MainStream Coalition begins another series of public discussions about topics in the Kansas Legislature next Thursday. This first event is titled “What to Expect in the 2014 Legislative Session.”

Last year’s series of MainStream meetings about the legislature drew consistently full house crowds to Colonial Church at 71st and Mission Road, the site of Thursday’s meeting which begins at 7 p.m. A panel of university professors will talk about issues coming expected to come up next year including Common Core and science standards, judicial selection and school funding.

The panel will include a group of well-known political scholars from around the state: Dr. Michael Smith, Emporia State University; Dr. Bob Beatty, Washburn University; Dr. Mark Peterson, Washburn University and Burdett Loomis, University of Kansas. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

Registration is preferred but not required to attend and can be done here.

The other dates in the 2014 legislative series are Feb. 20, May 1 and May 29.