One action you can take, what our communities, state, and nation need most, is for everyone to vote in 2020. Polls show youth favor change by shocking margins, and yet, turnout numbers show they don't vote. Seventy-five percent of Americans believe we should stay sheltered in place, and yet their elected representatives argue for their freedom to infect others. Most Kansans want to Expand Medicaid, and yet a few in Leadership have blocked it. The fix to this?

Vote.

As we shelter in our homes, the world hasn't stopped around us. Gov. Kelly continues to govern, candidates continue to announce and plan their races, election dates continue to approach. In a world that still needs advocates, how do we continue to engage with our causes?

Yesterday, the Legislative Coordinating Council voted 5-2, along party lines, to rescind Gov. Laura Kelly's Executive order extending 10-person limits to include funerals and religious services. The reasons given to do this were lofty and also trite, and ultimately puts Kansans in harms way.

We are all going through a lot right now, but I hope this finds you healthy and hopeful. It's a challenging time as we face difficult but important issues locally and nationally. At Mainstream we are committed to protecting our communities and continuing our advocacy efforts, all while figuring out the impact on the organization's long-term survival. We have spent the last week adapting to our new virtual reality, and working hard to continue providing the reliable information and effective action steps you’ve come to expect from Mainstream.

Politics is a social endeavor. In its best form, it involves coming together, discussing, and finding compromise that moves issues forward. Already in this Kansas Legislative session, we have seen that process grind to a halt with Sen. President Susan Wagle's refusal to do the work of the people if her personal goals are not met. Now, as the coronavirus threatens Kansans, Statehouse leaders debate about halting legislative work.

This is a message from Michael Poppa, Executive Director of the Mainstream Coalition.

It has now been eight weeks since I joined the Mainstream team. As expected, it has been a roller coaster ride with the Kansas Legislature… and I am enjoying every minute, drinking straight from the firehose that is Kansas politics this year. I am also thankful to be surrounded by you—our dedicated members, volunteers, partners, and staff—who are the heart and soul of Mainstream. Together we’ve made headway on issues that directly impact Kansans through increased advocacy, education, and engagement. Thank you.

Several years ago we published a story about "shenanigans" in the Kansas Legislature. We got some feedback that the word was... not dignified. And yet, after the start of this Kansas Legislative Session in 2020, we can't think of a word more appropriate to describe what has happened.

The 2020 Kansas Legislative Session started with a bang when Sen. Wagle introduced the anticipated amendment to strip women's rights out of the Kansas Constitution. For the first month it stole all the oxygen out of the Statehouse, even while other bills were being introduced, and we attended four lobby days in two weeks.

This morning the Kansas House of Representatives met to debate SCR 1613, the amendment to the Kansas Constitution to strip women's reproductive rights from our Bill of Rights. They voted to send it to a Final Action vote tomorrow, Friday.

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Last night, the Kansas State Senate voted 28-12 to amend the KS Constitution to remove from it the right of every Kansas woman to determine her own health care. The amendment would put that right in the hands of the legislators. Now, it goes to the Kansas House of Representatives for their deliberation and vote.