Blaise Mesa
News ReporterBlaise Mesa is a reporter for the Kansas City Beacon. He is based in Topeka, where he covers the Legislature and state government. Mesa previously covered social services and criminal justice for the Kansas News Service. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago where he was one of the most decorated journalists in the history of the college’s newspaper. Mesa served as co-editor-in-chief of the Columbia Chronicle and was that organization's first executive producer. Mesa also spent a year reporting on local government for the Topeka Capital-Journal during the height of the pandemic.
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Kansas currently has a merit-based system that doesn’t let voters have more say in the process. -
Unlike in past years, Republicans currently have enough votes to override Gov. Laura Kelly's veto and ban gender-affirming health care for minors. But Democrats and the ACLU says it violates Kansans' constitutional rights. -
The "Second Look Act" in the 2024 Kansas legislative session would resentence eligible inmates after a certain amount of time in prison. It doesn’t guarantee their release, just another look at the length of their sentence. -
Medical marijuana is becoming a perennial debate in Topeka, and it’s annually unclear how likely it is for a bill to pass. The Kansas House has passed a plan before, but it's the Senate where the roadblock remains. -
Kansas Rep. Jarrod Ousley and Missouri Rep. Patty Lewis are introducing bills that would let people voluntarily exclude themselves from gun sales. Experts say such laws save lives. -
The federal subsidy can provide hundreds of dollars a month to help pay for the costs of child care. But only 12% of eligible Kansas families received the benefits — in part because many people still don't know it exists. -
A Kansas judge went against a foster care agency’s recommendation when she placed a girl with a foster parent rather than her grandparents. Critics say the case represents chronic problems with Kansas' heavily privatized foster care system and lack of state oversight. -
Missouri’s first legal sale of cannabis came in early February 2023. Kansas residents could immediately drive over and buy it legally, but risked arrest and prosecution if they brought their joints or gummies across the state line. -
Substance abuse contributes to around 13% of Kansas children entering foster care. Now, Kansas is testing a new Family Treatment Court in rural counties that will help parents complete addiction treatment and reunite with their kids. -
The tax credit is designed to help small businesses. Advocates say the state hasn’t done a great job spreading the word about the tax break.
