The count continues a week after Election Day.

Could it really change the outcomes of the big Kansas races?

Some candidates not waiting for the official result?

I've met with Governor Laura Kelly and her team to start the transition.

Plus, Missourians passed amendment six.

Could it now be overturned by the courts?

Also this week.

That was fast.

Adam Hamilton already in Washington as new member training gets underway this week.

Ambassador Collier anyone?

And what about Governor Lucas or Senator Lucas?

Liberty Memorial turns 100, and there's one Kansas City institution celebrates a century.

Another is being evicted.

Those stories and the rest of the week's news straight ahead.

Week in review is made possible through the generous support of Bob and Marley's.

Gourley, the Francis Family Foundation through the discretionary fund of David and Janice Francis, and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

Hello, I'm Nick Haynes, and thank you for joining us on our weekly journey through the Metro's most impactful, confusing, and downright head scratching local news stories.

Hopping on board the Weekend Review bus with us this week, leading the editorial board of your Kansas City Star.

Evette Walker, Kcal chief political analyst Brian Ellison, tracking the region's political stories from behind a microphone at KCMO Talk Radio, 95.7 FM.

Pete Mundo and former star staffer, now Mr.

Kansas City.

Stack on Substack Dave Helling.

Now election day is over.

The counting isn't isn't that remarkable?

Kansas election officials have given until next Monday for local counties to complete close race audits in six contests, including the races for governor, attorney general and secretary of state.

But that hasn't stopped Democrat Cindy Holsinger from already acting like she's got the state's top job.

I've met with Governor Laura Kelly and her team to start the transition, and I am grateful for the warm welcome and the close partnership.

As we prepare to take office.

Okay, I have a Republican leaders, though, privately acknowledge to themselves, we've lost these races, Pete.

Yes, they have.

And there's not going to be some big drawn out, drag out fight.

They're ready to accept the results as they currently stand and move on whether they're happy or not.

And obviously they're not happy.

Even Tim Masterson had said the Republican candidate, that lawyers could get involved.

That was on election night.

He's changed his tune.

I've heard privately that the campaign has no interest in dragging this thing out.

Yeah, I mean, I think even on election night time, Masterson said, we're going to let the counting process play itself out.

He never actually threatened to, to to challenge the election results.

Did not become an election denier overnight.

I think it seems that by a few thousand votes, Cindy Holsinger and as well as Chris Mann for attorney general have been elected.

Dave, what is going to be the big difference, do you think, between Cindy Holsinger as governor of Kansas than what we have seen over the last eight years with Laura Kelly in that job?

Generally speaking, Cindy Holsinger is more is left of Laura Kelly.

Laura Kelly was, for all of her fights with the legislature, a very business friendly governor, worked with the Panasonic plant, worked with the chiefs, did some other things.

I think Cindy Hauser will be more skeptical of some of those deals than maybe Laura Kelly was, but her relationship with the legislature will be fascinating, frankly, because with the Democrats picking up seats, you might think that she would be able to advance things like Medicaid expansion or legalization of cannabis.

I'm not sure that's going to happen.

Republicans still have working majorities in both houses.

It can also be a little bit awkward because, Ty Masterson, the Republican candidate, didn't lose his Senate seat.

He's still going to go back to the Kansas Senate.

He could still be the Senate leader.

And now he has to work with Cindy Holsinger.

Yeah, absolutely.

You know, what I'm looking forward to is the difference in the communication style is I think there's a big difference.

I think it's going to be a very different gubernatorial style and a very different, next few years.

Governor Kelly couldn't get Medicaid expansion done, couldn't get legalization of marijuana.

I know Cindy Holter is also talking about raising the minimum wage, which is in the basement of all of all states at $7.25.

What city have any more success in those issues?

Pete?

No, I mean, Dave's right that the house now is, not nearly as conservative.

No super majority there.

But interestingly, Laura Kelly was much more pro-business.

But there are pro populists, for lack of a better phrase, things that she may be interested in that also could appeal to Republicans data center moratoriums.

The star bond joke with the Chief Stadium, those things that Cindy Holsinger really campaigned on.

Not a lot with the Chiefs, but a lot with data centers, and they appeal to a large swath of, coincidentally, Republican voters.

Kansans should pay attention.

In the first week of the session, the Republicans will pick something to have a fight with her about, something to see whether she's willing to stand up to whatever they suggest or whether there is compromise possible that will happen in the first couple of months of the session.

It may revolve around property tax relief, which remains a huge goal for a lot of Republicans and Democrats, for that matter.

In the legislature.

They'll try and pick some argument over property taxes, and we'll see.

You know how firmly she deals with the legislature.

I didn't actually expect to be spending a lot of time on the election this week.

I mean, we are so far away from it, but there's so many loose threads.

Also, on the Missouri side, last week, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved amendment six that curbs the power of lawmakers to overturn citizen initiatives at the ballot box.

Now, Republican lawmakers are threatening a lawsuit, arguing the measure violates the state constitution.

The biggest sticking point is a provision extending protections to voter approved initiatives dating back to 2010.

So that includes things like the Missouri Puppy Bill law, which restricted large breeding operations, and a 2024 measure providing paid sick sick leave.

Rather, lawmakers reversed both of those measures.

So did voters have the final word last Tuesday, or was that just the opening round of a courtroom showdown that could drag on for months?

Brian?

Well, I think there may be a misunderstanding about what this amendment does.

I it is correct that it applies retroactively to voter approved initiatives.

It does not apply retroactively, as I read it to the things that the legislature has already taken action on.

So the legislature undid aspects of that puppy mill, initiative.

It undid some of the sick leave provisions that were approved by voters.

I don't think this amendment goes back and undoes actions that were perfectly legal for the Assembly to take, prior to its adoption.

What it does mean is that if that were to happen in the future, it's something the General Assembly could not do.

We all hearing this week, though, this will open up the floodgates.

If you thought there were a lot of amendments on the ballot this time around, five.

Statewide questions on the ballot in the last election, we could have a dozen in 2028, everything from a $25 minimum wage.

We're also hearing about changes, election reform, adding, ranked choice voting as a potential ballot issue.

Oh, it's open season now.

There's no doubt about it.

And I think that this is part of also the Democratic strategy to try to regain a foothold in the state of Missouri.

If you put things on the ballot that will typically appear to or appeal to more left of center or liberal people, that will get them to the ballot box, that could be good for the party as they try to regain a foothold in the state of Missouri.

Need to take a bit of a deep breath.

There are dozens of amendments and petitions filed every year, long before amendment six.

You could go to the Secretary of State's website, and there would be a hundred different proposed petition amendments that may or may not take place, may or may not go to voters.

So let's just relax a little bit about, 4 or 5 that may be introduced now.

Second, there's no way amendment six can be unconstitutional in regards to the state constitution because it's in the Constitution.

Now.

So you can't now, it may contradict another part of the Constitution when there are conflicting clauses.

That's when the courts need to get involved to solve it.

And so my guess is, yes, this will be argued at some point in state courts in 2027.

Now, from Senate sermons to Senate briefings, Kansas Senator elect Adam Hamilton flew to Washington this week for new member orientation.

He isn't the only new face from our area on the multi-day Capitol Hill Crash course.

Also in freshman training is Kansas City radio host Chris Gold, the Republican who won Missouri's sixth congressional district.

They'll trade their orientation packets for official duties on January 3rd.

When the new Congress is sworn in, Stickle is replacing Sam Graves, who kept a very low profile in Washington.

What's the biggest difference, Pete?

We'll see when Chris Stegall takes over that office.

Well, it might be more media presence.

I mean, that's obviously his background going back 25 years to Kansas City, Philadelphia and some nationwide radio as well.

So that's probably thing number one.

But I'm intrigued to see how much he does carry that Sam Graves mantle on on issues like transportation, kind of the boring stuff that makes government work whenever it decides to work.

The problem for Chris, the goal, of course, is that he's a freshman.

Sam graves has been around for two decades and had seniority, was chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

That is very different from being a freshman in the minority.

And that's the other thing that Chris de Gaulle is going to learn quickly is it is no fun being a freshman.

It is much less fun being in the minority in the US House.

Basically, you have an opportunity to put out press releases and ask a few questions at hearings and little else.

How about Adam Hamilton, other than his commitment not to vote for Chuck Schumer as Senate leader?

What's the first big change will notice after he's sworn in on January 3rd?

You think of it.

Wow.

Well, we know what he said that he doesn't want to see.

He's concerned.

I think he's concerned about, issues that will be two disruptive.

And I think he's coming back.

Having hearings about the Trump family and his hearings.

Yes, absolutely.

He may not want to vote on impeachment or on investigations into the Trump family, but if they come before him, he's not going to have a choice.

What's the first thing we'll see, Pete?

Oh, boy.

I think it's going to be a lot of happy chat.

I think it's staying away from the polarizing issues is what he'll try to do.

But the other thing that may work in his advantage, Democrats may end up 55, 56 seats.

So some controversial things could get through the Senate.

And he can be a no vote on them while his party still gets what they want, which would be a perceived moderate vote for Adam Hamilton.

He may want to focus a little bit on the farm bill.

That would be a way for Adam Hamilton to say, look, I'm looking out for Kansas interests, which I think he'll be looking for early in his first term to prove to the to the voters of Kansas that he has them in mind.

There's some other, loose threads from the election I wanted to bring up for months on this program.

I said that Kansas City Congressman Emanuel Cleaver's political future would be over if a new Republican drawn map was used in this November's ballot.

Well, guess what?

A new precinct by precinct analysis from the political firm Remington Research shows Cleaver would still have won, even if the GOP drawn up hadn't been used.

That's a stunning conclusion.

Does that show, Brian the depth of the Democratic wave that hit the country?

Well, I don't think there's any questioning the depth of that Democratic wave, but I will say I'm a little suspicious of of that conclusion.

I think, we don't know what would have happened had it actually been a serious race between, Rick Bratton and Emanuel Cleaver.

How much money would have been poured into that race from the national Republican Party?

That's maybe saying too much, but but the point is made.

It was a very strong democratic year.

Okay, well, the political shorthand analysis has been that it was a great election for Democrats and a terrible one for Republicans when there's some major bright spots for the GOP.

What was the biggest bright spot?

What do you got for me, Nick?

Well, I would say to you, because he was actually on the show, does Pat Proctor deserve the title of biggest Republican winner?

It looks like he defied the Kansas Democratic tidal wave and is going to be the next Kansas secretary of state.

He also was the lead supporter of that Kansas amendment to ensure only citizens get to vote in elections that that passed with 63% of the vote of it and did.

And that is still somewhat of a surprise.

Because, you know, citizens, only citizens can vote.

So that's always had been the question behind needing something like that.

But 63% is impressive.

But for all of the sort of concern about Republicans, they still hold three of the statewide elected offices in the state of Kansas and on the Missouri side, the only statewide issue was a ballot question, rather, that was, the state auditor, and that was won by Republicans to crime.

Correct.

Although 2028 in Missouri for the Republican Party will be fascinating because Mike Keough, remains a damaged political figure after what happened in 2026.

Republicans, particularly to the right of Keough, are thinking about running against him.

Eric Schmidt is up all the statewide offices.

Catherine Hanway, there has to be in the Republican Party in Missouri, some reckoning of its direction, I think, before the next election.

But you're exactly right, Nick.

In this sense, the bench remains very strong for Republicans in Kansas.

No one at this point, any way, seriously thinks that Jerry Moran will be threatened, dramatically if he decides to run again, although that's subject to revision in the months ahead.

They still have majorities in the legislature.

The Republican Party is not dead.

And our neck of the woods, by any stretch of the imagination, they do have to have some internal conversations about the next direction.

A post-Trump that's not unique to Kansas.

And is this you express interest in what would happen in 2028?

What about, Quinton Lucas, who now says he he's considering a run for Missouri governor or U.S.

senator in 2028?

I think I'm done with this journey yet.

I, you know.

Have had fun being a leader in Kansas City.

I love chopping it up everywhere.

Was knocking doors and Lee's Summit this weekend.

I have a decision to make about what happens in 2028.

Of course, in Missouri, we have a gubernatorial race, a U.S.

Senate race currently held by Eric Schmidt.

So I imagine I'll still be around causing trouble for a while now.

Matt Lucas teased a congressional run earlier this year, but it never happened.

How seriously are we to take him now very seriously?

He was the happiest guy a couple Tuesdays ago with those election results in Missouri in particular, I still lean to the idea that governor is where he wants to go.

He said something interesting on Kcrw.

He shared a little clip of himself talking about education, public education as a priority.

That's a governor thing.

That's not really a U.S.

Senate deal.

And then the idea of going up against either Mike Kehoe or if there's a primary challenge, as Dave mentioned, somebody else is much easier than an incumbent U.S.

senator from Missouri in a presidential year.

So that's the lane that makes sense.

I asked him on my show Thursday if I was leaning governor for you over Senate, would I be on the correct track?

And he basically said, yes, but the whole political environment could be so very, very different in 2028.

Oh, absolutely.

And as we said, Missouri is still a Republican state.

It would have to be an unusual year and he would have to run a flawless campaign.

But I don't think it's out of the question.

I think Clint Lucas is an outstanding campaigner, and as much as the Kansas City media community is sometimes skeptical about Mayor Lucas, I think the population generally loves him.

He's a fine orator.

He would be a contrast to Mike Kehoe in that way.

And I think in the right year, in the right environment, he'd be a very compelling candidate.

We should keep in mind, however, that Missouri has never in its history elected an African-American to statewide office for any statewide office at any time.

The bar would be very, very high for an African-American mayor like Quinton Lucas.

I'm reminded of Alan Wheat, who was the US representative from this area who ran for the Senate and was crushed three decades ago, in part because it's difficult for African-Americans to break through in Missouri now in other states and Mississippi.

Just elected a black Democrat.

We have the first elected, black, lieutenant governor in Kansas history.

I wrote a Substack this week that suggested those calculations are changing a little bit, which is why you hear a lot of discussion about Quinton Lucas, but that we should not ignore the difficulty, in, in a candidacy that he would provide.

But the timing would be right for him because he'd be out of office in August of next year.

Absolutely.

And I would agree.

I think it would be an uphill climb.

However, and I think we have to look at, you know, is he, known enough?

Is he?

Well thought of enough in the other parts of this?

He seems to be spending a lot of time campaigning in those other places at he only summits in Springfield, Missouri.

Well, but yeah, but we're talking further, further east, Saint Louis, all areas.

Well, just quickly that the other thing is what Democrat in Missouri would be qualified to take on Mike Hill.

You can't really think.

It's not like the bench is very strong for that party in Missouri.

He might be one of the leading Democrats in the entire state.

Let me throw out one other scenario, by the way, which you can hear talked about, Sharice Davids in the third district in Kansas may run against Jerry Moran in 2028.

If that race takes place, the third district would be open.

Quinton Lucas could move to Kansas and run for that.

All right.

Now, with the midterms in the rearview mirror, will Kansas City's next election finally get some fresh attention?

Three city council members have already announced bids to succeed Mayor Quinton Lucas, but with just eight weeks until the candidate filing deadline is another big name preparing to enter the fray, Pete, his name is Nick Haynes.

That's that's it.

You know, 29.

What was it, 2019?

There was so much fun because you had everyone and their mother running.

Yeah, we didn't have enough podiums for them.

I think there's 10 or 11 candidates.

I thought it was more like 15.

But either way, this 1st May be more mundane, more boring.

I mean, already some of these folks are working behind the scenes, obviously, in the Northland, you've got obviously candidates up there.

You've got, you know, crisp and there's a blend of people.

So I don't think it's going to be like 2019.

That's just my read on it right now.

But we'll see.

There's still time, obviously only eight weeks for you to look in the mirror and say, you know, I could be the next mayor of Kansas City.

Dave Helling, that there aren't any other candidates who are going to make that decision.

We never know.

A lot of times in Kansas City politics, someone emerges from the business community that we haven't even thought about or heard about.

And, that's always a possibility.

And believe me, Nick, every member of the city council looks in the mirror and thinks he or she could be mayor.

I mean, that's one of the oldest, tropes of Kansas City politics.

So we I'm not sure we know the whole field yet.

I'm fascinated by what the issues will be.

For example, will the royal Stadium be an issue in the mayoral election and how that unfolds?

What other transportation, crime is always an issue?

But, you know, there are a lot of things to talk about in Kansas City.

And the mayoral race will be fascinating in that.

Well, this was an interesting story this week, five months after President Trump passed him over in the Kansas governor's race to endorse Ty Masterson, former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer has been nominated to join the Trump administration.

Wait for it as ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

So is this a consolation prize, Pete, for stepping aside in the governor's race?

Yes it was.

And this had been in the works for several months, and this was the plan all along as a way for Jeff Colyer to step aside in that governor's race.

Obviously, Ty Masterson got the Trump endorsement and you never really heard from him again.

He didn't really have any presence at all after the fact.

And it's interesting how it worked out, because the whole theory from the Kansas GOP bigwigs was Jeff Collier's connection to Sam Brownback could be a drag on the ticket.

And boy, no one could have predicted how the last year played out.

What about Kris Kobach?

Could he also get an ambassadorship?

But talk about consolation prizes.

Could be.

You know, it's so interesting when we see these appointments and, you know, again, why is always the question.

So it certainly could be certainly could be.

I would make a distinction, though, between, someone who loses their election and someone who stepped aside in response to the president's, choices.

Famously, President Trump does not like the people he calls losers.

And I don't know that that makes Kris Kobach an attractive candidate.

That.

But Kris Kobach would have to be confirmed by the Senate to an ambassadorship, and the Democratic Senate would not approve.

But he even gave.

Him for any.

Decision.

But even for Jeff Colyer, you know, if this is going to be a new Congress, you know, would Adam Hamilton vote for Jeff?

Yes, I think almost.

Certainly he would.

All right.

All righty.

Wednesday was Veteran's Day, by the way.

It was also a milestone birthday for one of Kansas City's most iconic landmarks.

Liberty Memorial turned 100 years old.

But while one Kansas City institution is celebrating a century, another is facing an uncertain future.

After 35 years in the river market, the Arabia Steamboat Museum was supposed to close its doors on Friday.

It's now been granted a last minute reprieve through the end of November, but there's still no new home in sight.

How did we get here after 35 years in Kansas City?

How does the Arabia steamboat end up with an eviction deadline and where to go?

Who dropped the ball here of it?

So 35 years in Kansas City, but it seems like 25 years of uncertainty.

We've been talking about this.

That's true.

That's true.

Right.

I was there actually.

I went there recently and saw the notice about, you know, closing and the uncertainty and things like that.

But there were people there.

There were people walking around.

And we've heard that they've been getting good crowds.

Yes.

But, you know, other museums in Kansas City, including the 18th and fine Trans District museums there, from the baseball museum to the jazz Museum, have gotten city subsidies.

Why not the Steamboat Arabia museum?

It's not the sexy issue, but it should be considered.

I mean, someone used to live down there.

It's a great fit for the neighborhood.

Unless they're looking at another, you know, 4 or 5, six, seven, eight story apartment building.

They want to fit into that place.

I don't know what could be better for what you've got set up right now in River market.

Yeah.

I mean, I think it is worth noting that that I went back and looked for reporting.

And in 2019, there were stories about the steamboat Arabia museum moving to Jefferson City in 2022.

There were talks about going other places.

I think I think we've been having this conversation a long time.

I think it is okay sometimes to say that an attraction, a feature of the city, has served its its purpose.

It's been good to have, not everything has to last forever, Nick.

And do they looking at making it potentially a hotel?

That's what they want their day.

Right.

And there's been talk, as you know, for decades, Nick of improving the city market and making it more hospitable to residents, which is what you need in all of these neighborhoods at the same time, it's hard for me to believe that they can't find some place for the Steamboat Arabia museum somewhere in Kansas City.

We're spending billions of dollars on sports stadiums, and we can't find a place to put, relics from a steamboat.

Seems rather odd.

Having said that, museums in Kansas City always struggle because running a museum is a very difficult thing, and those who have a dedicated public revenue stream.

When you put a program like this together every week, you can't get away every story grabbing the headlines.

What's the big local story?

We missed?

Was he watching you two behind the wheel?

A truck driver slams into vehicles on highway 71, killing a mother and her two children.

The biggest crackdown yet blue Valley schools banning all e-bikes and electric scooters.

That's just the start of the district's headaches.

Angry parents are fighting sweeping staff and program cuts from the arts to athletics, including the elimination of wrestling and cross-country.

Parents pushback Olathe families say they've collected enough signatures to force a state review of six school closings.

Port Casey this week greenlights $1.5 billion in bonds to revamp the Country Club Plaza.

Next up, a new taxing district to help bring the shopping landmark back to life.

Crisis averted.

Children's mercy strikes a deal with United Health Care.

Preserving care for families covered through the Affordable Care Act.

Algeria returns the favor 36 Lawrence residents get an all expenses paid trip to North Africa.

It's Algeria's way of saying thank you for the hometown hospitality shown to its team during the World Cup.

That didn't last long, sporting KC fires its head coach after just ten months on the job and turning the town till the KC current are just one win away from the National Women's Soccer championship game.

Their semifinal showdown is Sunday afternoon.

Oh all right, he giveth.

Did you pick one of those stories or something completely different.

Yeah I did and I picked the just the tragic the horrific crash because it speaks to the the plans to make this this safer.

You know, if, if indeed you know, we've seen so many accidents and crashes in this and this was just north of the area that they actually going are going to be working on.

So I just I think it's an example of, yes, this needs to this needs to go ahead, be completed and have a safer, you know, roadway for people in that area.

Brian.

I, I would pick the Children's Mercy Hospital aca marketplace story.

I you know what what insurance companies offer, what policies doesn't usually make the news.

But in this case, you were talking about real families whose children's health and life saving treatments were on the line.

Obtaining at least one option for them.

And the ACA marketplace is going to make a real difference in families.

Crash on 71 highway.

Illegal alien from Ukraine, 39 years old, on his apparently iPad, watching YouTube, whatever it might be, it's tragedy crossed into the country in 2023.

And for all the heat the GOP has taken and there have been issues with Ice, there's no doubt about it.

They are cracking down on the plethora of illegal immigrant truck drivers in this country.

Dave.

On Monday, November 16th, the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority is apparently set to hold its first meeting.

It, of course, is the board that will own the new Chief Stadium and has oversight at that first meeting.

Perhaps we'll see if their biggest tool is a huge rubber stamp for everything the Chiefs want to do.

And on that we will say all week has been reviewed courtesy of the head of the editorial board of Ed Walker and 6 to 10 weekdays on KCMO Talk Radio, 95.7 FM Peak Mundo.

Brian Ellison is chief political analyst at KC one news and our thanks to news economist The Kansas City Stack on Substack, Dave Helling and I'm Nick Haines from all of us here at Kansas City PBS.

Be well, keep calm and carry on.