From the Alvin and Rosalie Sara Check studio.

PBS Kansas presents Kansas Week.

Millions of taxpayer dollars.

A hidden price tag and growing outrage over a Wichita footbridge, now approved by the Wichita City Council, will examine the fallout.

Also, a former Republican governor endorses the Democratic candidate in the US Senate race.

It's a stunning political defection, as Senator Roger Marshall faces criticism and controversy.

But first, President Trump's trade battle with Canada threatens hundreds of Wichita aviation jobs.

Do Kansas Republicans have the courage to challenge the president's actions?

That's what we're talking about right now on Kansas Week.

Hello and welcome to Kansas Week.

I'm Jared Cirillo.

A sudden trade showdown is sending shockwaves through Wichita's aviation sector.

President Trump now threatening a sales ban to force Canadian jet maker Bombardier to move production to U.S.

soil.

More than a dozen Kansas state lawmakers are now urging the administration to take a blanket prohibition off the table.

The US headquarters in Wichita employs more than 1200 workers who service jets, run the flight test center and build special mission aircraft for the U.S.

Air Force.

As the white House prepares formal actions, the company is emphasizing its broad American supply chain and its workforce.

Here to discuss this, and some of the week's other big state and local stories is Sedgwick County Commissioner Jeff Blue Ball.

Wichita Eagle reporter Chante Swaim.

Former Wichita City Councilman Brandon Johnson and former Wichita City Councilman Brian Fry.

Thank you all for joining us.

Councilmember fry, I'll start with you.

This is kind of a, weird one.

You know, we asked the question in the in the package that do Kansas Republicans have the courage to challenge the president's words here?

I saw Dalton Glasscock, city councilman, which is Republican.

I saw his words.

I saw some other local Republican words.

Are they really challenging the president and what he says?

And does he know what this means?

You know, all this all this tariff talk has me parched.

I might have to get a drink of America dry.

Yeah.

And look, this is what Trump does.

He bluster.

He you know, he he gets attention.

He loves that.

You know, he's done this before.

We've seen it with like America and Gulf of America.

I think it's kind of funny how everyone comes rushing to the aid now when there's been other tariffs and other states.

And no one said anything about those.

But at some point, Canada needs to be held accountable.

They have, held, you know, tariffs for several years on lumber and steel and ag products.

So, I mean, this is negotiation and this is what Trump does.

And this is what he loves to relish doing.

So I think we just calm down this work because he can't stop sales.

And you're not going to stop the military, planes from getting done.

So let's just pause.

Let the negotiation work through itself and it all come down.

Chance, talk about trying to interrupt the free market here.

A Republican president, you know, it's it's it's well, I mean, there's a lot of pressures, a lot of, I guess unique stuff going on right now.

I mean, I'm old enough to remember, and I'm not that old.

I'm old enough to remember when, Republicans attacked Bernie Sanders relentlessly for, wanting to offer Medicare Medicaid for all.

And, free college tuition.

And it was like a socialist.

You're trying to buy an election, and he just, a just said he'd give $5,000 to people if Republicans when Donald Trump said that a Republican.

And now it's just like it's interesting to watch people say what, you know, what you should and shouldn't take serious.

And I wonder how much any Republicans even trust him right now.

What, like if everything he's saying is bluster.

What are you?

Who is he and what do you trust?

I mean, that's the attention.

That's part of.

That's true.

That's his personality.

And that's.

And he's got that pulpit right now that he gets that attention.

And and he's had that pulpit for ten, 15, 16 years.

Now.

Brandon, it seems like whatever the president says, Republicans just follow.

When does that stop?

Does it ever.

It'd be nice if it did.

I mean, these are real people's lives.

These are real jobs.

You have the supply chain that's impacted.

And while he's seeking attention, real people's lives are being impacted.

Real jobs can be impacted.

We're all paying the price for it, specifically.

Bombardier.

What's stopping Bombardier from saying, okay, we'll just pick up our our footprint and move to Canada and take our jobs with it.

You know, hopefully they won't do that.

You know, I haven't said anything public about this, but, I remember on the council we reinvented our incentive policies over Bombardier whenever they guaranteed the jobs, whenever, you know, we offered the incentives and then they chose to stop manufacturing.

Now we've worked with them.

They brought over 1200 jobs here, special missions, a lot of maintenance, which brings in a lot of people, a lot of hotel rooms, a lot of food and stuff.

But to their point, they're not manufacturing anything here in Wichita.

And and we'd love to see that.

But I don't agree with the approach that he's using.

The president's using.

Yeah.

Okay.

Good to see embattled us Senator Roger Marshall is also feeling some heat after trying to walk a delicate line on President Trump's threatened ban on Bombardier jets.

Marshall vowing to protect Bombardier 1200 Wichita jobs.

Yet he is avoiding criticizing the president who created the crisis.

Meanwhile, Marshall is taking fire from within his own party.

Former Republican Governor Bill graves is breaking ranks to endorse Marshall's opponent, Democrat Adam Hamilton.

Graves is arguing that years of bitter Partizan rhetoric prove Marshall has turned his back on Kansas.

The endorsement flies on to a brutal stretch of campaign stumbles for Marshall.

They include a widely ridiculed social media post that features an AI generated map that completely botched the state's counties.

Also, newly unearthed court records reveal Marshall sued hundreds of patients over unpaid medical debt during his career as an ObGyn, targeting struggling new mothers and stacking 18% interest on unpaid bills.

You know, we've been saying a lot of people have been saying that Roger Marshall is definitely the senator in Kansas who is facing a possible ouster, and he's not having an easy road to November, for sure, and rightfully so.

But we need better representation.

And you have someone who is lockstep with the president.

As I just said, all this harm is happening.

We don't see anyone stand or he's not standing up against him.

What he's doing is causing financial harm to young women.

Doctors are supposed to do no harm.

He's not really representing Kansas.

And I think Adam Hamilton is the right choice.

And I agree with Governor Graves.

Could we see Commissioner Blue Ball for the first time?

A, Democrat hold this seat for the first time in 40 years?

I don't I don't think so.

I think I think we're going to see a lot larger problems if we lose that Senate seat.

I don't see us losing it.

I do think a lot of this is media rhetoric.

Everything you see, it just seems like it's snowballing.

And I think Senator Marshall will prevail.

Political gains chance.

And you said it's almost 100 years, by the way, that that this has been Republican representative.

I think it's a real I think it's a real, real close race.

And just from all the polling I've seen, and that New York Times piece is just a great piece of journalism.

And it's actually I've heard a lot of people, even the reporters who worked on it, I heard them on NPR talking about like, you know, it was out there to get it.

Anybody, you know, I didn't I didn't know about it or I would have reported it.

That was fantastic reporting.

But, it's also sad how many of these cases there are in Kansas of doctors hospitals going after people for nickels and dimes when they can't afford to put food on the table, have to time arrest arresting people that it does.

Seeing 83% interest on on top of that.

I mean, yeah, there's just a lot there's a lot going on with that story and it's, it's it's really, really well well written.

And I know Marshall's response was it was the judge that issued arrest warrants, but it was his lawyers who asked the judge to to issue arrest warrants against those people for for small amounts of money.

So, and this all started, Brian, you know, last year with, with Senator Marshall walking out on a town hall meeting and he's not held a town hall meeting since he's this is a campaign.

This is a very strong campaign that he's facing.

Opponent.

Right.

It's the strongest election cycle that he's had.

And it's a big challenge.

Right.

And you can't afford mistakes at this level.

Because people are watching more than ever.

And when you've got a well-funded opponent who's sees maybe blood in the water, they're going to attack.

I did not see the The New York Times article, but at the same time, I mean, pay your bills, right?

I mean, are people he's got a legitimate right to be able to collect money that's owed him because he's done the service.

People should have to pay their bills.

And she's right.

It rests with someone.

Again, he's not doing that be arrested for, but he's got $100 bill.

Yeah.

That's right.

Some of which some of these bills were barely $100.

Seems like, you know, you know, it was a lot of people could argue that arresting people is young, low income mothers is a bit.

But he doesn't have the power to do that.

But again, beyond all of that, there's no support for the everyday person to continue to support the policies of this administration, which continue to harm people.

Prices are higher, supports beef imports, there's more cows on Kansas and there is people that hurts our industry.

These things are not safe.

And Senator Marshall is doing nothing except agreeing with the president.

Right.

Wichita taxpayers are on the hook for an $18.2 million pedestrian bridge over Rock road.

Now, the Wichita City Council approving the massive budget hike this week, $10 million will come from federal grants and a private donation from Coke Incorporated, while local taxpayers will cover the remaining $8.2 million.

City staff admitted they knew about the true price tag a year ago, but neglected to inform the council.

Now.

Mayor Lily Wu and Council member Dalton Glasscock were the only two votes against this marriage.

They blasted the lack of transparency this seems like, an argument, unfortunately, that could have been prevented as as of three former council members sitting in for fourth, former council members sitting at this table, you know, it seems like, somebody should be upset at staff for not for dropping the ball on this, commissioner.

So, you know, I'm still waiting for.

Remember the bridge that I saved for the Sunset Trail whenever we did?

235.

That's been a decade ago.

We were supposed to complete that trail all the way to downtown, and that hasn't happened.

I understand Council Member Tuttle has worked very hard on this.

I understand she solicited the donation, but, the Coke investment isn't near as much as what I thought it was.

50,000.

Yeah, it's not near what I thought.

They don't get a lot of the quality life projects in district two.

I understand that, but I look at district four, you know, we're.

Well, I'm vice mayor Glasscock voted against it.

You look at, you know, they took their money from the pickle ball park and they put that into the homeless shelter.

I mean, they put it into a second life.

They they they've given up.

So seeing the city struggle with finances and, and put that kind of investment, it's raised a lot of eyebrows.

And, you know, council Member Johnson, the, the city said that, you know, the budget is still and J.B.

Johnston was on this show last week, still saying, well, it's not going to cost $18 million.

Well, now that developers and contractors know that there's $18 million available, don't you think they're going to justify their bids for, $18 million in my wrong?

They could.

But it's up to the council.

And I also think it's unfair to blame staff.

Those numbers fluctuate depending on what the project is.

You look at a project like Bleckley, we had examples that were near 100 million, down to 18 million.

The project is 36 million.

Staff knew all of that.

Council knew all of that, or at least I did at that point.

And then when we had a final project, that number was out there.

So you could say, did they know that beforehand?

Yes.

Did council get briefed on that?

No, because they hadn't made a final decision.

Ultimately, these types of projects, whatever the district, we need to invest in ourselves.

I've said it for years, so we're either going to make those quality of life investments improve pedestrian biking traffic across Rock road or we're not.

And we'll have people continue to complain and look for these projects 10 or 15 years down the road, 93 people a day.

They were saying that we're going to use this bridge on average.

Before I move over to chance, let me let you comment on this first.

So I think the project is a good project.

I mean, the red blood trail going through, taking use of that former rail corridor and making it amenity, a quality of life thing is desperately needed.

It should be used right and making that crossing safer.

Absolutely.

We don't want a loss of life there.

I think what I'm hearing from people is that they're shocked at the price tag and staff.

The presentation didn't really connect the dots in a way that made sense, especially in the light of the budget challenges and then the sales tax.

So the timing and the way they rolled it out, I think that would that is the biggest challenge people are having with it.

Again, the safety aspect, the quality of lighting, I totally agree with, but I think the numbers should have been done in a way that made better sense and not create all of this, you know, concern and and controversy.

Controversy.

Yeah.

Chance, you've written a lot about this in the last week or so.

And in, in the Wichita Eagle.

How did we get here?

Well, I mean, the as a as staff told the council they they internally had an estimate of $18.2 million last time the budget was increased.

Last year they didn't tell didn't tell the council at the time.

And, there were some council members who wanted to lower.

Okay, now we're getting 5.5 million in additional federal money.

Let's just take the city.

Let's lower the city's portion.

It's this same project you're saying the scope hasn't changed, etc., etc.

and now city staff, I mean, city staff has said we it may not end up costing $18.2 million, but not seem overly confident in that because they've pushed back against, well, let's just lower it or like we don't have bids in yet, so we just that's the number that they voted to increase the budget to.

It's 18.2 million.

Anything lower than that is is great.

Yeah.

Money saved.

But yeah, I mean there's just a lot of there's a lot of conversation about who gets to use what, who gets project funded.

It's cars, bikes, people that walk and they're all they all have different, you know, different needs and interests and I don't envy the council members for him.

Yeah.

And not only as well.

This this is an $18 million just for a bridge either.

This is extending all the way to Woodlawn, extending far past Rock road.

It's larger project than just this bridge Council.

How much is the bridge?

The bridge?

The bridge, they said was 12 something?

I believe it's changed.

It's fluctuated.

Yeah.

3.5 million.

Yes.

Well, five years ago it started at six now.

And now.

But it's in the budget.

It says over ten.

And so it's like well what is it if you keep saying it's not 18 million?

Okay, here's a simple question.

How much is the bridge.

It took them two weeks to say that while they're saying like it's not 18.

Okay then give me the number that is the bridge.

So it's all that steel coming from Canada for 1.2% for art.

That's another argument for the other challenges.

You budgeted amount.

And then when you go out for bids, you get the actual amount.

So they won't know the actual amount until it goes up in the city, which still still lowest bid.

Yep.

So as former council members here are current council members, do you think that the current council members are asking tough enough questions?

Here are we have a water plant, a half $1 billion water plant that is still way over, over cost not implemented yet.

Not running.

Do we do we have council members right now?

They're asking tough enough questions.

Should this be scrapped altogether?

Is that possible?

The water plant for them?

No.

The bridge.

Okay.

I'm saying do we have more?

My question is, do we have more important projects to worry about than a pedestrian bridge over Rock road?

I don't think it should be scrapped.

I think they're asking the right questions about money.

Any time you have a budget, you should try to get into the weeds of it and see what's being spent.

I think the challenge is you have some who support lower in the mill levy and cut more out of the budget and making the crisis worse.

And you have others who think we should invest, and you have to prioritize at that point.

But ultimately, the way what's happening over at Bradley Fair, what's happening in that area, and the connection piece of the red blood trail and beautifying it and making it better, I think is worthwhile.

And it's a benefit to the folks who live along the river trail to have something that's quality.

You have to remember between Woodlawn and Rock road, and maybe even up to Webb was all, rubble for the longest.

And now there's at least a concrete pad there before these bridges come in.

It's better.

You know, my daughter goes to Coleman.

I see people using that piece of the trail right now.

So, these improvements, I think, are well worth it and continue to make our city better.

Yeah.

I don't think the project should be scrapped.

We need to continue to invest in ourselves and make things safer and more enjoyable for for everyone.

And this project can do that.

I think asking the questions about cost and holding staff accountable is fair and needs to continue to be done.

I mean, we've seen the budget explode in the last 3 or 4 years, and when they're dipping into savings to balance the budget, that's a concern.

Yeah, I think it's the continued thing that I've seen.

We're on the council.

It's north of Kellogg, south of Kellogg.

I mean, I, I think my council member, you know, Vice Mayor Glasscock asking the right questions and he's willing to give things up.

He gave up the ball park.

He's giving up, you know, other things for the South Side.

And you don't necessarily see the other districts giving anything up.

Interesting.

The Wichita City Council is standing its ground against the demolition of the historic Crown Uptown Theater.

The 98 year old venue went dark this past May when owner Mike Brown shut it down.

Brown wants to demolish the building and redevelop the property altogether.

The teardown push came after the city rejected his request to increase venue capacity, citing fire safety and parking hazards.

Using municipal interim control powers, the city enforced a legal 180 day pause on the wrecking permit to halt the demolition.

Council members say they know of multiple interested buyers ready to pay above market value to keep the theater open.

Brown says it's not for sale.

This is not new, Commissioner Blue Ball this this is dating back at least five, maybe ten years close to, Do you think Mr.

Brown will follow through on his threats to tear down the crown?

I mean, you look at it, how his property rights have been stripped.

Either way, he can't increase capacity.

He can't demolish the building.

I mean, he is literally handcuffed and he's at the will of the government.

But he did buy the property knowing the limits that were there.

He purchased this property knowing what was there and what it was zoned for.

Yeah, I, I just yeah, I don't know.

It's very, very, very difficult.

Let me I mean it just doesn't feel like he can win for losing there.

Yeah.

The challenges there.

That's actually not true.

And that's a mike Brown talking point.

If you look at the council action of last year it was all approved.

He has to take some steps and he doesn't want to take those.

One of those is to get fire safety equipment in there.

He doesn't want to spend that money.

But there is no fire suppression system in that building right now.

And if you want to go from 850 people to, I believe it was 1700, just about you need fire suppression.

He doesn't want to pay that.

Also on the public record, a district advisory board meetings.

And at the council meeting, he said of the fire marshal said that it was needed.

He would do it.

The fire marshal did say it was needed.

He won't do it.

He said he had parking agreements with everyone.

We talk about property rights.

We gave him everything he wanted.

If he could get that notarized and turn it into planning, he can increase this capacity.

If you bought the fire suppression system, he doesn't want to do any of those things.

He's trying to bully the council to get out of all of that.

But he made those promises on the public record and we held them to it.

Luckily, this council will continue that, but he can do it if he keeps his word.

But it's still his building.

If he wants to tear it down.

It's not about tearing it down.

His argument is he can't increase capacity, and that's simply.

But now he wants to be able to tear it down, and council won't let it be because of the historical designation.

And that's unfair to him as a property owner.

He shouldn't have bought it in that way.

And if you're going to spend that type of money, you should know what that property is, what it's owned, what type of, he owns through that.

And he tried to get it done and he didn't get it done.

And now this is next step is he wants to tear it down.

He shouldn't be able to.

Does he really want to tear it down?

That's the permit.

He didn't tear it down.

Now he's trying to apply for it again.

He's trying to bully the council to get out of their fire suppression system.

He initially asked for a parking lot.

Correct.

He initially asked for more parking.

Yeah.

So.

And that was denied by the council.

It was denied at the time, working on the College Hill plan because College Hill had issues with parking already.

And if you want to go again from 850 or 860 to around 1700, he was actually asking for 2155.

But if you want to get up to 1700 part of the fire code, you have to have some form of parking plan.

He said he was going to get out and get agreements signed by people, pay other folks.

He didn't do it.

He said he had it.

He can never produce a document.

So we put that into our vote.

Show us that you'll get your increase.

He couldn't do it.

And I think the last straw here is that multiple people have tried to buy the building from him at above market value, and he's he's not taking them up.

Yeah.

I mean, I have no idea about that, the details of any of those offers or anything.

But you got to think, you know, if it were over, whatever he's put into that so far.

It's that'd be something I'd probably take if I was unable to develop it.

But if you have, if it's not there and I just I don't understand how you would make how you could make more money by tearing it down and starting over.

I just I'm not a businessman.

A lot of people have said the cost of tearing it down would also be prohibitive, but I don't know how much it cost.

You know, unquestioned question some of the fire suppression laws, because you look at second light that go in there and invest billions of dollars over fire suppression, that it was good enough for school kids, but it's not good enough for the homeless.

Yeah.

The building you have to look at the age of these buildings as well.

And he's talking about a building that's nearly 100 years old.

20, 26 standards are much different, and we can be safer than they were 100 years ago.

All right.

25 years after 911, one of Kansas most powerful reminders of that day is in a small town about an hour south of Wichita in Anthony, three pieces of twisted steel from the World Trade Center stand as a memorial to those who died.

After the attacks, Anthony residents formed a bond with a Bronx fire company that lost firefighters that day.

The town even adopted the family of firefighter Joe Spoor, who left behind a wife and four children.

Kansas later designated Anthony as the state's official 9/11 memorial site.

25 years later, a piece of New York's tragedy still stands on the Kansas prairie.

A reminder that the shock and the loss of 9/11 reached far beyond New York City.

With about three minutes left.

Councilmember Fry, all of this is a solemn reminder.

It's hard to believe.

Number one, it's been 25, I know.

Yeah, it's hard to believe I was in media at the time and, still remember watching that second tower fall live and getting hit by the second plane.

And everything that happened that day and all the efforts that we did to raise money for firefighters and families and first responders.

But I also remember 912 the day after, and that was the time that I've seen this country the most unified, the most unity that we haven't experienced since.

And we started this conversation with the luck and, you know, division within the parties and in there and our citizens.

I'd like to get back to that.

912 even though the tragedy that caused that is still, you know, never wish would have happened.

I'd like to see us return to that spirit that we had on 912 chance and your comments about Anthony and, you know, a small town in Kansas that's making a big impact on.

Yeah, I mean, it's the it's really hard just living in Kansas.

If you've never visited New York City to to understand how massive those buildings are and just those little beams, massive beams, give you some idea.

But if you've never been to the 911 Museum in New York City, that's one of the most powerful experiences I've had.

I mean, I was in sixth grade when that when that happened.

And it's the the devastation it we're still feeling it.

The world changed that day and it's never gone back to what it was before.

I mean, it's it's it's terrible.

Councilmember Johnson, it's the day the world changed.

I still remember when it happened.

I was in class and it was a great day because we got to watch TV and we had to have a lesson.

And on the TV was a burning building.

And, I was watching when the second plane hit and everything was different.

Football practice after that, there were no planes in the sky was probably the quietest.

I remember things and no game.

But the country rallied together.

We all supported each other as Americans.

And again, like Brian said, hopefully we can get back to that point.

Commissioner, you know, growing up in Harford County, I still have a ranch down there and very familiar with the memorial down there.

And Anthony and the relationship those volunteer firefighters have with the firefighters that were on the scene in New York.

I know some of them go back there annually to go fishing and bring them back here to go hunting.

I mean, it's created a great relationship.

I was at Textron at the time and worked out there on the flight line, watching everything shut down and seeing airplanes backed up.

So definitely hard to believe it's been 25 years, right?

That's a wrap for this week.

Thank you so much to Jeff.

Blue ball chance Swain Brandon Johnson and Brian Fry for being here.

Thanks also to Kake news for sharing their video with us I'm Jared Cirillo.

Have a great weekend.