Kansas Tax Collections for March Come in $7 Million Higher than Expected
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) — Total tax collections in Kansas for the month of March came in higher than expected. March tax revenue was a little more than $760 million, or about $7 million more than estimates. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly announced the news Monday and called on the Legislature to make responsible tax cuts with the state's budget surplus.
"The Legislature must be mindful that any tax relief must be fiscally sustainable,” she said. "The bipartisan tax cuts plan I introduced in January, among other things, eliminates all state income tax on Social Security benefits and provides about $100 million in property tax relief for Kansas homeowners every year."
The Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CRE), comprised of the Department of Revenue, Division of Budget, Legislative Research Department, and economists from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University, will meet April 19 to review the fall estimate and make any revisions necessary.
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Kansas Lawmakers Move Toward Approving Childhood Literacy Bill
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas Legislature is getting closer to approving a landmark education bill focused on helping children learn to read. The Kansas News Service reports that a committee finished work Monday on a proposed statewide Blueprint for Literacy. The plan would establish a state director of literacy education. It would also dedicate about $10 million next year toward teacher training on the science of reading. The blueprint has bipartisan support. If approved, it would force schools to phase out older methods of teaching reading that have been debunked by modern science.
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Free Supplemental Cancer Screening Bill Not Likely to Pass This Legislative Session
UNDATED (KNS) – Advocates and lawmakers in Kansas say legislation that would allow insured people to have free supplemental breast cancer screenings likely won't pass this year. The Kansas News Service reports that issue has been up for debate for years. Since 2020, advocacy groups and legislators have tried and failed to eliminate co-pays on supplemental and diagnostic breast cancer screenings for insured Kansans. Molly Guthrie of the Susan G. Komen Foundation says when people can’t afford additional screening, they sometimes put it off, which can lead to a late-term diagnosis. Guthrie says cancer becomes more expensive and more difficult to treat at a late stage, adding that “...we know that when you catch cancers earlier, individuals do better as far as their outcomes, but it’s less costly to the system. So it’s something that’s straightforward for us to be able to address.” Two bills failed to advance this session, but Guthrie says a budget amendment to cover supplemental testing for state employees is still pending. Nearby states, like Missouri and Colorado, have enacted similar legislation.
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Two Kansas Women Missing in Oklahoma
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) - Authorities in Oklahoma are investigating the suspicious disappearance of two women from southwest Kansas. The two women from Hugoton disappeared in the panhandle of Oklahoma. KSNW TV reports that the women were traveling to Eva, Oklahoma, to pick up children but they never made it. The women's vehicle was late found abandoned near a highway south of Elkhart, Kansas. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says the search for 27-year-old Veronica Butler and 39-year-old Jilian Kelley has been expanded.
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KBI Identifies Victim in Pawnee County Homicide Investigation
PAWNEE COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a fatal weekend shooting in central Kansas. Authorities say a 52-year-old doctor, Tomas Garza, of Larned, was shot multiple times during an argument with 67-year-old Michael Reynolds, also of Larned. The shooting took place Saturday in rural Pawnee County. Garza was taken to an area hospital but died of his injuries. Reynolds was arrested at the scene for second-degree murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Formal charges are pending.
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Weekly Newspaper and Its Publisher File Suit over Police Raid that Sparked a Firestorm
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A weekly central Kansas newspaper and its publisher filed a federal lawsuit Monday over police raids last summer of its offices and the publisher's home, accusing local officials of trying to silence the paper and causing the death of the publisher's 98-year-old mother.
The lawsuit did not include a specific figure for potential damages. However, in a separate notice to local officials, the paper and its publisher said they believe they are due more than $10 million.
The lawsuit from the Marion County Record's parent company and Eric Meyer, its editor and publisher, accuses the city of Marion, the Marion County Commission and five current and former local officials of violating free press rights and the right to be free from unreasonable law enforcement searches guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit also notified the defendants that Meyer and the newspaper plan to add other claims, including that officials wrongly caused the death of Meyer's mother the day after the raids, which the lawsuit attributes to a stress-induced heart attack.
The raids put Marion, a town of about 1,900 people set among rolling prairie hills about 150 miles southwest of Kansas City, Missouri, at the center of a national debate over press freedoms. It also highlighted the intense divisions over a newspaper known for its aggressive coverage of local issues and its strong criticism of some officials.
The city's former police chief — who later resigned amid the ongoing furor — justified the Aug. 11 raids by saying he had probable cause to believe the newspaper and a reporter potentially committed identity theft and other computer crimes in obtaining and verifying information about a local business owner's driving record. The lawsuit claims the paper and its reporters did nothing illegal, the search warrants were improper and officials had longstanding grudges against the newspaper.
“The last thing we want to do is bankrupt the city or county, but we have a duty to democracy and to countless news organizations and citizens nationwide to challenge such malicious and wanton violations,” Meyer said in a statement.
The city of Marion's budget for 2023 was about $8.7 million, while the county's budget was about $35 million.
Besides the city, defendants in the lawsuit include former Marion Mayor David Mayfield, who retired from office in January; former Police Chief Gideon Cody, who stepped down in October; and current Acting Police Chief Zach Hudlin, who as an officer participated in the raids. Marion County Sheriff Jeff Soyez, the county commission and a former deputy who helped draft the search warrants used in the raids are the other defendants named.
The newspaper had investigated Cody's background before the city hired him last year. The lawsuit alleges Soyez regularly said that he did not approve of Meyer’s “negative attitude.”
The newspaper's attorney, Bernie Rhodes, noted that when police raided the home that Meyer and his mother shared, she told the former police chief, “Boy, are you going to be in trouble.”
“My job is to make sure Joan's promise is kept,” Rhodes said in his own statement.
Jennifer Hill, an attorney representing the city and former and current city officials, declined to comment. Jeffrey Kuhlman, an attorney representing the county commission, the sheriff and his former deputy, said he couldn't comment because he hasn't had time to review the lawsuit.
The lawsuit from Meyer and the newspaper was the fourth filed in federal court in Kansas over the police raids, which also involved sheriff's deputies and even an officer from the state fire marshal's office. Deb Gruver, now a former reporter, filed the first lawsuit less than three weeks after the raids, and a trial is set for September 2025.
Current Record reporter Phyllis Zorn filed the second lawsuit in February, and the defendants want it dismissed. The third was filed last week by Cheri Bentz, the newspaper's office manager.
The latest lawsuit says it was filed to seek justice over “intolerable” violations of constitutional rights and "to deter the next crazed cop from threatening democracy.”
While federal civil rights laws allowed Meyer and the newspaper to sue immediately, Kansas law requires parties intending to sue local governments to give them 120 days' notice so that officials can pay the claim first. In a 10-page notice, Rhodes said Meyer is due reimbursement for his mother's funeral expenses; the newspaper, for harm to its accounting system; and both, for their legal expenses.
The notice also says that Meyer and his mother suffered “extreme and severe distress" and that their estate is entitled to $4 million in damages for that. It also argues that the newspaper deserves $2 million for its damages and punitive damages should exceed $4 million.
“Many of those who perpetrated storm-trooper style bullying with a needlessly huge contingent of armed officers remain in office or have been promoted,” Meyer said in his statement. “Even newly elected officials have refused to disavow the tactics used.”
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KBI Arrests Former Allen County Sheriff's Deputy
ALLEN COUNTY, Kan. (KPR) - The KBI has arrested a former Kansas sheriff's deputy for child sex crimes. Last Friday night, KBI agents arrested 24-year-old Michael Tennyson, of Iola. He's is accused of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. The KBI says a 15-year-old runaway from Hays was located in his home. Tennyson was a newly hired sheriff's deputy in Allen County but was fired when the allegations against him became known.
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Gardner Police Rule 2-Year-Old Girl’s Death a Homicide
GARDNER, Kan. (WDAF) — The death of a 2-year-old girl in Gardner is now being called a homicide. After months of investigating, police in Gardner now say Alice Bennett’s cause of death was homicide, but they still haven’t said how she died. WDAF TV reports that there are currently no suspects in custody. On November 2, 2023, police were sent to some apartments (near 188th and Locust Streets) on a medical call. Police say a caretaker had found the 2-year-old child unresponsive. The girl was hospitalized with an injury that led to a life-threatening condition, but police have not provided further details about Bennett’s injuries. The girl died a few days after the incident.
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KC Police Fatally Shoot Person Who Allegedly Pointed Gun at Officers
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) — One person was killed in Kansas City after multiple police officers shot him early Sunday morning. Kansas City police were called to an area (in the 4000 block of Myrtle Avenue) just before 6 am Sunday, where officers encountered
a man walking the street with a handgun in front of a nearby residence. Police say they tried to get the subject to drop the gun for several minutes but the man allegedly pointed the gun at officers. Multiple officers then opened fire. The Kansas City Star reports that the unidentified man was hit and taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. This marks the 31st homicide in Kansas City this year, according to data tracked by The Star, which includes fatal police shootings. There had been 40 homicides at this same time last year. The Missouri Highway Patrol is investigating.
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Kansas Lawmakers Race to Solve Big Fiscal Issues
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas lawmakers are approaching a deadline to pass pending legislation or let it die. The Republican-controlled Legislature is heading into its annual spring break and most bills that don't pass Friday will simply fade away when politicians return for a short wrap-up session. GOP leaders still hope to cut taxes, though some in the party are backing off a proposal to create a single personal income tax rate. The state currently has three. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly opposes the so-called flat tax proposal. Lawmakers also are contending with spending issues affecting immigration, services for the disabled and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. All of this is coming to a head as lawmakers approach their annual "Drop Dead Day," a deadline to either pass legislation or let it fade away. Lawmakers are supposed to finish a proposed $25 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Here is a look at some of the major issues up for consideration this week:
GOP WAVERING ON 'FLAT TAX'
The Legislature is having its second go at enacting income, sales and property tax cuts this year after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a GOP package in January because it included a single-rate, or "flat," income tax, which she said favored the "super rich." With help from several GOP defectors, Democrats narrowly stopped the governor's veto from being overridden in the House. State tax collections have fallen short in recent months, but Kansas is still on track to end June 2025 with more than $4 billion in surplus funds. Legislators are poised to approve tax cuts worth $500 million to $600 million annually, while a plan Kelly outlined in January would be worth about $300 million a year. The House and Senate both want to exempt retirees' Social Security benefits from income taxes, decrease the property taxes levied by the state for public schools and adjust standard personal income tax deductions. The key difference is in proposed income tax rates. A Senate plan would set a single rate of 5.7% — the top rate now — and decrease it over five years to 5.45%. In the House, GOP leaders concluded a single-rate plan is unlikely to overcome another Kelly veto. Instead, they want to eliminate the lowest income tax bracket and set the top rate at 5.65%. Kelly hasn't said publicly whether she would accept a plan with two rates. While Senate Republicans appear to have a two-thirds majority for their plan, the House approved its version this week 123-0. The final tax plan will be drafted by three Senate and three House negotiators.
IMMIGRATION AND DIVERSITY
Immigration and diversity issues are both part of this year's budget negotiations in Kansas. Republican senators have added a provision to their spending plan that would support Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's battle with the Biden administration over border security. The measure sets aside $15.7 million for a proposed border mission before July and directs Kelly to deploy Kansas National Guard resources to help Texas. Asked about that provision last month, Kelly said the state constitution makes her the guard's commander-in-chief, "And I make those decisions." Another provision in the Senate budget proposal would withhold $35.7 million from state universities until top administrators go before Kelly and legislative leaders and renounce certain diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The lawmakers want schools to declare they won't require prospective students or job applicants to commit to DEI principles or require them to discuss their experiences with DEI programs. Last year, Kelly vetoed two anti-DEI budget provisions. One would have prevented state universities from using DEI principles in hiring. The other would have barred the state board that licenses mental health professionals from requiring or incentivizing them to undergo training in diversity or anti-racism theories.
SERVICES FOR THE DISABLED
Some Kansas families are waiting 10 years to get in-home or community services for their children with physical or intellectual-developmental disabilities. Lawmakers are weighing solutions. While 15,000 disabled Kansans have access to services such as day programs, employment assistance or home care, more than 7,600 are on waiting lists. A total of 23 people died in 2022 and 2023 while waiting for services, according to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. Kelly now proposes spending $23 million to provide services for 250 physically disabled people and 250 with intellectual-developmental disabilities who are now on waiting lists. The House proposal would double that. Some House Democrats have pushed unsuccessfully to spend enough to service an additional 1,000 people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Yet some Republicans question whether service providers can handle such an increased workload. "It is disingenuous to tell them they're going to get help when we can't even find the workers to provide the services that they need," House Health Committee Chairperson Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican, said during a recent meeting. But advocates for the disabled have questioned whether another 500 slots for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities will even shrink their waiting list, given that hundreds more individuals were added to it in each of the last two years. Rocky Nichols, executive director of the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, argues providers will build the capacity if the state commits more money.
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Legislative Funding for New Homeless Shelters in Kansas Dramatically Cut
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - A recent amendment to a Kansas Senate bill funding homeless shelters slashed available dollars in half. Sedgwick County and the city of Wichita need $20 million dollars for a new shelter. They asked the Legislature to make $40 million available to Kansas municipalities to pay for new homeless shelters across the state. But a recent amendment to the bill cut that to $20 million. The amendment also requires municipalities across the state to prohibit public camping - no matter whether they receive grant dollars or not. Republican Senator Carolyn McGinn, of Sedgwick County, voted against the amendment: "When you start talking about telling cities and counties what to do on their ordinances and resolutions, I become very uncomfortable."
The first version of the bill made $40 million dollars available to Kansas municipalities. But the Senate Ways and Means committee cut that amount in half - to $20 million. The amendment also requires all municipalities to ban public camping, whether they receive grant dollars or not. Republican Senator J.R. Claeys introduced the amendment. "It is not compassionate in any way to force people to live in tents. So, through this, we're taking a more compassionate approach which is having people who are in that situation go to the shelters (and) receive services," he said. The bill also prohibits the money from being used at the former Riverside Hospital, a site that the city of Wichita has considering for a new shelter.
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Kansas Senate Advances Bill to Prevent Communities from Enacting Bans on Single-Use Plastic Bags, Straws
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Just weeks after Lawrence enacted a ban on single-use plastic bags, the Kansas Senate is advancing a measure that would effectively outlaw such bans. The measure would prohibit local governments from regulating the sale of plastic products, like grocery bags and straws. Lawrence became the first city in Kansas to pass a ban on single-use plastic bags last year. It took effect in March. Proponents of plastic bans say they protect the environment and are within a local government’s rights. But critics, like Republican state Senator Mike Thompson, say they put affected businesses at a competitive disadvantage. “It is increasing costs. And it will make them avoid municipalities that may impose these additional, burdensome costs on them," he said. A similar bill passed in 2023 but was ultimately vetoed by the governor.
(-Additional Reporting-)
Kansas Senate Approves Bill to Nullify Lawrence's Ban on Plastic Bags
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) — Republican lawmakers in Topeka are trying to cancel a ban on plastic, single-use bags in the city of Lawrence. State lawmakers have been working to prohibit cities like Lawrence from banning or regulating the use of bags, straws, cups, bottles and other single-use containers. The Kansas Reflector reports that a bill to do that passed the House last year and this week, the Kansas Senate voted to send the legislation to the governor’s desk.
Lawrence implemented a plastic bag ban March 1 due to environmental concerns. The city allows exemptions for other plastic products, such as produce bags and garment bags. Lawrence’s ban added urgency to Republican-driven efforts to prevent similar bans from taking effect. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly is likely to veto the GOP-supported legislation, just like she did last year. Republican lawmakers likely won’t have enough votes to override the expected veto.
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KSU Study: Over Half of Kansas Farms Dealing with Labor Shortage
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) - As the number of Kansas farms continues to decline, the need for labor in the agriculture industry has strained farmers and rural towns. And a solution doesn’t seem likely. A Kansas State University study shows more than half of Kansas farms are experiencing a labor shortage. That’s occurring as farmers are aging in Kansas and the cost of machinery has gone up. The cost of labor also has increased. For that reason, harvesters from Kansas have tried to lobby to reduce the minimum wage for the migrant workers they rely on in rural areas. It’s currently $18 per hour and is set by the U.S. Department of Labor. Jennifer Ifft, agriculture economist for K-State, says these jobs are meant to be temporary, but a lot of need in rural areas is permanent. “They might hire somebody to harvest grain or haul grain, but dairies aren’t supposed to use it for their milkers and that's what they really need.” The study, by Kansas State University and the Kansas Department of Agriculture, found that addressing farm labor shortages could boost the state's economy to the sum of $11.7 billion.
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Barton College Claims First National Championship in Basketball
GREAT BEND, Kan. (KPR) - Barton County Community College in Great Bend is celebrating its first ever national championship in men's basketball. The Cougars defeated Triton College Saturday at the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson to capture the National Junior College basketball title. Barton has 60 national championships - mostly in Track and Field events - but this is the school's first national championship in basketball. The Cougars only lost one game all year long and finished the season at 35-1.
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