I find this stuff about Kansas interesting. Several years ago, perhaps 2012, I read Thomas Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas. Now the book was written in 2004 when Sebelius was Governor so I question your comment about things being good until Brownback as Frank ripped the state in 2004. But the book seemed anecdotal. Did my own research and found that Kansas, using the latest 2012 or so data, seemed rather well economically. The average income was $39,737 (25th out of 50), and the cost of living was 92.63 (average 100). Dividing average income by cost of living to get purchasing power Kansas ranks 5th, behind Wyoming, Virginia, Illinois, and Texas. Rather good. Looked at GINI for income inequality and Kansas at .445 was better (more equal) than the nation as a whole at .469. And better than 3 of the states that had higher purchasing income, Virginia, Illinois and Texas. Rather good. And I looked at state debt and, as you indicated, Kansas had low debt per capita at $2,276, below the average of $3,614.
I would not want to live in Kansas but it would seem that from an economic and equality standpoint Kansas does very well. Perhaps all those red state, religious right, policies put out by the government either help make the state so good economically or don't hurt the residents on the important issues. And I can't understand why Frank wrote that book. Or, perhaps, why Krugman, an economist, praised it.