Category Archives: Kansas

Kansas

KDOT Cost Share Program Opens Applications Aug. 17

Leave a comment

Aug. 3, 2026

KDOT’s Cost Share Program, with additional dollars, to open applications Aug. 17

The Kansas Department of Transportation will begin accepting applications for the fall 2026 round of the agency’s Cost Share Program Monday, Aug. 17. Nearly $170 million has been given to Kansas communities since the program began in 2019.

The Cost Share Program provides financial assistance to local entities for construction projects that improve safety, leverage state funds to increase total transportation investment and help both rural and urban areas of the state improve the transportation system. This is the 15th round of projects to receive funding.

This fall’s round will have approximately $12 million in available funds to award, which is greater than past cycles. The one-time occurrence for the program is possible due to savings from less snow and ice removal needed during the relatively lighter 2025-26 inclement winter weather season. A portion of that leftover cost savings will now be used for Cost Share, with the maximum project award amount increased to $1.5 million this round.

“KDOT’s Cost Share Program improves transportation, creates economic growth and increases job opportunities across Kansas,” said Michelle Needham, Economic Development Programs Manager. “Past Cost Share participants have proven this program to be the financial boost that communities of all sizes needed to achieve their project goals.”

All transportation projects are eligible, including roadway (on and off the state system), rail, airport, bicycle/pedestrian and public transit. Candidate projects should include investments that provide transportation benefits and are not eligible for other KDOT programs.

The deadline for submitting applications is Sept. 24. More information and the application link will be on KDOT’s website on Aug. 17 at https://www.ksdot.gov/programs/economic-development-programs/cost-share-program. All applications will be completed online, and a sample PDF application will be available for preview.

Please contact Michelle Needham at [email protected] with any questions.

Government, Health Care, Kansas

Rural Hospital Bill Could Benefit Fort Scott

Leave a comment

The following is a news release issued July 31, 2026 by the office of U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), originally headlined “Sens. Moran, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Rural Hospitals.” It is reprinted in full, unedited. View the original release.

REH 2.0 makes changes to bolster & improve the original REH Designation

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) this week introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act (REH 2.0), bipartisan legislation to expand access to federal resources for rural hospitals through the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Medicare designation. This legislation would allow more Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and rural hospitals at risk of closure to sustain health care services in rural communities, and it would make technical improvements to the designation. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Marshall, M.D., (R-Kan.).

“I have visited every hospital in Kansas numerous times, and these conversations help guide my efforts to make certain health care providers across our state have the support they need to provide critical services to patients in their communities,” said Sen. Moran. “During these visits, providers shared with me their recommendations for strengthening the Rural Emergency Hospital designation so it can better support the struggling facilities it was originally intended to serve. The legislation I am introducing with Senator Tina Smith is the direct result of what we have heard from rural hospitals and health care providers in our states, and it makes needed improvements to the program to help make certain patients can continue to access critical health care services in their communities for years to come.”

“Rural hospitals are vital for families in small towns and rural communities. These hospitals not only provide care close to home, they’re also economic engines for their region,” said Sen. Smith. “But many rural hospitals face increasingly dire financial strain and workforce shortages, forcing them to cut services or even close down altogether. This important legislation is just one tool in the toolbox to help rural hospitals on the verge of closure keep their doors open. Make no mistake, much more is needed to ensure the health and wellness of rural hospitals and families.

“The Rural Emergency Hospital designation has already created new opportunities to preserve health care access in rural Kansas, but experience has also shown where additional flexibility is needed,” said Chad Austin, President and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association. “The Rural Emergency Hospital Improvement Act represents the next step in strengthening this model by removing barriers that have prevented certain hospitals from participating and by providing commonsense improvements that will help more rural communities maintain access to essential services. We appreciate Senator Moran’s leadership and longstanding commitment to ensuring hospitals have the tools they need to care for their patients today and well into the future.”

“Healthcare access across rural Kansas is at a critical tipping point, with our state facing one of the highest numbers of at-risk rural hospitals in the nation,” said Tripp Owings, CEO of Ascension Via Christi. “The reality is that the needs of rural communities continue to evolve, and hospitals need the flexibility to adapt how they deliver care so they can preserve access and remain sustainable for the long term. When the Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department in Wellington opened in March 2021 to restore emergency services after the local hospital closed, we missed the initial federal REH cutoff by mere months, leaving our facility without a pathway to qualify. We thank Senator Moran for his continued support for rural hospitals in Kansas and we believe that REH 2.0 would provide important flexibilities to ensure more hospitals across Kansas and the country to adapt, stabilize, and maintain 24/7 emergency care close to home.”

“As the first Rural Emergency Hospital in Kansas, SCK Health has seen firsthand how the REH designation can preserve access to high-quality care in rural communities,” said Margaret Grismer, CEO of SCK Health. “The Rural Emergency Hospital Improvement Act builds on that success by providing the flexibility hospitals need to better serve their patients while strengthening the long-term sustainability of rural healthcare. We applaud Senator Moran’s leadership in advancing practical solutions that help ensure rural Kansans continue to receive the care they deserve, close to home.”

“In the fall of 2015, the hospital located in Independence, Kansas closed.  Labette Health located 35 miles east of Independence worked with local leaders, KDHE, the USDA, and Senator Moran to open an off-campus Emergency Room, Observation Unit, and Rural Health Clinic on July 4, 2017, in Independence. This REH 2.0 will provide two paths to sustainability for Independence Healthcare Center as either an REH or as a ‘REH like’ facility,” said Brian Williams, President and CEO of Labette Health. 

“REH 2.0 will provide needed updates to the Rural Emergency Hospital model by allowing those REH hospitals in America’s most rural and vulnerable areas to provide Swing Bed Skilled services for their communities, along with other vital legislative updates, such as Medicaid payment parity,” said Aaron Herbel, Administrator of Mercy Hospital. “Rural Emergency Hospitals across the U.S., including Mercy Hospital in Moundridge, Kansas, are grateful for the continued support that Senator Moran has showed by authoring this essential legislation.”

The REH Designation Improvement Act is also supported by the National Rural Health Association.

The provisions in the REH Designation Improvement Act are the result of numerous conversations Sen. Moran held with rural health care providers and CEOs of hospitals that are eligible for the REH designation. Originally created with the support of Sen. Moran as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, REH is a Medicare provider designation that offers certain rural hospitals the opportunity to convert and continue operating with limited services rather than closing.

The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act would:

  • Allow previously closed rural hospitals to re-open and apply for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation if they can demonstrate they met all eligibility requirements between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 27, 2020.
  • Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a waiver program for facilities operating similarly to an REH in order to convert to an REH.
  • Allow REH facilities to maintain or create a unit for inpatient psychiatric care, obstetric care and allow for limited inpatient rehabilitation services.
  • Require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide additional funding for laboratory services.
  • Clarify that REH facilities are eligible for Small Rural Hospital Improvement grants.
  • Direct the Secretary of HHS to allow an REH to be eligible as a National Health Service Corp site.
  • Authorize REH facilities to transfer patients from acute care to a Skilled Nursing Facility without leaving the hospital, in accordance with the Social Security Act.
  • Allow an REH facility to revert back to a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) to regain necessary provider status, only if the facility was designated a necessary provider prior to converting to REH.
  • Clarify state Medicaid agencies can pay REH facilities as hospitals.


Full text of the legislation can be found HERE. 

# # #

Elections, Kansas, Uncategorized

Nexstar Kansas Stations to Air Live Democratic Governor’s Debate

Leave a comment

Nexstar’s Kansas Television Stations to Air Exclusive Live Debate Between Candidates for the Democratic Party’s Nomination for Governor of Kansas

Debate Will Take Place on July 31 at 7 p.m. CT

KANSAS CITY, MO (July 23, 2026)—Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST), today announced that its television stations serving Kansas will air an exclusive live, multi-market telecast of a debate between candidates seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for Governor of Kansas. The debate, titled “Debate Night in Kansas,” will take place on July 31st from 7 p.m. CT to 8 p.m. CT, and originate from WDAF-TV FOX4 in Kansas City.

The debate will be moderated by FOX4’s John Holt, who has deep experience covering Kansas politics and statewide issues. The debate will focus on topics most important to voters, including economic growth, education, and healthcare.

Participating candidates include Kansas State Senator Ethan Corson, Kansas State Senator Cindy Holscher, and Overland Park, KS, Mayor Curt Skoog.

“This is Nexstar’s second live statewide debate in Kansas, reaching a potential audience of two million registered voters, offering them an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates running for the Democratic party’s nomination for Governor,” said Andrew Alford, President of Nexstar’s broadcasting division. “Nexstar is pleased to offer this debate as a public service to the voters of Kansas, just as we have done in several other states across the country.”

The debate will be carried live on four Nexstar television stations serving Kansas, including FOX 4, WDAF (Kansas City), KSN 16, KSNF (Joplin, MO), KSNT 27 (Topeka), and KSN News, KSNW (Wichita).

The event will also be streamed live on Nexstar’s digital platforms, with excerpts airing nationally on NewsNation and The Hill.

The following television stations will carry the debate live on July 31:

Station Network Market Website
WDAF FOX Kansas City FOX4KC.com
KSNF NBC Joplin, MO FourStatesHomepage.com
KSNT NBC Topeka KSNT.com
KSNW NBC Wichita KSN.com

About Nexstar Media Group, Inc.

Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: NXST) is a leading diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. For more information, please visit nexstar.tv.

Media Credentials

https://ksdebate.wufoo.com/forms/qt2kwdz0lxge5m/

Media Contact

Chris Berg
VP/Local Content Development
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
[email protected]

Documents:

Kansas

KDOT Urges: Check Your Height to Avoid Bridge Strikes

Leave a comment

July 27, 2026

KDOT Urges Motorists: ‘Check Your Height, Know It’s Right’

Kansas recorded 377 vehicle strikes to bridges in 2025 – more than one every day of the year.

To help raise awareness on the dangers of bridge strikes, the Kansas Department of Transportation is joining the Check Your Height, Know It’s Right national safety campaign. The initiative is directed at reminding drivers to check vehicle and bridge heights on planned routes and lower truck beds or trailered equipment while traveling.

In addition to semitruck and commercial vehicle drivers, those driving rental/delivery box trucks, recreational vehicles and construction vehicles, or pulling livestock/equipment trailers have the potential of overhead collisions.

“For taller vehicles, make sure you check your height before you leave, and always buckle up and avoid distractions,” said Secretary Calvin Reed. “Hitting a stationary structure while traveling at any speed could have devastating consequences.”

Kansas data shows that nine people were killed and 138 injured in bridge strike crashes on state and local roadways in 2025. These crashes can also cause serious structural damage that may lead to road closures and impact emergency responders and other motorists.

“KDOT and local public works offices have made investments to build and maintain bridges on our state’s transportation system,” Secretary Reed said. “Repairing damaged structures can be costly and time consuming.”

Drivers should know their vehicle’s height, pay attention to posted bridge heights and avoid relying just on navigation devices or apps. Bridges that are 14 feet or under are required to have signing stating the clearance.

Trailers hauling round hay bales can be 14 feet, 5 inches tall. For all other vehicles, the limit is 14 feet. People using vehicles over 14 feet should contact the state’s K-TRIP central permit office at 785-368-6501 to receive a permit and check the route.

Government, Kansas

Kobach Warns Cities: Conversion Therapy Bans Are Illegal

1 Comment

TOPEKA – (July 23, 2026) – Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach today sent letters to the mayors of Lawrence, Roeland Park, and Prairie Village, calling on each city to immediately repeal its local ordinance banning so-called “conversion therapy,” including counseling that involves only speech.

The letters cite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Chiles v. Salazar, which struck down a nearly identical Colorado law as a violation of the First Amendment. The Court held that such bans improperly censor therapists’ speech based on viewpoint and that therapist speech is constitutionally protected.

“The First Amendment applies to everyone – therapists, patients and everyone else. A city violates the Constitution when it attempts to forbid a therapist from providing the counseling that the therapist believes is in the best interest of the patient,” Kobach said. “The government may not declare that some words and ideas are forbidden. And now the Supreme Court of the United States has squarely ruled on the subject.”

In the letter to Lawrence Mayor Brad Finkeldei, Attorney General Kobach wrote: “Lawrence’s ordinance seeks to control speech in a nearly identical way. … In other words, only one viewpoint is allowed to be expressed. Thus, the ordinance engages in viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.”

The letters to Roeland Park and Prairie Village contain substantially similar analysis, noting that each city’s ordinance defines “conversion therapy” to include any counseling that fails to affirm a patient’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But it expressly permits counseling that supports identity exploration or gender transition—thereby allowing only one viewpoint to be expressed.

Attorney General Kobach requested that each city inform his office within 60 days whether the ordinance has been repealed. The letters were also copied to the respective city council members.

Read the letters here.

Kansas

KDOT: Use Caution on U.S. 69 Saturday Near Frontenac

Leave a comment

July 24, 2026

Drive with Caution on U.S. 69 on Saturday

The Kansas Department of Transportation is alerting motorists in the Frontenac area that U.S. 69 will remain open on Saturday, July 25, during the large fireworks display and music festival at the Camptown Event Center.

Travelers should follow all traffic laws and posted signage. Do not park on the shoulder or stop vehicles on the road.

The event is celebrating the country’s 250th birthday and is featuring five bands or artists followed by a large fireworks display.

KDOT will have message boards on U.S. 69 north and south of the event center notifying motorists to slow down and use caution.

For current road conditions, visit kandrive.gov or call 511. For updates on construction projects in southeast Kansas, visit ksdot.gov/projects/southeast-kansas-projects.

Kansas

U.S. 69 Overlay Delayed in Bourbon, Linn Counties

Leave a comment

U.S. 69 Overlay Project Delayed in Bourbon, Linn Counties

July 21, 2026

A Kansas Department of Transportation project to overlay about 25 miles of U.S. 69 in Linn and Bourbon counties has been delayed due to contractor scheduling issues. The overlay work will start the last week of July.

The project begins just north of Pleasanton on the southbound lanes and moves south. The southbound lanes will receive a 4-inch asphalt overlay, and portions of the route will require milling before the overlay. Pavement markings also will be added.

The contractor will close one lane at a time to work on a short stretch of highway then switch to the adjacent lane as the project progresses. Temporary exit/entry ramp closures will be required on the route.

The work zone speed limit will be reduced to 65 mph.

Work will occur during daylight hours Monday through Friday, and possibly Saturday, and the U.S. 69 project is expected to be completed this year, conditions permitting.

APAC-Central Inc., of Fayetteville, Arkansas, has the contract for the $15.95 million project.

KDOT urges motorists to stay alert, follow posted signs and refrain from hand-held mobile device use in all active work zones. For current road conditions, visit kandrive.gov or call 511. For updates on construction projects in southeast Kansas, visit ksdot.gov/projects/southeast-kansas-projects.

Kansas

Kansas Tourism Opens Tourism Marketing Grant Applications

Leave a comment

TOPEKA – Kansas Tourism, a division within the Kansas Department of Commerce, today announced that applications are open for the Tourism Marketing Grant program. The grants are designed to assist local tourism organizations or attractions in new or first-time innovative marketing initiatives.

“Strong tourism marketing is essential for ensuring our communities are reaching new audiences, attracting more visitors and generating economic opportunities for local businesses,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “These grants are a way to help showcase what makes Kansas special while strengthening our state’s tourism economy.”

The Tourism Marketing Grant program helps local destination marketing organizations (DMO’s), communities and travel industry businesses launch first-time marketing and promotional initiatives that encourage travel to Kansas. Last year, Kansas Tourism awarded $100,000 to support 20 tourism marketing projects across the state.

“Every Kansas community has a story worth sharing,” Kansas Tourism Director Bridgette Jobe said. “Tourism Marketing Grants provide community tourism partners with the resources to introduce new audiences to their unique experiences, inspire travel and encourage visitors to explore more of Kansas.”

Applications will remain open until 11:59 p.m. Monday, August 31.

For more information, including application materials and a list of eligible projects and activities, visit the Kansas Tourism grants page or contact Tourism Grant Program Manager Babette Dixon at [email protected].

About Kansas Tourism:

The mission of Kansas Tourism is to inspire travel to and throughout Kansas to maximize the positive impacts that tourism has on our state and local communities. Kansas Tourism works hand in hand with other Commerce community programs to elevate and promote Kansas as a tourist destination. Kansas Tourism oversees all tourism marketing and PR for the state, produces travel publications and advertising, manages state Travel Information Centers, manages both the Kansas By-ways program and the Kansas Agritourism program, approves tourist signage applications, produces the KANSAS! Magazine, and provides financial and educational support to the tourism industry in Kansas through grants, education and support.

Government, Kansas

Kobach Appeals Mail-In Ballot Grace Period Ruling

Leave a comment

TOPEKA – (July 16, 2026) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach today announced his office will file an emergency appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court, after a district court judge issued a temporary injunction reinstituting a three-day grace period for the return of mail-in ballots. More than 44,000 ballots have already gone out.

“This judge has issued an unprecedented, poorly-reasoned decision that completely upsets the election process after absentee voting has already begun,” Kobach said. “His decision will cause massive confusion for voters. The judge delayed nearly five months in issuing his opinion. He should have issued it in April at the latest. My office is filing an emergency appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court to ensure that in Kansas, Election Day is Election Day.”

In May 2025, Kansas Appleseed filed a lawsuit challenging a Kansas law that eliminated the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day. Attorneys argued the case before Judge Folsom in February with post-trial briefing due March 2.

Kansas

Boil Water Advisory Issued for Fulton, Bourbon County

Leave a comment

July 15, 2026

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Fulton public water supply system located in Bourbon County.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

  • Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
  • Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
  • If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
  • Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
  • Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.

The advisory took effect on July 15, 2026 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because the city cannot currently maintain the minimum required chlorine residual. Failure to maintain required chlorine residual levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination.

Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 620-857-4464, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service

Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.

Bourbon County, Elections, Government, Kansas

Early Voting Starts in Bourbon County Next Monday, July 20 at the Courthouse

Leave a comment
Voter booths at the Bourbon County Courthouse.
 

Early voting in Bourbon County begins next Monday, July 20 and runs until August 3. The election is August 4.

Voters will be able to vote Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday 8 am. to noon at the Courthouse only.

Election Day is August 4 and voting will be at the usual polling places on that day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Those running for office are listed on this document send from the Bourbon County Clerks staff:
“Everyone can vote,” said Bourbon County Election Clerk Amber Page. “But, since August is a Primary, there will only be ballots for Republican and Democrat parties to vote on candidates.
“For those who choose not to affiliate with either of the major parties, there will be an Unaffiliated Ballot with just the Constitutional Amendment question on it.”
“The Constitutional Amendment is copied exactly how the State sent it to us to put on the ballot,” Page said. “If I understood correctly, the strike-through is over the original script that is being voted on to change or remove.”

The following constitutional amendment will be voted on during the August 4, 2026 Primary Election, taken from the Kansas Secretary of State website.

Vote Yes or No

“Explanatory statement. This amendment gives the voters the right to elect the justices of the Kansas supreme court. The justices shall serve terms of six years, with the elections of justice positions 1, 2 and 3 to occur in 2028, positions 4 and 5 to occur in 2030 and positions 6 and 7 to occur in 2032, and every six years thereafter. The rules applicable for such elections and the designation of position numbers shall be provided by law. Any vacancy on the court for an unexpired term shall be filled at an election as provided by law.

“A vote for this proposition would give Kansas citizens the right to elect Kansas supreme court justices as provided by law. Justices will hold office for terms of six years. The Kansas supreme court nominating commission, whose membership consists of a majority of lawyers, would be abolished.

“A vote against this proposition would continue the current system in which the Kansas supreme court nominating commission, whose membership consists of a majority of lawyers, provides the governor a list of three individuals to choose from for vacancies on the Kansas supreme court. Justices hold office for a term of six years and retain their offices if they win a retention election in which they do not face an opponent.

Shall the following be adopted?

Ҥ 5. Selection of justices of the supreme court. The citizens of Kansas who are qualified electors shall elect the justices of the supreme court. The rules applicable for such elections and the designation of position numbers shall be provided by law. Justice positions 1, 2 and 3 shall be elected at the general election in November of 2028, justice positions 4 and 5 in November of 2030 and justice positions 6 and 7 in November of 2032, and every six years thereafter, respectively. Any vacancy occurring on the supreme court for an unexpired term shall be filled by election as provided by law.(a) Any vacancy occurring in the office of any justice of the supreme court and any position to be open thereon as a result of enlargement of the court, or the retirement or failure of an incumbent to file his declaration of candidacy to succeed himself as hereinafter required, or failure of a justice to be elected to succeed himself, shall be filled by appointment by the governor of one of three persons possessing the qualifications of office who shall be nominated and whose names shall be submitted to the governor by the supreme court nominating commission established as hereinafter provided.

(b) In event of the failure of the governor to make the appointment within sixty days from the time the names of the nominees are submitted to him, the chief justice of the supreme court shall make the appointment from such nominees.

(c) Each justice of the supreme court appointed pursuant to provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall hold office for an initial term ending on the second Monday in January following the first general election that occurs after the expiration of twelve months in office. Not less than sixty days prior to the holding of the general election next preceding the expiration of his term of office, any justice of the supreme court may file in the office of the secretary of state a declaration of candidacy for election to succeed himself. If a declaration is not so filed, the position held by such justice shall be open from the expiration of his term of office. If such declaration is filed, his name shall be submitted at the next general election to the electors of the state on a separate judicial ballot, without party designation, reading substantially as follows:

“Shall

_______________________________
(Here insert name of justice.)

_______________________________
(Here insert the title of the court.)

be retained in office?”

If a majority of those voting on the question vote against retaining him in office, the position or office which he holds shall be open upon the expiration of his term of office; otherwise he shall, unless removed for cause, remain in office for the regular term of six years from the second Monday in January following such election. At the expiration of each term he shall, unless by law he is compelled to retire, be eligible for retention in office by election in the manner prescribed in this section.

(d) A nonpartisan nominating commission whose duty it shall be to nominate and submit to the governor the names of persons for appointment to fill vacancies in the office of any justice of the supreme court is hereby established, and shall be known as the “supreme court nominating commission.” Said commission shall be organized as hereinafter provided.

(e) The supreme court nominating commission shall be composed as follows: One member, who shall be chairman, chosen from among their number by the members of the bar who are residents of and licensed in Kansas; one member from each congressional district chosen from among their number by the resident members of the bar in each such district; and one member, who is not a lawyer, from each congressional district, appointed by the governor from among the residents of each such district.

(f) The terms of office, the procedure for selection and certification of the members of the commission and provision for their compensation or expenses shall be as provided by the legislature.

(g) No member of the supreme court nominating commission shall, while he is a member, hold any other public office by appointment or any official position in a political party or for six months thereafter be eligible for nomination for the office of justice of the supreme court. The commission may act only by the concurrence of a majority of its members.”

“§ 8. Prohibition of political activity by justices and certain judges. No justice of the supreme court who is appointed or retained under the procedure of section 5 of this article, nor any judge of the district court holding office under a nonpartisan method authorized in subsection (a) of section 6 of this article shall directly or indirectly make any contribution to or hold any office in a political party or organization or take part in any political campaign, except when such judge is a candidate for election to a position on an appellate court.”

“§ 15. Removal of justices and judges. Justices of the supreme court may be removed from office by impeachment and conviction as prescribed in article 2 of this constitution. In addition to removal by impeachment and conviction, justices may be retired after appropriate hearing, upon certification to the governor, by the supreme court nominating commission that such justice is so incapacitated as to be unable to perform adequately his duties. Other judges shall be subject to retirement for incapacity, and to discipline, suspension and removal for cause by the supreme court after appropriate hearing.”

⬭ Yes
⬭ No

Kansas

Political Signs Not Allowed on Highway Right of Way

1 Comment

July 13, 2026

It’s a sign of the season – political campaigning and the posting of campaign signs. The Kansas Department of Transportation reminds the public that all political campaign signs or billboards are prohibited from being placed on state highway right of way.

By law, all right of way on state highways is exclusively for public highway purposes. Only regulatory, guide signs and warning signs placed by KDOT are allowed on the 9,500-mile state highway system. KDOT has jurisdiction over all interstate, Kansas and U.S. routes.

When KDOT maintenance crews find political signs on state highway right of way, the signs will be removed without notice. All such signs will then be taken to the closest KDOT Subarea office. Political campaign signs not retrieved from the Subarea offices will be disposed of after the election.

Political campaign advertising is allowed on private property bordering state right of way. However, people placing or erecting signs on private property must first obtain permission from the property owner.

A state law passed in 2015 related to placement of campaign signs on city- or county-owned right of way does not apply to state highway right of way. Persons placing signs on city street or county road right of way should consult the local jurisdiction on any rules.