Senate delay tactics? Contaminant claim. Panasonic shift.

By Clay Wirestone | opinion editor

TOPEKA — A Republican-conceived law usurping Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s discretion when filling vacancies in certain Kansas statewide elective offices could complicate the competitive race for U.S. Senate.

Candidates and political observers wonder whether Kansas Republicans could attempt to avoid holding an election for U.S. Senate this year by having the incumbent, Republican Roger Marshall, resign from office to take a position with President Donald Trump’s administration. The power play would raise constitutional questions.

The catalyst for this fear is a 2025 law requiring vacancies for U.S. Senate, state treasurer and state insurance commissioner to be filled by Kansas governors by choosing from a list of finalists endorsed by the full Legislature or a 12-person GOP-controlled legislative committee. A governor of Kansas in the past could immediately and unilaterally choose a person to temporarily fill these jobs pending an election, but the new law limited the governor’s options to members of the former officeholder’s party.

In addition, the same state law says if the vacancy were created after May 1 in an even-number year, such as 2026, the appointed replacement wouldn’t go before voters in an election until “two years following the year in which such vacancy occurs.” A simple reading of this Kansas statute — in isolation from the U.S. Constitution — suggests appointees chosen to fill these jobs this fall would avoid facing voters until 2028.

TOPEKA — Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach called for the classification of mifepristone, an abortion medication, as a water contaminant in a June 5 letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency despite his past efforts to decrease water contaminant regulation.

TOPEKA — Panasonic’s Kansas electric vehicle battery plant will convert part of its operations to build batteries for data centers, company officials announced.

Panasonic leaders announced the company’s shift to focus on developing devices and infrastructure equipment for artificial intelligence uses and data centers at a June 8 investors day presentation.

By Eric Thomas

What else, besides sports?

What else could provide a rollercoaster of emotions from frustration to ecstasy, from civic embarrassment to regional pride within a few hours?

WASHINGTON — The White House on Wednesday read to reporters a 14-point memorandum of understanding with Iran to stop the ongoing war and allow for further negotiations, but did not release the exact text.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House and Senate Democrats, mostly from Western states, are demanding transparency from the Interior Department after media reports revealed the Trump administration redirected roughly $90 million in national parks fees to help fund renovations and upcoming celebratory displays in Washington, D.C.

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