blake Flanders, president and CEO of the state Board of Regents talks cyberattacks on campuses, employee salary increases and need-based student aid.

Joan Alker, executive director and co-founder of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, and Benjamin Anderson, president and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, talk about a new report detailing how the Medicaid program supports rural residents.

Four Kansans ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day reflect upon what it means to embody the civil rights figure's legacy and how to approach a politically uncertain future.

Kansas Reflector opinion editor Clay Wirestone leads a discussion with editor in chief Sherman Smith, senior reporter Tim Carpenter and reporter Anna Kaminski on what to expect in the annual legislative session that begins Jan. 13.

The Kansas legislative session begins Jan. 13 with a slate of newly elected officials — including more Republicans in both the House and Senate. Two Republican senators-elect, Brad Starnes of Manhattan and Jeff Klemp of Leavenworth County, talk about why voters favored them over Democratic incumbents in the election and their plans for the upcoming legislative session.

Democratic Rep. Brandon Woodard of Lenexa is beginning his fourth term in the Kansas House with a new job title: minority leader. Woodard talks about his past, his plans, and what Democrats expect in the new legislative session.

U.S. Rep.-elect Derek Schmidt, a Republican headed to Washington to represent the 2nd District of Kansas, speaks about federal immigration, inflation and regulation reform.

Tim Clark was banned from his son's football games in 2022 after a Facebook post caught the attention of officials in the small Kansas city of Quinter. Clark and attorney Max Kautsch talk about Clark's experience, and a $75,000 settlement with the city.

Washburn University political science professor Bob Beatty joins the podcast to analyze notable political spots from the 2024 election and what they mean going foward.