Kansas Legislature Examines Bill to Reduce State Property Taxes
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – A Kansas bill would reduce state taxes for property owners. That's something Republicans say is a top priority this year. The Kansas News Service reports that most property taxes in Kansas go to school districts. But a small piece of the revenue helps the state construct and maintain its buildings. Republicans want to eliminate that piece. Instead, costs would be covered by revenue from other taxes, like retail and income. Proponents say it would provide relief for property owners. But some say the change could hinder repairs at college campuses in Kansas. Colton Gibson, who lobbies for companies that contract with state universities, said “...make no mistake, if we don’t pay for these repairs now, we will pay for it later at a higher cost.” The GOP is pursuing several kinds of tax cuts this session. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says she’d rather not pass any more tax cuts this year.
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Kansas Lawmakers Expected to Consider Various Health Care-Related Proposals
UNDATED (KNS) – Analysts expect Kansas lawmakers to consider proposals to expand access to sedation dentistry and behavioral health care this year. The Kansas News Service reports that other proposals could face pushback from an expanded Republican supermajority. Kansans on Medicaid who live in rural areas have few options for sedation dentistry. In part, that’s due to low Medicaid reimbursement rates for dental providers. It's something that Linda Sheppard with the Kansas Health Institute says lawmakers could address this year. “They want to make sure that that service is being reimbursed in a way that will make it possible for patients to have access to that,” she explained. Dentists say sedation is especially important for children and people with disabilities. Efforts to expand Medicaid are again unlikely to succeed this year due to a Republican supermajority. It’s also unclear whether lawmakers will have the votes needed to legalize medical marijuana.
Editor's note: The Kansas Health Institute receives funding from the Kansas Health Foundation, which also provides some funding to the Kansas News Service and is a Kansas Public Radio underwriter.
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Legislative Bill Would Allow Kansas Public Schools to Hire Chaplains
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Public schools in Kansas would be able to hire chaplains under a measure being considered by state lawmakers. The Kansas News Service reports that the bill is similar to one introduced in the Kansas House last year. It would allow unlicensed chaplains to volunteer or be hired as school counselors if they get approval from a local school board. Republican Rep. Bill Rhiley of Wellington is pushing the measure. He says chaplains would provide much-needed mental health support for students and teachers. Opponents say unlicensed chaplains could impose their religious beliefs on kids. Texas passed a law in 2023 allowing chaplains to be school counselors. Since then, more than a dozen states have floated similar proposals.
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Governor's Proposal Would Expand Free School Meals to More Kansas Students
UNDATED (KNS) – More Kansas students would get free meals at school under a proposal from Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. The Kansas News Service reports that during her State of the State speech, Kelly put forward a plan some anti-hunger groups have wanted for years. Kelly’s plan would subsidize the family co-pay on reduced-price meals. It would cost the state between $4 million and $7 million a year. For two years during the COVID pandemic, federal subsidies allowed all students to eat free at school. Since then, nine states have passed laws to keep school meals free for everyone.
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Kansas Republicans Hope to Delist Lesser Prairie-Chicken from Threatened Species List
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KPR) — Republican members of Congress from Kansas have introduced legislation to delist the lesser prairie-chicken from the threatened and endangered species list - and to prohibit the bird from ever being placed on the list again. On Tuesday, Kansas Congressmen Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and Ron Estes - as well as Kansas Senator Roger Marshall - introduced a resolution to remove the bird from the Endangered Species Act. It would also bar it from ever being placed on the list of threatened species.
The lesser prairie-chicken is a type of grouse divided into two distinct population groups - the northern and the southern. The northern group lives in grasslands in Kansas, Colorado, western Oklahoma and the north Texas panhandle. The southern group is found in the southwest Texas panhandle and New Mexico. The southern group is currently listed as endangered while the northern is considered threatened. For two decades, the Fish and Wildlife Service has worked with landowners voluntarily to help maintain the lesser prairie-chicken’s habitat.
The bird’s native habitat includes ranch, farmland, and areas above potential oil and gas pockets. In 2023, Kansas threatened to sue over the bird’s listing. The Biden Administration also vetoed several bills that attempted to delist the birds.
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Massive Fire Destroys Apartment Complex in Independence, Missouri
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (KMBC) - A massive fire engulfed an apartment complex in Independence, Missouri, Wednesday morning. KMBC TV reports that the fire started shortly after 6 am at the Indy Ridge Apartments (on E 37th Terrace Court, just North of Independence Commons). High winds made conditions difficult for firefighters. Officials say the blaze started with "unattended cooking." No injuries have been reported so far, but the building, which housed around 24 units, is considered a total loss. The fire was brought under control just before 8 am.
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Fire Extinguished at Coffeyville Refinery
COFFEYVILLE, Kan. (KOAM) - All employees are accounted for after a fire broke out at a refinery in southeast Kansas. KOAM TV reports that flames erupted at the refinery complex in Coffeyville Tuesday afternoon. The owner, CVR Energy, says the blaze has been been extinguished and all workers are safe. An investigation into the fire is underway.
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Kansas City, Wichita, Overbrook, and Lawrence Establishments Named as James Beard Award Semifinalists
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Semifinalists in the so-called “Oscars of the culinary world” were announced Wednesday, and seven Kansas City-area restaurants made the cut. KCUR reports that a bar owner, a cocktail lounge, a baker and several local chefs were all named semifinalists for the 2025 national James Beard Awards. Nominees from Kansas include restaurants in Overbrook and Wichita, and John Brown's Underground bar in Lawrence. The Town Company in downtown Kansas City received two nods. Executive Chef Johnny Leach and his wife, Executive Pastry Chef Helen Jo Leach, create seasonal menus of popular Midwestern dishes. Johnny Leach says to be acknowledged on this platform is huge. “We're so humbled and honored to be a part of the culinary scene in Kansas City. We love Kansas City. We love being able to contribute to the local dining climate here so much,” Leach added.
The James Beard Foundation will announce winners in June in Chicago.
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18-Year-Old Found Guilty in Leavenworth School Shooting Threat Case
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (KCUR) – A jury on Tuesday found an 18-year-old guilty of making a shooting threat against Leavenworth High School. KCUR reports that the Leavenworth County Attorney’s office charged Kaden Ray Bentley with aggravated criminal threat in September after he made school shooting threats on Snapchat. School districts in the Kansas City area received a surge of threats at the start of the school year, prompting lockdowns and leading to multiple arrests. Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said school threats are serious matters and the defendant’s actions led to “real consequences while creating fear, panic, and disruption.” Bentley’s sentencing is scheduled for February 26.
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Osage County Sheriff IDs Duck Hunter Who Fell from Boat and Drowned
OSAGE COUNTY, Kan. (Hays Post) — Authorities have identified the Kansas man who drown at Melvern Lake over the weekend. The Osage County sheriff's office says 28-year-old Justin T. Steinman, of Overland Park, fell from his boat and drowned Saturday afternoon. The Hays Post reports that a lengthy search by land, air and water was conducted before Steinman was located and pulled from the water. Life-saving measures were performed, but he was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
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Possible House Explosion Under Investigation in Chanute
CHANUTE, Kan. (KOAM) - Investigators are looking into a possible explosion at a house in Chanute. KOAM TV reports that fire officials were dispatched to the home (in the 600 block of West 16th) Monday afternoon on a report of a structure fire with a possible explosion. The Kansas State Fire Marshal has been called in to investigate.
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No Injuries in Atchison Train Derailment
ATCHISON, Kan. (KMBC) - No injuries following a train derailment in Atchison. Part of a coal train slid off the tracks Monday evening. KMBC TV reports that the six rail cars involved were empty at the time.
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Dismissed Cases Against January 6th Participants Include 6 from Missouri and Kansas
UNDATED (KCUR) – The interim U.S. Attorney in Washington moved rapidly Tuesday to dismiss cases against January Sixth rioters from Missouri and Kansas. KCUR reports that there are six active January 6th cases, four from Missouri and two from Kansas. By noon Tuesday, the government had offered motions to dismiss those cases with prejudice, meaning they can’t be refiled. A judge will still have to grant the motions. Four Missouri men are still in prison following their convictions. Motions to dismiss those cases have yet to be filed. The man in charge of all of this is interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin, a St. Louis lawyer who was prominent in the “Stop the Steal” movement and who tweeted from the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
(–Related-)
KC Area Residents Charged in Capitol Riot Pardoned by President Trump
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KSHB) — Seven Kansas City-area residents charged in the January 6 riot have been pardoned by President Trump. KSHB TV reports that 1,500 people were pardoned for charges and convictions related to the attack. The Kansas City-area residents affected by the president's pardons are:
Jennifer Parks, of Leavenworth
Esther Schwemmer, of Leavenworth
Carey Jon Walden, of Kansas City, Missouri
William Chrestman, of Olathe
Christopher Kuehne, of Olathe
Louis Enrique Colon, of Blue Springs
Ryan Ashlock, of Gardner
The action provides an unconditional pardon to all individuals convicted of offenses related to events that occurred at or near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
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Kansas Governor Recommends Pay Raises for Government Employees
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCL) - In her budget proposal, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has included pay raises for state government workers. She's requesting a 2.5% pay raise for almost all state employees and a 5% raise for those who work at facilities that operate 24 hours a day, like state prisons and state hospitals.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Republican lawmakers have generally favored pay raises for state workers based on how salaries compare to market rates, rather than the universal pay bump proposed by the Democratic governor.
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Wichita Provides Funding for Health Testing Connected to Groundwater Contamination
WICHITA, Kan.(KMUW) – Wichita's City Council voted Tuesday to provide some funding for health testing for communities impacted by groundwater contamination. KMUW reports that in 2022, residents learned about a decades-old site of groundwater contamination near 29th and Grove in northeast Wichita, affecting around 2800 addresses. Last June, Kansas legislators made $2.5 million dollars available for cancer screenings for impacted residents. But the state required a $1 million dollar local match to make all the funding available. Months later, the city has now approved $125,000 in matching funds. City council member Brandon Johnson says the vote was months in the making, adding that he is "...looking forward to getting the rest of the funds to make this plan work, and looking forward to getting people in there to get tested so they can learn what's going on with them." Johnson says the rest of the matching dollars will come from the county and private donors, such as the Kansas Health Foundation.
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USDA Says High Price of Eggs Linked to Bird Flu
UNDATED (HPM) – The average price for a dozen eggs has soared to over $4 in recent weeks. Harvest Public Media reports that bird flu is a big reason why. More than 13 million egg-laying hens died last month because of bird flu, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s the most of any month last year. The losses are a big factor in higher egg prices, says Jada Thompson, a poultry economist at the University of Arkansas. “One of the hard parts is there's this regional concentration of production. And so when a disease is going through and and hitting farms in that area it's gonna affect multiple farms, and that's gonna affect the supply of eggs, and that supply then will affect our prices,” she explained. Thompson says egg prices will likely fall as bird flu cases drop and the egg supply recovers. But more outbreaks of the virus could push prices back up. (Read more.)
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Federal Grant Expands Health Care Options in Rural Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KNS) - Some rural Kansans have more options for health appointments outside regular work hours thanks to a federal grant. Konza Prairie Community Health Center provides medical, dental and behavioral care to people at three Kansas locations: Junction City, Manhattan and Chapman.
CEO Danielle Halgren says the federal grant helps them expand hours of operation at their Manhattan clinic. “We have already hired the additional medical provider and dental provider and pharmacist for that location so that we can extend til 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.” Halgren says they serve a lot of uninsured or underinsured people, so the money helps fill health care gaps in the region.
Jason Wesco, president of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, one of the grant recipients, says the $500,000 grant they received will help them extend hours at three of their locations: Pittsburg, Pleasanton and Garnett. Wesco says patients in those areas typically can’t afford to take off from work or school to visit a clinic. “And so our goal is to help them avoid more expensive care by being here in mornings and evenings and weekends so they can get the right care that they need at the right time," he said. Wesco says they serve about 90,000 patients a year at 15 spots in Kansas and two in Oklahoma.
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Confident Bettor Wagers $1.3 Million that KC Will Beat Buffalo
UNDATED (KPR) - Someone with a lot of money has a lot of faith that the Kansas City Chiefs will defeat the Buffalo Bills this weeken...so much so, that this person has placed a $1.3 million bet on the Chiefs to win. The Chiefs host the Bills at Arrowhead in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. The winner moves on to the Super Bowl. If the bet pays off, the total payout will be $2.3 million. According to Caesars Sportsbook, the Chiefs are a slight favorite to win. The game will be televised on CBS Sunday evening at 5:30.
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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).