First, thank you to everyone who sent email to their Kansas legislators opposing the amendment to the Kansas Constitution to strip Kansas women of their right to make their own decisions about their health. This amendment explicitly gives that right to legislators.

We are sending this message to all 165 Kansas State Legislators, concerning Constitutional amendments and other measures that have been introduced or proposed for action in the Legislature. In short, Mainstream will find it virtually impossible to support legislators who support any of these or similar measures.

This is testimony Mainstream is providing in support of SB 252, Medicaid (KanCare) Expansion in Kansas, at the hearing on January 23, 2020. Medicaid Expansion in Kansas would allow 150,000 hardworking Kansans who fall into the health care coverage gap to access health care.

This is testimony to be delivered on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, before a joint meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, opposing passage of HCR 5019 and SCR 1613, proposed amendments to the Kansas Constitution that would remove the right of Kansas women to private, safe, personal choices in their reproductive health care.

We may have mentioned once or twice that Medicaid expansion will be a big topic in this year's Kansas Legislature. As it was last year. And the year it actually passed, only to be vetoed by Gov. Brownback, then failing to overturn the veto by one vote in the Kansas Senate. And for years before that, too. Well, we have reason to believe this might be the year it gets done.

This is a guest column by MainStream's new Executive Director, Michael Poppa.

Kansas voted yesterday. These were local municipal, school board, and county races, where the turnout is usually low, and usually dependent on particular races in particular localities. For example, in Wichita this year there was a contested Mayoral race, and Sedgwick County saw almost 20% turnout. In 2017, with no headliner on the ballot, turnout in Sedgwick County barely topped 8%.

The election is tomorrow! Vote! Get your friends to vote! Come watch the returns with us! And what is going on in the Wichita Mayoral race? Wow.

Last night, we held our annual fundraiser, Stand Up, Speak Out 2019. Seven hundred engaged, politically active Kansans—elected officials, candidates, activists, advocates, and voters—attended to support the MainStream Education Foundation’s nonpartisan mission to engage Kansas voters in the political process. We were excited to see a significant number of youth represented as well, from Lawrence, Kansas City, KS, and Johnson County.

We're holding a party to get out the vote, early voting is open across Kansas, and the Legislature is still working (but we're paying attention). Get caught up on the most important items in Kansas politics this week.