Up To Date

Segment 1: Lone Jack animal feed operation expansion concerns Powell Gardens. Nearly 7,000 cows might be moving next door to Powell Gardens, and the botanical garden is worried. Located three miles from the gardens on Highway 50, Valley Oaks Steak Company was approved for a permit last month. The permit will allow the feedlot and slaughtering plant to expand from its current 950 cattle up to 6,999. Powell Gardens is seeking an administrative appeal of the decision to grant the permit. Today, we

Segment 1: Missouri's 2015 reform bill means fewer defendants bother to appear in court for traffic violations. In the wake of Ferguson, then-Missouri governor Jay Nixon signed a sweeping court reform bill to cut down on percieved predatory traffic stops that burdened the poor unduly. Today a judge and a criminal defense attorney questioned the bill's efficacy that has fewer Missourians showing up for their court dates and has created greater workloads for court clerks and support staff. Garry

Segment 1: How and when will Kansas City use funds from Central City Economic Development Sales Tax? It's been over a year since Kansas City voters approved a citywide one-eighth-cent sales tax intended to support economic development along the Prospect Avenue corridor. Expected to provide $10 million annually, members of the community have a lot of ideas for how the money could be used. The board overseeing the distribution of the funds plans to submit those ideas it supports to the city

Segment 1: How local activists are reducing student homelessness on the Kansas side of the metro. Over the last several years a coalition of social services groups in Kansas City, Kansas, operating under the banner Impact Wednesday, have been working to cut in half the number of homeless students in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. Today, we heard how the district is collaborating with Impact Wednesday and volunteer teachers to reach zero homelessness among students by 2020. Jessica Smith

Segment 1: New Kansas City Public Schools sub-district map creates controversy. The state mandated Kansas City Public Schools reduce their Board of Education from nine to seven members by April 2019. The Kansas City Board of Election Commissioners, charged with driving the process, released the final boundary map last month which was not the map endorsed by the school district. Today, we talked about the new boundary lines and how they may not be representative of the diverse area the district

Segment 1: Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach looks to step up to governor. As one of two Republican frontrunners in the Kansas gubernatorial election, Kris Kobach brings his reputation for controversy with him. Case in point, last month his campaign made national headlines for using a faux machine gun during a parade appearance in a Shawnee, Kansas. Today, he outlined his plans for higher office, and compared his style of leadership and that of President Donald Trump. Kansas Secretary of

Segment 1: Kansas Supreme Court rules new school funding plan lacks sufficient money but gives legislature another year to eliminate shortfall. In order to avoid school shutdowns, the Kansas Legislature recently added $522 million to the education budget over the next five years. Still, critics argue this will not be enough and more needs to be added for inflation. Today, we looked at this latest development in the longstanding Gannon case and its implications for the future of public education

Segment 1: Former four-term state representative and agriculture secretary Josh Svaty wants the state's top job. Josh Svaty stepped into politics as a 22-year-old Kansas state representative. The Democrat grabbed his seat from a Republican incumbent in the heart of the state, and went on to serve three full terms in the house. He started a fourth, but left the legislature to become Kansas secretary of agriculture. Today, the farmer and businessman told us about his gubernatorial hopes, and his

Segment 1: The latest in state and Kansas City politics. Jason Kander announced on Monday his candidacy for mayor of Kansas City, making him the ninth person to enter what's sure to be a closely-watched race. Today, our panel of pundits shared their take on the coming mayoral elections, the Kansas primaries, and the Missouri Senate race that is garnering national attention. Dave Helling , Kansas City Star political reporter Burdett Loomis , University of Kansas political science professor Eric

Segment 1: Leaders of the Kansas and Missouri chapters of the ACLU discuss their organizations' goings-on. With a federal court ruling Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach's voter I.D. laws unconstitutional, the ACLU has something to celebrate. In the meantime, they're still fighting restrictive abortion laws in Missouri and for more funding of the state's public defender's office. Today, they updated us on these lawsuits and more. Micah Kubic , ACLU of Kansas executive director Jeffrey Mittman