Opinion

GUEST COLUMN, Vance Ginn, Kansas Policy Institute

Kansas took a major step toward lasting, sustainable tax reform with the passage of Senate Bill 269 — a forward-thinking bill that rewards responsible budgeting with gradual income tax reductions. Predictably, Gov. Kelly vetoed the bill before being overridden by the House and Senate during their annual Veto Session. This all veto-override back-and-forth seems somewhat predictable as the measure initially passed both chambers with veto-proof majorities. Now that Gov. Kelly was rightly corrected in her veto, Kansans should understand how this policy, if executed properly, could reshape the state’s tax code and fiscal future for the better.

GUEST COLUMN, Dave Trabert, Kansas Policy Institute

It’s always amusing to hear an elected official proclaim full support of transparency and then become indignant when transparency exposes things that run counter to their narrative.

That’s what happened at the Leavenworth County Commission meeting on April 9. Commissioner Jeff Culbertson said he received calls from constituents about one of our marketing campaigns that said local governments had more than $5 billion in cash reserves in 2022, of which about $73 million is held by Leavenworth County and some cities in the county.

GUEST COLUMN, J. Basil Dannebohm, former Kansas legislator, www.dannebohm.com

Not long ago, had somebody told me that I would write one commentary about tariffs, much less three, I would have thought them crazy. Of course, had somebody told me that democracy would hang in the balance due to the price of eggs I would have thought the same thing – yet here we are.

On April 2, which he referred to as “Liberation Day,” Mr. Trump declared yet another “national emergency.” The latest was aimed at broadening his power to place tariffs on essentially all imported goods, as well as higher tariffs on automakers and countries he claims have treated the U.S. "particularly bad."

MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

In last week's article, covering John chapters 13-16, some of Jesus' last words in the Upper Room were, "'My peace I give to you'" (John 14:27). Instructions provided in that intimate setting included 1) love one another; 2) abide in Him in order to bear fruit; and 3) be prepared for a coming time of trial and testing. This week, we continue our look at the last few days of Jesus on earth, when He was deeply moved by what He and the disciples would be facing.

Those of us who have lived since that first century continue to draw on an incredible inheritance left when Jesus returned to His Father in heaven. Many are familiar with the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13; today we'll learn more about another prayer Jesus prayed directly to the Father.