We made it through the Barton County Fair with just a couple of hot days. Some of the surrounding counties have not been that lucky. The Ellis County Fair, which started when ours came to an end had several 100 plus degree days in a row.

Since we know it will be well over a month before we can expect temperatures to cool down it is the perfect time to remind everyone about the importance of staying hydrated. Drinking eight cups of fluid a day is recommended under normal circumstances to replenish essential body fluids, and more is needed as summer temperatures and humidity rise.
We sometimes forget that 55 B 75 percent of the body=s weight is water; the brain is 70 percent water; blood is 82 percent water, and the lungs are nearly 90 percent water. Water is also responsible for carrying nutrients and oxygen to cells; cushions organs, tissue, bones and joints; removes waste; and regulates body temperature.

In high heat, humidity, and times of high activity, such as working outdoors or participating in athletic activities, water is lost through perspiration, which helps cool the body through the evaporation of fluids on the skin. Exposure to the sun or a sunburn will speed fluid loss, and so will drinking beverages containing caffeine or alcohol, which both act as diuretics. Fluid replacement is essential, but it is best to not wait until you are thirsty. Excessive water loss or dehydration can impair body function and lead to heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke that can be life threatening.

Water is recommended for the majority of the fluid replacement because it is readily absorbed; cool water is preferred because it is absorbed more readily than hot or ice water. Foods that have a high water content include melons and other fruits, tomatoes and other vegetables, soups smoothies, puddings, and gelatin salads. Sports beverages may be helpful for athletes who are exercising more than one hour and are in need of electrolytes and quick energy, but consider diluting them with water in order to reduce calories.

The bottom line on staying hydrated is to drink fluids before you become thirsty. As we age our ability to sense thirst declines, leaving older people unable to rely on their thirst to prompt them to drink enough fluids. Infants and small children also need to be monitored closely to assure that dehydration does not occur. Little ones lose more fluids because they have a greater proportion of skin surface in relation to their size. Offer water frequently, each time a child passes through the kitchen and before, during and after play.

In addition to replacing fluids it is recommended to wear a hat with a brim and sunglasses; choosing loose, comfortable clothes that breathe; use sunscreen; and take regular breaks to help minimize the effects of heat and humidity.

Donna Krug, is the District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research and Extension B Cottonwood District. She may be reached at (620)793-1910 or [email protected]

Last week 3,100 offenders were released from federal prison as a result of bipartisan criminal justice reform that will reduce prison populations, provide social services and cut federal incarceration costs. This restructure, years in coming, was helped by an effort from industrialist and philanthropist Charles Koch that began in five states with Republicans, Democrats and nonprofit leaders of multiple prison reform organizations—unlikely allies.

The effort encouraged advocates who believed in reform although they disagreed among ways to accomplish it. The successful strategy depended not on system-wide change but building from consensus-driven, small steps.

Now, the question is whether this approach can benefit K-12 education.

At a January meeting of Seminar Network, a Koch-backed organization, two initiatives, Yes Every Kid and 4.0 Schools were introduced. Both are funded by the Charles Koch Foundation and the Walton Family Foundation at $5 million each plus another $5 million from donors.

It’s not yet known if Kansas will be one of the five states to start the education program, and officials with the Koch network have said it’s too early to provide specific policy priorities. However, according to Education Week, Yes Every Kid is intended to eventually become a political action coalition monitoring statehouse legislation, while 4.0 Schools will provide grants to drive innovation in learning inside and outside the classroom. News channels reported donors as saying the shift will promote personalized learning, help local priorities, improve schools and working “alongside” teachers.

Listening more at the state level comes as welcome change. Working together across education organizations, schools and teachers could be a truly valuable opportunity.

However, it will be more difficult in Kansas to achieve education progress when compared to federal prison reform because most education policy comes from state and local, not federal legislation.

Moreover, in Kansas it will not be easy to find common ground between groups that have disagreed intensely over issues of labor protections, tax credits to support private schools, public school funding levels and linking teacher salaries to student test scores.

The key to success may lie in addressing smaller problems on which there is less conflicting public opinion. Then the focus becomes working on the issue, not negotiating entrenched, opposing viewpoints.

For example, while most Kansans see the need to increase student access to electronic technology, agreement is needed on how much or what kind of computer time can replace the benefits of classroom learning.

Major research is needed to examine the broad, relatively new area called personalized learning (largely computer based), its effects and how to incorporate its money-saving advantages into public schools.

We need to better understand the relationship of traditional and mediated technology instruction in schools, because we cannot afford to abandon the great, unspoken benefit of public schools in bringing together our diverse student body. The time-honored method of group-centered class participation helps students understand their common bonds through the study of history, literature, science and civics. Students’ citizenship skills, respect for others and teamwork are among the strongest ties that bind us as Kansans and Americans.

If all sides can put away polarizing skepticism and cynicism about others’ supposed education motives and move forward with practical initiatives that include teachers and other educators’ perspectives, this new initiative could become the start of truly positive growth in student learning across Kansas.

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Professor and Dean Emerita of Wichita State University College of Education.

I really do feel fortunate in my life.  Though there have been bumps and bruises, and even heartache, I generally feel like I have been blessed.  I have been blessed with three sons and a wife who love me, in spite of my flaws, my sometimes lack of patience, and my failure to always be a good role model.

I have also been fortunate in that my children have hung around and have remained good friends with each other. 

But life starts to happen.  In the last few months, one of my sons has transitioned out of Hays as a traveling nurse, and my oldest son, who works with me, is transitioning as well.

I work with a lot of families that are small business owners or farmers.  One of the difficulties for all of them is when a child, for whatever reason, needs to move on, perhaps out of the business, or at least to a new location. Perhaps it is a new job, or marriage, or one of many other factors.  But that child, for his or her sake, needs to move on.

Equally as difficult is when a family wants to pass on a business to a child or children. How does that look and how does that work? 

I see a lot of lack of planning.  Many times it is just not addressed. 

I also see guilt trips laid on children.  “You should stay and take care of mom and dad.” 

One of the biggest issues that we deal with in my office is children working themselves to the point of exhaustion trying to take care of a parent who is chronically ill.  They have not been able to transition to bringing in help.  They are driven by obligation versus common sense. 

The following are not uncommon statements that I hear in my office: 

“I am going to leave everything to the kids.  I am going to let them figure it out.”

“My kids will never let me go to a nursing home.”

“I am going to leave everything to my son Johnny, and he will take care of the other kids.” 

“My kids get along really well, and they will figure it all out.”

“I promised my spouse that I would never put him in a nursing home, and I intend to keep that promise.”

One of the things that we do in our office is have difficult conversations with our clients.  We want to talk about the “What Ifs:” What if your son does not want to stay here?  What if your wife cannot keep you at home?  What if you need long-term care, how are we going to pay for that?  It is all part of transition planning.

I think the most difficult part of transition planning is not deciding what is best for yourself, but trying to decide what is best for others as well.  As my oldest son is transitioning to a new stage of life, which involves him leaving my office, it is very inconvenient for me.  Not only am I losing a trusted employee, I am also losing someone who is always frank with me; and always gives me good advice.  But I know the transition that he is making is the transition he needs to go through for his own sake. 

I also know that if I truly love him, I need to love him enough to let him go.

Sometimes you need to think about that:  If you love your family, think about those transitions and plan for them, even if that transition is not the way you had hoped it would go. But you make the decision.  Lack of planning makes it much more difficult on your family in the long run. 

I implore you to have those difficult conversations with someone who can guide you through the options.  There is not always a black and white answer.  And indeed, the answer may evolve over time. But get the conversation started.  Have the difficult conversation with your attorney and with your family. 

In the end, even after you are gone, people will appreciate what you have done. 

Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

Post-harvest weed control in wheat stubble is very important to conserve soil moisture and prevent weeds from going to seed and adding to the weed seedbank. Excessively wet weather this spring, particularly in May and early June, will likely require earlier and more intensive weed management efforts this year. Also, where there are bare spots either due to hail damage or flooding, weeds may be growing quickly. Controlling these weeds while there is moisture and active growth, before they set seed, is a good idea.

The standard treatment for many years to control weeds and volunteer wheat in wheat stubble was glyphosate plus 2,4-D LVE. If kochia was present, we may have added some dicamba, but it generally wasn’t added in the eastern areas of Kansas because of drift concerns to soybeans. Glyphosate plus 2,4-D and/or dicamba remain a primary option for weed control in stubble, but with the development of glyphosate-resistant weeds, these options certainly don’t work as well or quickly as they used to.

Glyphosate used to be fairly foolproof, even on big weeds, but that is no longer the case. Dicamba and 2,4-D probably weren’t contributing as much to the weed control in those tank mixes as we may have thought, so now we are struggling to achieve acceptable control. Timing and weed size is much more critical with almost all other herbicides than it was with glyphosate. Consequently, it is very important to try and apply those treatments before the weeds exceed 4 to 6 inches tall, but that often doesn’t happen.  In addition, treatment before weeds exceed 4 inches tall may require a number of applications to manage multiple flushes of weeds, which adds significantly to the cost of control.

Higher rates of the 2,4-D and dicamba may improve control, but in most cases we probably don’t want to exceed 1 qt/acre of 2,4-D or a pint/acre of dicamba. Sharpen is another herbicide tank-mix partner that may help with control of the pigweeds and provide some residual control. Sharpen works best with the addition of methylated seed oil and can provide some pretty good burndown on smaller weeds, but if the weeds are very big, it tends to burn the tops and plants eventually resume growth. Applying 2 or 3 oz/acre of Sharpen instead of 1 oz/acre will improve control of larger weeds and provide longer residual control. Sharpen requires complete coverage so using 15 to 20 gallons/acre spray solution is important.

One herbicide alternative to glyphosate that can work well to control emerged pigweed and kochia is paraquat. Paraquat is a contact herbicide, so spray coverage is critical. Spray volumes of 20 gallons/acre or higher are preferred, especially on larger and thicker weeds. Paraquat also needs to be applied with a nonioinic surfactant or oil concentrate to enhance surface coverage of the plant foliage. A tank mix with atrazine will enhance control and provide some residual weed control if planning to plant corn or sorghum next spring. Likewise, metribuzin can be tank-mixed with paraquat if rotating to soybean to enhance control and provide some residual. If planting wheat this fall, a tank mix with Sharpen is an option to provide some residual control. Recent work at K-State suggests that making the paraquat application as soon as possible following wheat harvest allows for better coverage and more effective control especially of the pigweeds.

Another herbicide that can be added to the burndown treatments for residual broadleaf weed control in wheat stubble is flumioxazin (Valor and others).  Flumioxazin has been used as a pre-plant/pre-emergence treatment in soybeans for years, but it hasn’t been used much in wheat stubble because of the cost.  However, with the recent reduction in flumioxazin prices, it may be worth considering as part of our stubble management treatments for residual weed control, especially the pigweeds.   Wheat can be planted 30 days after 2 oz/ac, or 60 days after 3 oz/ac Valor application, if at least one inch of rain occurs between application and planting.  Corn, sorghum, cotton, sunflowers, or soybeans can be planted the following spring following flumioxazin treatment.   Residual weed control with flumioxazin will depend on rainfall for activation, just as with pre-plant treatment in soybeans.

Information provided by Dallas Peterson, Extension Weed Management Specialist.


Stacy Campbell is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 785-628-9430. 


There’s something about being outside that soothes the soul. It doesn’t matter if you’re working, taking a casual stroll or just sitting on the porch watching the world go by. One of my favorite excuses to be out of doors is fishing.

My father, an avid hunter, didn’t have the patience for fishing, but he also never discouraged me from casting a line. Most of my adolescent angling adventures were the result of a neighbor who was kind enough to take me along almost whenever I would ask to hit the water.

Though sometimes, like when he would take me limb-line fishing, some advanced planning was necessary. I still remember the first time we took an aluminum Jon boat down Pottawatomie Creek setting lines off tree branches hanging over the water.

Checking the lines a couple days later turned up a 35-pound blue catfish, which is still the biggest I’ve ever seen in person. The fish was only slightly smaller than I was at the time, but it also was only a baby in the world of blue cats, which can top 100 pounds.

Like my father, I too lack the patience to go after trophy fish. Instead, I’m happy to reel in anything that swims. While I enjoy the occasional challenge posed by fishing reservoirs, lakes and rivers, there’s nothing quite like fishing a well-stocked farm pond.

I’m never going to catch a record-setting bass or catfish from a pond, but I’m also not going to go home empty handed either. My favorite pond is at the ranch back home. It’s stuffed full of bass less than a pound, but I did snag a four-pounder a couple years ago.

Ponds always hold the promise of hooking something just big enough to put a big bend in the rod and put up a decent fight. The best fishing hole offers plenty of action in between catching those lunkers.

I recently found a new pond close to Manhattan that fits the bill. Thanks to my brother who scored an invite from the landowner, I got to tag along with him and my nephew one Saturday morning.
My nephew is my usual fishing buddy, and we’ve had some tough luck this year with weather, high water and schedules that haven’t always aligned. We got skunked at a public fishery in late April but managed to find a few catfish at another open access lake in June.

This private pond, however, was nestled in a Flint Hills valley, and it was stocked with bluegill, channel and bullhead catfish and largemouth bass. The water was clear enough to see the bass’ white bellies flash as they hit our lures. Though none were really big enough to bend our rods.

We spent the morning pulling in bass and bullhead with the occasional bluegill. It looked like we were going to go home without anyone hooking into a channel cat. Though my nephew could see a decent sized one in the water on the face of the dam.

Just as we were getting ready to pack up and head home, I heard him shout. I looked over to see his rod doubled over while he cranked the reel shouting, “I got you! I finally got you!”

He flung a channel cat up onto the bank, still shouting, as his dad and I rushed over to eye the beast. By my eyes, the fish checked in at a little over four pounds. It was, by far, the day’s biggest catch from the water. The best part for me, though, was seeing the equally large smile on my nephew’s face.

“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service.

What do you get when you mix equal amounts of water and cider vinegar in a jar with a drop or two of dishwashing soap? According to a friend of ours, you get a redneck fruit fly trap. This time of the year along with all the fresh fruit and veggies from our gardens also comes those pesky tiny fruit flies that buzz around our produce. This concoction draws them to the scent of the cider vinegar and the dishwashing soap eliminates water surface tension so that when they land in the jar they sink straight to the bottom. She says it works great!

An effective hillbilly mouse trap can be made by filling a five gallon bucket a couple inches from the top with water, smearing peanut butter on the upper lip of the bucket or pouring grain or livestock feed to float on the water, then leaning a board at an angle from the floor to the top of the bucket for a ramp. Mice searching for an easy meal will attempt to hang onto the rim to get the peanut butter or lean out over the water to eat some floating feed and ultimately end up in the drink.

After hearing from my brother last night about all he has to go through to protect his garden from deer and other critters where he lives deep in the southern Ohio woods, I referred to a book by America’s Master Gardener, Jerry Baker, entitled “Bug Off” in which he presents bushels full of down-home remedies for keeping all manner of critters, especially raccoons, rabbits and deer, out of gardens and truck patches.

• Raccoons are the bane of the sweet corn patch. Jerry recommends corralling all the electric fans you can barter for at garage sales, then, using outdoor extension cords place them all around the garden and run them on high all night for several nights in a row to dampen the coon’s interest.
• Evidently raccoons hate the smell of both bleach and ammonia, so fill old margarine tubs with either liquid and place them among your most vulnerable plants.
• As a trapper, I know that coons’ have very sensitive feet and this hindrance uses that weakness against them. Around the perimeter of the garden, lay a three foot wide strip of broken pot shards, jagged stones, thorny rose or bramble canes, wire mesh or anything else sharp or prickly and coons’ will refuse to cross it. This one requires the most work but will last the longest.
• Rabbits can devour a patch of greens’ overnight. Much of Jerry’s advise for deterring rabbits centers around fencing where practical, and making your yard or garden less inviting by removing nearby cover, growing plants rabbits don’t like and luring them away from the garden with plants they can’t resist. He does however have a couple novel suggestions.
• The first is a spray he calls his Hot Bite Spray, concocted from cayenne pepper, Tabasco sauce, ammonia and baby shampoo. He guarantees that any critter who tastes this stuff will never come back for a second bite (contact me for the formula and directions.)
• The other suggestion is to buy a ferret, or make friends with someone who owns a ferret and offer to babysit.
• Someone recently asked me how to keep deer away from his grapes and berries, and a friend of mine in Minnesota who operates a full time animal control business recommended electric fence about waist high around the patch. Jerry Baker takes that one step further and says to smear the fence with peanut butter. The smell of the peanut butter will cause them to  smell it or lick it, resulting in a zap to the snoot or tongue, and they will never return.
• Instead of washing or tossing your husband’s old smelly socks and sneakers, hang them around your truck patch. Jerry calls this a classic deer-chasing trick.
• We trappers use all manner of strange animal scents and smells, and Jerry says that urine from any major predator will send deer running. Coyote urine is readily available, and a little sprinkled around your garden will never be noticed by you, but the deer will surely flee.

These are just a few of the more novel suggestions Jerry Baker has for keeping four-footed critters from ravaging your produce, and this book is just one of many he has published full of the same kind of down-home suggestions. Although there’s really nothing “Redneck” about any of these remedies as the title implies, I figured it might grab your attention and get you to read further, and if you’re reading this sentence, I’d say it worked! So eat well as you continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

We have about five months, if we pay attention, to get a good idea of just what the upcoming Legislature is likely to consider doing for us—or to us—in the session that will precede next year’s elections for every member of the House and Senate.

Yep, they’re all going to be on the ballot, and if there is a key to re-election it is passing, or at least voting to pass, laws that we’ll like. Or, of course, voting against bills that we don’t like, but someone, somewhere, thinks is a good idea.

The regimen of interim committees that will start this month or next will give us our first peek at just what we have to look out for next winter.

The interims don’t pass laws, or even bills, they just study and hear arguments for and against issues that will likely become bills. While they are public meetings anyone can wander into or listen to over the Internet, most Kansans don’t know much about them or just what legislators do when they come to Topeka out of session.

Well, a big issue that is going to be chewed through is, of course, the possibility of Medicaid expansion: First, the Senate interim committee—which essentially just knows what it read in the papers about the House passing expansion—then the Special Committee on Medicaid Expansion with both House and Senate members.

Key to that process: Probably to try to assemble an expansion bill. Or…to figure out just how the lawmakers who oppose Medicaid expansion can be convinced that it will affect so few people that they can probably look the other way briefly for at least one vote or two, and pass it.

But interim committees are also going to consider legalizing marijuana, probably just for those who can convince their doctor to prescribe it or who can make the point that they’re getting old enough that they represent a solid revenue stream for those doctors so that they will… Chances of general legalization? Slim, but we’ll be watching that medical marijuana proposal to see just how far it will stretch without bogarting that roach…

Medicaid aside, a health interim committee is going to try to figure out why health care is so expensive in Kansas and whether there’s some way to make it cheaper. Look for that to stretch into tele-medicine where you essentially talk over the Internet with a health-care provider who lives outside your Zip code or county or congressional district or maybe even state line. Doesn’t work if you’re bleeding, but chances are good that telemedicine will be part of the key to dropping the out-of-pocket, or at least out-of-insurer’s pocket, expenses.

Oh, and for those of you who watched flood waters creep toward the porch, a committee is going to try to figure out how government at all levels can work together to avoid flooding or at least how to get help to voters and business owners more quickly when the water recedes enough that you don’t need a life jacket to retrieve your newspaper.

Yes, a lot of topics, and a total of 52 days of hearings approved so far…some that will yield proposed legislation, many that will just let lawmakers know how state government is running while they’re out of town and paying for their own lunches instead of gazing at the ceiling while lobbyists buy their meals and drinks.

Those interim committees are also where ideas good and bad are sifted, and they’ll to a large degree determine just what we watch the Legislature debate next session. But some of us remember when the preview was better than the movie. And for many issues, the interim committee is the preview…

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com

On Wednesday, Robert Mueller, Special Counsel investigator into possible Trump collusion with Russia to win the 2016 presidency, appears (reluctantly) before two congressional House committees. He does not want to testify. He knows there’s a lot in his final 448-page report that makes no sense. Democrats, with their unadulterated hatred for Trump, are praying for some miracle in his testimony that will lead to impeachment.

The testimony during this hearing may be one of the most interesting in recent American history. It may be a bombshell, possibly one that back fires, maybe a nothing burger. But you can bet a major portion of America will be watching!

Mueller tried six ways to Sunday every week for two years in ousting President Trump for collusion with Russia. He spent 30 million tax dollars, hired an army of Clinton connected lawyers, umpteen witnesses and subpoenas, etc. Nothing worked.

Dirty cop Mueller took on the Special Council job on a whim that Trump colluded. There never was any evidence of collusion to begin with, but the Never Trumpers insisted on an investigation based on speculation and wishful thinking. No good cop takes on an investigation where there isn’t even a crime. The left was hoping for a collusion crime created out of thin air and Mueller was right there to oblige.

After two years of investigating, our cop, several months ago, gave his final report. He found no Trump collusion, but unprofessionally insinuated there might have been. He did the same with obstruction of justice, therefore, he gave House Democrats in congress crumbs, so to speak, to continue the investigation. A black mark with a part of Congress, like no other time in American history, becoming primarily an investigative body to take out a president, while its primary legislative function goes by the wayside.

No collusion and no clear obstruction in the final report should have put this entire hoax to bed, but the beat goes on with the Wednesday hearing.

During his investigation, Mueller indicted some 30 people making it look like Trump and associates were guilty, but none of the indictments had anything to do with Trump’s supposed collusion with Russia. Liberal media brought up the indictments constantly insinuating guilt for collusion. Dirty cop Mueller, unethically and immorally, ruined many lives in the process for no good reason. He buried these people in questionable legality when they refused to give him dirt on Trump. Mueller has a history of unprofessional and unethical prosecutions many of which have been overturned.

The biggest (among many) bombshell in Mueller’s 448 page off the wall final report is the complete omission of the indisputable and incontrovertible evidence that Hillary, the Democrat Party, the FBI and CIA in unison actually did the colluding with Russia to affect the election, and it’s all tied into the Trump collusion narrative. It is virtually impossible to investigate one party’s collusion without constantly coming across the other.

As readers tune into the Wednesday hearing, keep in mind Mueller’s shady past. I only scratched the surface of a man high up in the chain of American justice that makes us look like a third world country. Call it American injustice. Mueller is actually part of the deep state doing everything possible to destroy a Trump presidency.

Thank God the literal attempted coup didn’t work, and hold on to your seats as justice is finally served in this country by new leadership that loves America.

Les Knoll lives in Victoria and Gilbert, Ariz.

Friends,

On July 20, 1969, people across the country and around the world watched in eager anticipation as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. With this feat America won the space race and it amazes me to think of all of the advancements that have been made as a result of these Apollo missions.

At this very moment native Kansan from the Big First, Nick Hague, is currently 240 miles above Earth on the International Space Station continuing to advance scientific knowledge. I am a member of the Science Space and Technology Committee and gave a speech on the house floor in honor of this special anniversary, Click Here to view it.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum commemorated the occasion with a to-scale projection of the Saturn V rocket on the Washington Monument this past Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. And this weekend they will be performing the Apollo 50: Go For The Moon show, a full-motion projection using archival footage to simulate the actual launch.

Pro Life Update
The Trump Administration recently advanced our efforts to fight for the unborn. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will immediately begin implementing President Trump’s Protect Life Rule. This will stop any taxpayer-funded facilities from referring for abortions or commingling finances with abortion businesses, meaning abortion centers cannot serve as taxpayer-funded family planning centers. I want to extend the most sincere thank you possible to President Trump for making this happen and fulfilling another major campaign promise to the American people. Our fight to protect life certainly isn’t over however, and I want to assure you all that I am still fully committed to seeing abortion practices completely ended in this country.

Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
Chairwoman Johnston and Ranking Member Lucas of the Science, Space and Technology Committee hosted a roundtable focused on the unique challenges facing rural communities in providing quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education programs. This has been a big priority for me, as an increase in STEM opportunities would be beneficial in workforce development across the Big First. At this roundtable we talked about the different ways rural schools can teach STEM and what federal agencies can do to help. We highlighted the specific geographical challenges faced by rural Americans and discussed the different ways federal funding could efficiently be directed towards meeting those challenges.

USDA Expanding Access to Capital
The USDA has announced new programs designed to help farmers get access to capital. They announced up to $16 million in available funding through the USDA’s Outreach and Assistance for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers and Veteran Farmers and Ranchers Program, also known as the 2501 Program. Since 1994, the 2501 Program has awarded 451 grants totaling more than $103 million and the 2018 Farm Bill boosted mandatory funding for the program through FY 2023.

They also launched a new service on Farmers.gov, the Farm Loan Discovery Tool. This resource asks a series of simple questions to help those interested in exploring financing options to operate a farm or buy land. The tool will then find the information on farm loans that best fit their specific needs and provide the loan application and additional resources. This new system is only one of the many tools on farmers.gov that help connect farmers to information that can help their operations and I am glad that they are constantly adapting their systems to meet modern needs.

We have all had to deal with bullies throughout our lives, and I have had my share. One fall day, coming home from school, I saw two guys from my third-grade class beating up on a smaller kid and was moved to step in to help. I was chagrined but not surprised when the victim ran home, and I became the new target. The beating I took that day was minimal, however, the sense that I did the right thing by standing up against bullies has propped up my self-worth my whole lifetime.

Bullies and abuse are everywhere. While in medical school, I was in an Atlanta emergency room when a woman came in with a broken nose and other broken bones and bruises that were explained away as the result of a fall, when we knew full well the injuries were inflicted by her spouse. Since coming to this prairie town 38 years ago, I have seen several cases of parents who physically and emotionally abused their children, and of adult children who physically and emotionally abused their parents. I remember numerous cases where women came into my office, explained their husbands were physically beating them, and despite my recommendations to escape and seek shelter, they stayed married to the scoundrels.

The American Psychiatric Association defines domestic violence and abuse as control by one person over another in any relationship. Control is the operative word. The means of this control can result from physical, sexual, emotional and economic abuse, including threats of isolation.

The number of American troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq from 2001 through 2012 was greater than 6,000, and the number of American women murdered by male partners during that time was about 12,000. The Center for Disease Control estimates that in the U.S., one out of every four women and one out of every seven men will have experienced severe physical violence from a bully in their lifetimes.

The National Coalition for the Homeless estimates ten million children are exposed to domestic violence every year, and that people exposed to such hostility as children are three to four times more likely to become abusive or be abused than people raised in families without it.

Sometimes it’s right to stand up to a bully, and when there is danger, it’s right to escape and get help. And it’s always right to save your children from a lifetime of abuse by not allowing it in your family.

For free and easy access to the entire Prairie Doc® library, visit www.prairiedoc.org and follow Prairie Doc® on Facebook, featuring On Call with the Prairie Doc® a medical Q&A show streamed most Thursdays at 7 p.m. central.

The news that a Kansas legislator is resigning mid-term for health reasons presents a good opportunity to think about the process that Kansas uses to fill legislative vacancies. This is probably not an enthralling topic to most, but it matters because that process is a rotten anachronism that unnecessarily mutes average voters.

When Kansas legislators leave before their terms are completed, local precinct chairs from the same party as that politician choose their replacement. The governor approves their choice as a formality. This happens fairly frequently. Nearly a fifth of legislators in the 2017-2018 session, for example, originally entered the legislature by appointment.

Only three states use this same process. Most others fill vacancies via special elections, though others also use appointments of some type.

Voters elect precinct chairs in party primaries, but most chair slots are vacant and there is no competition for most who are elected. Thus, a few party activists who are likely unrepresentative of their districts can select new legislators.

Some recent examples illustrate concerns with this process.

When Governor Laura Kelly left the legislature, the Wichita Eagle reported that 100 of 166 Democratic precinct committee positions in her district were vacant, leaving just 66 activists to select her replacement for a district of over 70,000 residents.

As a moderate Republican, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt represented a swing legislative district that voted Democratic for governor and Congress in 2018, but narrowly went for Donald Trump in 2016. Rather than replacing her with another moderate who likely would have fit district voters better, activists chose a far right replacement.

In 2015, western Kansas Republicans rejected a local mayor and instead appointed someone who was serving as a school board member in Nebraska until days before his selection.

Beyond the fact that voters are competent enough to select legislators themselves, this process is troublesome for how it can decrease political competition. Most Kansas legislative races are already relatively uncompetitive given voter party preferences, the quality of campaigns, and widespread uncontested elections.

Politicians often get appointed to the Kansas legislature and subsequently face few, if any, electoral challenges, primary or general. Incumbency itself can discourage challengers, but once appointed, legislators can use the advantages of incumbency—fundraising, media coverage, and official party support, for example—to deter challengers.

Take, for example, former Representative Adam Lusker. Once appointed, the southeast Kansas Democrat served five years with no opponents before losing in 2018 when challenged for the first time. That’s a long time with zero electoral accountability.

Yes, legislators often win seats through the normal process and go years without opposition, but appointments discourage competition for voters when a seat is initially open, which is exactly when competitive elections are most likely to occur.

This is not a critique of parties per se. I firmly subscribe to E.E. Schattschneider’s famous quote that democracy is “unthinkable” without parties. Despite their flaws, parties organize government, structure elections, and promote electoral accountability. And yes, there is a role for party precinct chairs in ensuring strong local parties.

But in filling legislative vacancies, the party “middleman” and “middlewoman” should not intrude between voters and their elected officials. The process as is only serves activists and insiders with the right connections to the select few who make these appointments.

Absolutely, it is far cheaper to have these activists select our policymakers than to hold special elections. And it saves local election officials from having to organize these elections—even though that is their job. You get the democracy that you pay for, though, and easy democracy on the cheap is not necessarily democracy at its best.

Patrick R. Miller is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Kansas.