Opinion

Gradual reduction in state sales tax on groceries OK, making the measure effective after election is not

A gradual cut in the state tax rate for grocery purchases might be the best route to take for Kansas state government. But waiting until after the Nov. 8 general election to make the legislation effective is not in the best interest of Kansas citizens. This is what you call a political grandstand...

Local taxes, elections most misunderstood topics

Local taxes and local elections are two of the most misunderstood and under-explained local government topics, in my opinion. For example, in a city newspaper recently, a front page news story told about how the city council there was planning to talk about lowering the city’s mill levy at its next...

Government turns its back on Kansas corn growers

There was a time in this country when ethanol fuel was considered green energy. Not any more. The Kansas Corn Growers Association (KCGA) has now joined five other state corn associations and other biofuels groups in a petition challenging the Environmental Protection Agency’s recent greenhouse gas...

The U.S. can't support Ukraine and buy Russian oil, too

Why is it that the one thing the U.S. ought to do to show support for Ukraine is the last thing President Joe Biden is willing to do, so far? President Biden could order the United States to stop purchasing oil and natural gas from Russia in response to Russia invading Ukraine. So why won’t he do...

Leave those teachers alone

Disagreements in this country about the direction of the complex and controversial critical race theory (CRT) topic, along with additional parental concerns arising during the COVID-19 learning-at-home time period for kids over the past two years, have resulted in more parents wanting to get...

Using budget surplus to pay off debt makes sense

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, who hopes to be the Republican Party’s next nominee for governor, says he would like state lawmakers to use much of a projected $2.9 billion state surplus to pay down public debt. Schmidt has the right idea. Paying off public debt is what Kansans should expect...

It's time to eliminate the grocery tax

It looks like a plan to eliminate or reduce the sales tax on groceries purchased in Kansas may have a good shot at getting approved by the Kansas State Legislature during the 2022 Session. Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, announced Monday, Nov. 8, that she favored the idea. And Derek Schmidt, a...

Political Cartoons

Native American Day for Kansas

President Joe Biden on Oct. 8 issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. The day was observed Oct. 11, along with Columbus Day, which is a national holiday. Native Americans reportedly have campaigned for years for local and national days in recognition of the...

AG Schmidt is a good candidate for governor

Directing Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) agents across the country to monitor local school board meetings sends a threatening message from the federal government and has a chilling effect on free speech rights that must not be continued, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said recently....