September 25 2024

1 Sen. Jerry Moran Urges Swift Action on 2018 Farm Bill as Agriculture Economy Struggles
2 Kansas Farmers Call for Immediate Passage of New Farm Bill Amid Rising Costs
3 K-State Launches Digital Literacy Program in Rural Kansas
4 Kansas Tourism Rises in 2023, Exceeding Pre-Pandemic Visitor Numbers
5 Kansas Mental Health Ranks See Dramatic Improvement in 2024 Report

1 Sen. Jerry Moran Urges Swift Action on 2018 Farm Bill as Agriculture Economy Struggles

U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas put 5,600 miles on his truck visiting constituents during the August congressional break, and the Republican carried a message of despair about the agriculture economy back to Washington. Moran recently took to the floor of the U.S. Senate to plead with colleagues to finish by the end of 2024, at minimum, extension of the 2018 Farm Bill for a second year and adoption of an emergency funding package to address the drought, rising agriculture production costs as well as insufficient crop prices and falling farm income. One year ago, gridlock in Congress prompted a 12-month extension of the Farm Bill that expires Sept. 30. It would be insufficient to simply repeat that one-year extension, Moran said. “The current Farm Bill is not adequate to provide the relief or safety net of our nation’s farmers. Nor, is it reflective of the current state of the farm economy,” he said. “I offer myself to work with Republicans and Democrats, rural and urban to see that we get those goals accomplished.” So far, bitter differences on food and agriculture spending blocked progress. Proposals surfaced to cut tens of millions of Americans from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamp program. Disagreements remain about trigger mechanisms for increases in crop subsidy payments. Moran said decisions not to get a new Farm Bill wrapped up during the past year had come home to roost. Net farm income was expected to be 27% lower this year than it was in 2022, he said. The U.S. agricultural trade deficit has ballooned to $42.5 billion. Farm income declined 43% in the past five years, he said.

Article Source: KS Reflector

2 Kansas Farmers Call for Immediate Passage of New Farm Bill Amid Rising Costs

Politicians in Washington continue to debate a new farm bill with a fast-appealing deadline. It’s been nearly a year since a 12-month extension was passed on the current farm bill. That extension expires in less than a week. Agreement on a new farm bill is critical as the legislation subsidizes our country’s nutritional programs and includes protections for farmers, like crop insurance. With no new farm bill passed since 2018, many farmers are concerned about rising costs and protections not keeping up. “The existing farm bill is very much outdated in the farm safety net that we rely on to stay sustainable,” said fifth-generation Sedgwick County farmer Kent Winter. Each day a new farm bill isn’t passed, his worry increases. “The crop insurance program needs some updates, and also the reference prices of that system that takes in,” Winter said. Winter said much of the issue concerns inflation. “So, it’s incredibly important that they get something done on this thing so that the farms and ranches in Kansas and the U.S. can maintain economic sustainability and be around to keep operating for next year,” he said. Moran spent the congressional break in August visiting Kansas farmers. He brought a message back to Washington. “Input costs have risen dramatically. The things that farmers buy in order to put a crop in the ground and to harvest that crop have escalated amazingly, in a way that is so damaging, while the price they receive for what they grow has diminished,” Moran said. Winter echoed the senator’s sentiment, saying lawmakers need to come together and remember that it’s farmers like him who keep food on Americans’ tables. “American agriculture is in a severe downturn now, it’s very obvious, and there’s got to be something done soon to take care of this issue and give us something to bank on for the future,” Winter said.

Article Source: KWCH

3 K-State Launches Digital Literacy Program in Rural Kansas

Kansas State University is establishing a program to improve broadband access for thousands of Kansans, helping them navigate the digital economy more safely and successfully. The Digital Ambassador program is currently being piloted in the West Plains Extension District — Scott and Finney counties — the Central Kansas Extension District — Ottawa and Saline counties — and the River Valley Extension District — Republic, Washington, Cloud and Clay counties. “A major emphasis of this program is to help people who live in rural areas or are otherwise underserved to utilize internet applications in a beneficial way,” said Rick Peterson, associate director of extension programs for K-State Research and Extension. “For example, we envision that trained Digital Ambassadors will help people learn how to access telehealth, use online banking, utilize precision agriculture, and access government documents and other resources to benefit their businesses or families.

Article Source: Ad Astra Radio

4 Kansas Tourism Rises in 2023, Exceeding Pre-Pandemic Visitor Numbers

The number of tourists in Kansas exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time in 2023. In 2023, an estimated 37.9 million people visited the state, a 4% increase from the year before, according to an August economic impact report for the Kansas Tourism Division, the state’s tourism arm under the Department of Commerce. Visitor volumes had steadily increased after a 2020 dip due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it wasn’t until three years later that the number of visitors reached and exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

Article Source: KS Reflector

5 Kansas Mental Health Ranks See Dramatic Improvement in 2024 Report

Mental health has improved in Kansas. The State of Mental Health in America (MHA) 2024 report ranked Kansas 22nd in the nation, up from last in 2023. The State of Mental Health in America report uses public data that is as current as possible. The mental health advocate organization creates this annual report to promote mental health, well-being, and illness prevention. The most recent report from MHA also showed an improvement in children’s mental health, placing Kansas 16th, up from 50th in 2023.

Article Source: KWCH

Sources

1. https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/u-s-sen-jerry-moran-begs-colleagues-to-break-political-gridlock-on-farm-bill-legislation/

2. https://www.kwch.com/2024/09/25/kansas-farmers-push-passage-new-farm-bill/

3. https://www.adastraradio.com/adastra-news/k-state-launches-effort-to-heighten-digital-literacy-in-kansas

4. https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/kansas-tourism-spending-surge-beyond-pre-pandemic-levels/

5. https://www.kwch.com/2024/09/25/kansas-mental-health-ranks-improve-dramatically-2024/