Due to weather conditions, Hays and Ellis school districts have canceled classes Monday.
Click HERE for the latest cancellations and delays.
Author: Hays Post
History: Episcopal Diocese of Kansas ordains woman as bishop
TOPEKA —First woman elected bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas was ordained Saturday.
The Rev. Cathleen Chittenden Bascom, D.Min., from the Diocese of Iowa, was elected as the 10th bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas in October.
The diocese’s Youtube channel provided a live stream of the service from Grace Cathedral in Topeka.
According to a media release from the diocese, on October 19, the Rev. Cathleen Chittenden Bascom, D.Min., from the Diocese of Iowa, was elected as the 10th bishop to lead the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. She was elected on the second ballot during an election that took place in the worship space of Grace Cathedral in Topeka, receiving 64 out of 122 votes from lay delegates and 56 out of 84 votes from clergy.
Bascom is the first woman to be elected bishop since the diocese was formed in 1859. This also marked the first time in the history of the Episcopal Church that a bishop heading a diocese was elected from a slate of candidates who all were women.
The Very Rev. Foster Mays, president of the governing body that has overseen the diocese in the interim period between bishops, said, “ It delights me that Cathleen Bascom will be our next bishop. While this election was historic, at its core lay delegates and clergy were selecting the person who will lead this diocese for the next decade or more. I believe Mother Bascom’s many gifts and years of experience will serve this diocese well.
“I know that clergy and lay leaders from all our congregations are looking forward to the opportunity to participate in ministry with her, to share together the good news of Jesus and to serve the world in the name of our Lord. I’m very excited for the future of the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas under her leadership.”
Bascom has been serving since the fall of 2014 as Assistant Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Waldorf University in Forest City, Iowa. She previously had been dean of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Des Moines, Iowa, as well as rector of St. Stephen’s in Newton, Iowa.
She served for eight years in the Diocese of Kansas from 1993 to 2001, leading ministry efforts at Kansas State University in Manhattan.
She is the third priest to have served within the Diocese of Kansas to be elected its bishop. The first was Frank Millspaugh, who was dean of Grace Cathedral, Topeka, when he was elected bishop in 1895. The second was Richard Grein, who was rector of St. Michael and all Angels in Mission when he was elected in 1981.
She also is the second priest to become Kansas’ bishop while serving in the Diocese of Iowa. The first was Thomas Vail, the diocese’s first bishop, who was rector of Trinity Church in Muscatine, Iowa, when he was elected bishop in 1864.
Bascom and her husband Tim have two sons – Conrad, age 25, and Luke, age 21.
Kansas restricted rules cities can make; complicates affordable housing efforts
By MADELINE FOX
Kansas News Service
Hutchinson building official Trent Maxwell recalls the city, years back, inspecting the home of a woman whose gas had been shut off for nearly a year.
“She was using one burner on the electric stove to heat water to bathe her little kids,” he said.
The woman finally got fed up and called city officials. She’d held off, she said, because her landlord threatened to land her in jail if she summoned inspectors. That wasn’t true. But she believed the threat.
“No one,” Maxwell said, “should have to live like that.”
Those kinds of situations, as well as a run of house fires, prompted Hutchinson city officials to pass a rental inspection program in 2015. Every rental in the city limits would have to be registered, and city inspectors would go through every rental property once every three years.
But landlords said the city overstepped, infringing on tenants’ right to privacy and holding landlords to a higher standard than homeowners.
Mary Marrow, an attorney at the Public Health Law Center, said it’s not a privacy issue.
“This is a business,” she said of housing rentals. “We have standards about what (are) acceptable living conditions.”
In 2016, though, the Kansas Legislature sided with landlords.
A law signed that year protected landlords from mandatory inspections of the inside of their rentals. It also blocked what’s commonly called “inclusionary zoning,” where a certain percentage of new development is set aside for below-market-rate housing.
“That pretty much cut us off at the knees,” said Steve Dechant, a Hutchinson city council member and landlord who supported the regulations.
For the state law’s supporters, though, Hutchinson still has the necessary tools to keep its tenants safe. The city’s still been inspecting rentals, but only from the outside. If inspectors want to get inside, they still can, with a warrant or written permission from the tenant.
Maxwell said the benefit of the law, though, is that landlords couldn’t blame their tenants if inspectors came sniffing around.
“It gave kind of a neutral way for the unit to be inspected,” Maxwell said. “The tenant was not going to be at fault.”
Tenants who call in a code violation are legally protected from retaliation by their landlords, said Luke Bell, who represented the Kansas Association of Realtors during the bill’s passage in 2016.
“These inspections are arguably being done in favor of the tenant,” he said. “So if the tenant doesn’t want the inspection, should they be forced to agree to it?”
Marrow, the attorney, said that overstates the city’s control. City inspectors give landlords a heads-up before coming over, and the landlords notify their tenants — they’re not knocking down doors with no warning.
“(Inspection policies are) about protection of renters,” said Marrow, “who, first of all, might not know that there’s a safety violation there, and may not be in a position to do anything about it if there is.”
Still, officials in some Kansas cities say even tenants who know there’s a problem, and that they’re protected from landlord retaliation, might be hesitant to summon inspectors. That could trigger condemnations, which means evictions, which means a rush to find another place for a similar price.
The inspections may have felt like government overreach to some. To others, restricting inspections and price controls at the state level feels like Topeka policymakers stepping on cities’ ability to work out what makes the most sense in their area.
“It’s good to have more tools, rather than less, to deal with whatever problems come up,” said Andrea Boyack, a law professor at Washburn University.
Boyack favors the inspection restrictions in the 2016 state law, which she said protects tenants’ privacy. But she objects to the part of the bill that stops local officials from insisting that developers include affordable units in their housing developments.
Kansas hasn’t seen skyrocketing rents in the same way as some other places, like the burgeoning tech hubs of San Francisco and Seattle. As housing there became more in-demand, and at least some people could pay sizable rents, the market moved with them. Landlords charged what the market could bear.
In Reno County, home to Hutchinson, a minimum-wage worker would have to put in 62 hours a week to make a one-bedroom at fair market rent. That presumes they’re working regular hours every week, but many entry-level jobs have irregular hours.
That puts Reno County’s rental costs below the state as a whole, where workers have to earn $11.20 per hour to afford a one-bedroom apartment. Again, that assumes a full workweek every week, with no unpaid days off. Kansas’ two-bedroom average rent outstrips all its neighbors except Colorado, where Denver-area prices and ski resort towns drive up prices.
Blocking price controls leaves cities without a powerful, if often controversial, tool to make sure housing costs fall in line with earning power.
“You’re taking those tools off the table for local governments,” Boyack said.
But Bell said mandating that, for example, 30 percent of units rent at cheaper rates just means the cost gets passed on to everyone else.
“That developer or that apartment complex owner, they’re going to have to make that up somewhere,” he said. “All it does is it raises the cost of housing for the other 70 percent to control the cost of housing for the 30 percent.”
He said developers might also just avoid projects entirely if building for below-market rents makes it harder for them to recoup investments. Landlords, too, might shy away from renting out properties if they’re subjected to regular mandatory inspections.
When cities can’t force developers to build affordable housing, nonprofits step in. In Reno County, home to Hutchinson, Interfaith Housing and Community Services is trying to connect renters to the safe, good-quality housing it rents out for less than 30 percent of a client’s income.
“We absolutely don’t lack for applicants in any of our programs,” said Clint Nelson, director of housing development at Interfaith.
Interfaith also has a program to give homeowners money for repairs and upgrading. The city has zero-interest loans for home repairs in some of its “featured neighborhoods” — often struggling areas where the recreation and planning departments are working with residents to build community pride and fix up common spaces.
Amy Allison, Hutchinson’s senior city planner, said the loan program and other city-sponsored home-improvement are geared more toward owner-occupied homes now. They may expand that to rentals.
Hutchinson officials are mostly trying to figure out how to grapple with the city’s aging housing and the possible risks it could provide to residents who struggle to find affordable places to live. They’re also trying to not run afoul of the 2016 restrictions passed by the state legislature.
The city’s scaled-back three-year inspection program sunsets this December. After that, the city council will have to decide if it wants to continue mandatory exterior inspections, or even take a crack at getting back into all the rentals’ interiors in a way that doesn’t run afoul of the 2016 state law.
“The goal of the program to begin with,” said Maxwell, “was to find those properties that are just unsafe — that no one should be living in — and if they’re too not feasible to fix, we should take them off the market.”
Madeline Fox is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @maddycfox.
Former K-State AD John Currie named AD at Wake Forest
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Wake Forest athletic director Ron Wellman is retiring and the school has chosen former Kansas State AD John Currie to replace him.
President Nathan Hatch announced the moves Sunday, saying Wellman will retire and Currie will start on May 1.
“John is the perfect fit to follow in the footsteps of his mentor,” Hatch said.
Mary Lawrence & I are humbled by @PresidentHatch's invitation to return home to @WakeForest @DemonDeacons . Ron & Linda Wellman have been our ultimate mentors & the consummate example of #professional #excellence & #integrity. #GoDeacs!
— John Currie (@John_Currie) March 3, 2019
Wellman, the longest-tenured AD in Division I, has led Wake Forest’s athletic department since 1992. The school has won five team national championships and seven individual titles under his watch, including men’s tennis in 2018, while raising $400 million in donations during his tenure of nearly 27 years.
The 47-year-old Currie is a Wake Forest alumnus who was Kansas State’s AD from 2009-17. He spent much of 2017 at Tennessee before he was suspended in the midst of the search to replace football coach Butch Jones that turned into a fiasco. He received a $2.5 million settlement with the school in March 2018.
He is taking over a Wake Forest program that is mostly on solid footing, with Dave Clawson’s football program winning three bowl games in three years and a collection of new facilities popping up all over the campus — including an indoor practice facility for football that opened in 2016 and a sports performance center and basketball facility that is scheduled to open later this year.
The most pressing immediate question faced by the department centers on men’s basketball, though the season will end well before Currie’s official start date.
Coach Danny Manning is 65-90 overall and 24-64 in conference play with one NCAA Tournament appearance in five seasons. Barring a miracle run in the postseason, the Demon Deacons are headed for their seventh losing season since 2010 — also the last year they finished above .500 in ACC play.
CANON: Where to bend the rules
The law in Kansas states that, essentially, you need to be more than a good driver to take the wheel of an ambulance.
Makes sense enough. A single medically trained pro riding in the back could be sketchy. It’s easy enough to imagine a medical emergency where having a second certified person could be the difference between life and death.
But what if your ambulance covers the state’s back roads in a county with a shrinking population and it’s hard enough to find a reliable volunteer driver, much less someone certified for emergency medical services?
So now some of the people trying to keep their ambulance operations alive are asking the state to relax the rules. Let an ambulance driver be just a driver.
Similarly, there’s a push to let nurses with certain advanced training operate without oversight contracts that link them to physicians. Again, it’s of particular interest in rural parts of Kansas where doctors, like volunteer drivers with emergency medical certification, are in short supply.
Resistance will come from people who represent medically trained ambulance drivers and physicians. They’ll argue sincerely that patients could suffer. But they’ll also be motivated at some level by a threat to their abilities to make a living.
In rural Kansas, those questions can be tough.
Scott Canon, Kansas News Service managing editor
Federal grand jury indicts man for carjacking 70-year-old victim
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Kansas man on carjacking and federal firearms charges, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.
Michael D. Stumbaugh, 39, Wichita, Kan., was charged with one count of carjacking, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of carjacking.
The carjacking is alleged to have occurred Jan. 28, when Wichita police reported a man pointed a handgun at a 70-year-old driver in the 8000 block of East Dresden and stole a 2011 Ford F-150.
The indictment alleges that when Stumbaugh was taken into custody on Feb. 7 he possessed methamphetamine and a gun.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties Carjacking: Up to 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a carjacking and/or drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $1 million.
MARSHALL: Doctor’s Note March 3
Friends,
After 30 years as an obstetrician, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that my most difficult work to protect unborn children would be in the halls of Congress, rather than in the delivery room. We have now asked Democrats 11 times to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to a vote in the House. They have said no every single time.
This commonsense legislation provides protection for babies that are born alive following a botched abortion, and demands they receive adequate medical care. This week, 44 Senate Democrats voted against providing this care to newborns. Yes, you read that right.
Just a little over a month ago, I rallied with more than 200,000 pro-life Americans from all over the country, and I was thrilled to meet dozens of Kansans who traveled by bus to attend. Their dedication and strong voice inspired me and helped provide many of my colleagues and me with the motivation to continue this fight.
With you fighting beside me, I will continue to share my stories and life’s work with my colleagues, and demonstrate the importance of this movement.
On a trade front, last weekend President Trump announced that he would be extending the deadline that would have escalated tariffs on Chinese imports that were set to take effect on March 1st. In a gesture of goodwill, the Chinese trade delegation agreed to purchase 10 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans, with more good news hopefully still to come as the negotiations continue to play out. Although some challenges still remain, this news is a positive step in the right direction towards reducing trade barriers with one of the world’s largest markets for Agricultural goods including: wheat, sorghum, soybeans, and beef.
I look forward to a resolution soon and applaud the work that President Trump and his team are doing to ensure that our farmers and producers have access to the export markets we so desperately need.
Pro-Life and Pro-Family Voting Record, 100 Percent
This week I was presented with the “True Blue” award from the Family Research Council Action President Tony Perkins. This award recognizes members who fight to protect life, families and religious liberties for all Americans. I will continue to be unapologetically pro-life, and a leading advocate for family, faith, and freedom. I applaud FRC Action for working so hard to keep these issues in the spotlight, and I look forward to continuing to promote these fundamental American values.
This week on the Hill, House Republicans stood up to Democrats that blocked the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, a bill that ask for infants that survive a botched abortion, to receive medical care. Killing a baby born alive is infanticide. We should all be able to agree that, once born, every baby deserves protection.
Watch our full press conference HERE.
Education Policy Discussions with KU and KSU Students
This week I had the privilege of meeting with the Student Body Government from KSU and KU. It was wonderful to see students so passionate about current issues in our government and our education system. Our discussion centered around the Higher Ed Reauthorization Act, Title IX, and Open Educational Resources. I love having so many passionate, young, Kansas advocates visit our D.C. office!
We ❤️ Rural Hospitals
Hospitals in rural Kansas face unique financial challenges as they struggle to keep their doors open to residents in the community. Hillsboro Community Hospital, like other rural hospitals across America, are facing such challenges.
Despite this, the community has banded together, especially the Hillsboro Elementary students! Their elementary class showed their support by asking the city’s administrator to courier their artwork and message to me. I am so proud to see the next generation of Kansas taking initiative and supporting their community.
Defending Our Second Amendment Rights
Here in Washington, I’m fighting hard against the latest gun control legislation, HR 8, that would do nothing to stop criminals from getting firearms, but instead, comes after law-abiding patriots.It is apparent that some people up here need to be reminded of our guaranteed rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution. Democrats think by using the term ‘background checks’ it will get full support- it doesn’t take but two seconds to see what this bill actually does, make criminals out of registered gun owners.
I will fight day-in and day-out to make sure our second amendment rights and freedoms are not undermined by unconstitutional legislation that targets America’s gun owners.
Click the link below to watch my video on H.R. 8.
BioKansas
I had the pleasure of meeting with BIOKansas this week! One of the many things we discussed was the importance of ensuring that any medical device that was designated by the FDA as a breakthrough product will be covered by CMS. In addition, we discussed how Obamacare’s medical device tax would have negative effects both to the companies and to consumers. I am proud to cosponsor legislation that would repeal this harmful tax and have voted to repeal it in the 115th Congress. I am excited to continue my work with BIOKansas and collaborate on initiatives that will benefit Kansans.
Debbie’s Dream Foundation
Susan McDonald with Debbie’s Dream Foundation, a non-profit that raises awareness for stomach cancer, came by our office to discuss research funding. Susan McDonald is a stomach cancer survivor herself, and her story inspired us. Her main concern is sustaining funding from the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program for the next year. I look forward to seeing how this non-profit will impact patients, families, and caregivers.
Pres. Trump Helps with Kansas Flood Recovery
As many of you are aware, parts of Kansas were rocked by severe storms several months ago, and the damage from those storms still remain. This week, in recognition of that damage, President Trump approved the Kansas State of Disaster declaration that addresses the impact that the severe flooding has had on so many of our communities. This declaration will make federal funding available to aid our affected counties to help with the costs of rebuilding.
House Agriculture Committee Hearing on the State of the Rural Economy
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of welcoming Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to the House Agriculture Committee for a hearing on “The State of the Rural Economy.” Members of the committee had the opportunity to speak with and question the Secretary about a wide range of issues including: implementation of the recently passed Farm Bill, immigration reform, trade, tariffs, low commodity prices, conservation, nutrition, and many other topics. I always enjoy interacting with Secretary Perdue and look forward to continuing to support his efforts as he and his team at USDA continue working hard for farmers, ranchers, and families in Kansas and across the country.
Ellis County Infrastructure Tour
I recently had the honor of joining local and state elected officials, business leaders and economic development professionals to discuss the infrastructure needs of Ellis County. Hays is home to many thriving businesses, but the significant infrastructure improvement needs have limited the growth and development opportunities along the community’s Northwest Business Corridor Route.
The tour, which was organized by Kansas State Rep. Barbara Wasinger, included stops at Midwest Energy and Hess Services and highlighted the need for new infrastructure funding and the economic impact strategic investments can have on a community.
Gearld Wayne Holloway
Gearld Wayne Holloway, born July 21, 1952 died March 1, 2019, in Atwood, Kansas.
Services are pending with Baalmann Mortuary, 109 N. 2nd St., Atwood,.
Dinkel receives 2018 Multiline Agent of the Year award
Farm Bureau Financial Services agent Danny Dinkel recently received the 2018 Multiline Agent of the Year award. The prestigious honor recognizes Dinkel’s dedication to serving the community as an insurance provider. This is the first time Dinkel has achieved the honor.
He has also earned his AFIS designation, MORT member and numerous other company awards during his tenure.
Dinkel has been an agent with Farm Bureau Financial Services for 20 years.
— Submitted
Send your business news and notes to [email protected].
Sternberg Museum gears up for 20th anniversary event
Sternberg Museum of Natural History
It was 20 years ago; Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History was getting its finishing touches as the staff prepared it for its grand re-opening in early March of 1999.
Opening day was going to be exciting, and the museum staff felt they were ready for the day, or so they thought. What they didn’t prepare for was a blizzard that produced 12 inches of snow. In spite of its cold start, the Sternberg Museum has been a hot spot for the locals and visitors. Over the years, the museum has hosted many traveling exhibits and community events. It holds large specimen collections from fossils to current wildlife, but most of all it holds fond memories for everyone who has worked, volunteered, or visited the museum.
To celebrate the museum’s 20th anniversary since its grand re-opening, for one day only our admission prices will be what they were back in 1999, $4.00 a person. A 20% off discount sale will also be in our gift shop. Talks about the museum will be presented that afternoon, followed by a presentation on Africa, by Curtis Schmidt and guest speaker Marilyn Wasinger. The event starts on Sunday, March 17, from 1 pm to 5 pm. Come out and celebrate 20 years of discovery under the dome!
FHSU graduate student part of Leadership Hays class
FHSU Department of Applied Business Studies
“I saw the word ‘leadership’ and wanted to give it a shot,” Chelsie Andrews, Bennington graduate student, said of applying to and being accepted into this year’s Leadership Hays class.
Her goals for this hands-on program include giving back to the Hays community while gaining vital leadership tools that will aid her in a future career. Chelsie’s dedication to her academic and professional pursuits are admirable as she seizes opportunities while being a part of Fort Hays State University and the Hays community.
Leadership Hays is a program coordinated by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce and is affiliated with the Kansas Leadership Center. It is a multi-session program, held between February through May, that helps develop leadership skills and challenges its participants to implement the techniques learned in their personal and professional lives. This year, 21 participants from 19 area businesses will participate in the program. Together, they will collaborate ideas, practice leadership skills, discuss leadership qualities, network, and make friendships. Their final project will be a testament of the skills gained as they plan an activity to benefit children in Ellis County.
Chelsie has undergraduate degrees in both Tourism and Hospitality Management and Leadership Studies from FHSU. She is currently a graduate student obtaining a Master’s of Professional Studies in Human Resource Management of which she’ll complete in December 2019 from FHSU.
Chelsie is also very active across campus as well as within the Applied Business Studies department and the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship. As a member of the Travel Club, she has engaged in opportunities to travel abroad in Costa Rica and Ecuador to share her leadership experiences. She has been inducted into the Eta Sigma Delta Honor Society. She is also a working member of Collegiate DECA and has presented various case studies at the state and national level.
2 hospitalized after 3-vehicle I-70 pickup, semi crash
SHERMAN COUNTY— Two people were injured in an accident just after 10p.m. Saturday Sherman County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Ford F250 driven by Kurt G. Jastrow, 67, Shelton, WA., was eastbound on Interstate 70 twelve miles west of Goodland. The driver attempted to pass a 2019 Kenworth semi driven by Carmel D. Lagas, 48, Edinburg, TX, despite poor visibility due to the weather. The Ford struck the Kenworth’s trailer.
An eastbound 2018 Freightliner semi driven by Benjamin R. Johnson, Vian, OK., was unable to avoid the accident and also struck the Kenworth’s trailer before traveling into the south ditch.
Jastrow and one passenger in the Ford Rose Singer, 52, Clarksville, TN., were transporeted to the hospital in Goodland with serious injuries, according to the KHP. There were no other injuries reported. Scott Singer, 57, Clarksville, TN, a passenger in the Ford was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.
Kan. Democrats Hope New Leadership Will Prove 2018 Wins Were A Trend, Not A Fluke
By STEPHEN KORANDA
NOMIN UJIYEDIIN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
Kansas Democrats scored critical wins in the last election. Now they’re struggling to transform those victories into Democratic-minded policies, and to hold on to the corners of power they’ve captured.
They meet in their annual convention this weekend to pick party leaders and search for consensus on strategies for governing and see if they can repeat last year’s election wins next year.
“It’s a time for Democrats to celebrate,” said Kansas House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer in an interview, “but we need to keep working and moving forward.”
In 2018, Democrat Laura Kelly won the governor’s race and Democrat Sharice Davids unseated a Republican incumbent to represent the Kansas City suburbs in Congress.
The 2020 election will put all the state legislative seats on the table and a prize Democrats have dreamed of for decades: an open U.S. Senate seat they like to think they can win.
Next year’s races could launch Democrats on a new path to political relevance in Kansas. Or it could leave the party withering into the triviality of the recent past, when Republicans held all the statewide offices, congressional seats and huge majorities in the Statehouse.
At the state Republican Party convention last month, Republicans made clear they’re eager to oust Davids from the 3rd Congressional District in 2020 and set up Kelly for defeat in 2022.
Yet some Democrats think the 2018 elections showed that the party can gain even more ground.
“That’s given folks a renewed sense of opportunity and optimism,” said Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Ethan Corson. “It is a state that Democrats can win in and can be successful in.”
Republicans aim to make that hard. Kelly’s major budget and education proposals have so far fallen on deaf ears with Republicans, who still hold large majorities in the Legislature and the leadership jobs that come with that.
The initial stumbles haven’t discouraged Democrats, Corson said. He points out that Kelly’s still been able to accomplish things, such as signing an executive order barring discrimination against LGBT state workers.
“I don’t think anybody by any stretch ever thought it was going to be easy for the governor,” Corson said. “I’m still optimistic that she’s going to get those priorities accomplished.”
There’s a way to grease the skids for the governor’s agenda in the future: win more seats in the Legislature. Sawyer, the party’s top leader in the Kansas House, said that needs to be a major focus for Democrats.
“The next chair (of the party) needs to focus a lot on the Legislature,” Sawyer said, “to gain a few more Democrats so we can help the governor out.”
To do that, Sawyer said the party needs to build up its infrastructure into areas of the state where it’s all but disappeared, to raise money and to recruit candidates into more races.
Departing Democratic Party Chairman John Gibson, who decided not to run for another term, started that work. He boosted outreach and said now more than 75 of the state’s 105 counties have an organized Democratic Party.
Democratic state Rep. Barbara Ballard, from Lawrence, said that push needs to expand for the party to gain influence and win elections.
“If you make sure that rural areas are being included in this process, and not just all urban, then it says we are all in this together,” Ballard said.
To make inroads, Democrats will need a message they can sell. Gov. Kelly pitched herself as a consensus builder. She pushed priorities such as Medicaid expansion and education funding while working attract to moderate Republican voters.
According to Ballard, Kelly’s victory last year shows it’s a winning political position that Democrats should continue to use.
“You moved where you needed to move in order to get the job done,” she said. “Why would you want to change it?”
Democrats have had mixed fortunes in recent years. In 2016, they picked up around a dozen seats in the Legislature. They formed a coalition with moderate Republicans that helped roll back tax cuts and increase spending on schools.
In 2018, while Democrats won the governor’s office and the seat in Congress, the party failed to pick up any other statewide offices or House seats. After the election, three Republicans switched parties, leaving the GOP with an 84-41 majority in the House and 28-11 edge in the Senate. The Senate also has one independent member.
Republicans still dominate statewide offices, the Kansas congressional delegation and the Legislature.
At least three people have announced runs for chair of the Democratic Party.
Current party Vice Chair Vicki Hiatt said she’s already had a hand in expanding the party’s infrastructure and recruiting candidates. As chair, she would continue expansion into more areas of Kansas and focus on the fundraising needed to build the party.
She’d concentrate on protecting Davids’ congressional seat and shoot to win next year’s U.S. Senate race.
“We will be working really hard for the U.S. Senate candidate,” she said. “That will be a target.”
George Hanna, from Tecumseh, was a candidate for the House in the last election and said he’d focus on gains in rural areas.
“We all have a job to do — fundraise, develop an inclusive caucus process and find our new representatives,” he said in a Facebook post announcing he would run.
A third candidate, Chris Roesel from Johnson County, touts his experience running for local elected offices.
But the field of candidates is not limited. The Democratic convention will bring together hundreds of party loyalists from across the state. The leadership elections are open to all nominations and more than 200 party members will vote to pick the winner.
“Anybody can run,” Sawyer said. “Quite often it is pretty wide open.”
Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse reporter the Kansas News Service Kansas. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.