Opinion

THE POSTSCRIPT, Carrie Classon

I try not to write about writing.

Like any job, parts of it are harder than others. The hardest part of writing, for me, is not coming up with ideas or creating sentences or deciding what parts of the story are too short or need to be expanded. The hardest part of writing, for me, is doing it alone.

I spend almost every day alone, sitting at my little maple desk. But lately, I have had more fun than usual because I am working on a new book, and I am writing about a lot of things I know nothing about.

GUEST COLUMN, Dave Trabert, Kansas Policy Institute

The Revenue-Neutral law that went into effect in 2021 is helping many Kansans, with nearly two-thirds of taxing entities deciding NOT to raise property taxes this year. It requires cities, counties, school districts, and other local taxing authorities to notify taxpayers if they want to collect more property tax revenue the following year, hold a public hearing, and then take a recorded vote to raise taxes.

More than 50 percent of cities, counties, school districts, and other authorities decided NOT to exceed revenue-neutral in the first year. Now, it’s up to 62 percent holding revenue-neutral, and it’s not just the small entities. Initially, 38 counties held revenue-neutral. Now it’s up to 48 counties, nearly 300 cities, dozens of school districts, and hundreds of townships.

GUEST COLUMN, Kalee Olson, Center for Rural Affairs

Farmers markets are in full swing this summer, bringing fresh food to communities. These markets, along with food hubs and other local food businesses, play an important role in rural economies. However, connecting with new consumers isn’t always easy for producers. The Local Agriculture Market Program (LAMP) can help.

Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), LAMP was created in the 2018 farm bill to strengthen local and regional food systems. It combines several USDA programs that help farmers and food businesses grow their operations and reach new markets. These include the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) and the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) Program.

GUEST COLUMN, Ann Fetters, Leading Kansas

Kansans across Congressional District 1 — from Garden City to Hays to Salina to Manhattan — have questions and concerns about the so-called “big, beautiful bill” and how it could impact their communities.

The response from their U.S. representative, Tracey Mann?

Crickets.