Kansas Redistricting Saga Drags On
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas legislative leaders and Republican Governor Sam Brownback agree the redistricting process needs to get finished, but they're still bickering over how that will be done. With time running out on the 90-day session, new maps for the House, Senate and four U.S. House Districts still need to be approved. A map passed by the Senate was killed by the House. Now a House panel is looking to draw the map for the Senate, breaking the tradition that each chamber handles its own district boundaries. Legislative districts are redrawn after each 10-year census to reflect population changes.
KC Woman Awarded Damages and Lost Wages in Discrimination Suit
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Muslim woman who was fired from her job with AT&T says years of harassment culminated when her boss snatched her scarf away, exposing her hair. A jury awarded former Kansas City resident Susann Bashir $5 million in punitive damages Thursday, along with $120,000 in lost wages and other actual damages. The award appears to be the largest jury verdict in a workplace discrimination case in Missouri history. Bashir says the harassment began soon after she converted to Islam in 2005. She was fired after she left work in 2008 because of stress after filing a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and then didn't come back for nine months. AT&T says it plans to appeal.
Chihuahua Costume Party Falls Short of Record
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Hundreds of tiny tacos, ballerinas and other costumed dogs fell short of a world record Saturday morning in Kansas City, but organizers said they were encouraged by the turnout for the inaugral Cinco de Mayo Chihuahua parade. Mark Valentine, the president of the group that organized the parade, said 500 dogs showed up in costume - about 200 fewer than what was needed to break the Guiness Book world record. The event, organized by United Entertainment to benefit a local animal shelter, was open to any breed. Valentine estimated that 80 percent of the costumed canines were Chihuahuas, more than the 50 percent he anticipated. Valentine said he was told Chihuahuas were among the most common breeds of dogs in animal shelters. Saturday's event raised about $2,500 for The Pet Connection, a local no-kill shelter.