Help Kids Voting Kansas Win Up to $200,000!

Kids Voting Kansas is once again competing in the Chase Community Giving contest via facebook! The top 195 charities receiving the most votes will each win $20,000, the top 4 will each receive $100,000 and the charity receiving the most votes will win $200,000!

If you have a facebook profile it is easy to go on to cast your vote, here are the details!

1) Each user gets 20 votes, you may only vote for each organization ONCE (therefore you can vote for up to 20 organizations)

2) Go to the link below to vote for Kids Voting Kansas! Once you've voted, don't forget to share the news on your facebook wall and invite others to do the same! You can then click the "Search and Vote" button at the top of the page to search for other charities to vote for, including Kids Voting USA! Here is the link to vote for Kids Voting Kansas:

http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/481126199-kids-voting-kansas-inc?src=charity-details-wall-post-self&ref=mf

Happy Flag Day!

Today marks a holiday you may or may not have heard of, but is full of rich history; Flag Day.

Flag Day marks the day that the Stars and Stripes were officially adopted as the national flag of the United States; June 14, 1777. The day is celebrated in many communities with parades, ceremonies, and other special events. Check out the article below for a great story of how Flag Day came to be recognized as a national holiday.

http://www.luxamculturalsociety.org/NationalFlagDay.htm

Is your community doing anything for Flag Day? Leave us a comment to let us know!

Happy Flag Day!

Women Win Big in Primary Elections

Tuesday night was Primary Election Day in 12 states around the country. In many hotly contested races around the country, women came out as the victors. With the rise of prominent female politicians such as Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, there has been much discussion about the role of women in politics. In it's coverage of the Tuesday elections, the Washington Post noted;

"With victories by several prominent women in Tuesday's primary elections came the familiar declarations that a 'year of the woman' is underway. But in at least five races, something even more remarkable occurred: The candidates' gender never became much of an issue.

"Tuesday's elections put on display the increasing diversity of female candidates, as well as their growing resilience. They were for abortion rights and against them, old and young, part of the political establishment and new to it. Their male opponents attacked them -- relentlessly, in some cases -- apparently unworried about being seen as picking on a woman. The women touched on their gender, but did so sparingly."

Read the rest of Howard Kurtz's article here for an interesting discussion on the evolving role of women in politics:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/11/AR2010061101988.html

So, who were some of these women that won big on Tuesday?

Blanche Lincoln- In a major upset, incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln held on to her Senate seat, defeating Arkansas Lt. Gov Bill Halter 51-49%

Carly Fiorina- Fiorina won a three-way Senate Primary for the chance to face incumbent Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer.

Meg Whitman- Whitman won another three-way primary to win the Republican nomination for the California Governor's race.

Sharron Angle- Angle won a three-way GOP primary in Nevada for the chance to challenge Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Nikki Haley- Haley came out on top in the Republican primary for South Carolina Governor, however with 49% of the vote, she came 1% short of the vote needed to certify her as the winner. She will head to a run-off election against her opponent, Gresham Barrett. If elected Governor, Haley will be the first female Governor of South Carolina.

345 File to Run in Kansas Elections

Yesterday at noon marked the filing deadline for all candidates seeking office in the 2010 elections. According to KansasReporter.org, 345 Kansans met the deadline and signed their names on the dotted line to be candidates in elections across the state. Among the hotly contested races in the upcoming election are the race for Governor, Secretary of State, the US Senate, and the 3rd District Congressional seat. Offices up for election in 2010 include:

One U.S. Senator

All 125 State Representatives

All four U.S. Representatives

State Board of Education (#1,3,5,7,9)

Governor / Lt. Governor

4 Kansas Supreme Court Justices (#1,2,3,5)

Secretary of State

9 Kansas Court of Appeals Judges

Attorney General

District Court Judges (40 retained, 29 elected)

State Treasurer

District Magistrate Judges (16 retained, 2 elected)

Commissioner of Insurance

http://www.kansasreporter.org/62027.aspx

Kansas Democrats Open Primary

Yesterday, the Kansas Democractic Party announced that they will hold an open primary when voters go to the polls on August 3rd.

During an open primary, unaffiliated voters are allowed to cast their ballot along with registered members of that party. In a closed primary system, unaffiliated voters would have to register as a member of that party in order to cast their ballot.

There is no word yet as to rather the Republican Party will open their August 3rd primary.

As a reminder, those turning 18 on or before August 3rd can still register to vote in the Primary Election! Below is a link to the easy-to-complete voter registration form:

http://www.kssos.org/forms/elections/voterregistration.pdf

State Legislature Wraps-Up

The Kansas legislature has adjourned for 2010. After several late nights, and a series of tough decisions on everything from a state transportation plan to K-12 education funding, the legislature finally concluded its session today. So, what did the 2010 legislature accomplish?

-$8.2 billion package to improve Kansas roads and bridges

-Primary Seat-Belt law, which makes driving without a seat-belt a primary offense (meaning you can get pulled over just for not wearing a seat belt)

-State-wide smoking ban

-Reform on nursing home and day care regulations

-A ban on texting while driving

-A ban on the synthetic substance K2

-A new state grass

-Last but not least, a $13.6 billion budget including a 1% state sales tax increase to help make-up for a $500 million deficit

Source: http://cjonline.com/news/legislature/2010-05-12/talk_back_the_2010_legislature

You be the judge, how do you think the legislature did this year in responding to the needs of Kansans? Leave a comment below to let us know!

Obama Makes Supreme Court Pick

Yesterday, President Obama announced his choice to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Obama selected current Solicitor General Elena Kagan as his appointee. As Solicitor General, Kagan serves as the United States' lawyer, and represents the United States in matters before the U.S. Supreme Court. She is the first woman to hold the position, and if confirmed to the Supreme Court, will only be the 4th woman to have served on the court in its history. Obama praised Kagan as "one of the nation’s foremost legal minds", and a "trailblazer".

What makes her appointment significant?

If confirmed, Kagan will not only the be the 4th woman in history to serve on the Supreme Court, but she will also join Justice Ginsburg and Justice Sotomayor, making the first time three woman have ever sat on the court at once. Kagan is also the first appointee in nearly 40 years to not already be a judge. Prior to Kagan's service as Solicitor General, she served as the Dean of Harvard Law School, and a lawyer in the Clinton administration. Throughout history, there have been several justices without prior records as judges, most notably Chief Justice Earl Warren, who led the high court through the civil rights era.

What happens now?

As provided by our constitution, Kagan's appointment must now be confirmed by the United States Senate. They will start with a hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in which Senators will have the opportunity to question Kagan. If approved in the committee, Kagan's nomination then goes to the full Senate, which must also approve her nomination.

What to look for?

A Supreme Court nomination process can be very interesting to watch, be sure to watch the news for updates on the process, and particularly when the confirmation hearings start. These hearings are usually televised live, and can be very interesting and informative.

References courtesy of: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/us/politics/11court.html

Local Student's Passion for Democracy Wins Big!

Below is a link to a GREAT story out of the Topeka Capital-Journal about a local student whose passion for democracy helped him win BIG!

Scott Brackey, a junior at Seamen High School in Topeka, submitted an essay entitled "courage" as part of the Bill of Rights Institute's "Being an American" essay contest. His essay touched on his feelings about the founding fathers as they set-out to create the documents that would shape our nation.

"It really struck me," Brackey said. "They were signing a death warrant for themselves. If they didn't have the courage to do that, we wouldn't be the nation we are today."

Brackey's essay is now eligible for top prizes in the entire Great Plains region! His passion for democracy is definitely something to be admired!

"You don't have to be offensive to stand up for what you believe," he said. "It's just about standing up for what you believe and not straying from that."

Two of Brackey's fellow students, Jordan Parker and Abra Pittman also received honorable mentions for their essays!

What a powerful statement about the young people of Kansas doing great things in areas of civic engagement!

Here is the link to the full article:

http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-03-21/essay_lands_student_in_dc

You Mean I Can't Text and Drive!?

That's right, if you're one of those talented multi-taskers who likes to text and drive at the same time, you may soon find yourself facing a traffic ticket. The state senate acted yesterday to approve a measure that would ban texting while driving. Violators caught on first offense would be cited, and getting caught a second time can lead to misdemeanor charges. The measure now heads to the house for their approval.

Also included with the senate bill passed on Thursday is a provision to institute a primary seat belt law in the state of Kansas. Currently, driving without a seatbelt in the state of Kansas is a secondary offense. This means that in order to ticket a passenger for not wearing a seatbelt, they must be pulled over for something else first. The proposed law would instead allow police officers to pull vehicles over solely for the passengers not wearing seat belts. By enacting this law, the state can also stand to receive up to $10 million in federal aid.

In addition, today Governor Mark Parkinson signed into law HB2221 known as the Kansas Clean Indoor Air Act.

"The bill bans smoking and makes the act of smoking in the following a cigarette or tobacco infraction: public places; taxicabs and limousines; common areas in public and private buildings, condominiums and other multiple-residential facilities; access points of all building and facilities unless exempted by the bill; and any place of employment." (http://www.ksnt.com:80/news/local/story/Governor-signs-smoking-ban-bill/NmA4pq0TvU-KQ8LqBZR0jw.cspx?rss=1682&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)

With at least a month left in their session, the Kansas state legislature has been active in passing a number of laws that will affect each of us. Even bigger things remain yet to come as the legislature prepares to pass the state budget for the next year, stay tuned and be sure to contact your legislator and make your voice heard!

Happy President's Day!

HAPPY PRESIDENTS DAY!

For some, this means no school today, for others, it means great shopping deals! However, what does this holiday really mean?

President's Day was first established as a federal holiday in 1885 to celebrate the birthday of our nation's First President, George Washington. It was the first federal holiday to honor an American citizen! In 1971, Congress officially changed the holiday to officially fall on the third Monday of February.

In addition to Washington's Birthday, many have also taken President's Day to be a celebration of President Lincoln's birthday, which happens to fall on February 12th. In fact, holidays for both were proposed in congress, however members felt having too holidays in close proximity would be too burdensome on employers.

Interesting President's Day Tid-Bits

-In President Washington's home state of Virginia, the holiday is officially recognized as "George Washington Day"

-In New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, and Missouri, President's Day is still a federal holiday, however Lincoln's birthday is also a state holiday

-Every Presidents Day in Massachusetts, the Governor issues a proclamation honoring President's with Massachusetts roots, including: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Cavin Koolidge, and John F. Kennedy.

Enjoy your Presidents Day, and take time to reflect on the leaders who have led our country for the past 233 years!

HAPPY KANSAS DAY!

Happy Kansas Day!!! Friday, January 29th marks the 149th anniversary of Kansas becoming the 34th state of the union! Kansas Day is a great opportunity to return our focus to our great state, and the proud tradition of civic engagement we have. From the beginning, our state's destiny was shaped by courageous men and women who stepped forward to voice their opinion on the crucial issue of the time: slavery. Voting on this issue drew such attention and uproar that outsiders from across the country flocked to the state to support their respective side in the debate.

To learn more about Kansas history click the title of this article or head to the link below:

http://www.kshs.org/teachers/fieldtrips/kansasday/index.htm

If you have the chance, stop by the Kansas History Museum for a fun-filled day of activities including a speech by Governor Parkinson, performances, and various exhibits highlighting out state's proud history. Don't forget to stop by the Kids Voting Kansas table!!!

Secretary of State Advocates New Voting Measures

Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh recently announced that he would like to see the Kansas state legislature pursue new methods of keeping elections secure.

One of the recent advances in voting access has been the ability for citizens to vote in advance of an election. This option is usually available for a few weeks leading up to an election, and voters can request a ballot be mailed to them. The voter then completes the ballot and mails it back to the county election office. Secretary Thornburgh would like to see the process scrutinized futher to ensure that ballots are reaching the correct voters. Thornburgh wants to create a "paper trail" to be able to determine who has had contact with an advance ballot, and to ensure the process was properly handled.

There has been debate in recent years about the issue of providing voter identification at polling places. Some legislators favor legislation requiring all voters to show some form of photo ID at polling sites. However, Thornburgh would like to see a system that requires citizens to show proof of identity and residency. This documentation could include drivers licenses, college ID cards, bank statements, or any from a list of approved documents.

The recommendations are a result of a task force put together by Secretary Thornburgh to explore the future of elections in Kansas.

For more information, check out the article on cjonline by clicking on the title of this post are going to the link below...

http://cjonline.com/news/legislature/2010-01-23/thornburgh_voter_access_is_goal

Martin Luther King Day- Make it a Day On, Not a Day Off

Today, America celebrates a man whose dedication to the idea of civic engagement truly changed the world.

The Martin Luther King, Jr Day holiday was signed into law by President Reagan in 1983, and first observed in 1986. The day always occurs on the third Monday of January, to coincide with King's birthday which falls on January 15th.

Recently, a new movement has begun to honor Dr. King's message of community involvement and civic engagement. The Martin Luther King, Jr Day of Service was established in order to focus American's on taking the opportunity they have today to serve their local communities. This can come in any way, shape, or form, and is meant to bring American's together, just as Dr. King strived to do in his civil rights work.

For more information on the day of service, and other interesting information about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr head to: http://www.mlkday.gov/

Constitution Day 2010 in Washington D.C.- Don't Miss Out!

Here is a fantastic opportunity for you to visit our nation's capital, meet fellow students from across the country who are interested in furthering their civics education, as well as earn college credit! The deadline to apply is February 15th, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Head to www.constacademy.org to find out more information!

Budget Concerns Take Center Stage During State of the State Address

Mentioning that the state was “in the waning moments” of the economic recession, Governor Mark Parkinson declared that the state of the state of Kansas has “never been stronger” during his address to the Kansas legislature tonight. The Governor’s state of the state address serves as the kick-off for the legislative session, which began today.

The Governor tackled the state’s looming budget crisis head-on as he began his address. He began his speech by addressing the importance of Kansas’ universities and secondary schools. Gov. Parkinson remarked that Kansas has always been a leader in education, and that great universities attract great students. The Governor noted that now was not the time to be “tight-fisted” with the state’s education budget. Parkinson alluded to advances in animal health science, and the aircraft industry by remarking that “tight-fistedness would never have made such advances possible.” Cuts to the budgets of state universities and public schools have touched off a heated debate in recent years, with talk of a potential lawsuit surfacing this year if public school funding is not increased. Governor Parkinson noted that funding higher education was “not just the right thing to do, it makes great economic development sense.”

The Governor further addressed the state’s $400 million “budget hole”, by stating that cuts had already been made to government waste, and recent cuts were starting to cut budgets to the bone. Parkinson argued against cuts to education and the elderly, and instead advocated for increases to the tobacco and cigarette tax. In addition, Parkinson advocated for a one cent, 36-month temporary increase in the state sales tax. The revenue generated by these taxes, the Governor stated, would allow the legislature to restore some funds to education, and avoid an ever tougher budget situation in the future.

The Governor also laid out his three initiatives he’d like to see the legislature work on for the 2010 session. They included advocating for a state-wide smoking ban, developing the state of Kansas as a leader in renewable energy technology, and supporting a proposed constitutional amendment by state Senators John Vratil and Laura Kelly that would create a reserve fund in the state budget. This reserve fund, the Governor argues, could be used by the legislature in tough economic times in the future, in order to prevent predicaments like the one the legislature currently finds itself in.

Speaker of the House, Rep. Mike O’Neal delivered the Republican response to the Governor’s address. Rep. O’Neal shared the Governor’s concerns for the state’s tough economic shape, and mentioned that now is not the time for “government promoted quick fixes.” O’Neal mentioned that state unemployment numbers had climbed to 6%, while “the demand for spending is unabated.”

O’Neal took issue with the notion of any tax increases, calling them “short-sighted” and said government should instead be asking what they can do to help families and businesses make it out of this recession. Rep. O’Neal’s proposed solutions to the state’s budget woes included adopting 0-based budgeting (a budgeting process wherein state agencies must start their budgets at 0 and justify any additional spending), biennial budgeting (budgeting for more then just the next fiscal year, in order to remove some of the fluctuations present during any given year), and the addition of more auditors to audit the state’s books.

O’Neal also claimed that cuts in education spending, while severe, were not as drastic as cuts to other vital services, and that Kansas was better off then many other states when it came to education funding. O’Neal concluded his remarks by promising that Kansans would “weather this storm”, just as they had many before.

The Governor concluded his address by telling Kansas to “never give up” and that he wants to work to make it possible for citizens to “live the American dream without ever leaving Kansas.”

The Governor’s address certainly sets the stage for an interesting and dynamic year in the state. There will definitely be no shortage of opportunities for you to voice your opinion on issues that are important to you and your fellow Kansans. Stay in touch with your elected officials throughout the year so you can be part of the conversation!

State of the State Address Tonight

Be sure to tune in tonight to watch the Governor's State of the State address LIVE at 7pm on KSNT! Come back tomorrow for a write-up on the address, be sure to head to our facebook group or twitter page and leave your comments on what you think of the governors address!

Kids Voting Kansas on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kids-Voting-Kansas/168420035957?ref=ts

Kids Voting Kansas on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kidsvotingks