(upbeat music) - [Nick] A new mass mandate in Kansas City, but is this one gonna be different?

The state is already fighting it in court.

So how long will it last?

And what about our schools?

- If you take math away at these school levels, we will see widespread transmission.

- COVID and other serious illnesses are not going away.

Do we mask forever?

- [Nick] COVID may still be dominating the headlines, but we haven't forgotten there's a big election next week.

We lift up the hood on the race for mayor of Overland Park and David Alvarez fight for four more years, leading Wyandotte County a handy-dandy election guides.

Straight ahead.

- [Announcer] "We Can Review is made possible through the generous support of Dave & Jamie Cummings, Bob and Marlese Gourley, the Courtney S. Turner Charitable Trust, John H. Mize and Bank of America N.A, Co-Trustees, and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

- Hi, I'm Nick Haines.

Can you keep track of everything going on right now?

In fact, I lobbied my boss for a two-hour show this week.

What I got is 27 minutes.

So let's make the most of it if it's okay with you, let's roll up our sleeves and get moving.

By the way, we're in good hands, Mr.

Up-to-date on KCUR FM, Steve Kraske is with us.

Kyle Palmer, reporter and editor at the Shawnee Mission Post, long education reporter, now "Star" editorial writer, Mara Rose Williams, and her star colleague Dave Helling.

I wanna start the show by rewinding the tape.

This is Mayor Quintin Lucas on Sunday, appearing on the nation's CBS show, "Face the Nation."

- I think every mayor of a major city in America right now is wondering if it's a time to return to mandates.

We have thought at this point thus far, that it is not necessary for Kansas City.

- [Nick] Mandates, not necessary here, barely 48 hours later, a massive change of heart.

- Late breaking news, a mask mandate is going back into effect.

- Our doctors have been telling us it's a problem for a while.

Today, we are taking real steps to make sure that we address that concern, longterm.

- [Nick] So starting Monday morning, you are now required to wear a mask indoors in all public places in Kansas City, regardless of your vaccination status.

Steve, what changed in such a short period of time?

- The changing guidance from the CDC, the Center for Disease Control, which came out and said, "A big change is in order now, given what's going on with COVID across the country," Nick.

- Now, the mayor insists stapling that he is sticking with the CDC numbers, their guidance throughout the pandemic, and today is no different, but is it?

Take a look at these headlines from last year.

It was in the first week of April of 2020 that the CDC recommended everyone wear face coverings in public.

Did Kansas City immediately respond?

No.

How about a week later?

No.

In fact, it was almost three months later in June that Mayor Lucas issued the first mask mandate in Kansas City.

So is there something more at play here than simply following health advice from leaders at the CDC?

- Well, you also, Nick, should mention that the CDC has changed it to advice over time, right?

I mean, it's telling people at one point that if you're vaccinated, you don't need masks.

In most situations now that's changed, the facts on the ground continue to evolve.

And that I think is behind what's going on with Mayor Quinton Lucas's order, but let's be very clear.

It isn't just up to him.

I mean, schools are trying to decide what to do.

Colleges and universities, different jurisdictions have different rules.

It's really a mess right now.

And yet the COVID danger is exploding.

If you look at the numbers, just in the last week to 10 days.

So we're in for a period, I think, of real confusion in the region about what to do about this new threat.

- You know, it's interesting.

We had Rex Archer on this program a few weeks ago, the Kansas City, Missouri public health director, Kyle.

And he said, "Well, we wouldn't do a mask mandate until we got other jurisdictions on board at the same time yet."

Yet, it seems like no one is getting on board.

Jackson County, not following through, the City of Independence saying, "No, we're just gonna recommend masks, we're not gonna require them."

And Johnson County too, why the reluctance in Johnson County to move forward with a mask mandate.

- Well, I think the situation in Johnson County partly is based on the fact that Johnson County is a relatively highly vaccinated county, by last check county health data shows that nearly 57% of Johnson County are fully vaccinated.

That is the highest rate of any county in the Kansas City Metro has been for some time.

So there is that.

And I'll also say that mask opposition in Johnson County, skepticism about masks and COVID mitigation measures has been a little bit more entrenched.

And the opposition a little bit more vocal maybe than in other parts of the Metro.

- There's certainly plenty of opposition in Missouri (indistinct) Rose Williams, we see the attorney general in Missouri may be filing a lawsuit, wanting to file a lawsuit against Kansas City and St. Louis to fight these mandates.

And also Governor Mike Paulson saying, "This whole mandate idea is gonna backfire.

It's gonna take away one of the major incentives for people to get vaccinated.

And that is you don't have to wear a mask anymore."

- It makes me wanna laugh when I think about somebody wanting to sue somebody for putting out an order that is just going to protect people.

I mean that... we keep doing the same things over and over and over again.

Look at what happened last time we all wore masks.

The numbers went down.

Now, they're asking the numbers are going up when we take the masks off.

So they're asking us to put the mask back on, bring the numbers down.

- But the mayor says on his mask mandate, that starts Monday, it's gonna go into effect until August 28th, but could it be short-circuited by a lawsuit by the attorney general, Steve?

- Oh, I think potentially, yes.

I mean, Eric Schmitt seems determined to go out and try to stop these things.

You know, the thing I find so discouraging Nick, once again, we are facing a national crisis with COVID-19 and we simply can't come together to battle this thing.

- A couple of hours ago, Nick, Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted that he had reached out to Eric Schmitt, the attorney general, to see if they could meet, the two of them could meet to discuss the legal situation around the mask mandate.

And Mayor Lucas said that Schmitt turned him down because Schmitt was too busy.

So that looks like it will go forward, but let's be clear, the litigation on these matters will take weeks.

I mean, it's not like something can go into effect next Monday, at least as of, now there may be a motion for a restraining order or some emergency hearing, but we don't expect that to happen.

The other thing to keep in mind is, we're talking about this in July.

Imagine what it's gonna be like in October or November when everyone is staying inside and communication of disease is more likely.

That's when COVID peaked last time actually was in October and November.

If you think it's, you know, convoluted and politically difficult now, just imagine what it's gonna be 90 days from now, it's gonna be a mess.

- Just a couple of things I wanna mention here.

It's just interesting trends as we get the ripple effects of COVID here in our Metro.

It just held its grand reopening.

Now, the Truman Presidential Museum has abruptly shut its doors, citing heightened concerns over COVID.

So if there's so much of a health risk, Dave Helling, why isn't the Nelson shutting down or the Auschwitz Exhibit at the union station?

Is it more dangerous to look at artifacts of Harry Truman?

- No.

And so just standby.

We also need to pay a lot of attention, Nick, to what the royals do.

You know, they're pretty much throwing the doors open, whether that changes or not, it's not clear.

And the Chiefs start their season and about six weeks.

Again, I think we're going through some real pains here, but it is nothing, nothing compared to what it will be when school starts, colleges and universities come back, dormitories open, fall sports begin.

We're really in for a headache here, I think in the next 60 days.

- Okay.

I wanna talk about that in a second, but by the way, all of this latest mask mandate news comes at the same time as Dave Helling points out, that every suburban school district in our Metro is actually saying no to masks with one exception, the Shawnee Mission School District voting this week to require face coverings for elementary students only.

- I would like it to be optional this year.

And for those concerned, their kids can wear 'em.

- Several parents were having their children pulled out of the district.

They've decided to homeschool again this year because a potential mask mandates.

- If you take masks at the school levels, we will see widespread transmission.

- So, I'm saddened that masking is again, being considered as a mandate.

COVID and other serious illnesses are not going away.

Do we mask forever?

- Some people though are confused by the distinction here.

If there's no vaccine requirement for any kids, why Kyle Palmer, is it somehow safer to allow middle and high school students to go out unmasked?

- Well, I think the district's reasoning is that, middle and high schoolers are at least eligible for the vaccine.

If you're 12 or older, you can get the vaccine.

So they just don't... - [Nick] Most of them though don't, have it?

- Well, correct.

I mean, Johnson County data shows that, less than 10% of people 17 and younger actually have the vaccine, the district's figures that they offered up at Monday's meeting said that between 20 and 30% by their calculation, 20 to 30% of their middle and high schoolers do have the vaccine.

But I think what the district is trying to do is put their efforts towards counseling students and families to get vaccinated, you know, pleading for, you know, responsibility and collective health, instead of trying to fight the masking battles at the secondary level.

For elementary kids, the public health logic is maybe a little more explicit, because kids 11 and younger simply cannot get the vaccine right now.

So literally every elementary school kid is unvaccinated.

So the school district is really leaning on that, while also trying to maybe play the game of urging older kids in their families to get vaccinated, as opposed to trying to go with a broader mandate for all kids.

- What is the implications of all of this?

Mara, I see that the U.S Census come up with figures today that people are just opting out, more than double the number of families today are now homeschooling versus even just six months ago and a huge jump there, the biggest jump in black households, from 3% last year to 16% now, are those students gone forever?

- And they very well maybe.

And I think you're gonna even see more of that happening with the mask mandate.

I think that people realizing that they can do this by Zoom and they're going to be opting for remote education.

- And don't we also know, and Steve you're a professor, you can help us here.

We also know the remote learning isn't what we hoped it would be.

- Yeah, it's been a big disappointment.

I think that it was one time, it was seen as the future of higher education, maybe seen as the future of all manner of schooling.

But I think after a year and a half of it, people are looking at it very differently today and much more critically.

- How is this playing out Kyle, in the school board races we have now going on in Kansas?

- I Think this will be an issue come November, right now we only have one school board race, it has a primary right now.

That's an old lace-up.

- We have a huge election going on in Overland Park, which we'll get to in just a moment, 'cause next Tuesday, even though we're concentrating a lot on COVID is election day on the Kansas side of our state line.

Again, go into Overland Park in just a moment.

But first let's head to Wyandotte County where you've got an important choice to make.

Do you think David Alvey deserves four more years as your mayor?

Four candidates are challenging him for the job.

Steve Kraske, you've been interviewing all of these candidates.

If you ask David Alvey, what's been his big list accomplishment in the last four years, what would he say?

- He doesn't hesitate at all, Nick, points to his county's response to COVID-19.

He says they follow the science, they did what was required to keep people safe.

And he says this, "Despite the fact that the numbers of vaccinated folks in Wyandotte County, of course, isn't nearly as high as Kyle has pointed out in Johnson County.

So he might be vulnerable to some criticism there, but it's definitely the response to COVID.

- You know, if you go to his campaign website, you will discover this sentence, "I'm improving the look, feel and function of Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas.

So rather than a pat on the back, why do four people have the audacity to be running against him?"

Mara Rose Williams?

- Well, if you ask Janice Witt, who's also running against him, it will be because he's done nothing for the neighborhoods that have been neglected and ignored in Wyandotte County for decades.

There's also the public utility bills that are extremely high.

For some people, those bills are higher than their rent and their mortgage.

So that's a big problem.

Then you would also have to look at what's happening with their police department and corruption.

And so yeah, those people have real issues with the way Wyandotte County, the U.G has been run.

- One candidate getting lots of attention in this race is a man by the name of Tyrone Garner, who was one of the highest ranking offices in the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department.

In New York City, a former police captain just won the democratic primary for mayor, but would that be an unusual move, Dave Helling here, for a police officer to take over one of the highest profile political jobs in our Metro, particularly in Kansas City, Kansas?

Whereas Mare just said there's concerned about corruption in the police department, and you wanna put a police officer in that role?

- Right.

And if Ty Garner has any sort of Achilles' heel, that may be it because some people think he should have been more proactive during his time on the force to address the corruption that exists there.

It would be unusual Nick, to answer your question, to have an officer, a police officer, a former member of the police force to be elected mayor, but it would be unique for Wyandotte County in Kansas City, Kansas, to elect an African-American as mayor, that's never happened before.

- How about Chris Steineger, then Steve?

He has a more traditional political pedigree, 18 years as a state Senator in Wyandotte County, his cousin, Joe Steineger, was the long time mayor of Kansas City.

How would he be different than David Alfie?

- Well, he's saying he sort of a shake him up Canada.

He wants the sage and old fashioned revolt.

If you will, against high tax rates, against the BPU utility rates that Mara talked about.

Now, he points out that he opposes this old style democratic machine that he says has been in charge in Wyandotte County for generations here.

Lots (indistinct) his jobs.

He wants to change the system entirely and usher in a new way of thinking.

- I have to, for equity purposes mention that there are a couple of other names in the mix.

Daran Duffy is one of them, he's a truck driver who recently moved from Johnson county to KCK.

- I'm a biblical conservative.

I will always vote according to those Bible values.

- The people are begging to be heard.

- Community activist Janice Witt was on this program in 2013 when she first ran for mayor, she ran in 2017 too and lost again.

Mara Rose Williams, why does she think she has any better shot this time?

- Well, she thinks that those first two runs for her were an opportunity for her to get her platform out there and her name out there.

She also thinks that people (indistinct) at the point now where they are completely fed up with, you know, the high taxes, the high public utility bills.

And so she thinks this is her time.

- And David Alby wasn't helped this week, Dave, when the news broke that Cerner, one of the largest employers they're now in Wyandotte County, with their big campus near the legends has decided to sell out, they don't want it anymore.

That was supposed to be 4,000 jobs.

And they put a lot of tax incentives into that.

Then that's going away.

- Right.

A lot of that was Kansas', State of Kansas and not KCK, Wyandotte County.

And so how much blame David Alvey will get for that is not clear.

And Steve is right, he can point his COVID response, but he is clearly Nick, the status quo candidate.

There is a choice.

Do you like things the way they're going?

Then David Alvey, probably is your choice if not, then one of these other candidates will probably step forward.

- Another big race on the ballot Tuesdays, happening in Overland Park.

Carl Gerlach has led Johnson County's largest city for the past 16 years, not for much longer, he's retiring.

Now, four candidates vying to fill his shoes in a job that pays about a $38,000 a year.

There are two city council members who say they have what it takes, an the attorney and the businessman, who also want to add the title mayor to their names.

Let's start if we can then with just these comparing these two council candidates Faris Farassati, he's a cancer researcher.

Curt Skoog, says he's been 25 years in a background of marketing and business development.

- Hi, I'm Dr. Faris Farassati, an Overland Park Councilman, and the mayoral candidate.

In the last four years, I have been working with you and for you anywhere that your voices needed to be heard.

- My name's Curt Skoog and I'm running to be your mayor of Overland Park.

Today, I'm here with the past two mayors, Carl Gerlach and Ed Eilert.

And I'm proud to have their support for my campaign.

- According to a "Star" editorial, Farassati's Dr. (indistinct) school is being painted as the face of the status quo, what would be the biggest difference we'd notice if Faris Farassati became mayor, Kyle Palmer?

- I think you would see some big differences, both in substance and tone.

I mean, Faris Farassati has bank his candidacy on challenging what he sees as the powers that beat the status quo in Overland Park.

He's done that most notably in his constant criticism of tax incentives, but it's also arisen in issues like police transparency and the use of, are they the expansion of U.S 69 using toll lanes.

And all these issues Farassati tries to paint himself as the reformer, the outside or the person who's going to shake things up.

His criticism gets to his style, right?

I mean, you've read media reports, his colleagues on the city council think he's a grand stander that he's unprepared largely on the issues that he likes to attach his name... - People don't like him, we're told, on the council.

So how does he respond to that?

- Well, he would say that that is proof that he's making the right people uncomfortable.

That if he's gonna be the bull in the China shop, if he's going to be the proverbial kind of thorn in side of the powers that be, that that's good.

I don't know if you would take to the nickname, Dr. (indistinct) but it's no secret that his candidacy has been based on rejecting a lot of what might be considered a business as usual.

- But Steve, don't you think though, if we have Dr. (indistinct), this is now the status quo candidate, Mr. Skoog.

And some people view that, "Oh, that's boring, that's just doing the same thing."

Is he gonna be the same person as (indistinct) Gurlack if he gets elected?

And is there anything wrong with that?

- Right.

I think that's probably what you would expect, Nick.

And a lot of folks who back a Curt Skoog would say, "Hey, Overland Park has had a legacy of success going back decades now."

The county now risen to be the second most populous city in the entire State.

So something they will say has gone right here under the leadership of people like Ed Eilert and (indistinct).

- There are two other choices, and they're both getting some familiar faces, campaigning for them.

- Hi, I'm Dr. Barbara Bollier.

And I'm here in Overland Park to support my friend, Clay Norkey, who's running to be your next mayor.

- While attorney Clay Norkey is getting the blessing of former Senate candidate, Barbara Bollier.

Former Kansas, governor, Jeff Colyer, putting his name behind (indistinct) opponent.

Mike Czinege, a former senior executive with the AMC movie theater chain.

- I'm running for mayor, because Overland Park needs a business executive that knows how to solve problems.

- Dave Helling, these are both outsiders.

They've never served on the city council before.

And when you think about Carl Gerlach and his predecessor Ed Eilert, they were on the council first and moved up there, is it too much of a learning curve to become mayor in a city like Overland park if you've never served on the council before?

- No, no, no.

I mean, you know, Ed Eilert was once a rookie too.

And so it was Carl Gerlach.

I mean, that can happen.

So it isn't a disqualifier that you've never served before.

The big question in this race, Nick, and really in Wyandotte County to a degree too is, in a time of COVID and so much disruption of our daily routines, are people mad enough at government to say, "No, we need a whole new direction," or are they satisfied by and large with the way their government is operating at the local level?

We'll see the answer to that next Tuesday.

- Okay.

Kyle Palmer, a quick, fast fire round for you, if I don't wanna pay a toll to drive on 69 Highway, who's the candidate most likely to prevent that from happening?

- None of them, I mean that cat's already out of the bag, it's already happening.

- You know...

So none of them could change that, for all the talking we hear about it?

- I get the point of your question.

I mean, I think philosophically, if you oppose the ideas of tolls, which you might consider taxed, then you would probably wanna vote for Faris Farassati, he's been most vocally against this.

So I will say for that particular issue, now this is supposed to be a lightning round, but there's been a lot of misinformation about that expansion on that particular issue.

- Didn't you say that Mike (indistinct) got in the race because of that?

- Yes, he got into the race because of the whole, that's exactly right.

- If I don't like wearing masks, Kyle Palmer, or I have a business and I don't want anyone telling me, I have to limit how many people could come in, who is my candidate?

- I think you have your choice of candidates because this hasn't come up that much.

And in my general sense is that all four candidates are fairly hesitant to put restrictions on private businesses.

I think if asked, they'd all defer that to the county and their former colleague, Ed Eilert.

- All right.

If I worry that only the rich can now afford to live in Overland Park and there's no affordable housing for working families, who's my guy?

- Well, both Farassati and Skoog have made this a central part of their campaign.

They both pointed their experience, trying to do things about this in their time on the city council, of course Skoog has more experience doing that.

He'd point to his 16 years is trying to do things like convert old hotels into affordable apartments.

Farassati would say his staunch opposition to things like tax incentives is part and parcel of putting more city resources towards kitchen table concerns like that, as opposed to using them for tax breaks.

- If I like the idea of the street car coming over to Kansas, do I even have a guy?

- I say we come back to that in 12 or 16 years.

- [Nick] You know, that's... - When Overland Park is ready for that one.

- You know, I actually heard that question about David Alvey too.

You know, that people would like to see that in Wyandotte County.

Is any candidate even proposing that Steve, in Wyandotte county?

- No, but in Overland Park, maybe (indistinct), he's your guy.

He's more moderate about climate change and talks about that as an issue, mass transit might fit there.

But yeah.

- You know, we do have some other issues, I'm gonna just touch upon before we leave the program, the police are back in the spotlight.

Some people say they never left.

This week, civil rights activists contacted the nation's attorney general, Merrick Garland, to demand a department of justice probe into the work of the Kansas City Police Department.

They wanted an investigation similar to the one launched into the actions of the (indistinct) Police Department.

After the death of Michael Brown.

- Department of justice, hear our pain.

Hear our cries.

See the bloodshed of our children, intervene.

- Meanwhile, in the very same week, Mayor Quinton Lucas proposes a pay hike for cops and extra cash for officers who live in the city, is this a mixed message?

We have civil rights activists saying the KCPD is ripe with abuse and brutalizing black residents.

And the mayor says, "We respect you work so much, you should get a pay raise."

Dave.

- It's been a week of moving chess pieces for the department.

Nick, you've pointed out a few.

Let's also know that the board of police commissioners agreed to allow officers to live outside of the city limits as state law now allows within 30 miles, but delayed any a decision to allow them to live in Kansas, which was pretty provocative.

So yes, I think the mayor is trying to counter his perception as anti-police.

That's why he want raises.

That's why he wants other reforms, but the major conflict over who controls the department remains an issue in Kansas City, Missouri.

- Yeah, it was interesting, Kyle, we hear about this is constantly a Missouri side about this residency, but do any police departments all in Johnson County for instance, require the police officers to live in the city in which they serve?

- Not that I'm aware of.

And in fact, one prominent example, the police chief of Prairie Village, Byron Roberson, is actually a resident of Overland Park.

- When you put a program like this together every week, we can't get to every big local headline making the headlines in Kansas City.

What was the big story we missed?

Is it disarray in local college, sports?

Texas and Oklahoma are announcing their departing the big 12.

Is K.U next?

And what does this mean for Kansas City, which has hosted the big 12 basketball tournament for most of its history.

Just days after Cleveland ditches, the Indians name for the Guardians, the Chief ending a tradition that started in the 60s, the retiring war paint, but the team insists the Chief's name is staying.

Memorial services this week for one of the Metro's most influential ministers, Bob (indistinct) led the village Presbyterian church in Prairie Village for nearly half a century and is remembered for taking an early stand against racism in Johnson County.

And for his outspoken sermons on the dangers of religious extremism.

The delay continues, still no word on when low-income Missourians can enroll in Medicaid.

A week after the state Supreme court approved the program's expansion.

And help wanted.

A new zoo director, Randy Westoff announcing he's retiring after 18 years of caring for Kansas city's wildest creatures.

All right Steve Kraske, did you pick one of those stories or something completely different.

- The loss of the Reverend Bob (indistinct), what are intellectual powerhouse, he was.

His words still resonate today, Nick.

And that is a tremendous legacy to leave behind.

- [Nick] Mara Rose Williams.

- I really wanted to say war paint, but except that you still get people out there doing the chops.

So I can't really go with the Chiefs on this.

So I'm gonna go with black restaurant week.

You know, I think that's a really big story to support our black businesses.

- Kyle Palmer.

- Well in the hubbub of all the COVID-19 mitigation and masking decisions made on Monday night, the Shawnee Mission School board also made another decision.

They're no longer gonna live stream their public comments for their meetings.

This came after YouTube removed a meeting in May because of some quote medical misinformation that some public commenters said about masks and vaccines.

- Dave Helling.

- Potential breakup of the Big 12 is a huge story.

The Big 12 could go away tomorrow.

And so we'll just have to keep an eye out.

- And on that, we will say our week has been revealed.

Thank you to the Shawnee Mission Posts, Kyle Palmer from your Kansas City Star, Mara Rose Williams and Dave Helling and keeping you up to date weekdays at 9:00 on KCUR FM, Steve Kreske, remember election day is on Tuesday, by the way, in the Overland park and Wyandotte county mayor's races, you'll be picking the two top candidates who will then go through to the general election this fall.

I'm Nick Haines, from all of us here at Kansas City PBS, be well, keep calm and carry on.

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