This is a great day.

Coming up, we dissect the results of this week's local elections.

Plus, Kansas City prepares to host the World Cup.

Could more global tournament be on the way soon?

Also this half hour, the world's first museum dedicated to barbecue opens its doors and anything can happen.

This Kansas lawmakers return for their veto session.

And this is National Public Health Awareness Week.

So why, rather than celebrating a local health departments laying people off?

Those stories and the rest of the week's news straight ahead.

Week in review is made possible through the generous support of Dave and Jamie Cummings, Bob and Marlese Gourley, the Courtney S Turner Charitable Trust, John H. Mize and Bank of America Na Co trustees, the Francis Family Foundation through the discretionary fund of David and Janice Francis.

And by viewers like you.

Thank you.

Hello and welcome.

I'm Nick Haines, and thank you for joining us on our weekly journey through the week's most impactful, confusing, and downright head scratching local news stories.

Hopping on board the Weekend Review bus with us this week, Casey Wallace, local government reporter Savannah Hawley-Bates and former star, reporter and columnist Dave Helling.

The star's chief political correspondent Jonathan Shorman is with us and tracking the region's top political stories for Casey One News Brian Ellison.

Now voters went to the polls this week in area local elections, and there were some stunning victories on some of the biggest issues on the ballot, including 85% of voters saying yes to paying about $20 more a month to fix up schools in the Kansas City, Missouri district.

Rarely do we see such lopsided results in an issue election.

Thank the people.

Because this was not just parents alone.

This was not just people affiliated with the schools.

This was everybody saying we need to do right by our young people.

And you know what?

It's amazing.

With as much time as we've had on property taxes in the last two years to get this many people to say, I'm going to raise my property taxes, mine included, to say, let's do something better for our young people.

And I think I was as stunned as the mayor.

But when every effort in the last 60 years has failed, what led to this victory?

I think it shows a lot more trust in the Kansas City public school district.

After decades of of them working on the reputation after the accreditation scandal further back the desegregation issues.

I think, you know, they've really shown that they are able to be, the school district that the community wants them to be.

And now, they had to make the community believe that they deserve for the buildings to do that.

And I think they did.

But we're at a time, though, when there's tariffs, a lot of economic uncertainty.

People are worried about the cost of eggs, all of those things.

And yet it's kind of remarkable that people are willing to tax themselves for this.

Right.

And I would say we haven't really seen the full effects, full economic effects of these tariffs of of the economic uncertainty.

I think folks are maybe still willing to give maybe the benefit of the doubt to the economic situation right now, but that might not be that might be a lot different, six months, a year from now.

Is there anything else that can explain why this was such a huge, lopsided result in favor of the school district here?

Well, I think from a political standpoint, Nick, it it speaks to the quality of the campaign that was run.

It was clear the needs that were being met with this bond, it were clearly expressed.

There was a lot of email, a lot of, electronic communication.

There was a lot of mailing that went to people's homes.

they knew that they couldn't take the vote for granted.

And, and they ran a very successful bid for the stadium tax.

They hired a huge, top notch national professional, you know, consultants.

And in all of those things to and that failed miserably.

Right.

And anyone who says he or she can tell you decisively why this passed at this margin is lying, Nick.

Because I don't think most people thought it would even pass at 57%, let alone at 85%.

I do think the national environment played a role.

I do think people thought to themselves, Washington is screwed up.

Jeff City is screwed up.

We've got to take care of our own here locally.

I do think the the, the lack of warfare on the school board itself was significant.

People now have a trust in the school board.

Again, the Jackson County legislature might take a lesson from that.

You know that their infighting has poisoned the well for almost anything the county would want to do, and the school has figured that out.

But, anyone again, who thought or says today, hey, I knew this was going to pass is not is not being truthful with people.

This was a shocker, I.

Have to say.

Despite major opposition from progressive groups, Kansas City voters also approved a new jail stay.

The people of Kansas City today.

They said they support public safety.

they support public education.

This is a great day.

Even KC tenants oppose the measure.

Is this the first time that increasingly powerful renters group actually lost?

No, they've lost some, local elections.

people that they endorsed, for city council.

and I don't know that these progressive groups like the Castlerock Casey, Casey tenants stand up, Casey are taking this as a loss.

I think that they knew they were fighting an uphill battle.

And in doing their mega canvasses and running, just a pretty strong opposition campaign to something that might not have otherwise had it.

they were able to change a few people's minds.

and remember, it wasn't just those, sort of these younger social justice activist groups, also, the civil rights activist community in Kansas City broadly opposed that, that tax as well.

What I think, though, you saw, is the victory of a, of a sort of a practical measure that said we have a crime problem.

And this is part of meeting that whether people agree with that argument or not over a more philosophical argument that, we shouldn't be incarcerating so many people, and that we need to address broader, issues of social justice in the community.

I think the community voted this time, at least for this very practical step that they felt like they could take.

Mayor Quinton Lucas was, staking his reputation on both of these issues.

Passing was he the biggest winner on election night?

probably on the jail.

Had the voters rejected the jail, Kansas City would have been in quite a pickle, Nick.

I mean, they that's one of the reasons I think it passed, because jailing people is a basic municipal duty, sadly.

But, and I think people understood that I don't think he gets much credit for the school win at all.

I mean, he may try to claim it, but, the.

School, he certainly went out canvasing door to door on it.

But that doesn't explain an 85 to 50 young.

When it doesn't, it just doesn't.

So, but I think less on that.

But but on the jail, I think he can, raise the flag.

Did voters actually show up?

Savannah, what was the turnout?

There's about 14%, which is not good overall, but is pretty average for municipal election.

Last year was a little higher because of that highly controversial, three eight cent sales tax extension for the stadiums.

but this year is pretty on average.

The school district was smart, I think are supporters of the bond issue.

Nick, by running a campaign that was relatively quiet in a public way.

But there weren't a lot of ads, there weren't a lot of debates, weren't a lot of front page stories.

They just quietly did their work and got their people to the polls.

That's one of the things they'll always talk about.

And that may be one other explanation for.

What I believe in geographic diversity.

While we focused on those big issues that got all the attention in Kansas City, was there any other election results worth noting as a result of this election in this week?

Well, I mean, I think there were, elections in municipalities around the area.

It's worth noting that that school bonds passed all across the metro.

however, not every general obligation bond and not every, city jail campaign bond passed in independence, where voters had three bonds on the ballot.

They voted down the one that would have created a new public safety complex in the city and voted for the one, the smaller bond that focused on streets and highways and bridges.

and I think that might also be very telling for city leaders.

I'm Connie, Missouri, also rejecting a public safety tax.

So it wasn't all a big win for law enforcement.

Yeah, I think in independence this case, it's less about the law enforcement side of it and more about, you know, independence, eastern Jackson County as a whole, but specifically in independence is still angry and reeling, quite frankly, from the property tax assessment debacle that's been going on the past few years.

and they don't trust, the county, but also in this case, the city to handle their money.

They don't want to give them any more until that's settled.

I'm also curious about the choice, and maybe it was required by statute, or maybe it was a choice, but to divide their their ask into three parts, I think.

I think the leadership of independents made it really easy for voters to say, we're going to choose the less expensive one and vote no on the big one.

And I think that that that bond had a real long shot from the start.

Now, as Kansas City prepares to host the World Cup, could more global tournaments be on the way?

Over the weekend, FIFA selected the United States to host the Women's World Cup in 2031, with the only purpose built women's soccer stadium in the world is Kansas City, a shoo in to host this big event to.

I mean, I think with the women's soccer stadium, it's it's a pretty big, marketing tool to get the games here.

I think Kansas City has become known for that.

And for sort of a hub for women's soccer.

And they'll they'll certainly try for it.

I do think that, it's not a shoo in.

It's likely, but not a shoo in.

But the execution of the men's World Cup in Kansas City will tell FIFA a lot about whether the women should come here at a later date or not.

And, you know that that clock is ticking, rather quickly.

I should point out also that Kansas City is bidding on the, to host the Rugby World Cup as well, when it comes to the United States for the first time in 2031, a top representative from US rugby was in town last week to explore Kansas City's suitability as a potential site.

Not all Kansas City fans are on board yet, with soccer.

Jonathan.

What are they to think about hosting the Rugby World Cup?

Will they even care?

well, you'll have to tell me how to play rugby because I. I that's where I played growing up.

But, I would say, that explains.

A lot, by the way.

Okay.

All right.

Part of the challenge here, though, is that, in terms of the men's World Cup, both Kansas and Missouri have already been asked to contribute tens of millions of dollars.

I think, Missouri's total contribution might exceed $100 million.

When we're all said and done.

it's going to be a tough uphill climb to go back to these state lawmakers and say, please, let's have, several million more dollars.

And I'm not saying that these events would necessarily be at the scale of the men's event, but they would require significant additional, contributions that I'm, it just might not be there.

So it's a good for our global reputation, but it does come at a financial cost.

Well, right.

I think, I confess to also not really, knowing what hosting the World Rugby competitions would involve, but, but but I will say this.

Yes, Kansas City's, place in the international lineup, the prominence has certainly increased all the credit in the world to the Sports Commission, to Kathy Nelson and others.

The question is, will the local community continue to have the enthusiasm it's had about getting the NFL draft or getting the the men's World Cup?

As more and more of these events occur, Kansas City may prove itself capable of hosting these events.

Can they maintain appreciation for the challenges to traffic and infrastructure and everything else?

The other thing just quickly in 2031 for the Women's Soccer World Cup, that you may not have an Arrowhead Stadium, it might not exist.

you might have, facilities on the Kansas side.

That remains very much an open question.

That makes it a little more difficult for people to plan.

I think in terms of the local buy in to these events, I think, you know, we're still looking at what the men's World Cup will look like.

But in terms of women's soccer in Kansas City, people have at times shown more interest in that than our men's team.

And, with rugby, although it's still fairly new to Americans, but also Kansas City and especially, I think, with the rise of influencers like Ilhan Omar, bringing a sort of notoriety to the sport, I think people will be intrigued and sort of want to go out for that.

And Kansas City certainly take the acclaim in sport.

To paraphrase Will Ferrell, I don't quite know how to put this, but it's kind of a big deal.

How Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka on Thursday for the legislature's annual veto session.

Anything can happen before lawmakers wrap up this weekend.

What can we expect before they turn out the lights this weekend?

A lot of.

Votes.

Okay.

and as we sit here, today, we don't know the outcome of, a lot of those, it's hard.

When you do a prerecorded show.

Right, right.

But we are expecting, a veto override attempts on, policies related to to taxes.

I know there's frustration among Republicans that they feel like they didn't do enough on property taxes.

Could they do that at the last moment during this session?

Oh, yeah.

I mean.

Kansas is set up in a way that they can pass anything in common.

but you also have, things like, restrictions or significantly curtailing what public health officers can do to kind of limit large gatherings.

That's kind of a byproduct of, of, aftershocks of the Covid era.

But as we start to see, being outbreak in southwest Kansas, as there's concerns about other diseases in the years to come, that could be a significant decision that we might be, revisiting later.

And you also had bills on sort of establishing fetal personhood, requiring child support payments for children not yet born.

There was a bill that would limit cities or counties ability to sue big companies.

All of these vetoes, the veto pen got a lot of work from Governor Laura Kelly this time.

we will learn, as we've said, a lot here in the next few days, but but the real issue, I think, is in as Laura Kelly goes into the home stretch of her administration, who's really in charge?

Has she has she used her last bit of influence on vetoes that are likely to be overridden?

Or can we expect, a little more of an agenda from her?

Well, with Kansas lawmakers finishing up the.

Is the campaign for Kansas governor officially underway?

Is Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab still the most recognized name running?

Or has his recent cancer diagnosis changed his plans?

And what about former Royals president Dayton Moore?

He was on a Fact-Finding tour of Kansas.

Did he tip his hat in or out, or do we still don't know?

I don't think we know.

I wouldn't be surprised either way.

But the one thing I would caution about, candidates like that is, yes, Donald Trump pulled it off at the national level.

This kind of outsider candidate who went on to to to victory multiple times.

But, you know, at a statewide level, parties still exercise a lot of influence.

A lot of dollars come from these party apparatuses, from from major donors.

And so, it's going to be an uphill climb for someone who hasn't been part of that world to to break in and, kind of, get a groundswell of support.

We know that Laura Kelly can't run again, but why aren't we hearing about a major Democratic name saying they're going to be run?

There aren't a lot of major Democratic names in the state of Kansas, although you will hear and this sort of ties in a little bit to the governor's race.

Nick, you asked whether the race for governor has started.

The race for the US Senate is also, going on underneath the radar.

because I do think Democrats think that Roger Marshall might be a little vulnerable, particularly because of his full throated endorsement of virtually everything Donald Trump has done, including tariffs, which are very, very hurtful to farmers in the state of Kansas and farmers everywhere.

So I think Democrats the pressure on Laura Kelly to run for that seat remains high, even though she said no.

I think Sharice Davids is a possibility.

I really that name mentioned in discussions about maybe taking on Roger Marshall, which would change the outlook in the third district.

So we're a little bit of a, you know, there's still some distance to go before we see the full field.

But the work on that is going on.

Right now, I'm all about, as I said, geographic diversity.

Let's move over to the Missouri side for a moment, because five months after voters there approved abortion rights at the ballot box, the Missouri House was set to vote this week on a revamped constitutional amendment that reinstates most abortion restrictions.

If it passes, will Missourians be voting all over again on abortion?

Jonathan.

It's possible.

I don't know if this particular proposal is going to make it through this year, but, clearly, eventually some proposal will make it, to Missouri voters again.

That will kind of flip the question.

Whereas, last year the question was, do you want to restore abortion access?

The question this time is going to be, do you want to take it away?

Could we then just have this ping pong and then we'll have another voting campaign from citizens to then overturn that one again?

Well, I mean, I think it also depends on what the legislature does with initiative petition.

I mean, that's part of the reason that the first constitutional amendment got passed.

the legislature didn't like legislature didn't like that.

Sorry.

And they, felt that the voters didn't quite understand what they were voting for, and that's what they want.

This.

Now, in other news, this week, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas met with regional leaders today to discuss a metro wide tax to support the cash strapped bus system.

The summit at the Mid-America Regional Council includes the heads of Johnson, Jackson and Wyandotte counties and the mayor of Overland Park.

Is this an acknowledgment that Kansas City can't keep the busses rolling on its own?

Savanna?

I mean, that acknowledgment has been there for a long time.

Kansas City, city council and the mayor have said that, Kansas City can't sustain this, and they don't want to either.

they want to return to a time where there was more regional funding and actually get more than just municipal buy in, perhaps, different sales taxes throughout the counties that support the Cata, not just from Kansas City.

this has been a project not only from municipal leaders, but also people like the Mid-America Regional Council, the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance and other groups have been working towards getting these different, taxes to support busses for a long time.

We the only successful by state effort in this metropolitan area was for the renovation of Union Station.

A second effort was made to fund stadiums in the arts.

It failed.

What about for busses?

Could that be a successful formula?

I doubt it, I.

Have a basic service.

It is, and I've argued that, as you know Nick, on this show for many, many years, but for whatever reason, Kansans particularly seemed skittish about riding the busses on a regular basis.

You can drive around Johnson County and see busses that are virtually empty virtually all of the time.

So there have to be a real change of public support for the idea of transit before a sales tax might work.

And I think you'd get some pushback from others who want to use by state for other reasons at some point, by state to failed rather dramatically.

And we haven't had another chance at it for 30 years.

I will say in terms of bus funding specifically, a regional tax probably wouldn't be one blanket tax would have to go county by county.

places on the Kansas side, like Johnson County, have increased their support for public transit, especially in the county government.

and transit experts I've spoken to have said that almost always nationwide, even in places that don't often use public transit taxes.

Like this.

Pass.

We shall see.

speaking of basic services, by the way, it's National Public Health Awareness Week.

So why, rather than celebrating a local health department's laying people off, even as Kansas makes national news for its TB outbreak and a worrying rise in measles cases, local health departments are shutting down vaccination clinics and the Jackson County Public Health Department began pink slipping workers this week after losing more than $1 million in federal grant money.

Now, the Trump administration says now that the pandemic is over, it's cutting all Covid related funding.

Will local health departments still using that Covid cash, Jonathan, to prop up other programs unrelated to the virus?

Well, they would argue that all of it falls under the umbrella of public health.

But yes, some of that money was specifically for Covid 19 and it was cut as part of an $11 billion nationwide grant cancellation.

late last month, as you mentioned, Jackson County Public Health had to lay off three workers who were kind of part of a disease monitoring and, research team.

they lost about $1.1 million in total.

and so that's, you know, less efforts, that's going toward, being prepared for a potential outbreak of measles or TB or whatever it might be.

in the Jackson County area.

or it's resources that they're going to have to shift around to kind of backfill some of that, that effort.

and so you know, it is they would say that is concerning coming at a moment where, we do face some of these emerging threats.

It seems to be a firehose of news right now locally and nationally.

Dave, what are the implications of this story, though, if you live in Kansas and Missouri?

Well, you know, my good friend Rex Archer, who used to run the Kansas City Health Department, would argue and did argue repeatedly that the public health is job one.

I mean, you, you know, to catch, pandemics early, to, inoculate, kids and families.

There are were other costs to the Jackson County Health Department from these cuts, plans to expand the lab facilities.

community health educator positions that may now be cut.

you know, as a as Rex Archer would also argue, infections don't.

No county lines don't no city boundaries.

There was a reason that that funding came from the federal government, because it affected more than just the community where the health work was happening.

And so those cuts, they will have immediate impact here.

But they could have broader impact beyond this.

And that's that's what local.

Health officials are trying to wrestle.

And maybe, Brian, you'd agree with this.

The bigger impact is the head of Health and Human Services telling people they don't need vaccines.

I mean, that's just not that's not just a budget question.

It's a it's a fundamental approach to public health that has changed dramatically under this administration.

Well, and that goes to the point of why they say these local public health officials are so important right now, because there is still a level of trust at the local level.

So, they believe they can kind of combat some of this messaging that's coming from Washington.

But if you also take away the resources at the local level and that's the trouble.

You're in trouble.

What does it take to build for traffic these days at our area shopping centers, crowd center on the Plaza are trying new strategies.

This week, the world's first museum dedicated to barbecue opens this weekend at Crown Center.

It's been getting a lot of national news, including a Houston newspaper which asks, why isn't this in Texas?

We are the home of barbecue.

If you haven't been to Crown Center in a while, is this the kind of thing it needs to keep people coming through the door?

So they do need an even bigger draw, like a Royals ballpark right outside its front.

I mean, this is certainly in line with the other attractions in Crown Center, like Legoland, like Sea Life, and the hallmark, attraction.

I think the Museum of Barbecue is, is sort of orienting itself to be family friendly, just like much of Crown Center.

I'm sure they wouldn't mind a Royal Stadium nearby either.

You are our resident barbecue expert, Jonathan.

how do you come to.

Is this the kind of attraction that would get you running, not walking to Crown Center?

Well, the star has its offices in Crown.

Okay.

And so I think I will be visiting, quite soon.

first of all, I resent your designating Jonathan as the rising star.

Okay.

But secondly, no, I think that this this is one more thing.

Malls, as we know, have not had their best day in America.

I think Crown Center, is always on the lookout for new opportunities.

I will say, you know, does does Kansas City need a museum of barbecue, or would we rather just go out and eat barbecue?

Kansas City is speckled with desire, isn't it?

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, you've got the, you know, 18th and vine, you've got the toy Museum, you've got now a barbecue museum.

you know, my argument has always been you need to give people a reason to come back repeatedly.

Now, rather than our usual big story miss segment in the program, I thought it would be interesting to shake it up a little this week by asking, who is our newsmaker of the week?

Was it Quinton Lucas who staked his reputation on passing a jail tax and a bond issue for schools and wins?

Big?

Was it Kansas Senator Jerry Moran who sticks his neck out to oppose Trump on tariffs but keeps it on the down low by issuing no press releases or social media messages?

Was it Shawn McKnight picked by the Pope to be the new Archbishop of Kansas City in Kansas?

He replaces the politically active Joseph Norman, who at 75, reached the church's mandatory retirement age.

Or was it that totally rare breed of person called the voter who actually got off the couch this week to head to their local polling station in an extremely low turnout election?

All righty.

Savannah, did you pick one of those newsmakers or someone pick.

One of those newsmakers?

But a group of newsmakers, the Kansas City Public Schools students, I think they in addition to the parents and I think I might have stolen Bryan's answer in addition to the parents and the city leaders, you know, they worked really hard to improve their own schools, to get out the senior student vote.

And to, to encourage their parents and friends to do so.

Now Bryan is scrambling for something else.

So days, you give us your answer.

gentlemen, you know, named Fred Logan.

Yes.

Just to be a regular on this program, former chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, back when it was the predominant force in Kansas politics, announced his retirement from his law firm, this week.

And, Fred is a great guy and a great asset to this community.

And he isn't going away, but his retirement.

Here, here.

Jonathan.

Jerry Moran, he, signed on as a co-sponsor to legislation that would require, or give Congress a greater voice in this, tariff policy.

But, you know, in his kind of quiet way, did not, draw attention to it.

When I asked his office for a statement, the statement they sent does not actually criticize the tariff policy at all.

just says, it's time.

For being a little wishy washy there.

Brian, did you come up with one now, now that Savannah stole yours?

I am not changing my answer.

Okay.

All right, all right.

And the the the the kids, the students of us who've had decades of really bad news, struggles with accreditation, buildings being closed or repurposed.

This was a real win for.

All of them.

Yeah, they deserve double the praise.

That's good.

Someone else possibly worthy of being mentioned is Troy Schultz, who left his high paying job as the Jackson County administrator this week to become the new city manager in tiny Lebanon, Missouri, was the drama at the Jackson County Courthouse simply too much for him?

All right.

On that, we will say a week has been reviewed courtesy of the stars Jonathan Shorman and from KCUR News Savannah Holly Bates and Brian Ellison and Kansas City news icon Dave Helling.

And I'm McCains from all of us here at Kansas City PBS.

Be Well, Keep Calm and carry on.