Kelly Vetoes Gender-Affirming Medical Care Ban; Override Attempt Expected
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Democratic Kansas Governor Laura Kelly on Friday vetoed a bill that would ban transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill would prohibit hormone therapy and other medical care that LGBTQ advocates say can be life-saving for teens with gender dysphoria. But supporters of the bill have called that treatment abusive, and say some minors later regret receiving it. In a release Kelly called the bill “divisive,” and said it tramples parental rights. Republicans are expected to attempt to override her veto when they return to the Statehouse in a few weeks. Last year, the Senate fell one vote short of overriding Kelly’s veto on a similar bill.
(–Additional reporting–)
GOP Lawmakers Say They're Ready to Override Governor's Veto of Gender-Affirming Care Ban
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Republican lawmakers in Kansas say they’re prepared to override the governor’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender minors from receiving gender-affirming medical care. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill would ban Kansas teens with gender dysphoria from receiving hormone therapy and some other treatments, which advocates say can be life-saving. But supporters of the ban have called the treatments experimental, and say minors sometimes regret getting them. Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, says she vetoed the ban because it tramples parental rights. House Speaker Dan Hawkins says Republicans stand ready to override her veto in a few weeks. It’s not clear yet if they’ll have the votes to do that when they return to the Statehouse later this month.
Kansas Governor Vetoes Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors and 2 Anti-Abortion Bills
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly on Friday vetoed a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for minors, a measure to require more reporting from abortion providers and what she called a “vague” bill making it a crime to coerce someone into having an abortion.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's actions set up a series of confrontations with the Republican-supermajority Legislature over those issues. The measures appeared to have the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override vetoes, but GOP leaders' success depends on how many lawmakers are absent on a given day, especially in the House.
The two-term governor, who is term-limited, is a strong supporter of abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. Republicans control the Legislature, and they've joined other GOP lawmakers across the U.S. in rolling back transgender rights.
But Kansas has been an outlier on abortion among states with Republican legislatures because the Kansas Supreme Court declared in 2019 that the state constitution protects abortion rights, and a statewide vote in August 2022 decisively affirmed that position.
“Voters do not want politicians getting between doctors and their patient by interfering in private medical decisions,” Kelly wrote in her veto message on the abortion reporting bill.
Kelly did allow one GOP proposal on a social issue highlighted by Republicans across the U.S. to become law without her signature. Starting July 1, pornography websites must verify that Kansas visitors are adults. Kansas will follow Texas and a handful of other states despite some concerns about privacy and how broadly the law could be applied.
In rejecting an attempt to have Kansas join at least 24 other states in banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors, Kelly argued that a ban “tramples parental rights” and targets “a small group.”
“If the Legislature paid this much attention to the other 99.8% of students, we’d have the best schools on earth,” she wrote.
The Kansas bill against gender-affirming care would bar surgery, hormone treatments and puberty blockers, limiting care for minors to therapy.
“Hopefully this will be the end of that, at least this year, and they don’t decide to waste anyone’s time anymore,” Jenna Bellemere, a transgender University of Kansas student, said after learning of the veto.
The bill also would require that the state revoke the licenses of any doctors violating the ban and bar recipients of state funds for treating children or state employees who work with children from advocating gender-affirming care for them. It would ban the use of state dollars and property on such care, which restricts the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas.
Supporters of the bill argue the ban will protect children from experimental, possibly dangerous and potentially permanent treatments. They have cited the recent decision of the National Health Service in England to no longer routinely cover such treatments. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said of Kelly, “The radical left controls her veto pen.”
“Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors,” said Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican.
But U.S. states' bans go against the recommendations of major American health care groups, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Also, many medical professionals say providing such care makes transgender children less prone to depression or suicidal thoughts.
Last year, Republican legislators overrode Kelly vetoes to ban transgender girls and women on female K-12 and college sports teams and end the state's legal recognition of transgender people's gender identities. Because of the latter law, Kansas no longer allows transgender people to change the listing for sex on their driver's licenses or birth certificates.
Republican lawmakers also have continued to press for new laws on abortion, despite the August 2022 vote, arguing that voters still support “reasonable” regulations and support for pregnant women and new mothers.
“Once again, Governor ‘Coercion Kelly’ has shown how radical she is when it comes to abortion, lacking basic compassion for women who are pushed or even trafficked into abortions," Danielle Underwood, spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group, said in a statement.
The anti-coercion bill would punish someone convicted of making a physical or financial threat against a woman or girl to push her to have an abortion with up to a year in prison or a fine of up to $10,000. In her veto message, Kelly noted that it's already a crime to threaten someone else.
Critics said it's written broadly enough that it could apply to a spouse who threatens divorce or a live-in boyfriend who threatens to leave unless their partner gets an abortion.
The reporting bill would require providers to ask their patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies and report the information to the state health department. Kelly and other critics contend it's invasive and unnecessary, but supporters argue that the state needs better data about why women and girls have abortions to help set policy.
“These stigmatizing bills were not crafted to improve the health and well-being of Kansans," said Emily Wales, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates three clinics providing abortions in Kansas. “They were merely meant to shame reproductive care.”
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Governor Laura Kelly Vetoes 2 Bills Backed by Anti-Abortion Groups
UNDATED (KNS) – Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed two Kansas bills backed by anti-abortion groups. The Kansas News Service reports that Republicans may try to override her vetoes in a few weeks. One of the bills would require abortion providers to ask women why they’re seeking an abortion and report their answers to state officials. Supporters say the data could be used to help reduce abortion rates. But Kelly said the questions are invasive and unnecessary.
She also vetoed a bill that would make it a felony to coerce someone to get an abortion. Kelly said threats of violence are already illegal and called the bill’s language overly broad. Anti-abortion advocates say her vetoes are “heartless” and are asking lawmakers to override them. Republicans are expected to attempt to do that when they return to the Statehouse in a few weeks.
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Online Age Verification Bill Will Become Law Without Governor Kelly's Signature
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – People in Kansas will have to verify their age before accessing adult content online under a bill set to become law. The Kansas News Service reports that supporters say the new law will prevent minors from accessing websites that host sexual content. Those sites would have to verify their users are at least 18, most likely through a government ID, or other personal information. Critics, however, say the measure is a violation of internet privacy. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly allowed the bill to become law without her signature. She says it’s well intended but could open up the state to potential lawsuits, which has happened in other states.
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Kelly Silent on Whether She Will Sign Tax Cut Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Major tax cuts are headed to Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s desk, although she's not saying whether she will sign the bill. The Kansas News Service reports that the three-year, $1.6 billion tax cutting package passed with bipartisan support after the House and Senate struggled for weeks to reach a deal. It would condense the state’s three income tax brackets into just two. Those making up to $23,000 would be taxed at 5.15%. Income beyond that would be taxed at 5.55%. Republican Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson urged his colleagues to support the bill, saying “...this plan is a compromise. It’s fair, and it’s time.” Kelly supports some parts of the bill, like state property tax relief. But it’s unclear if she will accept the income tax changes. She has up to 30 days to sign or veto the bill.
(–Related–)
Kansas Legislature Passes Income Tax Overhaul
TOPEKA, Kan. (KCStar) - The Kansas Legislature passed an overhaul of the state’s income tax early Saturday, condensing the three current tax brackets into two, but it’s unclear whether Gov. Laura Kelly will sign the measure. The Kansas City Star reports that the proposal would tax income at rates of 5.55% in the top bracket and 5.15% in the bottom bracket. For individuals, $23,000 a year in taxable income marks the dividing line between the two rates; $46,000 for married couples filing jointly.
The Senate passed the bill 24-9 just before 1 a.m. Saturday morning. The House followed, sending the legislation to Kelly in a 119-0 vote at about 2:30 a.m.. The measure was the last bill the Legislature approved before beginning its spring break. Lawmakers will return to Topeka on April 25.
The bill’s passage came a day after a tax compromise supported by the Senate ran into opposition in the House. The compromise, which maintained the three-bracket tax system, had Kelly’s approval. But Kelly may be hesitant to sign the new deal. The Democratic governor didn’t immediately comment on the legislation, but her chief of staff, Will Lawrence, shared with reporters concerns about the size of the package.
The measure is expected to cost roughly $635 million in revenue in the first year, and roughly $460 million each year after. During tax negotiations, Kelly has generally wanted to limit annual costs to about $425 million.
The proposal also eliminates taxes on Social Security income, lowers the statewide mill levy for schools from 20 mills to 19.5 mills and accelerates the elimination of the state sales tax on food to July 1, six months ahead of current law.
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Kansas Has Some of the Nation's Lowest Benefits for Injured Workers. They'll Increase in July
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will increase what have been among the lowest benefits in the U.S. for workers who are injured or killed on the job under bipartisan legislation that Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law Thursday.
The new law is set to take effect in July and includes the first increases in the state's caps on total workers' compensation benefits since 2011. The bill emerged from talks among business lawyers and labor attorneys, and the Republican-controlled Legislature approved it unchanged and sent it to the Democratic governor with no lawmaker opposing it.
The total benefit for the family of a worker killed on the job will rise from $300,000 to $500,000 and the cap on benefits for a worker whose injury results in a permanent and total disability will jump from $155,000 to $400,000.
Kansas was among only a handful of states that capped benefits for a permanent and total disability, and its cap was the lowest, according to a 2022 report from the nonprofit National Academy of Social Insurance. Its total possible death benefits and its weekly maximum benefits were lower than those in all but a few states.
“The reforms in this legislation will create a more just and efficient workers compensation system that increases the benefits for injured workers while creating administrative efficiencies and maintaining stability for businesses," Kelly said in a statement.
Labor unions and trial attorneys have argued since the early 1990s that changes meant to hold down businesses' insurance costs often shorted employees. Workers receive benefits set by state law because they can't sue their employers.
The insurance academy's report said the total workers' compensation benefits paid in Kansas per $100 of wages dropped more than 18% between 2016 and 2020 to 59 cents, 13% below the U.S. average of 68 cents.
But Kelly said the new law also will streamline the handling of workers' compensation claims by restricting medical exams, requiring timely exchanges of medical records and allowing claims to be settled without hearings.
"Thankfully, experienced, level-headed professionals on both sides of this issue were able and willing to work together,” said House commerce committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Kansas City-area Republican.
(–Additional reporting–)
Kansas Governor Signs Workers' Compensation Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas workers who are injured on the job could be entitled to more compensation under a bill signed into law Thursday by Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill was negotiated by business groups and labor unions as a way to improve the workers compensation system for both employers and employees. It will increase caps on compensation for injured workers and tie those caps to inflation starting in 2027. The new law will also establish workers comp protection for members of the Kansas National Guard. Employers get some cost-saving measures in the reform package, including the ability to settle certain workers comp cases without a court hearing.
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Bill Passed by Kansas Lawmakers Would Make It a Crime to Coerce Someone into an Abortion
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — People who make physical or financial threats against others in Kansas to force them to get an abortion could spend a year in prison and be fined up to $10,000 under one of several proposals pushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Abortion opponents in Kansas pursued the measure against abortion “coercion,” increased reporting on abortion and aid to anti-abortion centers providing free counseling, supplies and other services to pregnant women and new mothers because of the state's unusual legal climate. While the Legislature has strong anti-abortion majorities, the state Supreme Court declared in 2019 that the state constitution protects abortion rights, and Kansas residents decisively affirmed that position in a statewide August 2022 vote.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is a strong supporter of abortion rights, and many lawmakers expect her to veto all the anti-abortion measures reaching her desk. All the proposals appear to have or be close to having the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a veto.
“The vast majority of Kansans agree that too many women feel abortion is their only choice,” Danielle Underwood, a spokesperson for Kansans for Life, the state’s most politically influential anti-abortion group, said in an email Tuesday.
Kelly has until Monday to act on the bill that would make coercing someone into an abortion a specific crime. She also faces a Monday deadline on a bill that would require abortion providers to ask their patients why they want to terminate their pregnancies and then report the information to the state health department.
Anti-abortion groups and lawmakers have said they’re pushing for the state to collect the data to better guide state policy. Abortion rights supporters contend the measure is unnecessary and would violate patients’ privacy.
Two other measures will arrive on Kelly's desk by Monday. One would grant up to $10 million a year in income tax credits for donors to anti-abortion counseling centers and exempt the centers from paying the state's 6.5% sales tax on what they buy. In addition, a provision in the next state budget would give those centers $2 million in direct aid, continuing a policy enacted last year over Kelly's veto.
Abortion opponents argue that such measures simply help vulnerable women. But Democrats have been frustrated with GOP lawmakers' push for new legislation and aid to the anti-abortion counseling centers, arguing that it breaks faith with voters' support for abortion rights.
“Abortion is a legal health service,” Democratic state Rep. Tom Sawyer, of Wichita, said when the House debated the tax breaks for the centers and their donors. “If you want to try to encourage people to not get abortions, it's your right to do it, but we should not be so generously funding them with state funds.”
Abortion opponents hope that lawmakers will approve one other bill they're backing, to ensure that prospective mothers can seek child support back to conception to cover expenses from a pregnancy. The House approved it before the Legislature adjourned early Saturday for a spring break, and the Senate could consider it after lawmakers reconvene April 25 to wrap up business for the year.
Abortion opponents portrayed the bill on coercion as something to help the state fight human trafficking and other crimes, such as the rape of a child. The bill's definition of coercion includes destroying or hiding someone's passport or immigration papers or threatening to harm or “physically restrain” them to force them into getting an abortion.
“This is something that flows from criminal activities," state Sen. Mike Thompson, a Kansas City-area Republican, said during the final debate on the bill.
The measure is similar to laws in Idaho, Indiana, Michigan and South Dakota.
Critics said the Kansas bill is written broadly enough that a doctor who is seen as too aggressive in arguing that an abortion is necessary could fall under it. So, too, they said, could a husband who threatens divorce or a live-in boyfriend who threatens to leave if a woman decides to have a child.
“I just see how this could turn into a real, real sticky situation for a lot of young people,” Rep. Ford Carr, another Wichita Democrat, said during his debate.
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Kansas Lawmakers Approve Bill Criminalizing Encouragement of Suicide
UNDATED (KNS) – A Kansas bill that would make it a crime to encourage suicide appears likely to become law after a last-minute push by lawmakers. The Kansas News Service reports that Jill Janes spearheaded the proposal after her son Max died by suicide in Wichita last year. She says it came after people texted him urging him to end his life., explaining that “...they knew he was suicidal, he told them he was suicidal. And they continued to push and push and encourage and encourage. And so he did.” That set of texts, and other communications intended to persuade someone to die by suicide, could soon become a felony in Kansas. The proposal got overwhelming support in both chambers of the legislature late last week after lawmakers attached it to a bill that would increase penalties for organized retail theft. It’s now headed to the governor’s desk.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988.
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Kansas Legislators Pass Measure to Change How School Districts Count Students for State Funding Allocation
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers have voted to change the way school districts count students for state funding. The Kansas News Service reports that state senators overwhelmingly approved the plan. It lets districts count students based on the current year’s enrollment or an average from the past two years. Growing districts pushed for current-year enrollment so they could get state funding for new students. Districts with declining enrollment could use a two-year-average for only the coming school year. Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner says the compromise makes sense because funding should follow the students. “So when you have a loss of enrollment, you will have a reduction in funding, because the students aren’t in the seats,” she explained. If the new plan is approved by the state House and the governor, it would cost the state an extra $4.6 million next year in funding to declining districts.
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Proposal in Kansas Legislature Seeks Transparency in Civil Asset Forfeiture
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) - A bill calling for greater transparency in civil asset forfeiture has received unanimous support in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. KSNT TV reportsthat Senate Bill 458 would remove certain offenses that sometimes end in forfeiture, direct the court to determine whether forfeiture is unconstitutionally excessive, and amend several other parts of the Kansas Asset Seizure and Forfeiture Act. Last year the Americans for Prosperity Foundation-Kansas released a report on civil asset forfeiture. The report found Kansas law enforcement seized more than $25 million in money and property but the group alleges that the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) grossly underrepresented the total amount of cash and property forfeited in its annual reports. In 2022, the KBI reported a total of $3,447,219 in forfeited property.
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Wildfire Risk Continues in Northeast Kansas
UNDATED (KNS) – Wildfires keep rekindling in the Tuttle Creek area in northeast Kansas. Thousands of acres have burned in one week. The Kansas News Service reports that temperatures will hit the mid to high 80s Saturday, and firefighters fear more blazes could start across the state over the weekend or early next week. The heat dries out dead vegetation, making it more flammable. High winds can make flames spread fast. Chip Redmond, a meteorologist with the Kansas Forest Service, said “...with gusty southwest winds up to 40 miles an hour again – that’s a bad scenario. Especially considering the last time we had gusty winds last weekend, things weren’t quite as dry as they are now and that 20 degrees above normal – that’s impressive.”
Contact your local fire station and county emergency department to check local conditions before starting a controlled rangeland burn or even burning piles of yard waste.
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Labor Union Accuses Leavenworth Prison Officials of Using Investigation to Trigger Emergency Operations Staffing
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KNS) – A labor union says federal prison officials are using an investigation into a firearm entering the U.S. Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth as an excuse to go into emergency operations. The Kansas News Service reports that would allow the prison to bypass staffing rules in the union’s contract amid staff shortages. Russ Gildner, the union’s president, alleges the ongoing lockdown at the federal prison in Leavenworth, is dragging on as a way to order staff like counselors to serve as corrections officers that guard inmates. Officials had said the prison is in modified operations for the investigation. That restricts inmate movement and adds temporary security measures. But Gildner contends the investigation is a false pretense to change staff roles. He says he’s demanded to negotiate the changing working conditions, but prison officials denied it, explaining “...that’s when they first said, ‘well, this is an emergency, so we’ll do whatever we want.’” Prison officials declined to comment on Gildner’s accusations.
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No Foul Play Suspected in Death of Young Actor
OLATHE, Kan. (LJW) – No indication of foul play was found in the investigation into the death of a man who went missing from Lawrence. A news release Wednesday from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said the body of 27-year-old Cole Brings Plenty was found last week in an area near Edgerton in southwest Johnson County after a report was made of an unoccupied vehicle. The Lawrence Journal World reports that sheriff’s deputies searched the area and found Brings Plenty dead in a wooded area near the vehicle.
Brings Plenty, an actor in the “Yellowstone” spin-off “1923,” had been reported as a missing person by his family on March 31st. The Lawrence Police Department had also identified him as a suspect in a domestic violence incident on Easter Sunday and sought the public’s help in finding him.
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office detectives, crime scene investigators and the medical examiner’s office have been working with the Lawrence Police Department and Brings Plenty’s family. Investigators have not yet issued a cause of death.
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Marion County Editor Accepts WAW National Citation
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - The central Kansas newspaper that made national headlines when it was raided by local police last year has received the 2024 William Allen White National Citation. In accepting the award yesterday (THUR) at the University of Kansas, Marion County Record editor Eric Meyer stressed the importance of journalism and its role as watchdog of the government. "We are the soldiers for democracy,” Meyer said. “We are the people worrying about the "IEDs" on the landscape, which are politics. All politics is local. All journalism is local.” The Marion County Record recently filed a federal First Amendment lawsuit against the City of Marion and local officials for the raid on the newspaper office and the home of its publisher. This year marks the first time the William Allen White National Citation was awarded to a news organization, rather than an individual. The Citation is in honor of the former publisher of the Emporia Gazette, William Allen White. Previous recipients of the National Citation include Walter Cronkite, Cokie Roberts, and Frank DeFord.
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Smoke from Fires Affecting Northeast Kansas Air Quality
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) - Continuing smoke from controlled burns throughout northeast Kansas are taking a toll on our air quality. WIBW TV reports that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment says area residents can expect poor air quality this week, especially early in the morning when there is higher humidity. The department is monitoring ozone and particulate matter and says air quality in the Topeka area this week has been measured at about one-third to one-half of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
Check your regional air quality at the EPA's AirNow map.
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Fort Hays State University Creates Telehealth Certification Program for Mental Health Services
UNDATED (KNS) – Fort Hays State University has developed a telehealth certification program to create more access to mental health services in rural parts of Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that it trains providers on using online appointments instead of in-person meetings. There’s a shortage of mental health services in much of rural Kansas and facilities are using telehealth to address the needs of farmers and rural communities. Lisa Southern, executive director for Compass Behavioral Health in Garden City, says the time it takes to access in-person services is a barrier for many people in rural areas. She says that sometimes rural residents think “...I gotta carve out a lot of time. And to come to a therapy appointment.," but the reality is that "...no, you don't, you can see us (through) telehealth from your farm.” Western Kansas counties were graded with the highest need for health care workers by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and providers are often stretched thin, sometimes covering up to 13 counties.
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Advisory Group to Continue Contributions on Indigenous Education Issues in Kansas Schools
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A group that urged Kansas schools to get rid of Native American mascots will continue to weigh in on education issues. The Kansas News Service reports that the Kansas Board of Education and the Board of Regents have agreed to establish the advisory council for indigenous education. It includes representatives from the four federally recognized tribes in Kansas, as well as members appointed by state education groups. Kansas State University professor Alex Red Corn says the mascot issue is a political hot button. But the group plans to tackle broader questions, Red Corn explained, such as "...what are the things that we could be teaching in our schools to help us better understand this actual state and this actual place?” About 10,000 indigenous students attend public schools in Kansas.
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Kansas City Chiefs' Rashee Rice Surrenders to Police on Assault Charge After High-Speed Crash
GLENN HEIGHTS, Texas (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice surrendered to police Thursday on charges including aggravated assault after he and another driver of a speeding sports car allegedly caused a crash involving a half-dozen vehicles on a Dallas highway last month.
A spokeswoman for Rice’s attorney confirmed to The Associated Press that Rice turned himself in at the Glenn Heights Police Department. Rice is being represented by Texas state Sen. Royce West.
Rice was booked into the Regional Jail in DeSoto, and West said he was released on bond Thursday night.
In an emailed statement, West emphasized what he called Rice's “continued cooperation with law enforcement.”
“Mr. Rice acknowledges his actions and feels deeply for those injured as a result of this accident,” the lawyer said.
Rice said last week on Instagram that he was taking “full responsibility” for his part in the wreck.
On Wednesday, Dallas police said arrest warrants had been issued for Rice, 23, for one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury.
West said previously that Rice was driving a Lamborghini sport utility vehicle when the crash happened March 30.
Theodore Knox, 21, was driving the other speeding sports car, a Corvette, police said, and arrest warrants were issued for Knox on the same range of counts as for Rice. Dallas police said Thursday night that Knox was not currently in custody.
Southern Methodist University said earlier in the day that, after learning of the arrest warrant, Knox had been suspended from its football team. Knox’s attorney, Deandra Grant, said her client was cooperating with law enforcement.
Police have alleged that Rice and Knox were speeding in the far left lane when they lost control, and the Lamborghini traveled onto the shoulder and hit the center median wall, causing a chain collision.
Rice and Knox allegedly left following the crash without determining whether anyone needed medical attention or providing their information, according to police. Four people involved in the crash had minor injuries, police said.
Rice grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills and played college football at nearby Southern Methodist University, where a breakout senior season in 2022 put him on the radar of NFL teams.
The Chiefs selected him in the second round of last year’s draft, and he became one of the few dependable options in their passing game.
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Soccer Superstar Lionel Messi Comes to Arrowhead for Game Against Sporting KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) – Lionel Messi, one of soccer’s greatest players of all time, is coming to Kansas City on Saturday, as Sporting KC plays Inter Miami at Arrowhead Stadium. It’s been one of the hottest tickets for several months. But for Sporting Kansas City forward Daniel Salloi, Messi’s dazzling skill on the other side of the ball means it’s important to avoid being star-struck. "It’s one of those games that these guys can do something special out of nowhere, so we have to be focused and locked in even more than usually," he explained. Kansas City enters the match in the middle of the table with two wins, one loss and four draws. Messi leads the MLS with four goals. The evening match kicks off at 7:30 Saturday evening.
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Copper Cleats from Jackie Robinson Statue Placed in Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – A set of copper baseball cleats from a vandalized statue of Jackie Robinson were entered into Kansas City’s Negro Leagues Baseball Museum Thursday. The shoes were all that was left of the statue, after it was stolen from a Wichita park in January and destroyed. KCUR reports that museum President Bob Kendrick formally accepted the remnants in front of a crowd of baseball fans and visitors. “It fills my heart with great joy and now to bring this wonderful addition into this museum so that we can continue to teach about the life lessons around Jackie Roosevelt Robinson is really important to us,” Kendrick said. The cleats will join an existing display about Robinson, which includes a bullet-scarred plaque that once stood at the baseball player's birthplace. Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947. Wichita Police say they don’t believe the statue’s theft was racially motivated.
(–Related–)
MLB Donates $100,000 to Replace Jackie Robinson Statue in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Major League Baseball has donated $100,000 to replace a statue of Jackie Robinson that was stolen and destroyed earlier this year in Wichita. KMUW reports that the statue was taken in January from the League 42 complex. More than 600 children play in a low-cost baseball league there, which is named for the number Robinson wore. League 42 says money from the gift also will be used to enhance the area around the Jackie Robinson Pavilion and improve security. League officials hope to erect a replacement statue in August.
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EPA to Implement Drinking Water Standards Addressing PFAS Chemical Contamination
UNDATED (HPM) – Only two states in the Midwest regulate toxic “forever chemicals” in drinking water. But now, PFAS chemicals will be federally regulated, following an announcement from the Biden administration. Harvest Public Media reports that the Environmental Protection Agency is implementing the first-ever drinking water standards on six PFAS chemicals. The chemicals join a list of nearly a hundred contaminants - including lead and copper - that must be screened for by all public water systems in the country. Sandy Wynn-Stelt, a Michigan resident whose drinking water was contaminated by a shoemaker, says she felt like the government had failed her when she lost her husband to liver cancer...a disease associated with PFAS exposure. "This has been a long journey, not just in our state where we have made incredible progress, but for our country. This is really a day of celebration," she added. Roughly ten percent of public utilities in the US will need to make changes to meet the new standards, according to an EPA estimate.
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Royals Extend Win Streak to 7 Games with 13-3 Victory over Astros
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bobby Witt Jr. had four hits, including two home runs, and five RBIs and the Kansas City Royals used a nine-run first inning to defeat the Houston Astros 13-3 Thursday to complete a three-game sweep and extend their winning streak to seven games.
Vinnie Pasquantino, who came into Wednesday's game hitting .108 with no RBIs, was 3-for-5 with three RBIs and now is hitting .222 with eight RBIs.
The Royals completed a perfect seven-game homestand against the White Sox and Astros. It's just the third time in franchise history they've played at least seven games on a homestand without a loss. The other two: seven games in 1988 and eight games in 1985, the year they won their first World Series.
Brady Singer (2-0) allowed one run and five hits in five innings.
Hunter Brown (0-2) got only two outs, but allowed nine runs and 11 hits.
The Royals sent 15 men to the plate in the first inning, tying a club record with 11 hits in the inning (also set in 1986 and 2006). It was the second straight game they've batted around in an inning, sending 11 men to the plate in a seven-run inning Wednesday night.
Maikel Garcia (two singles), Witt (a single and a homer) and Pasquantino (two singles) each had two hits and two RBIs in the first inning. Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit in the inning except Kyle Isbel.
The Astros had baserunners in nearly every inning, but got only a solo home run in the fourth from Yainer Diaz and a pair of runs in the sixth, snapping a 19 1/3-inning scoreless streak by the Royals bullpen.
TRAINING ROOM
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander is scheduled for another rehab start this weekend prior to his potential return to the rotation. He's been on the injured list with a right shoulder issue. ... Manager Joe Espada said LHP Framber Valdez averted the worst-case scenario with elbow soreness that put him on the IL on Monday. “The soreness is pretty much all gone,” Espada said. “Now it’s time to let him play catch in the next few days and get him built up.”
UP NEXT
Astros: return to Houston for a six-game homestand against Texas and Atlanta. RHP J.P. Franco (0-1, 4.78 ERA) will take the mound Friday against RHP Dane Dunning (1-1, 4.15 ERA) for Texas.
Royals: go on a six-game road trip to New York and Chicago. RHP Michael Wacha (1-0, 2.25 ERA) will start Friday against the Mets' RHP Luis Severino (0-1, 3.60 ERA).
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