Kansas Appleseed

10/14/2026

*Kansas Voting Rights: Law, Litigation & History | Fall CLE*

Join us on October 22nd at 12 p.m. to learn about current Kansas voting laws and litigation and the evolution of voting rights in the state. Presented by Nicki Rose via Zoom, this free opportunity offers CLE credits.

• Attendance is free, but registration is required. Registration closes October 21, 2026.
• Credit approval is pending for Kansas; approved for Missouri.

Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/oIZ3i6HwzEa5QgChu62eaQ2?nvep=&hmac=&emci=a16ebfa9-14c7-f111-bf5b-000d3a4fbe83&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=

10/13/2026

Kansans: Today is the LAST day to complete or update your voter registration! Have you moved recently? Have you changed your name? Take a moment to check your registration and make sure your information is up to date!

Check your registration at ksvotes.org; it takes less than 5 minutes. Share this post with a friend or family member who may need a reminder!

10/12/2026

It's . When SNAP cuts hit, families lose meals at home and at school. Since July 2025, when the One Big Beautiful Bill was signed into law, Kansas has seen a dramatic drop in SNAP. Over 41,000 people have lost their SNAP benefits, including 18,000 children.

This severs these students' direct connection to free school meals. It also impacts the school’s nutrition operations and may make options like the Community Eligibility Provision no longer feasible. Families who have lost SNAP benefits may still be income-eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Check with your school for the meal application. Families can apply at any time throughout the school year if their situation changes.

Learn more about the connection between SNAP and school meals:

Food stamps have a direct link to other critical resources, such as free breakfast and lunch at school. Now, experts say they're starting to see that link break.

10/12/2026

Indigenous Communities have a deep tradition of cultivating and sharing food that nourishes their people and culture. However, unfair systems continue to create barriers to food security. One in four Native Americans in the US face food insecurity, nearly double the rate of all other US households. Despite these challenges, many Native and Tribal communities work hard to reclaim food sovereignty and ensure future generations have access to healthy foods.

Every Kansan deserves access to the food they need to thrive, including the right of Indigenous communities to shape their food systems. We will continue advocating for policies that strengthen food security so that everyone has what they need to thrive and put food on the table.

10/08/2026

Deadline to register or update your registration: October 13, 2026. ‼

Check your voter registration before the November 3, 2026 General Election! If you’ve recently changed your name or address, make sure your voter registration information is up to date. It takes less than 5 minutes!

Check your registration at ksvotes.org!

KSVotes.org is the fastest, simplest way to register to vote in Kansas using just your touchscreen device.

10/07/2026

Haley Kottler appeared on Within Reason with Mike Matson to discuss the dramatic decline in SNAP participation in Kansas since H.R. 1 took effect on July 1, 2025. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts! ⬇

Supporters see work requirements for government food benefit recipients as personal responsibility. Critics, like Kansas Appleseed, worry the result will be more hunger.

YouTube: youtube.com/
Audible: bit.ly/WithinReasonwithMikeMatson
Apple: bit.ly/WithinReasonwithMikeMatson-Apple
Spotify: bit.ly/WithinReasonwithMikeMatson-Spotify
News Radio KMAN: 1350kman.com/within-reason-with-mike-matson

10/07/2026

The Alliance for a Healthy Kansas is hosting a virtual listening session tomorrow to hear directly from Kansans about medical debt and the high cost of care. More details! ⬇⬇⬇

Have you ever put off a doctor's appointment because of the cost? Worried about how you'll pay a medical bill? Or had to make difficult choices between health care and other household expenses?

You're not alone, and we want to hear about it.

The Alliance for a Healthy Kansas is hosting a virtual listening session to hear directly from Kansans about medical debt and the high cost of care.

Your experiences can help guide conversations about policies that could make health care more affordable.

Register to get the Zoom link >>> https://healthykansas.org/event/medical-debt-virtual-2026/

10/06/2026

Welcoming another one of our legal interns to the team! Based in Topeka, Sterling is attending Washburn University School of Law and is expected to graduate in December 2027. He values inclusion and community and works to uplift and support those who need it most. Outside of legal work, he loves ice skating, reading classic literature, and playing games.

Thanks for being part of the team this semester, Sterling!

10/05/2026

Congratulations to our very own Haley Kottler! Haley was the inaugural Appleseed Rising Star of the Year for 2026! She accepted the award at the Pillars of Justice ceremony on September 24 in Washington, D.C. The Rising Star award recognizes anyone less than 10 years into their social justice advocacy career who has shown exceptional commitment to social justice, their community, and collaboration within the Appleseed Network.

Haley has spent the past seven years at Kansas Appleseed leading statewide efforts to strengthen SNAP and improve access to healthy food for kids both inside and outside of school, focusing on durable policy solutions and practical, evidence-based change.

We are so proud to work with you, Haley! Congratulations to all the other amazing honorees within The Appleseed Network!

10/02/2026

Haley Kottler, Senior Campaign Director of Kansas Appleseed, was featured in a national NPR story about SNAP in Kansas. Our state does a lot to feed the country, but it's also one of the states leading the national drop in people able to get SNAP food assistance, with more than 41,000 people losing benefits since July 2025.

"The Department of Children and Families is doing everything possible to decrease that [SNAP] error rate, but families are getting caught in the process," said Haley Kottler. "Unfortunately, Kansas has put more red tape up, and so that is adding to these issues and the crisis we are in because there are more and more hoops to jump through."

Listen to the full story here:

Kansas is one of the states leading what's been a national drop in people able to get government food assistance or SNAP benefits.