Vote No on the Redundant Constitutional Amendment

 

In November, Kansas voters will decide whether to approve a proposed state constitutional amendment.  

According to the explanatory statement on the ballot, the amendment, "would clarify that only a person who is a citizen of the United States is eligible to vote in this state." 

There is no significant or widespread problem concerning non-citizens attempting to vote in US elections.

Only US citizens are allowed to vote in Kansas. This fact is already clear from the text of the Kansas Constitution that the proposed amendment would modify. 

 

 

Republicans have long peddled false claims about widespread voter fraud, as well as false claims about illegal immigrants committing voter fraud and illegally swaying the results of elections. 

The proposed amendment exists as a result of this false narrative that arises from the lies propagated by the right-wing echo chamber. 

 

As a practical matter, it doesn't appear that the proposed amendment would, on its own, actually do anything that the current language in the Kansas Constitution doesn't already do.  

The proposed amendment is a solution in search of a problem.

 

 

If the amendment passes, Republicans who wish to pass legislation to enact proof-of-citizenship requirements, which would make it harder to vote, could cite voters' approval of the amendment to argue that the public supports their efforts.  

Although, I'm sure that Republicans will attempt to pass these measures regardless, and the approval of the proposed amendment doesn't appear to make any legal changes that would make their efforts more likely to succeed. 

 

 

Here is the passage in the Kansas Constitution that the proposed amendment would modify.

This text shows how the passage currently reads.  

It is how the text will continue to read, if voters reject the proposed amendment. 

 

This document shows the changes that the proposed amendment would make to the Kansas Constitution.

This information can also be seen on sample ballots available to Kansas voters. 

 

KU Professor Amii Castle wrote an editorial for the Kansas Reflector opposing the proposed amendment. 

 

 

The proposed amendment is redundant and unnecessary.

While it doesn't appear to make any meaningful legal changes on its own, it could be used rhetorically to support future legislation that would make it harder for US citizens to vote.

 

I voted against the proposed state constitutional amendment, and I encourage other Kansas voters to do the same.  

 

I support the city sales tax for road work and oppose the redundant state constitutional amendment. 

 

 

 

Vote Yes for Better Roads

 

In November, voters will decide whether to approve a city-wide sales tax to fund road work in Manhattan, Kansas. 

 

The 0.5% sales tax would take affect in April 2027, and would last for 10 years.

The proposed 0.5% sales tax would replace a 0.2% sales tax, which is about to expire. 

 

If approved, the new tax would increase the overall sales tax from 9.15% to 9.45%, for Manhattan transactions conducted in Riley County.

The new tax would increase the overall sales tax from 9.45% to 9.75% for Manhattan transactions conducted in Pottawatomie County. 

 

 

City officials say the proposed tax would allow the city to improve the quality of Manhattan's streets. 

The Manhattan Chamber of Commerce supports the sales tax measure.

Yard signs supporting the proposal can be seen around town. 

You can view the ballot language, along with additional information about the proposal, on the City Government website for Manhattan, Kansas. 

 

I haven't seen or heard arguments from anyone opposing the road maintenance sales tax proposal.  

The cost of living crisis is particularly acute for many people right now, and voters might not want to approve a new tax when so many essentials of life are so expensive.  

Nevertheless, a 0.3% increase in the sales tax is a modest one, and the money would go to good use.  

 

 

Neither approving nor rejecting the proposed sales tax would have any impact on the speed of road work in Manhattan, which is an issue that desperately needs to be addressed.  

Construction crews regularly tear up half of a major street in Manhattan, before leaving the site dormant, without making any major progress on the project, for months at a time.  

Contracts for Road Work should contain project deadlines, with rewards for finishing early, and penalties for finishing late.  

 

We need a city commission that actually focuses on ensuring road maintenance projects don't drag on forever.

We need major roads that aren't operating at half capacity for months at a time. 

 

 

I plan to vote in favor of the modest sales tax increase to fund road work in the city.

But I will continue to be frustrated by the glacial pace of road work, which is a problem that we really need to fix.

 

 

I support the city sales tax for road work and oppose the redundant state constitutional amendment, which I will discuss in a future editorial. 

 

 

My 2026 Kansas General Election Endorsements

I realize that everyone who might be interested in my endorsements has already voted early in the 2026 General Election.

I voted early in person on Tuesday, Oct. 27.

Here are my endorsements for partisan elections. 

You can click on the tables in this article to view larger versions of them.  

I endorsed candidates in two districts for the Kansas House, the lower chamber of the Kansas Legislature. 

I endorse Sydney Carlin in Dist. 66, and Brenda Bandy in Dist. 67.

I live in Dist 67, so I voted for Brenda Bandy.

I voted for all of my endorsements listed in this article, except for Sydney Carlin, because I don’t live in her district.

Several Judges are running to retain their positions this year.

Here are my endorsements for Kansas Supreme Court Justices.

Here are my endorsements for Kansas Court of Appeals Judges.

Here are my endorsements for District Court Judges.

Finally, here are my endorsements on the ballot questions.

I have written extensively about each of these elections, except for Sydney Carlin’s race, on social media.

I am going to try to turn each of those threads into articles for Meticulous Musings before election day.

We’ll see how many I can publish before then.

Wish me luck.