Teacher. AJ, Tristan & Julian's Dad. Chelsea's Husband. Former Mayor of the Wichita - Largest city in Kansas & the Air Capital of the World. Former Legislator
A protest has been organized at our home today over the mask ordinance. The FB event has over 100 RSVPs.
I am thankful for the right to protest. For those gathering, please stay safe. We stocked a cooler with drinks for you. Stay hydrated.
Happy Independence Day everyone! 🙂🇺🇲
Huge spikes in Covid19 is the reason why HS sports are cancelled & classes are limited. We had an opportunity to continue what was a remarkable start to controling this virus, then politics overcame the advice of medical experts. Your anti mask comment is part of the problem.
So sad a local kid from Wichita is voicing to let the kids play but school board nor homebody mayor
@BWhippleKS
will have it. I agree if other states are playing why can’t Kansas play? The masks are obviously not helping, that’s why the mandate was issued so school could happen😂
Just got off the phone with the leadership at our
#Wichita
hospitals & admitted patients for covid19 are the highest ever. If these numbers continue at the same rate our hospitals will reach compacity in 2-3 weeks (sooner if we have a 4th of July bump).
Please wear your mask.
BREAKING: A bipartisan majority of 5-2 PASSED
@CityofWichita
's ordinance removing fentanyl test strips from our drug paraphernalia list, as well as removing marijuana from the city code!
Thanks everyone who fought for these data based, harm reduction strategies.
#ksleg
After today,
@CityofWichita
will soon be a leader in renewable energy consumption by obtaining 70-80% of electricity from wind, while saving taxpayers money.
We're also offering housing vouchers to former foster kids between 18-24 to fight homelessness & provide more opportunity
Riverside,
We are aware of the "screaming" sounds reported & have looked into the situation. Thanks to the efforts of Kansas Department of Parks & Wild Life, we have determined the "screaming" sounds are that of Red Foxes, who are indulging in the mating season.
Good for them.
Just asked a group of peoole in front of my house if they were protesting me .... Turns out they were just hanging out and visiting the neighbors... This is my life now. 🤣 🤷♂️
#awkward
Declaration of emergency & ordinance are signed.
Thanks to the 13 medical experts who selflessly gave up their day to educate us on the importance of implementing the mask order. We have a shot of avoiding another shut down, of ensuring our kids have school & protecting folks.
BREAKING:
#Kansas
has ended the fiscal year with $318 million ABOVE revenue estimates. Ending the Brownback tax experiment has brought us stability. The additional revenue gives us a chance to restore education cuts, expand Medicaid & work towards lower food sales taxes in 2019.
I just told my 7 year old son AJ that if he's going outside to climb the tree he needs to put on his jacket, socks & shoes. He responded by walking right up to me, finger wagging & saying "you might be the Mayor of
@CityofWichita
, but you're not the mayor of me." 😮 😳
#DadLife
⬇️ I mean, this tweet is fair. If you post on my personal FB page racially insensitive, racially ignorant, or racially charged "dog whistles" I will absolutely point it out & ask you to stop.
You don't have to agree & I'm okay if I lose your vote. My platformed won't be hijacked
Tonight, Wichita City Hall will light up blue and yellow in the colors of the Ukrainian flag, to show solidarity with the people of Ukraine. 🇺🇦
#Ukraine
#WeAreWichita
In response to today's story concerning a threat I received:
Violence is never a way to settle disagreements. We're always stronger together as a City even when times are at their toughest. Tensions maybe high, but we will get through this together as Wichitans. 1/2
The
@CityofWichita
has answered the request of mutual aid by the DC Police & will send 50 of our finest
@WichitaPolice
to join 3200 officers from around the country & assist in the presidential inauguration.
Thank you to the officers who volunteered for this historical event.
It probably would be safe for fall sports if the
#ksleg
didn't strip
@GovLauraKelly
of her pandemic powers, taking the state off a Covid19 strategy that was working & replacing it with nothing but political talking points.
👀 at you Representative.
Public Health > Partisanship
The
@CityofWichita
has passed one of the strongest Non-discrimination ordinances in Kansas. Thank you to everyone who kept up the fight & held firm to the belief that Wichita is a place for all, regardless of who you are or who you love. It's because of you, we got this done! 🏳️🌈
Mr.
@elonmusk
, I'd love to show you around Wichita & talk about what our amazing community has to offer. Shoot me a message, my DMs are open. Cheers!
#ILoveWichita
🤔
If u lead covid taskforce & now debate through 2 glass barriers, while ur team is recovering from covid, u can't brag about handling covid.
If u dodge moderator questions, u can't demand questions urself.
If u dodge "peaceful transition" question u can't claim "law & order"
Businesses need to follow the city ordinances, county orders & state laws, especially in matters of public health. Bars & clubs agreed to this when granted the responsibility of a liquor license. Enforcement of laws & ordinances isn't making a "threat," it's part of my job.
My heart absolutely breaks as we learn about the passing of Representative Gail Finney. Rep. Finney was champion of good policy, a fierce fighter on behalf of our community, and a role model for folks like myself who had the honor to serve alongside her. May she rest in peace.
As the Mayor of the Great
@CityofWichita
, home of the
@SedgwickCoZoo
, I hereby pardon our beloved escaped flamingo, "Pink Floyd" & wish him well on the new life he has created in TX with his seagull buddies.
Enjoy your freedom young Floyd & visit us anytime. 🦩
At the
@WhiteHouse
for the announcement of the Affordable Connectivity Program, which will help over 48 million Americans, including thousands of Kansans get access to High-speed internet. This program is a partnership with over 200 internet providers, including Cox & AT&T. 1/2
Congratulations to both the City of Winfield and
@Salina_KS_Gov
for enacting "mask" ordinances aimed at slowing the spread of
#Covid19
. Here's to a healthy Kansas!
#ksleg
The County Commission voted to NOT implement
@GovLauraKelly
Executive Order protecting our community against the spread of
#Covid19
We must do what we can to avoid another shutdown. Our kids deserve school this fall. Our vulnerable population deserves a fighting chance. ⬇️
I love that while other cities are actually trying to ban books, like it's the 1600's or something, our
@wichitalibrary
actually uses the idea of banning books as a way to encourage reading ... by generally mocking the idea.
I'm here for it. Well done, guys ... well done.
Politicians who say we don't have money for schools, but then say we have enough money to cut taxes for the rich are simply not being honest with you.
The money comes from the same pot. You can't say we're broke while also saying we have money to give away to rich people.
#ksleg
Hey Wichita, passage of
@POTUS
infrastructure plan means a strong chance of
@Amtrak
coming through our great city.
I'm on the phone all the time with our friends in DC working for this & I know other leaders in our region are too.
Now is our time. Let's do big things!
Amtrak's response to the Biden infra plan:
Proposes:
-30+ new routes
-20+ enhanced existing routes
-20m more annual riders
-Better service to cities like HOU, ATL, Cincy
-New service to unserved cities like Las Vegas, Nashville, Columbus, Phoenix
Oh no,
@CBSNews
... I love what you do and your news programming is great... But you got my name wrong.
Unless Mayor "Daniel Whipple" is also having a crazy week? 🤔
Well done Wichita! As of today, we're back down to single digits as
#covid19
positive testing is at 9.4%. We started the week with a decrease in hospitalizations & continue to make progress. 👍
Let's continue to
#MaskUp
to keep ourselves, family & neighbors safe.😷
#ILoveWichita
Thanks everyone for staying in & practicing social distancing.
As Mayor I cannot declare a "stay home" order but am asking everyone to do this voluntarily. This order must come from
@SedgwickCounty
Let's work together to slow the impact of this virus.
#ILoveWichita
#ICTresponse
Flags at city buildings will be flown at half mass as our Wichita family mourns the loss of our 100th Mayor, Carl Brewer.
Mayor Brewer modeled leadership. Throughout my career in public service, he was always there as a mentor & guide. Chels & I send our love to his family.
A "stay at home" order from
@SedgwickCounty
will go into effect at midnight. We have one shot to get this right &
#FlattenTheCurve
A storm is coming & now is the time to bunker down. We're going to work together to save lives. In Wichita, we look out for eachother
#ILoveWichita
Looks like we have a new addition to the Whipple family. This is Phoenix, a 6 month old pup we just picked up from Heartstrings Animal Advocates. She's a little freaked out at the moment but Julian is offering her some treats. :)
Lots to unpack w/ that debate. We all can improve w/ decency in disagreement, particularly online. However fam should always be off limits. To degrade someone because a family member is an addict or in recovery is just despicable. It's beneath the Presidency, IMHO.
#Debates2020
Hey
@Tajahnaes
, you're 100% right! This discussion should be open & free to the public. I just got off the phone w/ the
@ChamberWichita
President & they're working on a solution so anyone who would like to attend can. Will have details tomorrow. Thanks for holding us accountable!
Chelsea, the boys, & I appreciate the kind thoughts & prayers. We also would like to thank the brave men & women of the
@WichitaPolice
who protect not just us, but our entire community. Thank you for the fast response in this matter & for all you do. 2/2
At the announcement of our new Molecular Diagnostic Lab opening at
@WichitaState
! The lab will dramatically increase our
#Covid19
testing compacity with up to 32k tests a week.
This will be a game changer in helping us get back to normal.
#ILoveWichita
With
#Covid19
surging,
@GovLauraKelly
signed an executive order mandating masks starting Friday, July 3rd.
I'm sure all our feeds are filling up with reactions & opinions, but let's be positive & add some mask selfies to the mix!
Let's see your mask selfie! 🙂
#ILoveWichita
I'm still recovering from the hate we saw at the last City Council meeting & the political games since.
Bottom line, our kids should grow up in a city that not only values diversity & inclusion, but also protects the Civil Rights of our neighbors who face discrimination.
This week,
@CityofWichita
won a federal grant of $3.95 MILLION to replace 10 gas guzzling vans with new electric vans, along with 5 new charging stations. These vans are not only lowering our carbon footprint, but also cheeper to operate & maintain. A big win for public transit!
A woman from
#Ukraine
living in
@CityofWichita
stopped by w/ a cake & this note for City Council thanking us for our support. I showed her the resolution we passed & learned her home city is in ruin. I can't imagine what she's going through, but glad she can call Wichita home.
Congratulations to our next President
@JoeBiden
& VP
@KamalaHarris
.
Thank you to the election workers who worked so hard so that democracy could prevail. America owes you our gratitude. 🇺🇲
Thank you to everyone for keeping the protests this weekend both peaceful & productive. I'm committed to listening & working with our community for a better Wichita.
Tomorrow, I will appoint a Mayor's Advisory Council focused on Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights.
#ILoveWichita
Well done Wichita! Our
#Covid_19
numbers continue trending down.
While on a call w/ our Gov & White House taskforce last week, we were mentioned as a bright light in KS as other areas see increases.
Let's keep fighting the virus, not each other by wearing masks & showing grace.
I'm honestly embarrassed. Our City of Wichita redistricting committee has more people who have spent their professional lives working against LGBTQ rights than any other board. So far we have 2 anti-LGBTQ legislators & 1 Republican campaign consultant who worked for the Texas GOP
For the 1st time in wks, our Covid19 testing #'s are in single digits.
Check out how predictable this thing is. We were told it would spike in July (it did), passed mask ordinance on 3rd, CDC said 4 wks to see results (July 31st). It leveled off & is now trending down
#MasksWork
Thank you Mr Scott for defusing this tense moment. I admire your leadership & courage.
I’m so proud of our community leaders & thousands of neighbors who kept this day peaceful & productive. We’re listening, we’re learning, & we’re going to make our city work better for everyone
"We will not give them what they want!"
A tense moment this afternoon at the Black Lives Matter protest which was quickly defused by one of the events organizers, Willie Scott Jr.
Hear from him tonight on
@KAKEnews
at 10.
I'm not going to dignify the hateful, anti
#LGBTQ
bills in the
#ksleg
with a rebuttal. Instead I want to say to those who see these & feel excluded, you are welcome in our state & you deserve better than this from your Government.
We will fight discrimination. We have your back.
But if it was an attempt to get my attention as mayor, then it's unnecessary as I will meet & dialogue with anyone. Come to my office (not my house) & you will get a meeting, you will be treated with respect & I will listen to you. We may not agree, but we're in this together 2/2
Thankful for good neighbors who noticed a suspicious person outside our house yelling vulgarities around 1am this morning & called the
@WichitaPolice
, who came out to check on us. Lucky the kids slept through it all.
Hopefully this was random & not targeted based on my job. 1/2
Y'all, who is
@ChrisMannKS
& why is he against Wichita using local control to modernize our city ordinances by implementing data driven harm reduction strategies?
Decriminalizing fentanyl test strips will save lives. Minor THC possession shouldn't be an economic death sentence.
@MichaelStavola1
Wish I knew the headcount, I could have cooked up some burgers and dialogued. I want to represent everyone in our city, not just those who agree with me.
... if I could make a comment not as Mayor, but just as a Dad. Targeting children for discrimination is beyond disgusting. Our Trans youth matter & deserve respect. Bullying our LGBTQ youth is just so low.
We're COMMANDED to love... Whoever welcomes a child, welcomes Him.
I met Lou after I was sworn in. He walked me around the new stadium and talked about how the youth baseball program would use the state of the art facility for free. He wanted free movie nights on the big screen with families sitting out in the baseball field on blankets.
Discrimination is a bad reason for Wichita to lose both the
@NCAA
tournaments for Women in 2022 & Men in 2025. The $7.5m economic impact is something our small businesses badly need.
If USA & NAIA follow, Wichita's out 6 more events we won or are bidding on.
Please veto.
#ksleg
Today we thanked
@Walmart
for the generous $50k donation to help restore the Historic Dunbar Theater. The restoration will ensure this cultural landmark will once again inspire a new generation through performing arts.
Thank you to the community leaders who made this happen!
Today we announce
#Wichita
becoming the first Kansas community to be a part of the "Lights On" program.
Now in some of our more disadvantage areas,
@WichitaPolice
can provide a voucher to pay for taillight & headlight repairs instead of issuing a ticket.
#ILoveWichita
#ICTproud
So my wife has a retreat for work tonight & tomorrow in Topeka. Since I can't get home (or off the floor) I told her to drop them off at the
#ksleg
. I now have my crew!
Everyone, THANK YOU to all of our loyal Power 93.5 listeners and family. Hitman is currently in the hospital battling bilateral pneumonia due to Covid-19. I’m calling all Prayer Warriors: we would appreciate your thoughts and prayers at this time. -Carla
I believe we need to face
#Covid19
head on, understanding what it is & defeat it as a community. We need to work together to protect ourselves, family, neighbors & economy against this virus, & stop fighting one another. We're in the same boat. We can beat this thing if we focus.
Just learned my 89yr old Gramps, Mom & Dad all tested positive for
#COVID19
. Gramps & Mom are boosted w/Pfizer while my old man has two J&J shots
So far mild symptoms & "feeling sick." I can't express how thankful I am for these vaccines which undoubtedly our saving their lives!
This woman inspires the heck out of me! Throughout a wild race she stayed focused & positive. Now she's positioned for a come from behind win (but still more votes to count).
Every vote counts & we must count every vote. As Biden says, "Democracy is messy," .. but it's exciting!
Y'all, I would never guess I'd be ending the week with interviews about a Space Command HQ in Wichita, but I dig it.
Wichita is the best in advance manufacturing. We have the labs, educational institutions, airports, & folks dedicated to serving our country.
We'd be perfect.
What better place for the U.S. Space Command headquarters than in the center of the country? Kansas has the economic development tools in place for the attraction, growth, and retention of the Space Command, and we're going to work to make it a reality.
When I ran for Mayor in 2019, I made the promise to help make Wichita the most inclusive, economically vibrant community in Kansas. Two years later, we’re living up to that promise: today, City Council PASSED the strongest nondiscrimination ordinance in the state, (1/2)
Hey
@LillyPad
,
In
#Wichita
,
#Kansas
we value progress over politics. We're home to numerous world class, science focused educational institutions, including TWO medical schools. We're business friendly, people centered & well, we get it!
As Mayor, I'd love to chat with you.
I'm overwhelmed with the positive comments, encouraging text messages & calls I've received since The Wichita Eagle broke the story that I am running for Mayor of Wichita. This campaign is about the future of our city. Together we can make a difference!
Thanks to everyone who reached out with concerns over the city cutting our animal shelter. I spent much of the day working with our Finance department, the City Manager and the Kansas Humane Society on possible alternatives & I believe we're close to a solution. Details to come!
Long day today as the
@CityofWichita
extended the mask mandate to Oct 21st, while adding some metrics that would end the mandate if numbers go down far enough.
We had 121 people speak for over 7 hrs, all but one against the mask ordinance.
I'll promise you, I get it. 1/3
BREAKING:
@USYouthSoccer
has picked
@CityofWichita
to host the National Presidents Cup in July 2023. This event will attract over 2000 athletes, families, coaches, officials, and fans to Wichita, with an estimated economic impact of about $4 million into our local economy!
We're better than this. We all want
#covid19
to be over & we all are frustrated. Somehow within our political discourse we have replaced common sense w/ fear & reasoning w/ intimidation.
No one is happy w/ where we are & no one *wants* masks. Our enemy is covid, not each other.
HAPPENING NOW: Citizen threatens to "show up" at Commissioners' homes.
"We are not giving up any rights. We are going to show up outside your house with megaphones. You're not going to sleep. We know who you are."
.
@SenatorWagle
I get it. I know what it's like to fight for legislation that ends up failing. But please, as Wichita responds to the layoffs, our neighbors need access to healthcare. For some Medicaid Expansion might be their only option. 1/3
#ksleg
I just want to publicly admit I made a mistake by appointing someone to the Diversity, Inclusion & Civil Rights advisory council who doesn't share the values & goals set forth by the group. This is 100% my fault & I take full responsibility. I am sorry for the distraction. 1/2
THIS message from our Chief is so important. I understand people are worried, but we're in this together. Wichitans watch out for each other.
#ILoveWichita
👇
Buying more than you need leaves others without and will impact the poor and elderly the most. Retailers have strong supply sources and there is no need to hoard.
That's a wrap! With 70 "yea" votes, Medicaid Expansion PASSES onto to Final Action tomorrow (were it will need 63 votes to pass out the House chamber and onto the Senate. I'm so proud of the bipartisan coalition who put Kansas before politics today. Thank you all!
#ksleg
Such an honor to join our Native American community today for the Trail of Tears memorial and read a proclamation from the
@CityofWichita
officially proclaiming October 12th as Indigenous People's Day.
#ILoveWichita
#IndigenousPeoplesDay
Every member of Congress took an oath to uphold our sacred Constitution, then some betrayed our lawful process of a peaceful transition through their words & deeds, sowing unfounded doubt & disdain, for nothing more than political gain. This is the fruit of such actions. 1/2
I'm pleading with you to help us. We owe it to our parents & grandparents so they have a fighting chance, to ensure this isn't their last holiday season. We must knock these hospital numbers down & buy time as a vaccine becomes available. History will judge us for what we do now.
I'm a fan of Joey! This little guy really supports his Mom & now he gets to keep cheering her on as she serves on the County Commission.
Elections are hard for kids but in the end, I believe we're all better served with more parents of school age kids in office.🙂
Quick
#COVID19
update. Yesterday,
@CityofWichita
extended our mask ordinance. The mask ordinance went into effect on July 3rd. CDC says it takes 4 weeks to see results. I'm happy to report that for the 1st time in 6 weeks, we have a drop in hospitalizations as well as % positives
UPDATE: Chief Moore has informed us that
@SedgwickCounty
Emergency Operations Center has been activated to assist Andover. All
@WichitaPolice
Command have been directed to assist with emergency management.
Please stay off the streets if possible for our emergency vehicles.
Today, the County's top medical officer issued an order to close bars & limit gatherings to 15 until Sept 9th due to
#Covid19
spikes
We tried so hard at the city level to get in front of this with the mask ordinance. No one wants a shutdown of any kind. Our kids need school. 1/3
Congratulations to Governor
@LauraKellyKS
, Lt Governor
@DavidTolandKS
& their campaign team on an impressive win last night! I'm looking forward to continuing our work with the administration to grow the economy, create jobs & expand opportunities for folks in Wichita!
#ksleg
I stand with and support our Asian community as they face increased violence and discrimination throughout our country. Racism should never be tolerated.
To our Asian neighbors, you are valued, you are respected and you make Wichita a better place.
#StopAsianHate