Rain, storms continue today

More rain on Wednesday and Thursday is in the National Weather Service forecast. (National Weather Service graphic)

More showers and storms are expected in the late morning into the afternoon hours on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Isolated strong storms may be possible this afternoon across the region, the weather service said.

Rain chances may linger through Thursday, according to the weather service, with an additional half-inch to inch of rain in the forecast.

Cooler temperatures will prevail through Thursday, the weather service said, with today’s high near 67 and Thursday’s high near 63.

High temperatures will return to the area over the weekend, according to the weather service, with a high near 83 on Saturday and a high near 88 on Sunday and Monday, Memorial Day.

Today, there is an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 11 a.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 67 with an east northwest wind of 5 to 10 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Winds may gust as high as 20 mph. Between a quarter and half-inch of rain is possible.

Tonight, there is a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 4 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 52 with a south southwest wind of 5 to 8 mph becoming north after midnight. Winds may gust up to 18 mph. Between a tenth and quarter-inch of rain is possible.

Thursday, there is a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7 a.m., then a chance of showers between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 63 with a  light north northwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds may gust up to 22 mph. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is possible.

Thursday night, it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 49, according to the weather service. A northwest wind of 5 to 9 mph will gust as high as 21 mph.

Friday, it will be sunny, with a high near 77 and a northwest wind of 3 to 6 mph, the weather service said.

Friday night, it will be clear, with a low of 56, according to the weather service.

Saturday, it will be sunny, with a high near 83, the weather service said.

Saturday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 69, according to the weather service.

Sunday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 88, the weather service said.

Sunday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 72, according to the weather service.

Monday, Memorial Day, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 88, the weather service said.

Monday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low of 70, according to the weather service.

Tuesday, it will be sunny, with a high near 87, the weather service said.

Candidate filing deadline nears

The candidate filing deadline for the 2022 elections is nearing.

The deadline is Wednesday, June 1, for many offices, but the deadline has been extended to Friday, June 10, for some offices that were affected by redistricting, according to a news release from the Kansas secretary of state’s office.

Those offices where the deadline changed to noon June 10 include the U.S. House of Representatives, Kansas House of Representatives and State Board of Education, according to the secretary of state’s news release.

Statewide offices and districts without map changes still have a filing deadline of noon June 1, according to the secretary of state’s news release.

The deadline to change party affiliation is noon June 10.

The primary election will be Tuesday, Aug. 2.

More information about filing deadlines and the election is available from the secretary of state’s office at https://sos.ks.gov/elections/redistricting-information.html or from the Wyandotte County election commissioner’s office, at https://wycovotes.org/ or 573-8500, or [email protected].

The candidate list is online at https://sos.ks.gov/elections/elections_upcoming_candidate.aspx and is updated as candidates file.

Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman, other reps join list of retiring lawmakers

by Noah Taborda, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — House Speaker Ron Ryckman confirmed Monday he would not seek reelection, along with nearly a dozen other representatives who announced plans to step away from the Legislature.

The decision confirmed speculation the Olathe Republican would not run again. Rep. Ryckman was first elected to the House in 2012 and served an unprecedented three terms as speaker.

While Rep. Ryckman did not say what would come next, he did tell reporters he wouldn’t be running alongside Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the presumptive Republican nominee for governor, as his lieutenant governor. In his farewell speech, Ryckman said serving three terms as speaker and the work accomplished during that time were an honor he would cherish.

“To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose, to every work,” Rep. Ryckman said. “I know our state will be in good hands. Thank you for the seasons we’ve had together.”

In addition to Rep. Ryckman, nine other House members announced they would not be seeking reelection, bringing the total number of departing representatives past a dozen. All 125 seats in the House are up for reelection in the November general election.

Also departing from Republican House leadership is Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch. The Ottawa Republican has served alongside Rep. Ryckman since they both entered Legislature in 2012.

“Make every moment here count,” Finch told his House colleagues. “Always be about your work.”

Joining them in retirement is Rep. Jim Gartner, a Topeka Democrat who has served since 2016. Rep. Gartner said he enjoyed the first two years in Topeka when cooperation across the aisle seemed a reasonable thing.

But in recent years, Rep. Gartner lamented, he did not have as much fun. He has repeatedly taken issue with the bundling of bills, and in his farewell speech, he urged colleagues to do better.

“You have the power to change things,” Rep. Gartner said. “All I would urge you is to utilize the power and use it the right way. Let’s get back to the roots of the process that we normally follow.”

Rep. Gartner served as a prominent Democratic voice on the House Taxation Committee. He joins Topeka-area Reps. Anne Kuether and Ron Highland, who previously announced their retirement.

Rep. Tom Burroughs, D-Kansas City, Kansas, is stepping back from Legislature, where he has served since 1997. He was joined by fellow Kansas City, Kansas, Democrat Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, who has been in office since 2011.

Rep. Lonnie Clark, R-Junction City, Rep. David French, R-Lansing, Rep. Steve Huebert, R-Valley Center, Rep. Marty Long, R-Ulysses, and Rep. Jim Kelly, R-Independence, all announced their decisions not to seek reelection Monday. Reps. Megan Lynn, R-Olathe, and Rep. Richard Proehl, R-Parsons, announced their retirements from the House earlier this year.

Also retiring from the House, although seeking office elsewhere, are Rep. Jesse Burris, R-Mulvane, and Rep. Stephen Johnson, R-Assaria. Burris is running for a Sedgwick County magistrate judgeship, and Johnson is running for state treasurer.

“I live on a river near Assaria,” Rep. Johnson said. “There’s always just a bit of excitement and anticipation about whatever is around that next bend. All the best as each of you continue your journey beyond the next bend.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/24/kansas-house-speaker-ron-ryckman-other-reps-join-list-of-retiring-lawmakers/