Kansas House and Senate Advance Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Bills
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — The Kansas House and Senate have moved closer to tightening rules on police taking cash and property from people accused of a crime. Both chambers passed separate bills that would make those kinds of seizures harder. Both bills include denying civil asset forfeiture in cases of lower level crimes like simple possession of drugs. They also would force the return of seized property faster. Supporters say the bills are a compromise between law enforcement agencies and groups advocating for reform. Democratic Representative Dan Osman says the bill was not perfect, but it risks losing support from either side if further changes are made. “There were many changes that lots of people on both sides could have made to swing it one way or the other," he said. The bills received broad bipartisan support from lawmakers. The chambers will need to hammer out differences between the bills.
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Wildfires Roll Across Kansas, Burning Homes
WESTERN KANSAS (KSNW) — Several wildfires erupted across Kansas on Monday, destroying homes and injuring people. One wildfire ignited south of Lakin in Kearny County, burning down a farmhouse. KSNW TV reports that one person was injured while trying to prevent the flames from spreading. Fire crews from Stanton and Grant counties, as well as Garden City, helped put out that fire.
Meanwhile, east of Liberal in Seward County, another fire broke out - damaging several buildings, including garages and outbuildings. Two firefighters were taken to the hospital for heat exhaustion and dehydration but were later released. Fire crews from Stevens, Haskell and Mead counties were called into action to help extinguish the blaze east of Liberal.
Other grass fires popped up Tuesday in parts of south-central Kansas. (Read more.)
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Report Shows Increase in Monthly Abortions Performed in Kansas Since 2022
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – New data finds nearly twice as many monthly abortions are happening in Kansas now than before the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The Kansas News Service reports that around 1,700 abortions happen each month in Kansas… up from around 900 in 2022. That’s according to the Society of Family Planning. Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas have banned the procedure in most cases since the Roe decision, causing more people to travel to Kansas for abortions. Meanwhile, the national monthly average has remained fairly steady. Kansas clinics have expanded their capacity, but say they still don’t have enough appointments to treat everyone who calls seeking an abortion.
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Kansas Republicans Question University DEI Spending
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Universities in Kansas spent $9 million in state funding on diversity-related activities last school year. But not all colleges define diversity the same way. The Kansas News Service reports that Republican state representative Steven Howe requested an audit of colleges’ DEI spending. Howe chairs the House Higher Education Committee and has opposed diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. Audit supervisor Heidi Zimmerman says auditors looked at services aimed at students who may not have the same opportunities to succeed. “Talk to 100 people and ask them what DEI is, you’ll probably get 100 different responses. Based on what the universities told us and what they reported to us in terms of their services, it is very broad, and it is very much in the eye of the beholder,” she said. A Kansas Senate committee wants to withhold $36 million from state universities unless they can show they don’t participate in certain DEI practices.
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Topeka Cracks Down on Homeless Camps
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The City of Topeka is cracking down on homeless encampments north of the Kansas River. Tuesday morning, city trucks and several pieces of heavy equipment were busy tearing down camps along the riverfront, between the Kansas Avenue and Topeka Boulevard bridges. KSNT reports that the crackdown is a result of a new camping ordinance passed last year. The local law places restrictions on where people can camp within city limits.
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Police Say Alleged Railroad Burglary Caused $550,000 in Damage
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Officials say that Topeka police arrested a man early Wednesday in connection with a railroad burglary. WIBW reports that the incident occurred on the city's north side, and resulted in a loss of more than a half-million dollars. It was reported around 1:15 a.m. Wednesday in the 1800 block of N.W. Brickyard Road. Police officers noticed a vehicle near the Union Pacific railroad tracks and determined one of the rail cars had open doors. There was also wire on the ground.
Police officials said an individual later identified as Matthew G. Allender, 41, of Topeka, emerged from the rail car and attempted to flee. Allender was taken into custody and booked into the Shawnee County Jail in connection with burglary, using a vehicle to commit a felony; theft of motor vehicle parts or accessories; felony criminal damage to property; and criminal trespassing.
Allender had his first court appearance on Wednesday morning and remained in the Shawnee County Jail on Wednesday afternoon in lieu of $25,000 bond.
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National Union Responds to Reports of Mass Layoffs at BNSF Railroad
TOPEKA (KSNT) – A national workers union is responding to reports of mass layoffs at BNSF Railroad. KSNT spoke with Ty Dragoo of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Union about alleged mass layoffs supposedly affecting BNSF's Kansas employees. He said the company has laid off hundreds of its employees in Kansas with around 100 jobs cut in Topeka alone, many of which are connected with railroad maintenance.
In a written statement to KSNT, Kendall Kirkham Sloan, BNSF Director of External Communications, argued, “Last year, we had the safest year in our company’s 175-year history and have led the industry the last several years with the lowest number of injuries and train accidents.”
Dragoo said SMART will be working to help the BNSF workers find new jobs or get their old positions back.
KSNT received a statement from BNSF regarding the layoffs, stating in part that "We have team members in locations on the network where there isn’t sufficient work and simultaneously not enough team members where the growth is occurring. Work groups must be readjusted to ensure we have the right people in the right place at the right time to best serve our customers’ current transportation needs and be positioned for future growth. There is an urgency as we are seeing this growth now and we want our existing employees to have the opportunity to do the work. To accomplish this, BNSF has offered location transfers with incentives targeted to those locations where there are open positions. BNSF has also offered craft transfers for mechanical employees to be retrained for other open positions on the BNSF network. There are currently several hundred open mechanical and engineering positions on our network."
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Kansas Teacher Accused of Having Sex with Student
UNIONTOWN, Kan. (KSNF) — A southeast Kansas teacher has been accused of having sex with a student. Bourbon County authorities have arrested 24-year-old Uniontown teacher Breanna Janise Hampton on charges of unlawful sexual relations. USD 235 school officials say the alleged acts did not take place at school. KSNF TV reports that Hampton was arrested Sunday and placed on administrative leave.
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"Stand Your Ground” Defense May Be Used in KC Parade Shooting
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Court documents say the man accused of firing the first shots at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally told authorities he felt threatened, while a second man said he pulled the trigger because someone was shooting at him. Experts say that even though the shooting left one bystander dead and roughly two dozen injured, 23-year-old Lyndell Mays and 18-year-old Dominic Miller might have good cases for self-defense through the state’s “stand your ground” law. While earlier laws allowed people to use force to protect themselves in their homes, stand your ground provides even broader self-defense rights regardless of the location.
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Contract-for-Deed Bill Passes Kansas House
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Contracts-for-deed offer a pathway to buy a home that avoids traditional lenders. A bill regulating them passed the Kansas House of Representatives last week and now moves to the Kansas Senate. Contracts for deed are deals where a home-buyer makes monthly payments directly to a seller, with the understanding that they will buy the home in full at the end of a payment plan. The set-up offers a low barrier home-ownership option for people with bad credit. But it can also make buyers vulnerable. The bill requires contract-for-deed sellers, in most cases, to have title to the home. It also gives buyers in default a period of time to pay back what they owe before losing the home. The bill passed the House overwhelmingly, with only one legislator voting against it.
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Feds Seek to Revoke Home Detention for Former KCK Detective
TOPEKA, Kan. (KCUR) — Federal prosecutors want a judge to revoke the home detention of a former Kansas City, Kansas Police detective accused of violating the civil rights of several women. Roger Golubski was arrested by the FBI in September 2022. He’s accused of the sexual assault of several women and using the power of his badge to cover it up. A magistrate allowed home detention and electronic monitoring for Golubski, citing his poor health, including diabetes. But on January 29th, prosecutors say Golubski went to Culver’s, a fast-food restaurant, which he’s not allowed to do. A citizen saw him, videotaped it and sent it to prosecutors. Now, U.S. Attorney Kate Brubacher wants a federal judge to revoke Golubski’s home detention, saying he has violated the court’s trust.
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Kansas Marijuana Arrests Have Not Increased Following Legalization of Weed in Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Beacon) — Missouri legalized marijuana more than a year ago. Even with easily available weed next door, cannabis arrests in Kansas appear to be on the decline. A quick stop at any Missouri dispensary and you’ll see your fair share of Kansas license plates. But those folks don’t tend to get arrested when they return to Kansas. The Kansas City Beacon reports that Overland Park, Pittsburg and Leavenworth police departments all saw a drop in drug arrests and citations from 2022 to 2023. Kansas City, Kansas, police saw an increase in arrests, but that was due to one busy month. Arrests didn’t jump for a variety of reasons. Some agencies, for instance, just aren’t interested. Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez says even if someone was arrested, she wouldn't prosecute. “I think our law enforcement partners have pretty much accepted that.” Weed is still illegal in Kansas and state lawmakers seem unlikely to change that this year.
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Medicaid Expansion Would Cover More Kansans
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Kansas is one of only 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid. Doing so would result in an estimated 152,000 more low-income Kansans enrolling in the health care program. That's according to new estimates from the Kansas Health Institute. KHI president Carrie Bruffett says that includes more than 45,000 children who would be newly eligible or whose parents would be more likely to enroll them. "Other state experience has shown that children's coverage and percentage of those who are eligible who do enroll does go up when states have expanded their Medicaid programs," she said. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly is pushing an expansion proposal with a work requirement that she says would be revenue-neutral. The work requirement has exceptions for caregivers, students, veterans, and other groups.
According to KHI, Medicaid expansion would grow the state’s Medicaid rolls by an estimated 106,000 adults and 45,000 kids. KHI analyst Sheena Smith says the majority of those adults work, but still can’t afford to pay for health insurance. “Over half, almost 60%, worked at least 20 hours a week," she said. Polls show a majority of Kansans support expansion. But it’s unlikely Kansas will expand Medicaid this year due to fierce opposition by Republican leaders in the Legislature, who say it’s too expensive. (Read more.)
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KPR Community Spotlight in February Falls on MART
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KPR) — This month's KPR Community Spotlight falls on the Manhattan Area Resettlement Team, or MART. Learn more about MART here.
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Kansas City Chiefs Superfan 'ChiefsAholic' Pleads Guilty to Charges Tied to Bank Robberies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City Chiefs superfan known as “ChiefsAholic” pleaded guilty Wednesday to a string of robberies and attempted robberies of banks and credit unions in multiple states. Xaviar Michael Babudar, 29, pleaded guilty in federal court in Kansas City, Missouri, to one count each of money laundering, transporting stolen property across state lines, and bank robbery. Sentencing was scheduled for July 10.
“His violent crime spree across the Midwest and beyond traumatized bank employees and victimized financial institutions in seven states,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said in a news release.
Federal prosecutors said Babudar admitted to a string of robberies or attempted robberies in 2022 and 2023. Much of the stolen money was laundered through casinos and online gambling, prosecutors said. As part of the plea agreement, Babudar must pay at least $532,675 in restitution. He also must forfeit property — including an autographed painting of Chiefs' quarterback Patrick Mahomes that was recovered by the FBI. Prior to his arrest, Babudar was a well-known figure on social media for his rabid support of the Chiefs. He attended several games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs’ clothing. Prosecutors said the robberies and attempted robberies occurred in Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Tennessee, Minnesota, Nevada and California. Babudar has taken responsibility for his crimes, his attorney, Matthew Merryman, said in an emailed statement to the Kansas City Star.
“Today Xaviar stood humble and repentant before the eyes of the Court and the eyes of the Chiefs Kingdom,” Merryman said. “Xaviar loves the Chiefs Kingdom, he loves his family, and he loves Kansas City. He only hopes that you will all rally to his support.”
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Black Student Union at JCCC Hosts Business Expo
UNDATED (KCUR) – A gathering at Johnson County Community College marked Black History Month Wednesday by highlighting more than 20 Black-owned businesses from across the metro. KCUR reports that the school’s Black Student Union hosted the third annual business expo. JCCC Freshman Tavian Cruse, who is biracial, says it's inspiring to see his college support area entrepreneurs who look like him, saying “the community was able to have Black business owners and I wanted to celebrate with them and just see what's out there." Businesses represented at the event work in industries including beauty and cosmetics, media and fashion.
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States Promise to Help Disabled Kids. Why Do Some Families Wait a Decade or More?
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The parents of hundreds of thousands of U.S. children with physical or intellectual disabilities are waiting for state-covered services designed to foster independence and job skills for adulthood. While parents struggle to find services for toddlers, they also must think years ahead while their families are under stress. Kansas is an example, with some of disabled residents on a waiting list for 10 years. Legislators are looking at proposals to increase funding for services such as day programs, employment assistance or home care to help people like Marvin Miller of Wichita and his youngest daughter, Lilly. She has Down syndrome and has been waiting for services for a decade.
When Lilly Miller was in elementary school, teachers told her parents they needed to immediately sign up their youngest daughter, who has Down syndrome, for a wait list so the state would pay for a day program when she grew up. The teachers predicted a six-year wait.
The Millers have been waiting 10 years. Lilly is now 21 and has aged out of special education programs in the public schools in their hometown of Wichita, Kansas. Her parents, also teachers, have hired a home caregiver. A day program, where she would learn new job skills or flex existing ones while socializing, would cost between $1,500 and $2,000 a month, Marvin Miller said.
Across the U.S., hundreds of thousands of children, adolescents and young adults with physical or intellectual disabilities are waiting for state-covered services. In Kansas, legislative committees planned Wednesday to consider proposals for higher funding. But even with more funds, it could take years to eliminate the state's waiting lists.
The services, which include day programs, employment assistance, and home care, are designed to foster independence and build work skills. Without them, Marvin Miller said, his youngest daughter isn't getting enough social interaction. "We've actually seen her regress.”
“Someday, I won’t be around anymore, and that’s a parent’s greatest fear," Miller said during an interview. “I want her to be at the place where, if something should happen in 15 years when I’m gone, she will still have a community of supports and friends and all the things that we take for granted when we work in jobs and and have neighbors.”
Parents across the U.S. have been stalled getting services for toddlers who are delayed developmentally. But many parents of children with intellectual or physical disabilities also must think years into the future.
At least 692,000 people with physical or intellectual disabilities are waiting for services in at least 40 states, according to a November 2023 survey by KFF, a health policy research group. Federal law doesn’t require states to provide home and community based services, and what they cover varies.
Kansas expects to spend $776 million under its current budget on such services for the disabled. That funding would have to jump by roughly 54% to about $1.2 billion annually to eliminate waiting lists.
But Kansas also has seen its budget surpluses balloon since mid-2020 and they're now projected to approach $4.5 billion by the end of June. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and the Republican-controlled Legislature both advocate big tax cuts, although they haven't been able to agree on the details.
Neil Romano, a National Council on Disability member, said it's “simply responsible” to help families so parents can be more productive in their jobs or attend to more family needs — even take weekend breaks. “You’re not just providing help for that family and that child," he said. “You’re providing help for the community.”
Kansas has separate in-home and community services programs for physically and developmentally disabled residents, together serving about 15,000 people. As of mid-February, the two waiting lists totaled about 7,500 people. That figure has grown 37% over the past five years, even with increases in funding.
Outside Topeka, Rick and Anna Elskamp's oldest daughter Sheridan is now 23, and the family recently received word in December that she was off the waiting list for intellectually disabled Kansas residents — after 10 years. A month later, after more administrative hoops, they said, they were still paying for day services themselves.
They said navigating the state's social services system has been time-consuming and, Rick Elskamp said, "All their acronyms and abbreviations are a whole new language.”
The budget committee in the Republican-controlled Kansas Senate was set Wednesday to consider a proposal from the Democratic governor for an additional $23 million to shrink the state's waiting lists by a total of 500 people.
When Kelly outlined her proposal earlier this month — weeks after presenting a proposed $25.6 billion budget without it — Republicans in the GOP-controlled House already had been working on a plan twice as large. That plan was on the House budget committee's agenda Wednesday.
But disability rights advocates want lawmakers to be even more aggressive, particularly in attacking the more persistent and larger waiting list for people with intellectual disabilities. They'd like to spend roughly $85 million more in the next budget, reduce both lists by a total of 1,600 people and eliminate both lists in five years.
Instead of shrinking the waiting list for people with intellectual disabilities by 250 or 500, their plan would reduce it by 1,100 people. "Very typically, 300 to 400 people can be added to the waiting list in any one year," said Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, a former legislator. “So 500 slots may not reduce the waiting list much at all.”
Oklahoma struggled for years to provide services to residents with intellectual disabilities and had 5,100 people on a waiting list, with some families waiting up to 13 years. With state revenue collections at record highs in 2022, lawmakers increased provider rates by 25% — and poured extra money into covering more people. It hopes to provide services to everyone who was on that list as of this spring.
Kansas lawmakers approved an additional $283 million over the past five years on home and community-based services — but more than 90% of it went to increasing rates paid to providers and of the rest, only $3 million went to shrinking the waiting lists, according to legislative researchers.
Officials said the state needed first to build up its network of providers and make sure they could attract enough workers. “It is very difficult to solve the waiting list problem without also addressing the workforce problem,” said Alice Burns, associated director of KFF's program on the medically uninsured and state Medicaid programs.
But Nichols and other advocates said Kansas has seen its waiting lists grow because it hasn't at the same time committed funds specifically to covering more individuals. Burns agreed that states have to do that as well.
The funding issues in Kansas aren't likely to be resolved for at least another month. Parents like Miller, Padding and the Elskamps are juggling their advocacy with their jobs and caring for their children.
Sheridan Elskamp's parents said they don't leave her at home alone because cognitively, she's 6 or 7 years old. When she was in high school, they arranged their work schedules so one of them was home when she was out of school and Anna Elskamp took a demotion at her credit union job so that her schedule was flexible.
Marvin Miller considers his family fortunate, although he and his wife haven't been able to save for retirement and he drives a 1999 truck. Besides teaching, he's an ordained Assemblies of God minister, filling in at rural churches or for churches that are between permanent pastors. “As a society, I think we owe it to take care of...” he said, searching for the right words, “our most vulnerable members, and to help them become successful.”
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Some States, Like Kansas, Try to Define Sex as Binary - Male or Female. Trans People Are Opposed
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Efforts in Republican-led states to write definitions of male and female into law are leading to outcry that the measures deny transgender people legal recognition. At least 13 states have proposed bills this year that seek to narrowly define sex or gender as binary. The bills are part of a pushback from conservatives who say the state has a legitimate interest in the issue. But advocacy groups say the proposals are effectively erasing transgender people's rights and creating uncertainty for the larger population of intersex people. Before this year, there were four states with narrow definitions of the terms in their laws.
Mack Allen, an 18-year-old high school senior from Kansas, braces for sideways glances, questioning looks and snide comments whenever he has to hand over his driver's license, which still identifies him as female. They've come from a police officer responding to a car accident. They've come from an urgent care employee loudly using the wrong name and pronouns. They've come from the people in the waiting room who overheard. “It just feels gross because I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am now in my transition, and obviously I don’t look like a woman and I don’t sound like a woman,” said Allen, who has been on testosterone for two years.
Kansas enacted a law last year that ended legal recognition of transgender identities. The measure says there are only two sexes, male and female, that are based on a person’s “biological reproductive system" at birth. That law and others introduced around the nation this year — often labeled as "bills of rights" for women — are part of a push by conservatives who say states have a legitimate interest in restricting transgender people from competing on sports teams or using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
Critics argue the proposals to legally define sex as binary are essentially erasing transgender and nonbinary people’s existences by making it as difficult as possible for them to update documents, use facilities and generally participate authentically in public life.
They’re also creating uncertainty for the many intersex people — those born with physical traits that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female — with the measures unclear on how people would prove they’re exempt.
Some of the measures would remove the word gender, which refers to social and self-identity, from state code and replace it with sex, which refers to biological traits, conflating the two terms. Others make gender a synonym for sex. Medical experts say the efforts rely on an outdated idea of gender by defining it as binary rather than a spectrum. “You pass a law because there's a problem. The medical community doesn't see people having different gender identities or being born with an intersex condition as a problem for society," said Dr. Jack Drescher, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University who edited the section about gender dysphoria in the American Psychiatric Association’s diagnostic manual. “The medical community can only stand back to say, what exactly are you passing this law to protect?”
Measures have been proposed this year in at least 13 states — Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming — and advocates expect that number to grow. The bills follow a historic push for restrictions on transgender people, especially youths, by Republican lawmakers last year. At least 23 states have banned gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors, and some states are now shifting their focus to trying to restrict that care for adults, as well. Others have moved on restroom and sports restrictions.
Many political observers say the Republican focus on transgender people is an attempt to rally a voting base with a “wedge issue" to replace abortion rights, which the public has largely favored, notably in Kansas. The efforts also worry transgender people and their allies that they're further stigmatizing and threatening a community already at high risk of stress, depression and suicidal behavior.
With the latest round of bills defining man and woman, it's clear “the intent is to make it as difficult as possible for transgender people to operate within a state," said Sarah Warbelow, legal vice president of the Human Rights Campaign, a large LGBTQ+ rights group. “It's an attempt to deny transgender people's existence,” she said.
A similar proposal in Iowa put forward by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds led to protests at the state Capitol. The bill was introduced soon after the failure of a lawmaker’s effort to remove gender identity from the state’s civil right law. It would narrowly define male and female and require a transgender person’s assigned sex at birth to be listed alongside their gender identity on their birth certificate. “Women and men are not identical; they possess unique biological differences," Reynolds said after introducing the measure. "That’s not controversial, it’s common sense.”
The sponsor of a similar bill passed by the West Virginia House said the legislation is needed to allow restrictions on who can use single-sex restrooms, locker rooms and changing areas. “At any given time, we're unable to protect single-sex spaces,” said Del. Kathie Hess Crouse, the measure's sponsor, said. “If we don't have a definition, we can't protect them.”
Jocelyn Krueger, of Grinnell, Iowa, joined protesters at the statehouse days after testifying to lawmakers that she opposed the failed effort to remove gender identity from the civil rights law. Krueger said she’s concerned about potential repercussions of the bill, given that a person’s identifying documents “unlock basic participation” in everyday life. She compared it to how she was temporarily unable to get money from her bank account when she was updating her documents. Krueger worries the Iowa bill could create similar challenges for trans residents, but longer term. “Not having access to documentation, or things that out you in a way, or where your documentation doesn't match, puts you at risk for all of those daily interactions where people are looking at your documentation,” Krueger said.
The Williams Institute, a think tank at UCLA Law, estimates there are 1.3 million transgender adults in the U.S. But it's believed that intersex people represent 1.7% of humans, which would translate to over 5 million in the U.S. alone.
In Alabama, lawmakers added language to legislation defining male and female that sex can be designated as unknown on state records “when sex cannot be medically determined for developmental or other reasons.”
West Virginia's proposal specifically states that someone who is intersex is “not considered a third sex.” But the measure says people with a "medically verifiable” diagnosis of it should be accommodated.
Before this year, Kansas and Montana, North Dakota and Tennessee had enacted laws defining man and woman in state code. Oklahoma — where advocates say a law restricting bathroom access helped create a climate that led to the bullying of nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict, who died after a fight in a girls bathroom at a school — already has a measure by executive order, as does Nebraska.
Before Tennessee's law took effect, advocates held events to assist people on changing their names and gender identities on government documents. “There's a lot of potential for harm that seems ready to explode at any moment,” said Dahron Johnson, of the Tennessee Equality Project.
In South Carolina, amendments have been proposed to the state constitution to narrowly define male and female. But the measures face an uphill battle in clearing the Legislature by an April 10 deadline in order to make this fall's ballot.
Opponents say efforts to codify sex are likely to face court challenges, just as other restrictions such as youth medical care have. “We’ve already lost this case,” said Idaho Rep. Ilana Rubel, a Democrat who voted against a definition bill approved by the state's Republican-led House, predicting the state would get sued. “This is really just an unfortunate gesture that makes people in our community feel unwanted and unloved by their government.”
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BYU Brings an End to No. 7 KU's 19-Game Home Winning Streak, 76-68
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Dallin Hall and Jaxson Robinson scored 18 points apiece as BYU rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat seventh-ranked Kansas 76-68, ending the Jayhawks’ 19-game home winning streak in their first matchup as Big 12 foes. Hunter Dickinson had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks, who were just 3 of 15 from 3-point range and 19 for 31 at the foul line. Dajuan Harris Jr. added 12 points, KJ Adams Jr. scored 11 and Johnny Furphy finished with 10 for Kansas. BYU won despite heavy foul trouble in part by going 13 of 34 from behind the 3-point arc. It was the Cougars' first game at Allen Fieldhouse since 1971.
BYU coach Mark Pope had just been given a technical foul late in the game, and the volume was quickly ramping up inside Allen Fieldhouse, where so many opponents over the years have wilted down the stretch against mighty Kansas.
Pope walked back to his huddle and realized something special about his players. “They were the ones composed,” he said. “They were like, ‘Hey, we’re OK. Let's keep working.' And they did.”
Led by 18 points apiece from unflappable Dallin Hall and Jaxson Robinson, the Cougars wiped away a 12-point deficit and then held on for a 76-68 victory Tuesday night, ending the seventh-ranked Jayhawks' 19-game home winning streak. “All of us are lifelong college basketball fans,” Pope said, “and this arena, this team, this coach, these players — you know, it's an all-time mecca. I think that's what makes this special. We talk about faith in our program, and certainly it is an important part of our university, and watching our guys' faith in each other tonight and faith in the process was special to watch.”
The Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) trailed 58-57 with 4:50 to go when Hall made two free throws for their first lead. A few minutes later, Noah Waterman hit a 3 to give BYU a 66-63 lead. And when Hunter Dickinson answered with a 3 for Kansas, Robinson hit two free throws and Hall made another 3 to send the Cougars to a win in their first trip to the Phog since 1971. "They play hard and they challenged us on every front," Hall said, "but we responded and executed our game plan."
Dickinson had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks (21-7, 9-6), who were just 3 of 15 from 3-point range and 19 for 31 at the foul line. Dajuan Harris Jr. added 12 points, KJ Adams Jr. scored 11 and Johnny Furphy finished with 10.
BYU won despite heavy foul trouble in part by going 13 of 34 from behind the 3-point arc.
“We played pitifully tonight, but when I say we played pitifully, I don't want to take something away from BYU,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “BYU was better than us. After we go up 12, the second half — they controlled it. We hoped to score. They actually ran offense to score. So, give them credit. They caused us to look bad.”
Already playing without Kevin McCullar Jr., who missed his fifth game with a bruised knee, the Jayhawks experienced another scare when Nick Timberlake landed hard after going up for a rebound early in the game. The thud echoed through the fieldhouse, and Timberlake spent a couple of minutes in the locker room before eventually returning to the game.
Foul trouble hit BYU in the second half, when Hall picked up his fourth with 17:39 to go and Trevin Knell got his fourth — after a double-technical with Dickinson — just minutes later. But the Jayhawks were unable to take advantage at the offensive end, and that allowed the Cougars to stay within striking distance.
That's when Pope got called for his technical foul and the entire complexion of the game changed.
The poised Cougars suddenly began to rain 3-pointers, erasing a 56-50 deficit and taking their first lead at 59-58 on two free throws by Hall with 4:50 to play. Hall added two 3s of his own over the next few minutes, including one from the top of the key that gave the Big 12 newcomers a 71-66 lead with 1:31 remaining.
The Cougars were able to hold on the rest of the way for another signature win in their first season in the league. “I've never seen an atmosphere quite like this,” Pope said afterward. “We're just really grateful we had an opportunity to come compete here. This is one of the meccas and we're just really fortunate to come away with a win.”
UP NEXT
Kansas visits No. 15 Baylor on Saturday.
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KU Football Coach Lance Leipold Gets Amended Deal Worth More Than $40 Million Through 2029 Season
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — University of Kansas football coach Lance Leipold signed an amended contract Wednesday that increased his overall compensation to more than $40 million through the 2029 season while giving him a sizeable pool of money for hiring assistants and support staff.
The contract does not extend his previous deal, but it does feature a substantial bump in salary from the $5 million Leipold made last season, when he led the long-suffering Jayhawks to a 9-4 record and a victory in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
Leipold is 17-21 over three seasons at Kansas. His back-to-back bowl berths have been its first since the 2007 and '08 seasons.
“Since Lance and his staff arrived in Lawrence, our program has seen exponential growth in every facet both on and off the field," Kansas athletic director Travis Goff said in a statement. "Every aspect of our program is on an unprecedented positive trajectory, and we are eager to continue this prodigious build with Lance.”
Goff and Leipold planned to discuss the amended contract at a news conference Thursday.
The contract includes a pool of $6 million for assistant coaches that increases by $200,000 per year, and a $2.9 million pool for other football staff that increases by $100,000 annually. That additional money could help Leipold in the future retain coaches such as offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who left for the same job at Penn State.
“We are incredibly proud of what our football program has accomplished over the first three seasons in Lawrence," Leipold said, “and look forward to the continued challenge of bringing a consistent winner and championship home.”
Leipold inherited a program whose last winning season came in 2008, before Mark Mangino was fired and the school churned through four coaches. The Jayhawks were winless under Les Miles the season before Leipold's arrival, and his relatively late hiring — he took over after spring football — forced him to piece together a competitive team in a matter of months.
The Jayhawks wound up winning two games his first season, but with a full recruiting cycle and offseason, that total bumped to six wins and a trip to the Liberty Bowl in 2022. Then came last season, when the Jayhawks spent time in the AP Top 25, upset No. 6 Oklahoma and wound up beating UNLV for their first bowl win in 15 years.
Leipold was linked to several openings this past offseason, including Washington, but ultimately decided to stay at Kansas, where Goff and the rest of the school administration have begun to invest heavily in the Jayhawks' football program.
After this past season, the school razed Memorial Stadium and began construction on a new stadium that will serve as the centerpiece of a nearly $450 million multipurpose district on the edge of campus. The school also upgraded its locker room, weight room and training spaces in the nearby Anderson Family Football Complex.
The Jayhawks could compete for the Big 12 championship next season, when perennial heavyweights Texas and Oklahoma are gone for the Southeastern Conference and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah arrive to take their place.
Their top quarterback, Jalon Daniels, is expected to be back after missing most of last season with a back injury, along with star running back Devin Neal and wide receivers Lawrence Arnold and Luke Grimm. Their defense got a big boost when first-team All-Big 12 cornerback Cobee Bryant announced he would return alongside veteran defensive back Mello Dotson.
The Jayhawks open the season Aug. 29 against Lindenwood. Due to the stadium construction, that will be the first of two games they will play at Children's Mercy Park, the home of MLS club Sporting Kansas City. Their four Big 12 home games will be played across the state line at Arrowhead Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Chiefs.
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AP Sources: Chiefs Release Wide Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling to Save Salary Cap Space
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are releasing wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, according to a person familiar with the decision. The move gives the the Super Bowl champions $12 million in much-needed salary cap space. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the move. Valdes-Scantling signed a three-year, $30 million deal two years ago but struggled to live up to the contract. He had some memorable moments in the playoffs but had only 42 catches for 687 yards and two scores in 2022 and 21 catches for 315 yards and a touchdown this past season.
The AP source spoke on condition of anonymity because the Chiefs had not announced the move, which would save $12 million that they could use to shore up their offense or help keep defensive stars Chris Jones and L'Jarius Sneed next season.
The Chiefs gave Valdes-Scantling a three-year, $30 million deal two years ago in the hopes that Patrick Mahomes could turn the former Packers wide receiver into a viable deep threat. But while Valdes-Scantling had memorable moments in Kansas City, including a TD catch in the Super Bowl, he was plagued by dropped passes and never put up the numbers the Chiefs expected of him. He had 42 catches for 687 yards and two scores in 2022 and only 21 catches for 315 yards and a touchdown this past season.
The release of Valdes-Scantling was widely expected given his overall lack of production and the other needs faced by the Chiefs as they retool their roster and begin pursuit of an NFL-record third consecutive Lombardi Trophy.
The Chiefs' defense, which largely shut down the 49ers in the Super Bowl, has several important pieces hitting free agency, headlined by Jones and Sneed. General manager Brett Veach said at the NFL scouting combine the team could use the franchise tag on one — Sneed is the more likely candidate — but that the Chiefs would try to secure long-term deals with both of them.
The deadline to use the franchise tag is Tuesday. If the Chiefs use it on Jones or Sneed but cannot work out a long-term deal with them, there is also the possibility that Kansas City would trade them for draft compensation. “You’d like to be able to tag all the guys and pay all the guys, and it’s tough, because the more you win the more you have to pay players,” Veach said Tuesday. "And obviously, when you have this amount of success, you’re paying players a lot of money.”
Among the Chiefs' other free agents on the defense, safety Mike Edwards became an important player alongside Justin Reid after a season-ending injury to Bryan Cook; Drue Tranquill became a regular at linebacker after signing a one-year deal to come over from the AFC West-rival Chargers this past season; Willie Gay Jr. has proven to be their most athletic and versatile linebacker; and defensive linemen Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi and Mike Danna played important roles.
The Chiefs also have positions to address on offense.
Left tackle Donovan Edwards will be a free agent along with Nick Allegretti, who started in the Super Bowl in place of injured left guard Joe Thuney. Backup running backs Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Jerick McKinnon, wide receivers Mecole Hardman and Richie James, tight end Blake Bell and backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert also are free agents.
Longtime long snapper James Winchester and punter Tommy Townsend also will be free agents, though the Chiefs already appear to have moved on from Townsend after signing Matt Araiza to a contract late last week.
Araiza was dropped from a lawsuit in December that had been filed by a woman who alleged she was raped by San Diego State football players in 2021. Veach said the Chiefs went through “a long process” before they were comfortable signing him. “When that came through, there was pretty much a green light in that it was an opportunity for him. Probably should have been in the league sooner than he was,” Veach said. “As far as the information and our process, there was no holdup there.”
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Chiefs Mulling Whether to Use Franchise Tag on Chris Jones or L’Jarius Sneed as Deadline Nears
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are weighing whether to use the franchise tag on All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones or star cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, though general manager Brett Veach said Tuesday he is hopeful both will be back next season. Jones would be due about $32 million, or a 20% bump from his 2023 salary cap number, and that could be prohibitive for a team expected to bump up against the cap. The franchise number for Sneed would be a more palatable $19.8 million. The deadline to use the franchise tag is March 5.
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Chiefs Plan $800 Million Renovation to Arrowhead Stadium After 2026 World Cup
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs are planning an $800 million renovation to Arrowhead Stadium, the third-oldest stadium in the NFL, that would begin after the team plays host to games for the 2026 World Cup and take about four years to complete.
The project is contingent on the extension of a tax of three-eighth of a cent by voters in Jackson County, Missouri, on April 2. That money has been used for upkeep at Truman Sports Complex of Arrowhead and neighboring Kauffman Stadium, which the Royals intend to leave for a new downtown ballpark before the current lease expires after the 2030 season.
“We would not be willing to sign a lease for another 25 years without the financing to properly renovate and reimagine the stadium,” acknowledged Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt, whose family would contribute $300 million toward the overall project. “So the financing puzzle is very important to us to make sure we have enough funds to do everything we've outlined.”
The scope of the renovation project, which was revealed Wednesday during a news conference at Arrowhead, would touch every aspect of the 52-year-old building, from the seating bowl to luxury amenities to the tailgating scene.
There would be a new parking deck built to help provide players, VIPs and other special guests with a better access point. New pedestrian bridges would help fans get from parking lots to the stadium. There would be new ribbon boards, the video boards at each end would triple and quadruple in size and the existing suites around the stadium would be renovated.
The two biggest changes to the stadium itself would come above it and below it.
For the first time since the stadium was built in 1972, the Chiefs are planning to build a 360-degree upper concourse, which would allow fans to more easily flow around the stadium. It would also create more food stations, restrooms and merchandise areas, and that would alleviate congestion elsewhere in the stadium.
In the end zones, the Chiefs are planning to excavate under the existing structure to create club spaces similar to those found at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where the Raiders play and the Chiefs recently won their third Super Bowl in the past five years.
“You sit on the field level of Allegiant Stadium and see that amazing end zone suite they have, and you say: ‘Wow. Too bad we can’t do that,'” Chiefs president Mark Donovan said. “We found a way to do that, and not only bring you the best of the newest buildings in the NFL, but put it inside the iconic Arrowhead Stadium.”
Another big change would come outside the stadium, where the Chiefs envision a tailgating plaza built on the site of Kauffman Stadium. The covered area would provide a gathering space on game day but also could be used year-round for events.
The original plan for the Truman Sports Complex called for a rolling roof that could cover Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, but the structure was never built. The Chiefs revisited the idea of a roof over Arrowhead roughly two decades ago, when it underwent its last major renovation, but the public was skeptical of the project and the idea ultimately was scrapped.
Even though a roof conceivably could help Kansas City play host to the Super Bowl, Hunt said Wednesday it was never seriously considered for this round of renovations — and in fact, the team prefers to play outdoors in the elements.
“We certainly feel like it's a competitive advantage for us,” he said.
The Chiefs also considered a mixed-use development around Arrowhead, where there are few restaurants, hotels and entertainment options. But studies found that such an investment would not provide a positive financial return.
“This is not a location that is not worthy of developing,” Donovan said, “as harsh as that sounds.”
So, the scope of the project was narrowed to Arrowhead itself. Hunt said the goal is to maintain its history and mystique while providing fans with the amenities found in more modern stadiums across the NFL.
“What my dad loved best about the stadium was the connection the team had with our fanbase,” Hunt said of his father, Lamar Hunt, who founded the team in 1959 in Dallas. “He loved this building for what it means to the fans, and we still believe it is one of the best stadiums in the National Football League and a bucket-list destination for fans across the NFL.”
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