Takeaways: Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has essentially invited immigrants to come and fill the local labor pool. He’s offering officials in New York and Denver help from the crush of immigrants in those cities and welcoming foreign workers to Kansas City. That quickly sparked accusations that Lucas appeared bent on making Kansas City a […]
Posted inLocal Government
KC residents will soon be able to throw away twice as much garbage. Will that help or hinder efforts to recycle?
Kansas City is about to bottle up its trash better. Bins will replace bags, keeping animals out of the garbage. But the convenience of a lidded trash bin may come at a cost for the environment.
Kansas City set a goal in 2009 to divert 80% of its waste from landfills. Now 15 years later, the city is halfway there. The bins, with their bigger capacity, threaten to reverse that progress. And it might still take more effort to keep trash safe from raccoons.
Posted inHousing
New Kansas City housing subsidies set by ZIP code could avoid segregating renters
For generations, federal housing subsidies have provided a lifeline to families struggling to afford rent. But the maximum amount families got for rent stayed the same regardless of which neighborhood best suited their needs — effectively segregating them into low-income areas. Come this fall, the rent cap for a standard apartment will vary from one […]
Posted inEducation
Kansas City, Kansas, school bond would mean higher taxes, new schools, but only if voters approve
The bond would pay to consolidate six elementary schools into three schools and replace Argentine and Central middle schools.
Posted inState Government
Missouri’s senior property tax freeze still dogged by unanswered questions
Takeaways Last year, the Missouri General Assembly scrambled to act on an issue popular with voters who turn out in large numbers: property tax cuts for seniors in the form of a tax freeze. Lawmakers passed a vague directive letting counties freeze property tax bills for seniors, without defining what “senior” meant, who was going […]
Posted inEducation
Why the FAFSA is so hard in 2024, and where to get help in Kansas City
An updated version of the FAFSA, shorter and intended to be easier than previous editions, was released months later than usual. Then website malfunctions hindered families trying to complete the application.
Posted inState Government
A Kansas ban on gender-affirming care couldn’t overcome a veto last year. Things are different now
Takeaways: Conservative Kansas lawmakers couldn’t ban gender-affirming care for transgender children last year after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the bill and Republicans fell short on an override vote. This year, they’ve passed a more restrictive ban and run into another veto from Kelly. Yet a veto override that would outlaw puberty blockers, hormone treatments […]
Posted inLocal Government
KC roads could just get bumpier. Eco-friendly cars are chipping away at street repair funds
The signs of springtime are among us: The smell of new flowers, the sight of children playing at the park and the sound of metal scraping against asphalt as cars kerplunk into potholes.
But for all of the racket these potholes cause every spring — and all the money that City Hall dumps into street resurfacing every year — Kansas City’s streets may only become more of a problem in the future.
Posted inState Government
Transgender care, abortion, plastic bags and more: Your guide to Kansas Gov. Kelly’s 2024 vetoes
Takeaways: Update: The 2024 veto session has ended. Read this story to see what passed and what didn’t. Gov. Laura Kelly’s vetoes of bills that would restrict gender-affirming care for children and abortion rights are setting up override votes that will test the unity of conservatives in the Legislature. One part of the Kansas legislative […]
Posted inHealth Care
Kansas City-area politicians pick between war on drugs or treatment when spending opioid settlement cash
Editor’s note (April 18, 2024): This story has been updated to correct the amount of money Jackson County allocated to University Health’s Center for Recovery and Wellness. A state report listed a different amount than the the county legislature appropriated. Johnson County spent the biggest piece of its opioid settlement windfall so far cracking down […]