KS LOTTERY

TOPEKA – The Kansas Lottery is pleased to announce it transferred more revenue to the State of Kansas in Fiscal Year 2019 than in Fiscal Year 2018.

The combined transfer from the traditional lottery and state-owned and operated casino gaming revenue totaled $173.6 million.

The total revenue transferred to the State through traditional lottery game sales was $74.9 million. Revenue transferred from state-owned and operated casino gaming totaled $98.7 million. Kansas Lottery retailers saw record commissions in FY19 of $17.3 million.

Traditional lottery sales in Fiscal Year 2019 were $295.3 million. Lottery sales were 9.79 percent higher than in FY18 when sales were $268.9 million.

“It’s the Kansas Lottery’s mission to engage our players in a fun and secure way while also doing our best to try and maximize a return to the State,” said Kansas Lottery Executive Director Stephen Durrell. “We do that by looking at ways to keep our players interested and excited about our games. The Lottery is continuing to add new games and second-chance promotions that offer unique experiences, and we thank all of our players and retailers for their continued support.”

A portion of proceeds from traditional lottery sales was dedicated to paying for the 272 Lottery vending machines being rolled out to select retailers across the state. The Kansas Lottery avoided interest and financing costs by paying for the vending machines from operating funds.

“Our vending machine roll-out has been methodical as we try to look for the best retailers to maximize the effectiveness of the machines,” Durrell said. “We look forward to the opportunity for increasing our sales and transfer to the state through vending machine sales. Vending machines offer easier access for our players to find their favorite games and takes the burden off our retailers during times of high retail sales.”

The Kansas Lottery also transferred a combined $8.3 million to the Problem Gambling and Addictions Grant Fund. The transfer included $80,000 from traditional lottery games and $8.22 million from state-owned and operated casino gaming, as required by state law.

“The Kansas Lottery values its relationship with the four managers the State contracted with to manage these casinos,” Durrell continued. “The casinos generate millions of dollars for the state and helps the Lottery accomplish its mission by maximizing the State’s revenue.”

Where Does the Money Go?

Traditional Lottery Revenue
Traditional lottery revenue goes into the State Gaming Revenues Fund. On a yearly basis, the first $50 million is divided by a formula which first transfers $80,000 to the Problem Gambling and Addictions Grant Fund. Then 85 percent of the balance is transferred to the
Economic Development Initiatives Fund, 10 percent to the Correctional Institutions Building Fund, and 5 percent to the Juvenile Detention Facilities Fund.

The Economic Development Initiatives Fund supports state programs that create and retain jobs in Kansas. Those include Kansas Department of Commerce programs, Tourism and Parks programs in the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, the Kansas Board of
Regents for vocational education programs, and many more.

Other portions of traditional lottery revenue are specifically appropriated for veterans’ programs and, beginning in Fiscal Year 2020, mental health programs. All other net revenues in excess of $50 million must be transferred to the State General Fund. In Fiscal Year 2020, up to $8 million of the net profits generated from vending machine sales will be directed to mental health programs throughout the state.

Veterans Games
Included in the Fiscal Year 2019 transfer of traditional lottery was $1.2 million from the sale of special $1 and $2 Veterans Benefit instant scratch tickets. Proceeds from the tickets go to state programs benefiting Kansas Military veterans. Some of the programs include Veterans Enhanced Service Delivery Program, National Guard scholarships and Kansas Veterans homes and cemeteries.

Expanded Lottery (Casino) Revenue
The 2007 Kansas Expanded Lottery Act created the Expanded Lottery Act Revenues Fund (ELARF). The State’s share of revenue from state-owned and -operated casino gaming is transferred from the ELARF for purposes of reduction of state debt, state infrastructure improvements and reduction of local ad valorem tax; and/or for other purposes as directed by the Kansas Legislature, such as Kan-Grow Engineering Funds at state universities and the reduction of unfunded actuarial liability of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement
System (KPERS).

OFFICE OF GOVERNOR

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly appointed Brad Allen and Lisa Sisley to Humanities Kansas, which was formerly named the Kansas Humanities Council.

“The Humanities Kansas board is dedicated to ensuring that people across our state have access to programs to help enrich their communities,” Kelly said. “Brad and Lisa are passionate about generating new ideas and strengthening our democracy. They will be a wonderful addition to the team.”

Brad Allen, Lawrence, has worked as the executive director of the Lawrence Public Library for seven years. Previously, he worked as the branch manager and programming coordinator for the Everett Public Library in Everett, Wash. Allen received a master’s degree in Afro-American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Science in library and information science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in American studies and psychology from the University of Kansas.

Lisa Sisley, Manhattan, has worked as the principal for New Boston Creative Group, LLC, for 13 years. Previously, she worked as a writer for the dean’s office at Kansas State University’s College of Human Ecology, and owned Lisa Sisley Writing Services. Sisley earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Kansas State University.

Humanities Kansas is an independent nonprofit group that works to strengthen civic life by pioneering programming, grants and partnerships to connect communities with history, traditions and ideas. Kansans can visit www.humanitieskansas.org to request a speaker, explore stories about our state, find a humanities-related event nearby and more.

The governor’s appointments to Humanities Kansas are not subject to Senate confirmation.

KU NEWS SERVICE

LAWRENCE — Attitudes toward transgender people have become increasingly scrutinized during the last few years. But those attitudes intersect with actual policy most visibly in the military.

A new research study titled “Public Attitudes on Transgender Military Service: The Role of Gender,” published in the current issue of Armed Forces & Society, examines how cultural opinion affects the shifts in acceptance.

“It fundamentally shows the values of not only egalitarianism and traditionalism but also the role of sex and gender conformity in shaping these attitudes,” said Don Haider-Markel, professor and chair of political science at the University of Kansas.

Together with KU Associate Professor Patrick Miller, Haider-Markel seeks to establish a more concrete frame of reference for this subject, as well as surveying how it’s both similar and distinct from gay and lesbian concerns.

“Significant portions of the public — around 30 percent — still don’t have clear attitudes on transgender policy-related issues. That itself is important so we get some kind of baseline for analysis. Only in the past seven or eight years did we get the first real national polling data about transgender issues. To even develop some initial measures and predictors of those attitudes is still relatively unique,” said Haider-Markel, whose co-authors also include Daniel Lewis, Barry Tadlock, Andrew Flores and Jami Taylor.

Their initial research hypothesized that “personal experiences with the military and with transgender people, along with values, personality predispositions and religion, are likely to influence individual attitudes.” They tested this using data from a unique 2015 national survey of American adults. The results suggest interactions, opinions on gender roles and religiosity had the most substantial (albeit conditional) effects on viewpoints regarding transgender military service.

Haider-Markel became interested in exploring this topic when he came across an unusual statistic discovered by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law: Transgender individuals are more likely to have served or be serving in the U.S. military when compared to the general population.

“Ironically, as an institution, the military is seen as one where gender norms are pretty rigid,” he said. “So it may actually be attractive to some transgender people prior to fully coming out. At the time when people enlisted or went to officer training school, they were perhaps trying to rigidly conform to a gender they had already started to feel uncomfortable with, and they thought the military might help.”

A veteran of the Air Force, Haider-Markel served until 1993. He may not have knowingly served with anyone transgender, but he says that was a genuine possibility.

“When I was 18 and in tech school, I was surprised at the number of male soldiers who on the weekend would leave the base and wear makeup or do other forms of cross-dressing or gender-nonconforming kinds of things,” he said. “But even in the mid-to-late 1980s, that was a big surprise to me.”

This latest research builds on the work of a group that has earned the nickname “Team Kansas.” After producing nine articles on the topic, Haider-Markel’s team published its first book: “The Remarkable Rise of Transgender Rights” (University of Michigan Press, 2018).

“It’s probably the most efficient and effective research team I’ve ever worked with,” he said.

Having spent 22 years at KU, Haider-Markel’s work focuses on public policy and public opinion, with an emphasis on civil rights, criminal justice and counterterrorism.

Earlier this year, the Trump administration reinstated a near-total ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. This was supposedly based on the “tremendous medical costs and disruption” of allowing these troops to serve.

Will Trump’s ban be overturned?

“I don’t know if it will be the next president or if it will be before that,” Haider-Markel said. “But the pathway is difficult to change. We can see these temporary setbacks, but the movement itself is well-established. A march toward full civil rights for LGBT people is just a matter of time.”

KCAIC

TOPEKA  – Arts in Medicine, a partnership between the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission (KCAIC) and Emporia State University (ESU), is accepting applications from associations, agencies and organizations that provide medical services to Kansans.

If accepted, art therapy faculty and two second-year graduate art therapy students from Emporia State University will work with the applicant agency to build a medical arts program and schedule that meets the needs of specified populations.

Applicants should be interested in offering patients, clients, or staff art therapy services such as, but not limited to:

• Group art therapy programming designed to meet the psycho-social needs of patients, care givers or medical personnel
• Individual art therapy for patients receiving treatment (i.e. cancer treatments or transfusions)
• Art-based workshops for medical personnel or clinicians in training (stress relief, group bonding, etc.)
• Arts-based programs at special events (grief camps, open houses, etc.)

Applicants must be Kansas-based institutions, organizations or associations that provide medical services to Kansas residents. Applications are welcome from agencies that serve all age and developmental levels. Art experience and art skills are not necessary.

Applications are due by Sept. 6, 2019. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a panel including members of KCAIC, ESU and art therapy professionals.

To submit an application, visit https://kansascaic.submittable.com.