Miscarriage of Justice
On Friday, Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas appointed Caleb Stegall to the Kansas Supreme Court. This completes a coup so arrogant, so contemptuous of the separation of powers, so disrespectful of the people of Kansas, that it leaves us gasping.
Read moreCivility
Passion. Shouting. Not backing down. These are, increasingly, the hallmarks of politics today. There are many calls for civility, for a return to the statesmen (and women) who used to haggle and argue and compromise to reach a position that would move our country forward. But those calls for moderation are too often drowned out by the inflamed passions on either side.
Read moreThe Next Verse
Statewide in the primaries last week, the turnout (still unofficial) was 20%. That means that one in five registered voters in Kansas bothered to vote.
Read moreA Strong Win
On August 5th, moderate voters got out there and voted. As a result, every moderate incumbent in the Kansas Legislature kept their seat, and a few extremists lost theirs.
Read moreHave you voted yet?
Advance voting has begun, and will continue right up until noon on Monday August 4th. If you have not yet voted, you should consider the advantages of voting on your own schedule, at your own convenience.
Read moreWe Hold These Truths
Happy Independence Day! On this day celebrating our great nation, we encourage all our members and supporters to remember that voting is both a right and a duty.
Read moreDown Ticket Races Just as Critical
We've spent a lot of time talking about state level races, as all the KS State Representatives are up for re-election is year. And the Legislative session over which they presided was a lopsided, grasping, regulatory mess. See our review here.
But there are other important races down the ticket, and even off the ticket (did you vote in municipal elections this Spring?), which moderates should be watching.
The Unaffiliated Vote
This article includes a correction to the information sent out originally. The primary opponents in District 19 are Stephanie Clayton (R) and Jennifer Flood (R).
The first deadline in the election season is rapidly approaching. June 30 (a week from this Monday) is the last day to change your party affiliation before the primaries on August 5.
While each party excludes the other from voting in their primary contests, both are required by law to allow Unaffiliated voters (the third party affiliation option in KS) to declare a party and vote at the primaries on election day. This allows the Unaffiliated voter to vote in either primary contest, and preserves that voter's right to be represented by their elected officials.
Read moreIt's the Revenue, Stupid
When Governor Brownback first proposed his "glide path to zero" income tax, he said it would be a shot of adrenaline to the Kansas economy.
Read moreElection Season Begins
This is a re-posting of our weekly email for June 6, 2014.
On June 2, the deadline for candidates to file for the 2014 elections passed. We now know who will run for what seat in Kansas, where moderates are safe, and where they face stiff challenges from well-backed extremists. Look up your district at openkansas.org, then look at the candidate list. There are a number of races where MainStream and our members can make a difference.
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