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Headlines for Tuesday, October 29, 2024

A graphic representation of eight radios of various vintages, underneath the words "Kansas Public Radio News Summary"
Emily DeMarchi
/
KPR

'Kansas Speaks' Survey Shows Significant Support for Medicaid Expansion in Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A survey released Monday by the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University finds that support for Medicaid expansion remains high in Kansas. The Kansas News Service reports that the annual Kansas Speaks survey found 72% of Kansans support expanding Medicaid and 76% think doing so would help rural hospitals remain in business. That support is up slightly from last year. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has tried for years to expand Medicaid but the Republican supermajority in the Kansas Legislature has blocked the policy. Alexandra Middlewood, a political science professor at Wichita State University, says the response highlights how voters’ beliefs on key policy issues don’t always align with their voting behavior. “We can see that a huge portion of Kansans say that it is important to some degree, but there are so many other issues, too, that they’re being forced to consider when making decisions about who to vote for,” she explained. The survey also found that significant majorities of Kansans support legalizing medical and recreational marijuana.

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Study Suggests Kansas Lawmakers' Actions Not Always Reflecting Views of Voters

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – A survey by the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State University finds that more than 6 in 10 Kansans say women are better positioned than politicians to decide whether to get an abortion. The Kansas News Service reports that suggests state lawmakers’ actions don’t always reflect the views of voters. Earlier this year, the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature passed laws directing more money to anti-abortion organizations and requiring doctors to report patients’ reasons for getting an abortion to state officials. More than half of respondents to the Kansas Speaks survey said they oppose those laws. A quarter said they support them and another quarter said they’re neutral or don’t know. Brett Zollinger, director of the Docking Institute, said, “...one takeaway is that Kansans continue to favor women making this decision.” There was a large difference in how men and women responded to certain questions. 55% of women said they strongly agreed that women are better positioned to make choices about getting an abortion, while 36% of men said so.

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GOP Committee Members Want More Information Before Recommending Medical Marijuana Bill

TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas Republicans on a committee on medical marijuana say there are too many unknowns to recommend legalizing it right now. The Kansas News Service reports that the committee held two hearings this month. Afterwards, Democrats wanted to recommend the Legislature pass a bill to legalize medical marijuana next session. But Republicans on the committee, who make up the committee's majority, say they still have questions that need answered. Representative Nick Hoheisel a Republican from Wichita, said “...I can’t support something like this while saying, ‘I don’t have all the facts and information and I need to analyze all the data.’” The committee will meet again in January. Some Republicans say they’d be more open to recommending a bill at that time. Recent polls indicate more than 70% of Kansans support legalizing medical marijuana.

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Kansas Legislators Hear Arguments on Legalization of Medical Marijuana

UNDATED (KPR/KNS) – Kansas lawmakers heard arguments Monday on whether medical marijuana should be legal in the state. Sam Jones is with Kansas Natural Remedies, a company that grows and sells hemp. He cited a recent poll by the Midwest Newsroom and Emerson College that found nearly 73% of Kansans support the legalization of medical marijuana, adding that “...with that information, I really liked what one of the previous testifiers said, is, you know, he said, ‘Let’s not – let’s not be a nanny state.’” Data released Monday from Fort Hays State University’s annual Kansas Speaks survey aligns with the Midwest Newsroom poll when it comes to medical marijuana. It also found 61.3% of Kansans support legalizing recreational weed.

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Death Penalty Opponents Testify in Capital Punishment Hearings

UNDATED (KNS) – Opponents of the death penalty in Kansas were in court Monday to testify in the first of many hearings on capital punishment. The Kansas News Service reports that national legal groups including the American Civil Liberties Union are challenging the death penalty in Wyandotte County District Court. They say it’s racially discriminatory. Alex Valdez, a staff attorney for the ACLU, says Black people are struck from juries at higher rates because they’re more likely to oppose the death penalty. “It's horrible that racism infects at every single level, but it's unimaginably wrong that it could lead to someone's death at the hands of the state,” she said. Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said the challenge is premature because the defendant in the case being cited hasn’t been sentenced yet.

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WSU to Pursue Money for Feasibility Study on Establishing a Dental School

WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Wichita State University leaders say Wichita could be a perfect site for the first school of dentistry in Kansas. WSU officials plan to ask Kansas lawmakers for a $5 million feasibility study to explore how a dental school would fit into Wichita State. University chief of staff Zach Gearhart said during a town hall meeting Tuesday that WSU has an established program in dental hygiene and a post-doctoral program for dentists. He says a dental school would be a boon for the state. “Over 70 counties of 105 counties in Kansas are underserved in dental health care. So this is something where Wichita State can leverage its existing capabilities with new investment from the Legislature,” he explained. Gearhart says building and operating a school of dentistry would cost about $100 million dollars.

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Advocacy Group Recommends Limiting Screen Time in Kansas Schools

WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW/KNS) - An advisory group studying the effects of technology and social media wants Kansas schools to limit the amount of time students spend on screens. The 36-member task force includes Kansas teachers, students, parents and school leaders. They plan to recommend that schools balance technology with non-digital lessons. They also want to limit cell phones to students who need them for medical reasons, such as monitoring blood sugar levels. Erika Sheets is a parent in the Blue Valley district. She says widespread bans on personal devices aren't reasonable and should be left up to parents. “We’re not going to go through and ban every distraction," she said. "There’s a long list of what can distract kids, right? Of all ages. We all know that.” The task force will present its recommendations to the Kansas State Board of Education in November.

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Cities of Hays and Russell Take Edwards County to Court over Water Project

LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Low water levels have sparked a legal conflict in western Kansas. The cities of Hays and Russell in Northwest Kansas are suing neighboring Edwards County over alleged attempts to slow down a water transfer project. The Kansas News Service reports that the cities say their water source is susceptible to contamination and drought. To solve this issue, thirty years ago, they bought land in Edwards County to draw water from. But the lawsuit argues Edwards County imposed zoning regulations to try and keep the water from leaving. Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty says Edwards County can’t decide how the water is used. “The only entity that can tell you what you can and can't do with that property right is the state of Kansas, because they own the water. Everything else is superficial,” he added. An attorney for Edwards County says he's still reviewing the lawsuit.

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Royals Catcher Salvador Perez Gets Roberto Clemente Award

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR) – Catcher Salvador Perez became the first member of the Kansas City Royals to be awarded the Roberto Clemente Award in recognition of humanitarian work. Perez has become well-known for his outgoing personality and his easy engagement with fans and young people. Early this summer, he joined in with some neighborhood kids playing baseball and it ended up going viral on social media. He’s been an active participant in Kansas City’s Urban Youth Academy, but he’s also the owner of a youth baseball league in his Venezuelan hometown of Valencia. Other causes he’s supported have been in fundraising and awareness for ALS, cancer and the families of fallen or wounded police officers. The prestigious Clemente Award caps off a multitude of honors for Perez’s 13th season with the Royals, including his ninth appearance as a member of the American League All-Star team. A representative from Major League Baseball presented the award to Perez Monday night prior to Game Three of the World Series in New York.

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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers. Our headlines are generally published by 10 am weekdays and are updated through 7 pm. This ad-free news summary is made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on X (formerly Twitter).