The chief of staff for House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer is leaving her position to take a job with the lobbying firm 1861 Consulting. Heather Scanlon is planning to leave the post in a couple of weeks and start work with the consulting firm in mid-December. She will work as the firm’s director of governmental affairs.

Derek Hein launched 1861 Consulting – named for the year Kansas became a state – with lobbyists John Monroe and Mitch DePriest last year.

Over the last year, America’s leading beverage companies – Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo – have taken significant actions to reduce our industry’s plastic footprint.

Launched by the American Beverage Association, in partnership with key environmental organizations — World Wildlife Fund, The Recycling Partnership and Closed Loop Partners – the Every Bottle Back initiative aims to decrease the use of new plastic through major investments that modernize recycling infrastructure and educate consumers on efficient recycling practices.

Gov. Laura Kelly and legislative leaders unanimously agreed Friday to reallocate $38.5 million in federal COVID-19 disaster aid and to deposit emergency funding not spent by Dec. 31 in the state’s shrinking unemployment compensation fund.

The Kansas Legislature plans to spend about $3 million on technology upgrades in hopes that people will be able to watch committee hearings and other functions even if they can’t leave their homes because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe, a global law firm and public policy group who partners 1861 Consulting, invited Kansas Speaker of the House, Ron Ryckman to join their in-house policy experts for a conversation on how the legislature is addressing the response to COVID-19 in Kansas.

Here in Kansas, the heroic work of our medical professionals and first responders has been remarkable to watch. Their tireless efforts to confront COVID-19 and care for the sick are an inspiration to Americans everywhere. We owe a debt of gratitude to these individuals.

The Women’s Foundation recently held a webinar on the current state of COVID-19 relief efforts with:

Kansas Congresswoman Sharice Davids; Wendy Doyle, President & CEO, Women’s Foundation; Scott Behrens, Vice President, Government Relations at Lockton Companies; Becky Lohmann, Catalyst; Derek Hein, 1861 Consulting; Moderated by Kendall Seal, VP of Research & Policy, Women’s Foundation

The Women’s Foundation today praised legislation (HB 2731) introduced by Kansas state Rep. Troy Waymaster, which would provide college scholarships to the survivors of veterans and first responders killed or injured in the line of duty.  

Ron and Julie Hein this week announced a new agreement with their son, Derek, and the firm he just started, 1861 Consulting. Derek Hein launched 1861 Consulting – named for the year Kansas became a state – with lobbyists John Monroe and Mitch DePriest. The firm will represent most lobbying clients from Hein Governmental Consulting.