Trump Endorses Masterson in Kansas GOP Governor Primary

Tick-Bite ER Visits Hit Nine-Year High Across Midwest

Kansas Farm Income Doubles on Beef Prices, Federal Aid

Kansas Lawmakers Push Bipartisan Rural Hospital Loan Bill

House Passes Year-Round E15 Bill; Senate Path Unclear

Trump Endorses Masterson in Kansas GOP Governor Primary

TOPEKA, Kan. — President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson in the Republican primary for the 2026 governor's race, calling the 20-year legislator a "fantastic candidate" in a post on Truth Social. Masterson, R-Andover, has led the state Senate since 2021 and was competing for the endorsement against former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and others. The remainder of the GOP field includes Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, businessman Philip Sarnecki, Charlotte O'Hara, Joy Eakins and Stacy Rogers, with the primary set for Aug. 4. The endorsement followed a 2026 legislative session in which the Legislature did not produce congressional redistricting sought by Trump and did not pass a property tax measure. On the Democratic side, state Sens. Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher of Johnson County are seeking the nomination, and Corson has been endorsed by Gov. Laura Kelly and former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Kansas Reflector

Tick-Bite ER Visits Hit Nine-Year High Across Midwest

TOPEKA, Kan. — Emergency room visits for tick bites reached more than 100 per 100,000 ER visits in April 2026, up from 68 per 100,000 a year earlier and the highest level in nine years, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Activity is concentrated in the Midwest. Lyme disease affects roughly 476,000 Americans annually, and alpha-gal syndrome — a red-meat allergy triggered by lone star tick bites — is also rising. The figures come from Kansas News Service health reporting published across KNS partner outlets, drawing on the CDC's latest weekly ER visit data.

KCUR · KPR · CDC

Kansas Farm Income Doubles on Beef Prices, Federal Aid

MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas farms had a banner year in 2025, with average net farm income more than doubling to $212,494, according to the annual report from the Kansas Farm Management Association. Strong crop yields, large federal disaster payments and historically high beef prices drove the surge, with cattle operations posting the year's best returns. But the outlook for 2026 is much darker, as drought, freeze damage and wheat streak mosaic virus have left more than half of Kansas wheat fields in poor or very poor condition, putting the national crop on track for its smallest harvest since 1972. Record beef prices remain a mixed blessing, lifting ranchers' incomes while pushing grocery-store beef to roughly $9.64 a pound as the U.S. cattle herd sits at a 75-year low. KFMA executive director Mark Dikeman cautioned that 2026 "is not nearly as rosy as we saw in 2025" and urged producers to save for leaner years ahead.

News-Press NOW · AP · USDA-ERS

Kansas Lawmakers Push Bipartisan Rural Hospital Loan Bill

WASHINGTON — U.S. Reps. Sharice Davids, D-Kan., and Tracey Mann, R-Kan., joined a bipartisan coalition this week to introduce the Rural Hospital Revitalization Act, which would offer zero-interest loans to rural hospitals through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Community Facilities Program. Loans of up to 10 years could be used to build new facilities or renovate existing ones, with supporters arguing the reduced debt burden would free funds for patient care and staffing. Co-sponsors include House members from Alabama, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Oregon and West Virginia, and Sens. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., introduced the Senate companion in March. Kansas has the highest number of rural hospitals at immediate risk of closure in the nation, and Davids' office said Kansas hospitals could lose more than $78 million annually under recent Medicaid funding reductions. Mann said the bill would help ensure "rural Americans don't have to drive hours to see a health care professional."

Kansas Reflector

House Passes Year-Round E15 Bill; Senate Path Unclear

WASHINGTON — A bill authorizing year-round nationwide sales of E15, a gasoline blend containing 15% ethanol, faces an uncertain path in the U.S. Senate after clearing the House this month, with the 60-vote threshold likely to test a coalition that has long fractured along regional rather than party lines. The House passed the measure 218-203 on May 13, with both Kansas Reps. Tracey Mann, a Republican, and Sharice Davids, a Democrat, voting yes; Davids noted during floor debate that fuel containing E15 was running about 15 cents cheaper than regular unleaded at a Kansas station she had visited. Resistance is expected from oil-state lawmakers and from environmental groups including the Sierra Club and World Resources Institute, which argue expanded ethanol production raises food costs and undermines climate goals. The Congressional Budget Office noted in a May 12 analysis that retailers would face installation costs for separate or specialized E15 tanks and pumps. Debate is expected to resume when Congress returns from Memorial Day recess in June.

Kansas Reflector

Sources

1. Kansas Reflector
2. KCUR / KPR / CDC
3. News-Press NOW / AP via Yale Climate Connections / USDA-ERS Food Price Outlook
4. Kansas Reflector
5. Kansas Reflector

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