mcre Media .......[Henry McClure Publisher]

Opening: Topeka is Kansas’s capital. That status brings prestige, jobs, and visitors—and a large volume of property that never appears on the tax rolls. The exemption reality Under Kansas law, property used exclusively by the state is exempt. So are qualifying hospital and charitable properties. Stormont Vail Health, a major nonprofit system with substantial assets, owns multiple parcels that qualify. The practical effect is a smaller taxable base that still funds local services used by everyone, including state agencies and large nonprofits. What other capitals do Vermont, Connecticut, and Massachusetts have statutory PILOT programs that send money back to communities hosting state property. Montpelier receives meaningful annual payments. Kansas has no comparable requirement. Federal PILOT payments for federal land exist but are minimal in Shawnee County. How the remaining dollars have been used Public reporting on Hotel Topeka shows a multi-year investment in the $14–17 million r...

Yes. The primary mechanism is straightforward federal authority over the border itself. A Democratic governor (in this case, Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, and similarly the new or continuing Democratic governors in California, Arizona, and New Mexico) cannot unilaterally “open the border.” Immigration enforcement, border control, and related operations are federal responsibilities under the Constitution. What a governor can and cannot do A governor can withdraw state resources that previous Republican governors (especially Greg Abbott in Texas) had committed: state National Guard troops under state control, state troopers, state-funded barriers or operations like Operation Lone Star, and voluntary local law-enforcement cooperation (e.g., ending or limiting 287(g) agreements). They can also pursue sanctuary-style policies and challenge federal actions in court. A governor cannot stop federal agents (Border Patrol/CBP, ICE) from operating on the border or in the interior, alte...