Integra Technologies Plans $1.8 Billion Facility in South-Central Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - A computer chip manufacturer plans to build a $1.8 billion facility in south-central Kansas. Integra Technologies says its expansion would create 2,500 new jobs and add more than $2 billion dollars in capital investment over the next five years in Sedgwick County. Brett Robinson is the company’s CEO. "We know the Wichita region has advanced manufacturing expertise combined with the talent, infrastructure and partnerships to provide the world-class training and collaboration needed to grow and recruit this workforce," he said. The company’s expansion depends on federal funding, which the company plans to apply for in coming months. It's already received $300 million in economic development incentives from the state of Kansas.
Integra Technologies plans to construct a one million-square-foot headquarters and production facility in a suburb northeast of Wichita. The company is also working with WSU Tech to open a new training center in Wichita. WSU Tech president Sheree Utash said, "This kind of diversification in our city allows lucrative career options that we have not had in Kansas."
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EMP Shield Plans Nearly $2 Billion Plant Near Burlington
BURLINGTON, Kan. (KNS/KPR/The Wichita Eagle) - In addition to Integra's plans to build a new computer chip factory in Sedgwick County, a separate company that makes computer chips has announced expansion plans of its own. EMP Shield announced this week that it will build a nearly $2 billion factory near Burlington in Coffey County, about an hour south of Topeka. Company officials say the semiconductor manufacturing plant will create 1,200 jobs that pay about $66,000 a year. The Wichita Eagle reports that Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and EMP Shield issued a joint statement saying the company is "an industry leader in protecting electronic devices from destructive magnetic pulses.”
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Kansas Lawmakers Advance Bills Pushing Back on Trans Rights
TOPEKA, Kan. -- (AP) — Republican proposals pushing back on transgender rights advanced Thursday in the GOP-controlled Kansas Legislature.
The measure most likely to ultimately become law this year would ban transgender athletes from girls and women's K-12, club and college sports.
The House approved it, 82-40, sending it to the Senate. The two Republicans absent Thursday likely would have voted yes to give supporters the two-thirds majority of 84 votes needed to override a veto from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. She vetoed two previous proposals.
The Senate voted 26-11 to pass a bill aimed at preventing doctors from providing gender-affirming care to minors. The bill says the state medical board must revoke the Kansas licenses of doctors who are found to have provided such care. Also, they could be sued by former patients.
Senators also voted 26-10 to approve a bill that would define a person legally as male or female based on their anatomy at birth.
The measure would prevent transgender men and women from changing their birth certificates and driver's licenses after transitioning, and it could force them to use restrooms and other facilities associated with the gender assigned to them at birth.
Both Senate bills went to the House, and both were a single vote short of having a two-thirds majority.
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Bill to Strip Public Health Officials of Power Passes Kansas Senate
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas Senators voted Thursday to strip authority of state and local health officials to take action to prevent the spread of diseases. This follows the controversy over masking requirements and restrictions on large gatherings during the pandemic. If it becomes law, health officials would only be able to make recommendations and distribute information to educate the public. They would no longer be able to take actions such as restricting public gatherings or ordering people to quarantine. Supporters of the bill say it protects the freedom for Kansans to make their own health decisions. Republican Senate President Ty Masterson says officials elected by the public should be in charge of health issues. “This is all about putting the power where it belongs,” Masterson said, “Not with an unelected bureaucrat. I don’t care how expert you think they are.” Democratic senators opposed the measure because it takes public health officials out of the response to disease outbreaks and puts state lawmakers in charge. The bill did not pass the Senate with enough votes to override a veto. Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a similar bill last year.
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Political Affiliation Bill Fails in Kansas Senate
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas lawmakers have rejected a bill giving candidates the option to list their political parties on ballots for local elections. The bill was introduced by Republican Senator Mike Thompson of Johnson County. Thompson argued it would give voters valuable information about candidates. But critics say the measure is aimed at solidifying conservative power in all levels of Kansas government, including local school boards. Democratic senators opposed the measure saying it would bring partisanship to local offices and alienate potential candidates. The Senate rejected the bill Thursday by a vote of 24-16. Local school boards in Kansas are nonpartisan but recent elections in some districts have drawn endorsements from political groups
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Kansas House Passes Bill to Monitor Groundwater Use
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas House has overwhelmingly passed a bill aimed at preserving the water that remains in the Ogallala Aquifer. The House voted 116-6 in favor of the bill. It requires groundwater districts to identify areas with the most depletion of the aquifer by next year and then submit plans for reducing water use by 2026. In parts of western Kansas, more than half of the aquifer’s underground water has already been used, mostly to irrigate crops. But supporters of the bill say it’s not too late to do something meaningful to save the aquifer for future generations. The state could step in and impose water restrictions if the groundwater districts don’t come up with their own conservation plans. The bill now heads to the Kansas Senate.
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Kansas Senate Committee Rejects Plan to Allow State Funds for Private Schools
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A Kansas Senate committee has rejected a plan to provide state funding for students attending private schools or home schools. The opposition to the bill was bipartisan. The proposed legislation would have offered about $5,000 per student each year through a tax credit. That money could be used to cover the costs of tuition, computers, textbooks and other needs for children not attending public schools. Democratic Senator Tom Holland opposed the bill that was rejected Wednesday, raising concerns about the cost. He also said that because the measure involved a tax credit, it would mostly benefit wealthier Kansans. “There is no really mechanism for poor families to utilize this vehicle," he said. "And so to me this starts to smell more like a voucher-like vehicle.” This proposal is just one of the plans in the Kansas Statehouse that would provide state funding for kids to attend private schools. The House is considering similar legislation.
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Kansas Senate Votes to Ban Drop-Off Boxes
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Senate has voted to ban all drop-off boxes that voters can use to return mail ballots during elections. Republican lawmakers amended a bill that would have originally limited county election offices to use only one box each election. Some counties have used dozens in recent elections. Opponents argued banning ballot boxes makes it harder for people to cast their vote. But Republican Senator Caryn Tyson says the move makes sure the state’s elections are safe and secure. “Drop boxes allow for the possibility of foul play. I would like to remove that and protect the integrity of our elections," she said. Republican Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who oversees elections, has opposed limiting drop boxes. The Senate will need to take a final vote on the plan before sending it to the House for consideration.
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Conspiracies Fuel GOP Switch on Kansas' Ballot Grace Period
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' GOP-controlled Legislature showed Thursday that it's likely to pass a bill eliminating the three extra days state voters get to return mail-in ballots after an election, highlighting the influence election conspiracy theories still hold over Republicans' thinking.
But the vote totals in the Kansas House and Senate strongly suggested conspiracy theory backers don't have the clout to overcome Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's possible opposition. Each chamber approved its own, separate version of the bill but each fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to override any possible veto.
GOP lawmakers voted unanimously in 2017 to create the three-day grace period. That came amid concerns a restructuring of the U.S. Postal Service's mail-sorting operations had slowed the delivery of ballots.
On Thursday, 34 of the 44 Republicans still serving in either the House or the Senate voted to eliminate the grace period, including House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson, both Wichita-area Republicans.
Even though Kansas election officials have reported no potential fraud involving the grace period, many Republicans argue that eliminating it will restore public confidence in the state’s elections. Baseless election conspiracies have floated widely within the GOP since 2020, with former President Donald Trump repeatedly making false claims about his loss.
“All you’ve got to do is read the papers and what you guys say,” Hawkins told reporters before the House vote. “I mean, people do question the fraud all the time. Is there fraud? I think actually we’re a fairly good state but we can always make things better."
The vote in the House was 77-45, and with two Republicans absent, supporters were at least six votes short of the 84 needed to override a veto in the 125-member chamber. In the 40-member Senate, the vote was 23-17, leaving the backers of its separate bill four votes short.
Either one chamber will have to pass the other's bill to send it to Kelly, or the House and Senate will negotiate a version for both to approve. A version of the proposal is expected to clear the Legislature by early April.
Supporters of eliminating the grace period also suggested that Kansas is out of step with most other states. Thirty-one states require a mail ballot to arrive by Election Day to be counted, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Kansas, Massachusetts and Virginia have three-day grace periods.
“There's nothing magical about it,” state Rep. Paul Waggoner, a Republican from south-central Kansas, said during a debate Wednesday.
While Kelly hasn't said publicly that she would veto such a measure, her office said she is worried that the bill would prevent some voters serving in the military from having their ballots counted, disenfranchising them.
A few Republicans who want to keep the grace period in place made the same argument. Others, like many Democrats, contend that U.S. mail service has gotten only slower in the intervening six years.
"We should always err on the side of the voter and do everything to accommodate and count legal ballots,” Republican state Rep. Jesse Borjon, of Topeka, said in a statement read by a House clerk. Borjon formerly worked in the Kansas secretary of state's office.
Republicans also are split over whether the state should eliminate remote ballot drop boxes. The Senate approving a bill to do that Thursday on a 21-19 vote, while the House has a bill to keep them but allow Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a vocal promoter of drop boxes, to set standard rules for counties governing their use.
But one sign that election conspiracies still influence Republicans came earlier this month when the GOP state committee narrowly elected conspiracy promoter Mike Brown to serve as the party's state chair through the 2024 elections. Brown also ran for secretary of state last year, losing the GOP primary to Schwab.
“This idea that people have lost confidence in elections is because we have a bunch of loonies running around,” House Democratic Leader Vic Miller, of Topeka, said during Wednesday's debate. “Yes, if you repeat an incorrect statement often enough, unfortunately, some people begin to believe it.”
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Superintendent of Lawrence School District Expected to Recommend Budget that Could Close Three Elementary Schools, Repurpose One Middle School
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) – Superintendent Anthony Lewis's budget recommendation for the Lawrence school district calls for potentially closing Broken Arrow, Pinckney and Woodlawn elementary schools. It would also repurpose Liberty Memorial Central Middle School. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the school board will receive the recommendation at its meeting on Monday. The board will vote on which cuts to move forward with, including whether to conduct public hearings regarding specific school closures. The board will not vote on whether to close specific schools until after public hearings are held. The recommendation also calls for middle and high school staffing reductions.
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Lawrence Hospital Strengthens Ties with KU Health System; Hospital CEO Says LMH Remains Independent
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) - The LMH Health board of trustees has approved a strategic clinical relationship with the University of Kansas Health System. According to the Lawrence Journal-World, hospital leaders say it will pave the way for clinical partnerships that increase patient access to specialty care in Douglas County. At the same time, LMH Health CEO Russ Johnson stressed that the agreement also ensures LMH Health will retain its independence. The hospital hasn’t been sold, Johnson said in a news release about the agreement, and is not for sale. Instead, he said the arrangement ensures that LMH Health can remain a nonprofit, independent community hospital “for years to come.” Johnson said he expected that a lot of folks would speculate that this move was the “beginning of the end” for LMH Health. But there’s no bait-and-switch in play here, he asserted again, and no predefined steps in that direction laid out in the agreement approved Wednesday.
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KC Officer James Muhlbauer, K-9 Champ Honored During Funeral
KANSAS CITY Mo. (WDAF) — It was a somber day as thousands of people mourned the deaths of Kansas City Officer James Muhlbauer and his K9 Officer Champ, who were killed in a crash last week. WDAF TV reports that hundreds of police cars from departments across the region participated in a procession that ended at Municipal Auditorium Wednesday morning. Muhlbauer and Champ were killed last week when another driver hit the patrol vehicle they were in. Muhlbauer, a 20-year veteran of the Kansas City Police Department, and Champ were patrolling near the intersection of Truman Road and Benton Boulevard. Prosecutors say 18-year-old Jerron Lightfoot was driving at 85 mph and ran a red light, striking the patrol car. He’s been charged with two counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter.
The crash knocked Muhlbauer unconscious in the driver’s seat, and he was taken to an area hospital with critical injuries. Champ was in the backseat of the patrol vehicle at the time of the crash. Muhlbauer later died at the hospital. Champ was killed at the scene. That crash caused a second collision with a pedestrian, later identified as 52-year-old Jesse Eckes. Emergency crews pronounced Eckes dead at the scene.
Missouri Governor Mike Parson attended the funeral and ordered state flags to be lowered Wednesday at all government buildings in the Kansas City area. Union Station also turned its lights blue overnight to honor the fallen officer and K9. The Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 99 is taking donations to support the Muhlbauer family.
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Biden Chooses KCK Prosecutor to Serve on 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (TCJ/KPR) - President Joe Biden says he will nominate an assistant U.S. attorney based in Kansas City, Kansas, for a vacant position on the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The Topeka Capital Journal reports that Biden has selected federal prosecutor Jabari Wamble for a seat on the district court bench. If confirmed, Wamble will replace Judge Julie Robinson, the first African-American appointed to a seat on the court. Wamble previously served as an assistant attorney general in Kansas from 2011 to 2014. He is a graduate of the University of Kansas and KU Law School and is the son-in-law of Missouri Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver.
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Kansas Senate OKs Bill to Ban Abortion Bill Prescriptions via Telemedicine
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) The Kansas Senate has given initial approval to a bill that would prohibit the prescribing of abortion pills over telemedicine. It comes a few months after a Kansas judge blocked a slightly different bill targeting telemedicine abortions. Republicans said the bill would ensure a women taking abortion-inducing drugs can see a doctor if there are complications. At least one Kansas clinic currently uses off-site doctors, but patients still must get an ultrasound in person. Democratic opponents said the pills are safe, and the bill was a waste of legislative time after a vote last year showed Kansans overwhelmingly supported protecting abortion rights.
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Amid Probe, Kansas Lawmakers Move to Overhaul Ethics Agency
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The Kansas ethics commission has been investigating Republican campaign activities for the past year. Now, the Republican-controlled Legislature is moving to reduce the power of the Governmental Ethics Commission and legalize some of the practices that the commission has been investigating. Republican leaders say that they’re trying to ensure fair treatment of the people and groups being scrutinized by the commission. Critics see the bill as an attempt to handicap the oversight agency. Documents show the commission has been investigating whether Republicans funneled national GOP funds to state legislative candidates in 2020 to avoid contribution limits. Republicans say the commission is on an unwarranted fishing expedition.
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Kansas Families Can Now Apply for $1,000 per Student for Learning Recovery
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – Kansas parents can now apply for $1,000 per student under a new state government program. Governor Laura Kelly says the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP) is now open to applications from qualifying parents and guardians of Kansas students. In a news release, the governor said, "KEEP provides a $1,000 award per student to pay for various educational goods and services that promote learning recovery and facilitate academic enrichment opportunities." KEEP funds can be used for various activities, including:
- Day and overnight camps with academic-related curriculum (music, arts, science, technology, agriculture, math and engineering)
- Curriculum and educational materials, including certain technological devices
- Language classes
- Musical instruments and lessons
- Tutoring
Eligibility for KEEP funds is determined by financial need, and funds will be distributed to actively enrolled K-12 Kansas students between the ages of 5-18. Students whose household income is less than 185% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines are eligible. Families can learn more at www.keep.ks.gov.
Kelly says KEEP is offered through a contract between Merit International, Inc. and the Kansas Office of Recovery to provide educational activities and learning opportunities to students across Kansas to promote educational learning recovery in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is funded with American Rescue Plan Act dollars approved through the SPARK process.
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K-State President Proposes Year-Round College Calendar
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Making college more affordable in Kansas might mean rethinking the traditional academic calendar. The president of Kansas State University is raising the possibility of moving to a year-round class schedule. President Richard Linton is on a statewide tour to gather input about the school’s overall mission. During a stop in Wichita, he floated the idea of forgoing K-State’s traditional semester schedule for a year-round calendar. He says it could help some students finish college faster. “Why not consider students, rather than nine months, maybe considering 12 months," he said. "That might help in the student affordability challenge that we have.” Most Kansas universities are facing a budget crisis, as fewer high school graduates opt for traditional four-year colleges. K-State’s enrollment has dropped nearly 14% over the past five years.
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K-State President Concerned About Attacks on Diversity Education
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - The president of Kansas State University says recent attacks on diversity education could hamper efforts to recruit students. K-State President Richard Linton says his school focuses on inclusion because it tries to serve diverse communities across the state. “It’s not just about race and it’s not just about creed and color," he said. "It’s also about the rural student that comes from the western part of the state, the new-generation student that might be Hispanic. We think about it much broader.” Kansas lawmakers recently asked public universities to report how much money they spend on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The request comes amid a national effort by some conservatives to limit teaching about critical race theory in public education.
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Sporting KC Signs Manager Peter Vermes to 5-Year Extension
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Sporting Kansas City signed Peter Vermes to a five-year contract extension Wednesday that will keep its longtime manager with the Major League Soccer club through the 2028 season. Vermes is the fourth-winningest coach in MLS history. He will begin his 15th season with the club when it faces the Portland Timbers on Saturday. He’s led Sporting KC to 10 playoff appearances and the 2013 MLS Cup along with three U.S. Open Cup titles, and his four major trophies are one behind Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley for the most in U.S. soccer history.
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Mahomes, Cousins, Mariota Part of New Netflix NFL Docuseries
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, Kirk Cousins, and Marcus Mariota will be part of a Netflix documentary series debuting this summer. “Quarterback” is the first partnership between the league and the streaming service. NFL Films, Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and Mahomes’ 2PM Productions will produce the series. The series followed Mahomes, Cousins, and Mariota throughout the past season. It also marked the first time the NFL allowed quarterbacks to be mic’d up for every game. Wednesday’s announcement is part of a busy start to the year for Netflix with sports docuseries. The fifth season of the popular “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” franchise launches on Friday.
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Chiefs Promote Nagy to Old Job as Offensive Coordinator
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Chiefs promoted Matt Nagy to offensive coordinator to replace the departed Eric Bieniemy. The move gives Nagy the job he held before departing Andy Reid’s staff for an opportunity as the head coach in Chicago. Nagy spent two seasons directing the Chiefs' offense with Alex Smith at quarterback. He then spent four seasons with the Bears and went 34-31 in the regular season and won the NFC North in 2018 before he was fired after a 6-11 season in 2021. He returned to the Chiefs as their quarterbacks coach. Bieniemy had been the Chiefs’ offensive coordinator the past five seasons.
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Former Chiefs Offensive Coordinator Eric Bieniemy Takes Next Step with Washington Commanders
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Eric Bieniemy brushed off questions about not getting an NFL head coaching job and says he's embracing his new challenge as offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders. Bieniemy at his introductory news conference also defended his decision to leave the Kansas City Chiefs after 10 years and two Super Bowl championships and explained why this job was the right fit for him. The longtime Chiefs offensive coordinator interviewed for 15 different head jobs in recent years. But coaching two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes and working under offensive coach Andy Reid clouded what Bieniemy might be responsible for. He will now have a chance to show what he can do calling plays in Washington.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.