Governor Vetoes Kansas Bill on Live Deliveries During Abortion
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed a bill on Friday that could have penalized doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures.
In a statement on her website, Kelly, a Democrat, called the legislation “misleading and unnecessary.”
The legislation could have subjected doctors to lawsuits and criminal charges in certain kinds of abortions and in circumstances when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb. Kelly vetoed a similar bill in 2019.
“Federal law already protects newborns, and the procedure being described in this bill does not exist in Kansas in the era of modern medicine,” Kelly said Friday. “The intent of this bill is to interfere in medical decisions that should remain between doctors and their patients."
Kansas' Republican-controlled Legislature gave final passage to the bill earlier this month, and in both chambers, the bill passed with a veto-proof majority. Still, the bill's fate has been uncertain in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures.
Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have prevented Kansas from enforcing a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.
Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in June 2022 that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022, voters decisively rejected a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.
This bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue. The measure was similar to a proposed law that Montana voters rejected in November.
The Kansas measure is similar to laws in several other states requiring infants delivered alive during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care “a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.
In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn’s parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.
Critics of the bill have said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.
Supporters have said the measure was necessary, and they considered it a humanitarian issue.
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UPDATE: Man Charged in Shooting of Black Teen at His Front Door
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — An 85-year-old white man who shot a Black teen at his front door in Kansas City, Missouri, last week has been charged with armed assault, and the Clay County prosecutor said Monday there was a racial component to the case.
Prosecuting Attorney Zachary Thompson said at a news conference that Andrew Lester shot 16-year-old Ralph Yarl, who is recovering at home after being released from the hospital on Sunday.
When asked if anything was said between Lester and Yarl that made Thompson believe the shooting was racially motivated, Thompson said nothing like that is indicated in charging documents.
“We understand how frustrating this has been but I can assure the criminal justice system is working and will continue to work,” Thompson said at a news conference.
Yarl was supposed to pick up his two younger brothers last week when he approached the wrong house. Lester came to the door and shot Yarl in the head -- then shot him again. No words were exchanged before the shooting, the probable cause statement said.
Lester told police that he lives alone and had just gone to bed when he heard his doorbell, according to a probable cause statement. He said he picked up his gun and went to the door, where he saw a Black male pulling on the exterior storm door handle and thought someone was breaking in.
Community leaders and an attorney for Yarl’s family had earlier demanded justice for the Black teen. Thompson said an arrest warrant was issued but Lester was not yet in custody.
The shooting outraged many in Kansas City and across the country. Rev. Vernon Howard, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater Kansas City, said in a statement Monday that the homeowner should immediately be arrested for what he called a “heinous and hate-filled crime.”
The Missouri Senate held a moment of silence for Yarl on Monday. “We pray for justice,” Democratic Sen. Lauren Arthur said.
The shooting happened Thursday night in a middle class neighborhood in north Kansas City. Yarl was sent to pick up his twin younger brothers. He didn't have a phone with him and went to the wrong block, his aunt, Faith Spoonmore, wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to help pay medical bills. By Monday afternoon, $1.4 million had been raised.
Graves said that Yarl's parents asked him to pick up his brothers at a home on 115th Terrace, but he mistakenly went to 115th Street, the Kansas City Star reported.
Spoonmore wrote that Yarl pulled into the driveway and rang the doorbell.
“The man in the home opened the door, looked my nephew in the eye, and shot him in the head,” Spoonmore wrote. When Yarl fell to the ground, “the man shot him again.”
Spoonmore wrote that Yarl approached three different homes "before someone finally agreed to help him after he was told to lie on the ground with his hands up.” The AP could not independently confirm this account.
Yarl is a bass clarinetist who earned Missouri All-State Band honorable mention and who plays several instruments in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Kansas City, Spoonmore wrote. A statement from the North Kansas City School District described Yarl as “an excellent student and talented musician.”
Yarl was released from the hospital Sunday and is recovering at home, his father, Paul Yarl, told the Kansas City Star. Spoonmore said Yarl is “doing well physically” but has a lot of trauma to overcome emotionally.
Police have not identified the shooter or his race, though civil rights attorney Ben Crump said the family provided information indicating he was white. He did not elaborate.
By Monday afternoon, the home where the shooting happened had been vandalized. Black spray-paint on the side of the house showed a heart with “16” in the middle. Eggs splattered the front windows and the door.
The shooting has caught the attention of national figures.
Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter that she and her husband were praying for Yarl.
“Let’s be clear: No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell," Harris tweeted.
Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., wrote on Twiter that "the man who did this should be charged AND we need to work for the legislative and heart change to prevent these tragedies.”
Graves said investigators will consider whether the suspect was protected by “Stand Your Ground” laws, which allow for the use of deadly force in self-defense. Missouri is among around 30 states with such laws.
“These laws breed a society of violence and fear while providing cover for those who harm, maim and kill others,” state Rep. Marlene Terry, a St. Louis Democrat who chairs the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, said in a statement.
A message seeking comment from Republican Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch gun rights supporters, wasn’t immediately returned.
Crump, who has represented families in several high-profile case of Black people being shot, including those of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, called it “asinine” that charges have to wait for an interview with Yarl.
“We all believe that if the roles were reversed and this was a Black citizen who shot a 16-year-old for merely ringing his doorbell, they would have arrested him, and he wouldn’t have slept in his bed that night,” Crump said.
Two days after Yarl was shot, a 20-year-old woman was killed by a homeowner in Upstate New York Saturday after the car she was in drove to the wrong address. Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey Murphy said Kaylin Gillis was in a car with three others looking for a friend’s house.
As the car was turning around, Kevin Monahan came out and fired two shots, one of which struck Gillis. Monahan was charged with second-degree murder.
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Pompeo Declines 2024 Run for President
WASHINGTON, DC. (KCStar) — Former Secretary of State and former Kansas congressman Mike Pompeo says he will not run for president in 2024. The Kansas City Star reports that the former three-term congressman from Wichita will opt out of the race that would have put him in competition with his former boss Donald Trump. There has been widespread speculation that Pompeo would run after he toured the country on a nationwide book tour, and promoted candidates through his political action committee. Pompeo says the time is not right for him or his family but he did not rule out a future run. Pompeo would have been the second former Trump Cabinet member to enter the race to challenge the former president for the 2024 GOP nomination, joining former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who announced her campaign in February.
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Survey: Fewer Kansas Teens Smoking or Drinking Alcohol
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A new survey indicates that Kansas teenagers are smoking and drinking at historically low rates. The 2023 Kansas Communities That Care survey asked about 30,000 Kansas teens about their mental health and their drug and alcohol use. 73% said they never drank alcohol at all in their lifetimes. About 6.5% of the teenagers said they had smoked tobacco at least once but that’s down from nearly 50% who said they had smoked tobacco in the late 1990's. About 9% of the respondents said they had smoked marijuana at some time in their lives. The number of students who reported feeling depressed dropped only slightly to 35% this year and the number of students who reported having thoughts of suicide decreased to 30%. About 11% of respondents said they had tried to kill themselves at some point.
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Children’s Mercy Sues Over Missouri AG’s Gender Care Investigation
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City has filed a lawsuit over the Missouri attorney general’s requests for their records on gender-affirming care. Attorneys for the hospital are asking a judge to deny Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s demands for records on any prescriptions for hormone blockers as well as any surgeries for transgender patients. The hospital says the requests are unnecessary and burdensome. In February, Bailey announced an investigation into St. Louis Children’s Hospital after allegations that the facility was providing gender-affirming care without informed consent. He has since expanded the investigation to other hospitals in Missouri. Children’s Mercy argues that Bailey has no legal authority over healthcare providers and that releasing the information would violate state and federal laws involving patient’s private medical decisions. At least 13 states have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors.
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Proposal Could Help DACA Kids Gain Health Insurance
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — Thousands of immigrants in Kansas brought to the U.S. illegally as children, could become newly eligible for government-backed health insurance. DACA recipients, known as “dreamers,” have previously been excluded from Medicaid and Affordable Care Act health insurance plans. Now, a federal proposal to expand eligibility could help thousands of DACA recipients in Kansas gain coverage. Advocates say the recipients work and pay taxes but some of them are not able to get jobs that offer health insurance benefits. The Biden administration has announced it will remove those barriers, possibly by the end of the month. Nearly 5,000 DACA recipients live in Kansas. Nationally, almost half of them are uninsured.
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Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern Officially Merge
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - The merger of Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern became official on Friday (04/14), when the two companies united to become Canadian Pacific Kansas City. The merger came one month after the two railroads got approval to merge from the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. The combined rail line will operate in Canada, Mexico and the United States, the first railroad to serve all three countries. With more than 19,000 miles of track, the combined railroad is still the smallest of the six largest railroads. Top officials from both companies joined with federal and Missouri state officials in Kansas City for a celebration of the merger.
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Olathe Police Investigate Double Homicide
OLATHE, Kan. (KCTV/KPR) - Police are investigating a double homicide over the weekend in Olathe. Officers responded to the scene of the shooting near North Rogers Road and West 126th Street Saturday afternoon. They found a woman who was pronounced dead at the scene; and a man who later died at a local hospital from an apparent gunshot wound. KCTV reports that this incident follows three homicides in Kansas City, Missouri, between Friday night and Saturday morning. Olathe police are requesting that anyone with information regarding the investigation is call the Olathe Police Department or the TIPS Hotline at (816) 474-8477.
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NOAA Predicts Hot Spring and Summer in Kansas
WASHINGTON,DC (KNS) - The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, is forecasting a warmer-than-normal spring and summer in Kansas. NOAA, issues seasonal climate predictions every three months. The agency found most of Kansas has a 30% to 40% chance of seeing above-average temperatures in April through June. Experts at the climate prediction center say that the drought in southwestern Kansas could be intensifying the state’s warmer temperatures because there is no surface water to evaporate. The US Drought Monitor recently released maps showing the drought in Kansas is larger and more severe than anywhere in the country. The agency says it expects the drought and warm temperatures to continue through April and May but hopes to see improvement by the end of June.
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Russell Stover to Attempt World Record in KC for Centennial Celebration
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Russell Stover Chocolates will try to set the record for the world’s largest box of chocolates Monday, as it celebrates the company’s 100th anniversary. As part of the celebration, the Kansas City-based company is holding a $100,000 sweepstakes giveaway. KCTV reports that the world record attempt will take place at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts on April 17. Russell Stover is also partnering with Feed the Children and will host community food distribution events to raise funds throughout the year for the nonprofit.
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Kansas City Prepares for NFL Draft
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) — Final preparations are underway in Kansas City, Missouri for the three-day NFL Draft that will take place at Union Station on April 27th through the 29th. It is expected to be the biggest sporting event to have taken place in the city, with more spectators than the 1988 Men’s Final Four weekend when the Kansas Jayhawks won the title at Kemper Arena. Kansas City officials say the of the three-day draft will generate more than $102 million in local economic impact. Construction of the stage in front of Union Station is underway where the NFL picks will be announced.
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Chiefs' Mahomes: Ankle Recovering as Offseason Work Begins
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes plans to be ready for training camp with no limitations from the high ankle sprain that occurred during the playoffs and was such the focal point of their run to a Super Bowl victory in February. The Chiefs began their offseason program Monday, though most of their players will spend the first two weeks of voluntary workouts at home and meeting through Zoom. That includes Mahomes, who has gathered a group of wide receivers, running backs and tight ends at his home in Texas for the second straight year for their own workouts. Mahomes said his ankle is doing well and that he doesn't expect to have any limitations when training camp rolls around in late July.
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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 and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.