FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 18, 2026
Contact:
Hans Torgerson
TARIFF REFUNDS FOR BIG BUSINESS, HIGH GAS PRICES FOR KANSANS
This past week, when asked about the war in Iran’s effect on the economy, the president said: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.” Kansas Republican candidates for governor have proven they don’t care about Kansas’ financial situation either, offering nothing but approval or silence as Washington’s disastrous tariff and economic agenda drives up costs for Kansas families, farmers, and small businesses.
This past week:
INFLATION HITS THREE-YEAR HIGH AS KANSAS CITY FED SOUNDS ALARM
Inflation rose to 3.8% in April, the highest rate in nearly three years, while prices are now rising faster than paychecks for the first time in three years. Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid warned that “continued inflation” is the “most pressing risk to the economy,” and said business leaders across the region are still saying prices are “too high.”
BIG BUSINESSES ARE GETTING TARIFF REFUNDS — BUT KANSANS MAY GET NOTHING BACK
Kansas Reflector reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection is accepting refund applications from importers and brokers owed an estimated $166 billion after Trump’s illegal tariffs were struck down. But while companies are getting paid back, there is still no public database, no real transparency, and no guarantee that consumers who paid higher prices will see a dime.
KANSAS CITY FED SAYS FARM FINANCES ARE WEAKENING
The Kansas City Fed reported that weakness in the crop sector is continuing, with farmers squeezed by elevated production costs, low prices, and new volatility in energy and fertilizer markets. The report found that high-leverage crop farms lost about $33,000 on average in 2025 before counting non-farm income and government payments — a sign that many producers are being kept afloat by outside support, not a healthy farm economy.
KANSANS ARE STILL PAYING MORE THAN $4 A GALLON
Kansas gas prices remain above $4 a gallon, with the statewide average at $4.097 and the Kansas City-area average at $4.208. Statewide diesel was even worse, averaging $5.154 a gallon — a direct hit to farmers, truckers, small businesses, and families already squeezed by higher costs.
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