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JPMorgan Chase & Co reportedly canceled the account of a religious nonprofit organization for unexplained reasons, and said it would only reconsider the decision if the group provided its donor list, and a list of political candidates it intended to support. The National Committee for Religious Freedom (NCRF) launched on January 18, 2022 “to defend religious freedom for all Americans and all their religious communities by supporting political candidates at the local, state, and national levels—regardless of party affiliation—who support the free exercise of religion,” according to its website. “Religious freedom is a cornerstone of America’s constitutional democracy and was...

A group of bipartisan US congressmen is urging reform in UNRWA, the UN body that deals exclusively with Palestinian refugees and their descendants, and calling for alternative solutions to the containment of refugees in squalid camps. "The Palestinian refugees have been used as political pawns for the past 60 years by people who don't want peace in the Middle East," said Congressman Eliot Engel (D-New York) at a meeting of international parliamentarians hosted last week by the Congressional Israel Allies Caucus, a bipartisan pro-Israel parliamentary group. "The UN has been part and parcel of this conspiracy," he said. Engel, who...

WASHINGTON—Beijing is showing “a sign of weakness” with its escalating “war with faith,” says former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback. “It’s a sign of a regime on its last legs,” Brownback told The Epoch Times at the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington on July 14. “It’s gotten harsher, not more open. It’s gotten more brutal, not more liberating. It’s taken on tactics of bullying rather than open cooperation.” By contrast, a “confident regime” openly acknowledges its flaws rather than going after its critics, Brownback said. The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) increased harshness and brutality, as well...

Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is hoping the federal government can rescue several critical infrastructure projects that the state can no longer afford.The Brownback administration recently sent what amounts to a wish list to President Donald Trump for inclusion in his planned infrastructure initiative. It includes the following $240 million in highway and bridge projects delayed or abandoned because of the state’s ongoing budget problems: $50 million to replace a section of the Lewis and Clark Viaduct that carries Interstate 70 across the Kansas River between Kansas and Missouri.$91 million to build an I-235 interchange in Wichita.$45 million to reconstruct...

Larry Hauth has a farm in Coffey County and a daughter in Wichita. Good roads are kind of important to him. So he’s disturbed by the ongoing and accelerating trend of the state taking money out of the highway fund to balance the rest of its budget. “One of the things Kansas has going for it, compared to our surrounding states, is our road system,” Hauth said. “When they built them in years past, they were thinking ahead. I don’t think we’re thinking ahead right now. We’re trying to tread water, at best.” Gov. Sam Brownback wants to take nearly...

Kansas has more than 140,000 miles of public roads — the fourth most in the U.S. Such a massive network requires substantial public investment in maintenance and new projects, and some transportation advocates are worried that the state’s revenue crisis will prevent much of this necessary work from getting done. For example, the Brownback administration has transferred more than $1 billion from the Kansas Department of Transportation to the state general fund over the past few years. … Earlier this year, $185 million was removed from the highway fund to counteract meager state revenue collections. This sweep was announced alongside...

Got the experience, doing the right thing. His results don't look good. Popularity is in the toilet. At least we would know the direction the party is going in.

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A statewide, month long initiative to put the clamps on a Senate bill is underway. Senate Bill 463 is aimed at redirecting highway money to the state general fund. This weekend, the Kansas Contractors Association is running ads targeting lawmakers to get them to just say no. It’s called Detour Greenlight and it’s pointed to 24 legislators they believe detour, or normally vote against protecting road and bridge funding. It also names some who they say are for strong spending on roads. “To redirect the little bit of sales tax that goes into the pot to...

There is SOME good news for gun owners. Conservative Kansas Governor Sam Brownback just signed new legislation bolstering the right to bear arms. When asked why he passed such a broad bill, Brownback offered great rationale: "Kansans soon can carry concealed weapons without permits or training under a bill signed by Gov. Sam Brownback on Thursday. The new law, which kicks in July 1, makes Kansas the sixth state to allow “constitutional carry.” It will allow Kansans 21 and older to carry concealed firearms regardless of whether they have obtained a permit. Training still will be required for anyone who...

The “Progressive” overreach is now heading straight off the cliff — have a nice ride: Centrist Democrats were wiped out in the 2014 elections and in their absence emerged a resurgent liberal movement, embodied most recently by the surprisingly competitive presidential campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. But the suddenly ascendant left — its populist overtones becoming part of the mainstream Democratic pitch — is worrying Democrats who want to compete on Republican-leaning turf. The party lost every competitive gubernatorial and Senate race in the South last year. And Democrats didn’t fare much better in the heartland.Now, as Bernie Sanders’...

Kansas Governor: State Can’t Punish Religious Groups Over Same-Sex Marriage Objections By Sandhya Somashekhar July 7 Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) on Tuesday issued an executive order asserting that clergy and religious organizations cannot be penalized by the state for refusing to recognize or provide services for a same-sex marriage. The order comes nearly two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry, paving the way for gay couples to marry across the country. It is the latest sign that the battle has shifted to the issue of religious liberties, and how much...

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican leaders pushed a new plan for raising taxes through the Kansas House early Friday morning, hours after top aides to GOP Gov. Sam Brownback warned them that failing to erase a budget deficit risked funding for universities and invited a downgrading of the state's bond ratings.

[full title] GOP’s demonic new crusade: Right-wing zealots look for even crueler ways to treat the poor like garbage Happy Memorial Day! But if you’re in Wisconsin, and relying on food stamps, remember that Republicans don’t want you to have ketchup on your hamburger. They’d probably rather you didn’t have a hamburger at all, but Wisconsin farmers and ranchers have clout, and so proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program made room for Wisconsin products. But they still don’t want you to have “crab, lobster, shrimp, or any other shellfish.” Or ketchup. Or spaghetti sauce. Really. For now, that’s...

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Uber says it's ceasing operations in Kansas following the Kansas Legislature's veto of SB 117. The Republican-controlled Kansas Senate has overridden GOP Gov. Sam Brownback's veto of a bill imposing new regulations on ride-hailing companies like Uber. The measure would require drivers for ride-hailing companies to undergo Kansas Bureau of Investigation background checks. They'd also need additional auto insurance coverage beyond the $1 million Uber offers when drivers are logged into its network or transporting passengers. Uber had said the measure would push it out of the state. Governor Brownback released the following statement following the...

CONCORDIA Two school districts plan to end the academic year early to save money, citing financial pressures caused by reduced state aid for this academic year. The Concordia school district will release students May 15, rather than May 21. And the Twin Valley School District, which includes Bennington and Tescott, will dismiss May 8, rather than May 20. Concordia Superintendent Bev Mortimer said students have hugged her in thanks for the early release. “They remember me as the snow day lady,” she said. “We are popular with the kids but not the parents.” Kansas school districts are facing financial pressures...

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed an executive order Tuesday rescinding a protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender state workers put into place eight years ago by then-Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius’ executive order in 2007 said state workers could not be discriminated against, fired or harassed because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. Brownback, a Republican, issued an additional executive order affirming that state employees could not be discriminated against because of their race, religion, gender, age or country of national origin. “This Executive Order ensures that state employees enjoy the same civil rights as all Kansans without creating...

WIBW – Gov. Sam Brownback issued an executive order Tuesday removing gender identity and sexual orientation from the protected classes of state employees. His order rescinds a prior order from former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, which expanded the protections. Brownback also issued a separate order which includes language to encourage employment practices of veterans and people with disabilities. Executive Order 15-02 reaffirms the commitment of the State of Kansas to employment practices which do not discriminate based on race, color, gender, religion, national origin, ancestry or age. It further establishes that state entities will implement employment management practices for veterans and...

John Kasich has been making all sorts of news lately, but probably not the type he wants to be showing up in conservative chat rooms. Kasich has a pretty solid conservative portfolio from years past, and he’s still pushing for lower tax rates at home (in most cases) but even some of his more ardent supporters were shocked when he went on tour promoting Medicaid expansion for Obamacare. He also didn’t do himself any favors when he began dancing on the head of a pin for Common Core. (Wait.. this guy wants to run for President as a Republican?)But...

Pro-life Gov. Sam Brownback, with a backdrop of 40 pro-life legislators at Kansans for Life’s annual Rally for Life, said he was anxious to sign the newly proposed “Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act.” The bill is the number one legislative priority for Kansans for Life. Approximately 1,500 rally attendees at the January 22 rally welcomed the news, having marched one-half mile together to the Capitol in Topeka with a variety of pro-life posters and banners, including the newest sign, ‘Stop dismembering unborn babies.’ The crowd was dominated by students, who came from as far away as Hays, Dodge...

The respect for life at every stage of development, from birth to natural death, is “the foundation of our society” and the surest path to a renewed nation, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback said in his second inaugural address earlier today.Yet America is facing a “crisis of the family” that plunges children into poverty, undermines upward mobility, and casts a lingering shadow over the nation's future.Family breakdown is “a principle issue that must be addressed for us to move forward,” he said after taking the oath of office for the second time in Topeka.Brownback warned that too many people had failed...