“Dark store theory” case goes before Kansas Board of Tax Appeals. The Kansas Board of Tax Appeals this week is hearing an appeal from Walmart in a case challenging Johnson County’s appraisal of its local stores’ property values. If Walmart and other big box retailers prevail in their appeals, which argue that their properties should be valued and taxed at significantly lower levels, it could have a major effect on funding for local schools, libraries and other Johnson County government functions. [If big-box stores win JoCo appeals, who bears tax burden for schools, services? — Kansas City Star]

Davids says she supports back pay for furloughed employees. Rep. Sharice Davids on Wednesday announced she supported guaranteeing back pay for federal workers furloughed during the government shut down. “There are more than 19,000 federal employees in the Kansas City metro and many other contractors who are not at fault for this shutdown mess and shouldn’t bear the burden of Washington’s partisan dysfunction,” Davids said. “Our civil servants and contractors need to support their families and we need to make sure they get paid for the important work they do.”