Top 5 Kansas news stories
January 2 2025
National Weather Service Releases 2025 Weather Review Documenting Extreme Temperature Swings and Active Storm Season
Kansas Legislature Enacts New Laws Affecting Ballots, Vehicle Fees, and License Plates Beginning January 1
Competing Campaigns Intensify Ahead of Wichita's March Sales Tax Vote on $850 Million Proposal
Western Kansas Ranch Demonstrates Conservation Grazing Model as Drought and Woody Encroachment Threaten Native Grasslands
Governor Kelly and Attorney General Kobach Clash Over Federal Litigation Authority in Kansas Supreme Court Case
National Weather Service Releases 2025 Weather Review Documenting Extreme Temperature Swings and Active Storm Season
The National Weather Service office in Wichita released its annual weather review for 2025, highlighting a year marked by significant temperature extremes and active severe weather across south-central Kansas. The office issued 314 severe thunderstorm warnings, 11 tornado warnings, and 26 flash flood warnings throughout the year. Wichita recorded its hottest temperature of 102 degrees on August 8 and coldest reading of -9 degrees on January 21, while a June 17 storm system produced both the year's highest rainfall total of 4.19 inches and a 102 mph wind gust, the strongest recorded in the area. Regional statistics show Hutchinson reached 103 degrees on August 8 before dropping to -12 degrees on February 20, while Russell experienced the coldest temperature in the coverage area at -14 degrees on February 20 after reaching 105 degrees on July 19. The data reflects Kansas's characteristic weather variability and the continued importance of severe weather preparedness across the state.
NWS Wichita
Kansas Legislature Enacts New Laws Affecting Ballots, Vehicle Fees, and License Plates Beginning January 1
More than 100 bills approved during the 2025 Kansas legislative session take effect Thursday, implementing changes to election procedures, motor vehicle regulations, and state services. Key provisions include Senate Bill 4, which requires advance voting ballots to be returned by 7 p.m. on Election Day rather than the previous three-day grace period after lawmakers overrode Governor Laura Kelly's veto; Senate Bill 42, establishing a web-based verification system for motor vehicle liability insurance with enhanced data security protections; House Bill 2110, amending the Kansas 911 Act to remove requirements for contracting with local collection point administrators; House Bill 2122, increasing annual license fees for electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and establishing new fees for electric motorcycles and trucks under 12,000 pounds; and House Bill 2359, adopting the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act to coordinate cross-state guardianship cases with other states.
KWCH
Competing Campaigns Intensify Ahead of Wichita's March Sales Tax Vote on $850 Million Proposal
Early voting begins in February for Wichita's special election on a 1% sales tax proposal that would raise an estimated $850 million over seven years for public safety, homelessness initiatives, property tax relief, Century II revitalization, and a new downtown performing arts center. The "Watch Wichita Win" campaign organized by Wichita Forward, a coalition of businesses and community organizations, launched television and social media advertising over the holidays promoting the measure, while opposition groups led by the Vote No on Sales Tax campaign argue the proposal lacks sufficient detail on project locations, ownership structures, and guaranteed matching funds before requesting public funding. Opposition spokesperson Celeste Racette says the city needs to restore community trust following cost overruns on the water plant and ongoing stadium debt before pursuing new investments, while supporters contend the measure would provide property tax relief and fund critical infrastructure improvements across the city. The special election is scheduled for March 3.
KWCH
Western Kansas Ranch Demonstrates Conservation Grazing Model as Drought and Woody Encroachment Threaten Native Grasslands
Smoky Valley Ranch in Logan County, managed by the Nature Conservancy on nearly 20,000 acres of native mixed and shortgrass prairie, operates custom grazing leases where cattle serve as conservation tools rather than production animals, using strategic grazing alongside prescribed burning to maintain habitat for lesser prairie chickens, pronghorn antelope, and critically endangered black-footed ferrets. Ranch manager Justin Roemer says the operation recorded just 6.5 inches of precipitation in 2022, less than half the Dust Bowl-era average, as the region faces increasingly arid conditions with recent years averaging 16 inches annually compared to historical averages of 18-20 inches. The ranch burns portions annually on a 10-year rotation to prevent eastern red cedar encroachment, which Kansas State University biologist Jesse Nippert warns will eventually threaten even western Kansas grasslands due to increased atmospheric carbon making the drought-tolerant trees more resilient, while the operation hosts training programs and grazing academies to export conservation practices to other ranchers. The Nature Conservancy's work at Smoky Valley Ranch aligns with growing adoption of regenerative practices across Kansas, including expansion of prescribed burn associations to 16 regional groups and nearly 400% growth in CARE-certified beef operations from 2020 to 2024, now encompassing almost 1,300 ranches managing over a million cattle on more than 42 million acres of rangeland nationwide. Where Food Comes From, which audits producers for the CARE certification label covering animal care, land stewardship, fair working conditions, and traceability, reports strong growth among Kansas producers working to preserve native grasslands amid threats from woody encroachment, urbanization, and invasive species. Nippert acknowledges some degraded grasslands may never recover but emphasizes an ethical obligation to protect remaining native prairie, saying Kansas has a responsibility as a grassland state to push back against encroachment and preserve the ecosystem heritage that defines the region.
Kansas Reflector
Governor Kelly and Attorney General Kobach Clash Over Federal Litigation Authority in Kansas Supreme Court Case
Governor Laura Kelly and Attorney General Kris Kobach filed competing briefs with the Kansas Supreme Court ahead of January 16 oral arguments over which official holds authority to initiate federal litigation on behalf of Kansas, with Kelly arguing her constitutional role as "supreme executive" entitles her to participate in federal lawsuits affecting state interests while Kobach maintains he alone controls decisions to sue in federal court. Kelly's attorneys contend the governor can direct the attorney general to join multistate litigation challenging federal actions and that Kobach's sole control would create unchecked power, citing past disputes where Kobach refused Kelly's requests to challenge Trump administration policies on education funding, public health, and SNAP recipient data disclosure while Kobach independently joined partisan lawsuits against the Biden administration. Kobach's legal team argues Kelly's theory represents a "breathtaking" assertion of unitary executive power that contradicts Kansas constitutional structure deliberately creating an independently elected attorney general with separate authority, warning that allowing governors to control litigation would provoke confusion if both officials appeared on opposing sides in federal court. The Kansas Legislative Coordinating Council, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, and State Treasurer Steven Johnson filed supporting briefs for Kobach's position, arguing Kelly's interpretation would improperly extend gubernatorial authority over all constitutional officers including district attorneys, the elected State Board of Education, and other executive officials.
Kansas Reflector
Sources
- https://www.kwch.com/2026/01/01/new-year-new-laws-mail-in-ballot-grace-period-cut-new-license-plate-designs-available/
- https://www.kwch.com/2026/01/01/campaigns-ramp-up-wichitas-1-sales-tax-special-election/
- https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/31/smoky-valley-ranch-provides-exportable-conservation-model-for-kansas-cattle-ranchers/
- https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/31/kansas-litigation-conflict-paints-kobach-as-kingly-gatekeeper-claims-kelly-seeks-coronation/
Found a mistake? Have a news tip or feedback to share? Contact our newsroom using the button below:
citizen journal offers three flagship products: a daily national news summary, a daily Kansas news summary, and local news and school board summaries from 20 cities across Kansas. Each issue contains 5 paragraph-length stories that are made to be read in 5 minutes. Use the links in the header to navigate to national, kansas, and local coverage. Subscribe to each, some, or all to get an email when new issues are published for FREE!
Brought to you by (click me!)
