Kansas Judge Says Barring Driver's License Changes Doesn't Violate Trans People's Rights
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas judge has ruled that the state isn’t violating transgender residents' rights under the state constitution by refusing to change their driver’s licenses to reflect their gender identities. State District Judge Teresa Watson on Monday kept in place indefinitely an order she first issued in July 2023 to prevent the state from changing the listing for “sex” on transgender people’s licenses. Attorney General Kris Kobach sued Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's administration to prevent it from making such changes after a 2023 law ended the legal recognition of transgender identities. Watson rejected arguments from transgender Kansans that such a policy violates a constitutionally protected right to bodily autonomy.
District Judge Teresa Watson kept in place indefinitely an order she first issued in July 2023 to prevent the Kansas Department of Revenue from changing the listing for “sex” on transgender people's driver's licenses. Attorney General Kris Kobach, a conservative Republican, sued Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's administration to stop such changes in line with a 2023 law that ended legal recognition of transgender people's identities.
Watson allowed transgender Kansas residents to intervene in Kobach's lawsuit, and the American Civil Liberties Union argued on their behalf that the no-changes policy violated rights protected by the Kansas Constitution. The Kansas Supreme Court declared in 2019 that the state constitution grants a right to bodily autonomy, though the decision dealt with abortion rights, not LGBTQ+ rights.
Watson said invoking the right to bodily autonomy to require the state to change driver's licenses would be “an unreasonable stretch.” She said Kansas residents do not have a fundamental right under the state constitution to "control what information is displayed on a state-issued driver’s license.”
"Information recorded on a driver’s license does not interfere with transgender persons’ ability to control their own bodies or assert bodily integrity or self-determination," Watson wrote in her 31-page order, issued in Shawnee County, home to the state capital of Topeka.
Kelly supports LGBTQ+ rights. After she took office in 2019, her administration allowed transgender people to change their driver’s licenses and birth certificates to reflect their gender identities. The Republican-controlled Legislature overrode her veto to enact the 2023 law, and transgender people can no longer change either identity document, thanks to Kobach's efforts.
It's not clear whether Kelly's administration or transgender Kansas residents will appeal Watson's ruling. D.C. Hiegert, an ACLU of Kansas LGBGQ+ legal fellow who is trans, predicted that Watson's ruling will lead to transgender people being harassed and denied services. “What possible reason can we articulate to deny our transgender population peace of mind?” added Pedro Irigonegaray, a Topeka attorney representing the Kelly administration. “Why this vindictive attitude towards this class of individuals?”
The Kansas law was part of a wave of measures from GOP-controlled Legislatures across the U.S. to roll back transgender rights. Montana, North Dakota and Tennessee also enacted laws defining man and woman, and Republican governors issued executive orders in Nebraska and Oklahoma, where nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict was bullied and died after a fight in a girls bathroom at a school. Similar measures have been proposed in at least 13 other states.
The Kansas law doesn't mention driver's licenses or birth certificates but says for the purposes of any state law or regulation, a person's sex is “either male or female,” based on their “biological reproductive system” identified at birth. Watson ruled that the law's language is clear and “there are no exceptions."
Kobach said in a statement: “This decision is a victory for the rule of law and common sense."
Watson's ruling came the day before the Kansas House planned to debate a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors, something at least 23 other states have done. A final House vote was expected Wednesday. “We will continue working toward a vision of our state that allows all of us to live in peace, free from government persecution and impositions on our core identities,” Hiegert said in a statement.
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Kansas Police Groups Oppose Bill Restricting Ability to Enforce Federal Gun Laws
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Police groups in Kansas are pushing back on a bill that would restrict the ability of law enforcement officials to implement federal gun laws. The bill would prevent state and local law enforcement from working with the federal government to enforce any law that “restricts the rights of law-abiding citizens to own or use firearms, accessories, or ammunition.” Proponents say the bill would prevent federal overreach on the rights of gun owners. But some police groups say the bill is too vague and could impede their ability to investigate crimes involving guns. Darrell Atteberry, with the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, says the bill is worrying. “This isn’t, to us, a red issue or a blue issue. It’s just, there are parts of this that we find objectionable," he said. The bill would fine agencies up to $50,000 per offense.
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Westbound I-70 Back Open in Saline County Following Deadly Crash
SALINE COUNTY, Kan. (KWCH) - A deadly crash temporarily closed down the westbound lanes of I-70 in Saline County late Sunday night. According to the Kansas Highway Patrol, a Virginia man was eastbound on I-70 just before midnight Sunday when he crossed the center median and hit a semi in the westbound lanes. He died at the scene, while the semi driver and passenger were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries. KWCH TV reports that the westbound lanes of I-70 were open again by 7:30 this (MON) morning.
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Two Men Killed in Kansas City Gunfight Sunday Morning
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) - Police in Kansas City say two men were killed following a fatal shooting early Sunday. Officers responded to the scene in the 4800 block of Independence Avenue around 4:30 am. Police later identified the victims as 37-year-old Nicholas Lewis and 34-year-old Reginald McGee. Investigators believe an argument spurred the shooting. The Kansas City Star reports that these killings were the 23rd and 24th homicides in Kansas City this year.
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OSHA Issues Ruling on 2023 Truck Wash Fatality in Liberal
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) - An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor finds that a company in southwest Kansas failed to implement safety procedures before three workers were injured on the job, one fatally. Federal authorities say workers at Red Barn Truck Wash in Liberal were exposed to hydrogen sulfide gas last fall when they entered tanker trailers to clean them. One worker died and two were injured. Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated and found the incident could have been prevented. Federal investigators say the company did not evaluate the tanker trailers for hazardous conditions or train workers on potential hazards. OSHA cited the company for 26 violations. The company faces more than $171,000 in penalties.
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Warm Weather Leads to Early Spring Blooms
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KNS) - Across Kansas, the weather has been unusually warm for weeks and some trees are blooming early. A report from the assistant state climatologist says temperatures across Kansas have run warmer than normal for six straight weeks. Over the past week, many Callery pear trees in Kansas City have popped open their blooms earlier than usual. The bloom usually comes later in March or in early April. In general, springtime in Kansas has been getting warmer. Climate Central, a nonprofit group that compiles weather data, says average springtime temperatures are nearly 3 degrees warmer in Wichita and 1 degree warmer in Kansas City than they were 50 years ago.
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Free Ornamental Pear Tree Replacement Program Launches in Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) – People in northeast Kansas can get a free native tree for chopping down an invasive ornamental pear tree. The Kansas News Service reports that invasive Callery or Bradford pear trees are easy to spot right now because their white flowers began popping open this week. These trees spread aggressively and displace the food that songbirds and pollinators need to reproduce. Local agencies, like Shawnee County Parks and Recreation, have teamed up with businesses and nonprofit groups to distribute free replacement trees to people who cut down Callery pears. The replacements – like redbuds and serviceberries – support wildlife. Details are available at Deep Roots.org.
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Some Chiefs Fans Underwent Amputations After Chilly Game
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP/KPR) - Some of the people who attended the near-record cold Kansas City Chiefs playoff game in January had to undergo amputations after suffering frostbite. Research Medical Center confirmed that information but did not provide exact numbers. The hospital said some of the 12 people who had to undergo amputations after the cold snap in January had been at the January 13 game. The amputations involved mostly fingers and toes. And... more surgeries are expected over the next two to four weeks. The University of Kansas hospital said it also treated frostbite victims after the game but didn't report any amputations. The temperature for January's Dolphins-Chiefs wild-card playoff game was minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind gusts at the game made for a windchill of minus 27 degrees. That shattered the record for the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history. The Chiefs didn't immediately respond to email messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
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Groups Behind Substance Use Assessment to Tour State of Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Groups leading a statewide substance use needs assessment will make several stops across Kansas to generate feedback. The Kansas News Service reports that the assessment will help guide the Kansas Fights Addiction Board on where it should distribute the state’s opioid settlement funds. The money is part of national legal settlements against prescription opioid makers, distributors and pharmacies to help abate the opioid epidemic. Several in-person events will be held beginning March 19th. Stops include Garden City in western Kansas, Wichita, several stops in northeast Kansas and more. You can visit unitedtotransform.com for a complete list of meetings and to learn more about the assessment.
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Broadcast News Journalist Bill Kurtis to Deliver 2024 Dole Lecture
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Journalist and native Kansan Bill Kurtis will deliver the annual Dole Lecture at the KU Dole Institute of Politics on April 16. Kurtis is a KU alumnus who worked as a student announcer at KANU early in his career, and went on to establish himself as a network news anchor, producer, and narrator. and producer. Kurtis worked at WIBW television in Topeka, and went on to serve as a national co-host of CBS Morning News in the 1980s. He is the recipient of two Peabody Awards, numerous Emmy Awards, a DuPont award, and the William Allen White Citation from the University of Kansas School of Journalism.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Kurtis will also participate in an interview with Dole Institute Director Audrey Coleman, focusing on Kurtis’s Kansas roots and the various news events that “have shaped the nation over the course of his seven decades in journalism.”
Kurtis will participate in the event in person at the Dole Institute of Politics. The event is free and open to the public, but also can be viewed on the Dole Institute’s YouTube channel. The institute hosts the Dole Lecture each spring to commemorate the date on which Senator Bob Dole was critically wounded in Italy while serving in World War II.
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#16 K-State Women Set to Play No. 6 Texas at Big 12 Tourney
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) - In the Big 12 women’s basketball tournament, No. 16 Kansas State takes on sixth-ranked Texas this (MON) afternoon in the second semifinal at Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center. Tipoff is at 4 pm. A semifinal victory would vault K-State into the conference tournament final for the first time since 2005. The Wildcats are 25-6 while the Longhorns are 28-4. The teams split their two meetings this season.
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Chiefs and Chris Jones Agree to Framework of 5-Year Deal
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press the Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones had agreed on the framework of a five-year deal that includes $95 million guaranteed. The move keeps Jones with the Super Bowl champions ahead of free agency starting this week. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of the contract were still being finalized. Jones will become one of the highest-paid defensive players in NFL history, just behind the $34 million average annual salary that is being earned by San Francisco pass rusher Nick Bosa.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract details were still being finalized. But the money that is guaranteed is expected to come over the first three years with another two years that are not guaranteed.
Jones, who turns 30 in July, becomes one of the highest-paid defensive players in NFL history, falling just behind the $34 million average annual salary that is being earned by San Francisco pass rusher Nick Bosa. The deal eclipses the $31.6 million average of Rams defensive end Aaron Donald, who had long represented the financial benchmark for a defensive player.
Jones' agents, Michael and Jason Katz, tweeted their congratulations in a post on X, formally known as Twitter, to "the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history." Jones tweeted moments later: "KC….5 more years of greatness! 3x"
Jones made it clear immediately after the Chiefs beat the 49ers in overtime in the Super Bowl last month in Las Vegas, allowing them to raise their second straight Lombardi Trophy and third in five years, that he was eager to chase a three-peat. But he first needed to reach an agreement to remain in Kansas City, which had proven difficult over the past two offseasons. In fact, Jones and the Chiefs were at such an impasse entering the final year of his previous contract that he skipped the entire offseason program, including a mandatory minicamp and training camp, and Week 1 of the regular season. Jones piled up nearly $4 million in fines before agreeing to an incentive-laden one-year deal that got him back on the field this past season.
Jones responded by starting every game the rest of the way, including a meaningless regular-season finale against the Chargers, when he got the last sack he needed to reach 10 1/2 for the season and trigger a $1.25 million bonus in his contract. Jones had another half-sack in a wild-card win over Miami in one of the coldest games in NFL history, then helped Kansas City win road games over Buffalo and Baltimore to return to the Super Bowl. In that game, the Chiefs fell behind early before rallying to force overtime, then winning the game on Patrick Mahomes' touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman.
The Chiefs have been aggressive in trying to keep the core of the league's second-ranked defense together next season.
Earlier in the week, the Chiefs used the franchise tag on L'Jarius Sneed, giving them the option of keeping one of the best cover cornerbacks expected to hit free agency on a $19.8 million contract next season. The Chiefs also could sign him to a long-term deal or even trade him, which not only would provide some draft capital but also some salary cap relief.
Shortly after tagging Sneed, the Chiefs signed pending free-agent linebacker Drue Tranquill to a $19 million, three-year deal that included a $4.5 million signing bonus and $12.5 million guaranteed. Tranquill signed a one-year deal with Kansas City relatively late in free agency last year, but he emerged as one of the unsung heroes of coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's defense.
There is nothing unsung about Jones, though.
The fearsome defensive tackle has been a game-wrecker almost since the moment Kansas City drafted him in the second round out of Mississippi State in 2016. Jones moved into the starting lineup by the sixth game of his rookie season, earned second-team All-Pro honors while piling up 15 1/2 sacks in 2018, and then began a run of five straight Pro Bowls the following year. He was voted a first-team All-Pro for the second straight season this past year. And while it is unclear whether that drove up his price, it almost certainly made keeping him in Kansas City a priority for the Chiefs with the start of free agency Wednesday.
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