Ag Industry Officials Voice Concerns About Possible Impact of Mass Deportation Efforts
UNDATED (HPM) – President Donald Trump has promised mass deportations of immigrants, and arrests have ramped up since he took office. Harvest Public Media reports that some in the agriculture industry worry about the impact. Some businesses are raising concerns about what deportations will mean for getting their products to market. Matt Teagarden is the CEO of the Kansas Livestock Association. He says he’s in favor of securing U-S borders and deporting immigrants who commit crimes. But his industry relies on noncitizens and temporary visa workers. Without them, he says what’s grown and sold in the U-S will change. “There is a choice here to be made. We can import workers and continue to produce our food here in the United States. Or we can import food,” Teagarden said. He adds that he would like to see legislative reform around immigration including increasing the number of guest workers under H-2A visas.
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Kansas Welcomes 30 Newly Minted U.S. Citizens at Statehouse Ceremony
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - The United States now has 30 new citizens. Governor Laura Kelly officially welcomed them during a naturalization ceremony Monday in Topeka. A judge administered the oath of citizenship to the newly-minted Americans at the Kansas Statehouse. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the people taking the oath included immigrants from four continents, with only South America not being represented.
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U.S. Ag Secretary Nominee Pledges Support for Farmers Affected by Proposed Tariffs
UNDATED (HPM) – Secretary of Agriculture nominee Brooke Rollins says she will work to support U.S. farmers who would be impacted by President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs. Harvest Public Media reports that the trade war during Trump’s previous presidency cost U.S. farmers billions of dollars. To offset those losses, the administration gave out payments. Rollins told senators during her nomination hearing last week that a similar strategy could be on the table again. “We are prepared to execute something similar if approved, if confirmed, but also working with the white house to ensure we can close those holes for our farmers and ranchers moving forward under any sort of tariff execution in the next coming days, in the next few years. That will be a top priority of mine,” Rollins explained. Trump says he could add tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as February 1.
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Kansas Senate Approves Bill to Eliminate Property Tax Support of Some Building Construction and Maintenance
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – The Kansas Senate on Tuesday approved a Republican-led bill aimed at cutting taxes for property owners. The Kansas News Service reports that most property taxes in Kansas go to schools, but a small portion helps the state construct and maintain certain buildings. The bill passed by the Senate would eliminate that portion. Costs would instead be covered by other state funds. Democratic Senator Patrick Schmidt supported the bill, but says it’s not enough on its own to help homeowners. “In 2024 in Kansas, our voters sent us here for real property tax relief,” he explained. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly says she doesn’t want to pass tax cuts this session. But lawmakers might not need her signature to pass this bill, as it earned bipartisan support in the Senate.
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Kansas Health Officials on Alert for More Tuberculosis Cases
UNDATED (KNS) – Kansas health officials are watching for more cases of tuberculosis as the state experiences the largest outbreak since the U.S. began tracking the disease in the 1950s. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says as of January 24th, there were 67 people being treated for active cases of tuberculosis in Wyandotte and Johnson counties. A spokesperson from Johnson County’s health department to the Kansas News Service that their seven patients have completed treatment. Ashley Goss with the state health department recently told lawmakers case numbers are declining, but they’re working with two large employers to monitor for more. “Currently, Kansas has the largest outbreak that they’ve ever had in history,” Goss explained. A state spokesperson says the risk to the public remains low. Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that takes close and repeated contact to spread. (Read more.)
(–Additional reporting–)
Tuberculosis Outbreak that Has Killed 2 in Kansas Continues to Grow
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (NBC) — The number of tuberculosis cases linked to an outbreak in the Kansas City area continues to grow. That's according to state health officials who also confirmed that TB killed two people in Kansas last year. Jill Bronaugh, with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, says at least 67 patients are being treated for active tuberculosis, mostly in Wyandotte County. The other cases are in neighboring Johnson County.
State health officials have described the KCK outbreak as “the largest documented TB outbreak in U.S. history.” But NBC News reports that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has pushed back on that description, noting that there was an even larger TB outbreak at homeless shelters in Georgia from 2015 to 2017.
TB Outbreak in Kansas Largest Since Monitoring Began
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas health officials continue to monitor Wyandotte County, site of the largest outbreak of tuberculosis since the U.S. began tracking cases in the 1950s. Tuberculosis, or TB, is a bacterial infection. A person who is symptomatic has active tuberculosis, while a latent case means the bacteria is dormant. Only someone with an active case can spread the disease.
Ashley Goss, with the state health department, told lawmakers last week that case numbers are trending downward. She also says the state is working with two large employers to identify more cases. “And so we do expect to find more but we’re hoping the more that we find is latent TB and not active, so that their lives are not disrupted and having to stay home from work," she said. More than 100 active cases of TB were recorded in Kansas last year. (Read more.)
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Kansas Legislature Revisits Bill Banning Gender-Affirming Health Care for Trans Teens
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – Kansas lawmakers are again considering legislation that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender teens. The Kansas News Service reports that Republicans narrowly failed to make a similar bill into law last year. If the bill becomes law, Kansas doctors could no longer prescribe puberty blockers, hormone therapy and other treatments to teens with gender dysphoria. Proponents of the bill say those treatments are experimental and dangerous. Opponents say they’re a lifeline for transgender teens, and reduce the risk of suicide. D.C. Hiegert is with the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas. “This bill likely violates constitutional rights of Kansas children, parents, therapists, doctors and teachers, and poses an unprecedented threat to Kansas families by banning the only evidence based health care options available for youth experiencing gender dysphoria,” Hiegert says. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering the constitutionality of a similar law in Tennessee.
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Kansas Legislature Considers Bill Allowing Subsidized Rental Housing Inspections
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – A new bill in the Kansas statehouse would permit cities to periodically inspect government-subsidized rental housing, which is currently not allowed. KMUW reports that Kansas passed a law in 2016 precluding cities and counties from requiring regular interior housing inspections. But the city of Topeka, which requested the bill, is seeking to change that for units that receive government funding like Section 8 rental assistance. Spencer Duncan is a Topeka city council member. He says the city's push for change came after a Topeka apartment complex stopped receiving federal rental assistance due to health and safety issues. "This is a pro-resident bill, and it's really targeted at those bad landlords who are taking government money and then not keeping up their promise and their end of the bargain," Duncan said. The bill does not require municipalities to do more inspections of subsidized units. But it allows cities in Kansas to increase enforcement if they wish.
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Should Kansas Build a Giant Aqueduct to Western Kansas, or Is This Just a Pipe Dream?
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) - Water is a big issue in western Kansas. Some places in the southwest part of the state may only have 25 years of water left due to declines in the Ogallala aquifer. Instead of launching major water conservation efforts, some farmers are focused on building a massive aqueduct that would move water from the Missouri River to the parched plains of western Kansas. Some researchers say the giant aqueduct idea is a giant distraction. (Read more about the issue.)
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Kansas Man Sentenced for Ramming Vehicle into an ICE Agent
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KPR) – A Kansas man has been sentenced to six years in prison for deliberately ramming his vehicle into an ICE agent. According to court documents, 19-year-old Diego Almaguer, of Kansas City, Kansas, pleaded guilty to assaulting the deportation officer in February of last year. Prosecutors say a Fugitive Task Force was trying to make an arrest when the assault took place. While trying to escape, the defendant rammed his vehicle into the ICE agent, causing him to bounce over the windshield before hitting the ground. He then led officers on a high-speed chase into Missouri. He and another person were ultimately arrested in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Two Children Found Dead in Eastern Kansas Lake, Trapped Under the Ice
LINN COUNTY, Kan. (KMBC) — Two children who had not been seen for several hours Monday were later found dead, trapped under the ice of a Kansas lake. Linn County sheriff's deputies responded to the Lake Chaparral community in rural Linn County around 8 pm Monday after reports that two children were missing. Local firefighters joined in the search. KMBC TV reports that ultimately, it was an aerial drone that located the children who had become trapped under the frozen lake. They were already deceased. The Overland Park Fire Department's Dive Team assisted in retrieving the children's bodies from the water.
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Suspect in Officer Involved Shooting in Atchison Dies from Wounds
ATCHISON, Kan. (KPR) - A man from St. Joseph, Missouri, who was shot by an Atchison police officer has died from his injuries. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says 36-year-old Bryson McCray took a woman hostage in her Atchison apartment last Friday night and then began a gunfight with police officers who responded to the scene. A special unit of the Kansas Highway Patrol rescued the woman Saturday morning. McCray was shot during the rescue. No officers were hurt. The shooting remains under investigation.
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Appellate Court Hears Arguments in Driver's License Gender Marker Case
UNDATED (KNS) – The Kansas Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday about allowing transgender Kansans to change the gender marker on their driver’s license. Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach sued to block the changes in 2023. A Shawnee County district judge agreed to temporarily halt gender marker changes while that case is pending. Lawyer Pedro Irigonegaray, who represents the state Department of Revenue, says the appeals court should reverse that decision. “It is not appropriate for a state to deny transgender people the right to dignity,” he said. The attorney general’s office says information on IDs should stay consistent to help law enforcement identify missing people and criminal suspects.
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Bill Would Prohibit Ranked Choice Voting in Kansas Elections
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – A Kansas bill would prohibit the use of ranked choice voting for any election. Ranked choice lets voters select multiple candidates in order of preference, rather than voting for a single candidate. Those who support the ban say ranked choice can confuse voters. Others say the system is more democratic than the current system. Andrew Booze is with a grassroots group that supports ranked choice in Kansas. He spoke against the ban, saying that “...overall, I believe it’s unnecessary, that this is understandable to people, and that it doesn’t disenfranchise people, it empowers them.” Kansas law already doesn’t allow ranked choice, but this bill could curb potential efforts to implement it. Alaska and Maine both use ranked choice. But five other states voted not to implement it in 2024.
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NBC's Lester Holt Selected to Receive KU's William Allen White Award
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - NBC's Lester Holt has been selected to receive the William Allen White Award at the University of Kansas. Holt is the anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News and one of the hosts for NBC's "Dateline" program. Holt will accept the award in person at KU on April 10, William Allen White Day. The event is free and open to the public. The award, named for the famed editor of the Emporia Gazette, recognizes people for outstanding journalistic service.
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New Statehouse Mural Honors Kansas Suffragists
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - A new mural will be unveiled this week at the Kansas Statehouse, depicting the Kansas women who fought for the right to vote. Manhattan artist Phyllis Garibay Coon Pease is the creator of "Rebel Women," a mural of 13 Kansas suffragists. Her mural will be unveiled Wednesday, on Kansas Day, and will join many other murals at the Statehouse depicting historical Kansas events and people. (Learn more.)
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Bob Dylan Tour to Stop in Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Bob Dylan is coming to Wichita. KMUW reports that the traveling troubadour announced that he is bringing his Rough and Rowdy Ways tour to Century II on March 29th. The last time Dylan picked up a guitar in Wichita was in 2004, when he and Willie Nelson played in the city. Now 83 years old and the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016, Dylan has performed for more than 60 years. Tickets for the concert start at $65 dollars and will go on sale at 10 am on Friday. More information is at Selectaseat.com.
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