By Bob Weeks, Special to KansasWatchdog.org Members of the joint Commerce and Economic Development Committees expressed concern that a forensic audit of the Kansas Bioscience Authority was not broad enough and that deliberate deletion of data from a KBA computer left questions unanswered. James Snyder, managing partner for BKD’s Forensics and Valuation Services, told the [...]Read More>>

The computer hard drive in former Kansas Bioscience Authority president Tom Thornton‘s laptop was deliberately erased prior to an examination of the records it held, according to an audit report released today by BKD LLC. BKD is a Springfield, Mo.-based certified public accounting firm. The firm said it could reach no firm conclusions on the [...]Read More>>

Bombardier Learjet will expand its facilities in Wichita with more than $600 million in company investment and $16 million from the state of Kansas. The expansion is expected to add about 450 new jobs over the next 7 to 10 years. Company officials say the expansion will create not just new jobs but an integrated [...]Read More>>

WICHITA – David Kensinger, Governor Sam Brownback’s chief of staff, said the governor will make an announcement Tuesday in Wichita regarding aviation manufacturing. Boeing announced Wednesday it will end its operations in Wichita by the end of 2013, costing the area about 2,100 jobs. “It was true a week ago that Wichita has the best [...]Read More>>

Wichita – Comments from 53 speakers at a forum in Wichita signal a busy and contentious legislative session is just ahead. About 200 showed up for the South-central Kansas Legislative Forum at the Sedgwick County Courthouse Tuesday night. A total of 22 state senators and representatives attended, most staying through the three hours of comments [...]Read More>>

Campaign finance reports were due about two weeks ago and Kansas Watchdog previously reported summaries for the Kansas Senate and Kansas PACs.  This article summarizes the nearly 200 reports filed by members of the Kansas House. All 125 House members filed reports, along with current challengers for the 2012 contests. Some candidates from previous elections [...]Read More>>

House Democrats have one. Senate Democrats and Senate Republicans both have one. But Kansas House Republicans cannot have a “Leadership” PAC? A summary of Kansas PAC campaign finance reports published by Kansas Watchdog on Tuesday shows sizable amounts of money in the existing “Leadership” PACs. These large amounts highlight the disparity in the law preventing [...]Read More>>

Receipts and expenditure reports for Kansas Political Action Committees (PACs) were filed last week at the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. Kansas Watchdog reviewed the nearly 200 recent PAC reports, many of the related statements of organization (SO), and prepared three summaries:Read More>>

By Gene Meyer | Kansas Reporter TOPEKA — Business owner Ken Daniel, of Topeka, was beaming Thursday as he listened to members of Gov. Sam Brownback’s cabinet explain to lawmakers details of the administration’s latest tax and budget plans. “I’m really happy with the tax plan,” said Daniel, chairman of Midway Wholesale, a building materials distributor, [...]Read More>>

[Updated Jan 23.] Since all members of the Kansas Senate are up for election this year, Kansas Watchdog started analysis of the campaign finance reports filed Tuesday by looking at the Kansas Senate. The Jan. 2012 senate reports can be found online at the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission’s web page, or online using the Kansas [...]Read More>>