Kansas Governor Vetoes Bills on Public Health and Food Assistance Limitations
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – Democratic Governor Laura Kelly on Friday vetoed bills that would restrict the authority of public health officials and aim to ban using SNAP benefits on sugary foods. The Kansas News Service reports that Kelly rejected an attempt by Republican lawmakers to ask the federal government to stop covering certain sugary foods with food stamps. Governor Kelly says she supports promoting healthy eating but argues the bill is too restrictive and broad. It targets snacks like protein bars and trail mix, for example. The governor also vetoed a bill that would prevent public health officials from limiting the size of gatherings during a pandemic. Lawmakers will soon return to Topeka and vote whether to override her vetoes.
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Johnson County Works Toward Partnership with Non-Profit to Address Housing Crisis
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. (KNS) - Affordable housing is hard to find in Johnson County. That's not news. But the Johnson County Board of Commissioners has taken a step toward partnering with a non-profit to address housing shortages. The Greater Kansas City Home Ownership Initiative says it wants to work with Johnson County to increase affordable housing options. A recent report showed that the number of attainable houses in Johnson County dropped 75% since 2018. Commissioner Janee Hanzlick says working with developers to identify potential housing projects could help reverse that trend. “We will learn what we can be doing better to help make it possible for developers to develop housing that is attainable for all people," she said. Chair Mike Kelly recused himself from the vote following accusations of conflicts of interest between his law firm and the non-profit, which he denied.
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Kansas GOP Rep Pat Proctor Running for Secretary of State
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Republican state Representative Pat Proctor has entered the race for Kansas Secretary of State. Proctor says he would restore voter confidence as the top election official in Kansas. He points to bills the Legislature has passed since he became House elections chair … like a new law ending a grace period for mail ballots. Critics, however, say that law will make the state throw out more votes. Voting advocates also criticized Proctor in February after he was recorded saying early voting should be only for the quote, “military and severely disabled.” Proctor told the Kansas News Service after the tape leaked that he would not try to eliminate early voting. Current Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab is running in the Republican primary for governor in 2026.
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KPR's Spring Fund Drive Off to a Healthy Start
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Public Radio kicked off its spring membership drive Friday morning with the Power Breakfast. During the Power Breakfast, the station tries to raise an entire day's worth of funds in less than two hours. With the help of volunteer and supporter Tai Edwards, history professor at Johnson County Community College, KPR raised more than $19,000. "That's a great start," said KPR Development Director Joanna Fewins. During the Power Breakfast, a pool of matching money is used to encourage listeners to pledge, enticing them with a dollar-for-dollar match of their contribution. "The Power Breakfast is one of the best times to give," Fewins said. "Not only are we matching pledges, but we are reducing the amount of time we spend on the air asking for money. More programming and less on-air fundraising - that's what we're aiming for," she said.
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KU Economist Warns of Broad Price Increases Due to Tariffs
UNDATED (KCUR) – The threat of a potential trade war has some Kansans stocking up on all manner of items. President Donald Trump is imposing sweeping tariffs on almost all imports. University of Kansas economist Donna Ginther says these import taxes will raise the price of foreign-made goods, and those made in the U.S. with materials from overseas. "These tariffs touch every aspect of the economy, everything from computers to phones to batteries, to inputs in manufacturing, like steel and aluminum. All those prices are going to go up," she explained. Ginther says Trump’s tariffs will drive up prices on just about everything by summer, if they are still in place then.
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Children's Mercy Hospital to Undergo Major Expansion in Overland Park
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (KMBC) — Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas has begun work to improve patient care and access to services with a major expansion. KMBC reports that the hospital is launching a $152 million expansion plan. Construction will take place in phases, with the first phase already underway. The first phase focuses on surgical services and should be finished in summer 2026.
The hospital in Overland Park is the only freestanding pediatric hospital in Kansas. Overall hospital renovations will also take place, which are set to be finished by summer 2029.
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Kansas Supreme Court Hears Vaccine Refusal Case
UNDATED (Johnson County Post) – The Kansas Supreme Court is considering a case involving a Johnson County woman who refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine when she applied for a health care job. The Johnson County Post reports that in fall 2022, a Leawood physical therapy clinic offered Katlin Keeran a job, which was contingent on proof she received a COVID vaccine. When Keeran requested a religious exemption, the clinic asked whether she had received other vaccinations in the past. After Keeran said she got a flu shot, the company decided she didn’t meet the criteria for an exemption. That extra bit of probing by the clinic is now at the heart of a legal challenge heard this week by the Kansas Supreme Court. A 2021 Kansas law requires employers to accept at face value any requests for religious exemptions to vaccines. But the court will decide whether that conflicts with federal laws demanding that heath care workers be vaccinated in order for their employers to get Medicare and Medicaid funds.
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KSDE Working to Recover Millions in Federal Funding
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is working to recover $22.6 million in federal funding it was set to receive this year. That money was earmarked to help students recover from learning gaps experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. KSNT reports that on Thursday, the KSDE announced in a news release that state education chiefs learned late last month that the U.S. Department of Education was ending the period of time in which states could spend money from the Education Stabilization Fund (ESF), a $276 billion pool of money for state and institutional COVID-19 recovery and rebuilding efforts. Last year, the state of Kansas acquired an extension to utilize its remaining ESF funding through March 28, 2026. The Kansas Department of Education was preparing to use the remaining funds for training and programs to accelerate student learning recovery from the pandemic. The KSDE is seeking reinstatement of the fund, but in the meantime has paused all tasks related to contracts associated with the programs that would incur additional costs. The state of Kansas has already spent nearly $2 billion of its ESF funding.
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13,000 Kansas Insurance Policies Affected by Liquidation of Key Insurance Company
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – The Kansas Insurance Department is offering assistance to residents affected by the recent liquidation of a multi-state insurance company. Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt says her agency is trying to help Kansans affected by the liquidation of Key Insurance Company. A Shawnee County judge ordered the insolvent company to liquidate. The company had around 30,000 remaining policies in place nationwide when the order was released. About 13,000 of these policies were in Kansas. KSNT reports that people who have questions are encouraged to visit the Kansas Insurance Department's website or call (785) 296-3071.
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Kansas City Museums Affected by Federal Funding Cuts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Kansas City museums are strapped for resources after the Trump Administration gutted the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The federal agency is the largest funder of cultural organizations in the U.S. KCUR reports that a major project at the National World War One Museum and Memorial to scan artifacts to make them available for researchers online is in limbo. President and CEO Matthew Naylor says a shipment of World War I-era maps is ready to send out to a vendor but he’s anxious about funding. “We're sort of in a holding pattern at the moment because quite frankly, we don't know what's happening. And that's part of the predicament,” he explained. Federal staff at the Institute were placed on leave Monday.
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KSU Experts Encourage Use of Cover Crops
LIBERAL, Kan. (KNS) – Cover crops can reduce wind erosion, but only a fraction of farmers in Kansas use them. After increasing dust storms, experts are urging farmers to embrace cover crops. Southwest Kansas was the heart of the infamous dust bowl almost a century ago. Even all these years later, wind blows away 70 million tons of soil from the state each year. The Kansas News Service reports that Kansas State University is encouraging more farms to adopt cover crops, even in dry southwest Kansas where some people believe they cannot grow. Most farmers leave their soil bare between crop plantings. Cover crops keep the ground covered and provide the soil nutrients. K-State agronomist Logan Simon says these regenerative practices can work. “The people that are making that work are those that are using it as a grazing resource where we're bringing cattle back out on the fields,” he added. Research has suggested that this technique can actually increase a farmer’s total yields.
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Kansas Battles Doctor Shortage with New Fast-Track Medical Program
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Kansas is experiencing a shortage of doctors, with two-thirds of the counties in the state lacking enough physicians to serve their populations. That's according to new federal data from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration. To address the growing need, several colleges have formed partnerships. This week, Kansas Health Science University (KHSU) in Wichita announced a new alliance with Hesston College.
KWCH TV reports that Kansas Health Science University is the only osteopathic medical school in Kansas. Under the new partnership, certain students at Hesston College will be able to fast-track their education by entering a doctoral program at at the Kansas Health Science University. Students will begin their first year of medical school while completing their final year of undergraduate studies at Hesston College.
This arrangement is commonly known as a 3+4 program. It helps students to obtain both their bachelor’s degree and medical degree in seven years instead of the traditional eight. KHSU will welcome its first cohort of students from Hesston College in the fall of 2027.
In addition to Hesston College, KHSU has established similar programs with seven other universities and colleges, including Wichita State University, Kansas Wesleyan University, Southwestern College, Fort Hays State University, Friends University, and Newman University. KHSU’s College of Medicine is the first private, nonprofit osteopathic medical school in Kansas.
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Salina Dodges a Small Bullet; Severe Weather Season Has Arrived
SALINA, Kan. (KPR) - The city of Salina dodged a small bullet this week. The central Kansas town was in the crosshairs of a tornado Tuesday night. "I mean, it was tracking right for the Salina area," said Scott Smith, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wichita. But the tornado was so brief and so weak that they didn't even send out a survey crew. "From what we've heard, there was no damage found. So, we didn't send anyone out. Must have been just a really quick touch down or a funnel cloud," Smith said. The weak twister still serves as a good reminder: spring is here and so is severe weather season. Forecasters advise everyone to have an emergency weather plan and a disaster kit in place - and to make sure they have more than one way to receive weather information.
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Kansas Literacy Program Funding Left Out of Proposed State Budget
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – A program to promote literacy in Kansas schools could end after Republicans left funding for it out of a proposed state budget. The Kansas News Service reports that last year, lawmakers from both parties approved the Blueprint for Literacy. It trains teachers to better instruct kids how to read. But Republican leaders cut the $10 million for the program out of their proposed budget this year. They have not given a specific reason. Democratic Representative Nikki McDonald says she feels ashamed the Legislature might reverse course on the funding, adding that “...a budget is a reflection of our priorities, and I had hoped that we would prioritize our children more.” Legislators return for a brief veto session next week. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has asked them to continue working on the budget due to its projected cost.
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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).