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

There is no broad statewide citizen initiative or referendum for laws or constitutional amendments—Kansas relies on the legislature for statewide measures. Local options exist for cities (like Topeka) and counties, but they are limited, vary by issue, and must follow exact statutory requirements. No, a city council person or county commissioner does not have to sponsor it, and it does not require their consensus or a majority vote upfront. Citizens can drive the process via petition in many cases, forcing the governing body to act (e.g., pass the ordinance or call an election). However, the governing body can sometimes adopt the measure itself or challenge its legality. Petitions are the primary citizen tool. Key Distinctions: City (Topeka) vs. County (Shawnee County) Topeka (first-class city with home rule powers) : Stronger initiative/referendum options under K.S.A. 12-3013 and constitutional home rule (Article 12, Section 5). Shawnee County (unincorporated areas or countywide)...

Henry McClure 785.383.9994  Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device Get Outlook for Android From: Senator Roger Marshall <donotreply@marshall.senate.gov> Sent: Friday, 17 July 2026 16:49:19 To: mcre13@gmail.com <mcre13@gmail.com> Subject: A Doctor's Note - Senator Marshall's Weekly Newsletter   Visit Our Website Media Fraud Bust of the Week This week’s ‘Fraud Bust of the Week’ shows just how far some criminals will go to take taxpayer dollars meant for others. The case centers on a mother and her two adult sons who worked together for years on a conspiracy to steal over $5 million in taxpayer dollars by falsifying paperwork and tax returns. Along with filing $1,533,395 worth of fraudulent claims with the IRS...

Hey everyone — just wanted to pop in and say thanks.   Lately I've noticed a real uptick in traffic across the blog, YouTube channel, and socials. Whether you're checking in on local development news, real estate opportunities here in Topeka and Shawnee County, or just following along with what I'm seeing on the ground, I appreciate every view, comment, and share. It means a lot.   This isn't just about numbers for me — it's about using this platform the right way. I've spent 45+ years in real estate and development, and I've seen how information (or the lack of it) can make or break projects, businesses, and our community. So my goal has always been to cut through the noise: sharing honest updates on zoning, incentives, infrastructure, local politics, and opportunities that actually move the needle.   If you're a small business owner, developer, property owner, or just someone with a story or idea that deserves more eyes, let's ta...

  Title: A Hurtful Comment, a Quick Deep Dive, and Thoughts on Public Service in Topeka I do need help. I am so arrogant. I am so arrogant that I thought I could change Topeka. I thought I could change Topeka due to my arrogance. And I’m going to need a lot of help to get people to actually change Topeka. Today, while reviewing some old memories and posts, one comment stood out. Kristen Anderson White wrote on Facebook: “God help us if anyone ever takes you seriously. You need help!” It was directed at me, and honestly, it hurt. I’ve spent decades in Topeka real estate, founding MCRE, LLC, working on developments, and running for Shawnee County Commissioner and Mayor because I believe our community deserves better—more transparent processes, shovel-ready projects, accountability for taxpayer dollars, and economic growth that gives our kids and grandkids reasons to stay and build here. Showing up at meetings, drafting proposals, studying drainage and zoning details, and putting ...

  Definition of “Qualified Data Center” (New Section 1(g)): “Qualified data center” means one or more buildings that are constructed, reconstructed, enlarged, remodeled or leased to house a group of networked computer servers in this state to centralize the storage, management and dissemination of data and information pertaining to a particular business, taxonomy or body of knowledge and such buildings are connected to each other by fiber and associated equipment required for operating a fiber transmission network between data center buildings and internet points for the purpose of providing redundancy and resiliency for the data center services provided in each building. Core Qualification (New Section 2(a)): A qualified firm that makes an investment in eligible data center costs in a qualified data center of at least $250,000,000 in the aggregate by the fifth year of operations and creates and maintains at least 20 new jobs at the qualified data center within two calendar ye...

Quick Summary SB 98 created the Kansas Data Center Sales Tax Exemption Program . It offers a 20-year 100% state and local sales and use tax exemption on construction, equipment, and related costs for large-scale data centers that invest at least $250 million and create at least 20 new full-time Kansas-resident jobs . Key strings attached: Must buy power from the local utility for 10 years. Must have a water conservation plan. Must pass a cybersecurity/critical-infrastructure review by the Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center (KIFC). Explicitly banned from receiving the normal economic-development discounted electricity rates that other large industrial customers can get. It is the state’s main tool to attract hyperscale and large data centers while trying to protect ratepayers and national security interests. Deep Dive 1. Legislative Purpose and Background SB 98 (Chapter 124 of the 2025 Session Laws) was designed to make Kansas competitive in the national race for AI and ...

Here's the clear-eyed breakdown of data centers in Kansas as of mid-July 2026. Current Landscape Kansas has a small existing footprint but a massive pipeline. Operating capacity is only about 20 MW across a handful of facilities (mostly smaller/colocation sites). Planned projects would add roughly 1,350 MW , for a potential total around 1,370 MW. The market is concentrated near the Kansas City metro (both KS and MO sides) and is spilling into rural areas. Sources tracking facilities put total data centers (operating + smaller) in the low-to-mid 20s, with hyperscale interest rising fast. Examples of activity include: Industrial parks marketing specifically for data centers (e.g., Great Plains Industrial Park). Proposed hyperscale or large projects in places like Emporia (“Flint Hills Digital Campus”), Osawatomie, Leavenworth area, Pottawatomie/Manhattan region, and near Topeka. Compass Datacenters has been in preliminary talks for a ~60 MW facility near Topeka (around the Wa...