Kansas Purges All DEI Elements from State Government
TOPEKA, Kan. (LJW) — The Kansas Secretary of Administration announced Tuesday that his office has scoured more than 20,000 job titles in state government to remove from them any mention of diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Lawrence Journal-World reports any employees whose duties related to diversity, equity and inclusion programs have been assigned different work.
The changes were made to comply with the Republican-controlled legislature’s directive that all state agencies, including public universities, end all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The secretary of administration, Adam Proffitt, says he is “confident” the state is now compliant with that directive.
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Kansas Officials Refuse to Turn Over SNAP Recipient Data to USDA
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector) – The Kansas Department for Children and Families said Wednesday through a press release that it will not release personal data of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients to the federal government. The government had set a deadline of July 30 for compliance. The Kansas Reflector reports that Kansas DCF said releasing the data could open the department to liability, depending on the outcome of a lawsuit that has been filed by multiple states. Kansas is not a party in the lawsuit, which is asking courts to stop the U.S. Department of Agriculture from forcing states to turn over the data, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, and data documenting SNAP usage. It's the second time Kansas has refused to run over data requested by the USDA. Kansas DCF Secretary Laura Howard said in a letter to the USDA that the Agriculture Department's plan to share the data with other agencies to investigate and prosecute violations of the law was one component of the decision to not release the data until the lawsuit is resolved.
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Detention Raids Target Workers in Kansas City Area
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) – Federal officers detained up to 12 workers at two Mexican restaurants in the Kansas City area Wednesday. KCUR reports that advocates are calling the action coordinated immigration raids. Immigration advocates say agents with Homeland Security Investigations conducted raids mid-day at El Toro Loco Mexican Bar and Grill locations in Kansas City, Kansas, and Lenexa. Kansas City group Advocates for Immigration Rights and Reconciliation said in a statement that seven workers were detained in KCK, and up to five workers were taken into custody in Lenexa. The group says agents placed “closed” signs on the front doors before the raid, which they say created “an atmosphere of intimidation” for workers. HSI is a part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency did not immediately return a request for comment.
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Kansas Chamber of Commerce Announces New Leadership
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) – The Kansas Chamber of Commerce is under new leadership. The Kansas News Service reports that the group has been a powerful force in state politics. Alan Cobb served as president of the Chamber for eight years before resigning last week. The Chamber’s political action committee has been key in electing Republicans to the Kansas Legislature and helping expand the GOP’s supermajority in the Statehouse. The organization announced that Coleen Jennison of Wichita will serve as interim president and CEO. Jennison says the group’s mission will not change, adding that “...we will continue to advocate for pro-business policies that make Kansas the best place to do business in, and then thereby, live in.” Jennison most recently served as vice president for Cox Communications in Kansas.
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Massive Russian Earthquake Detected in Kansas
UNDATED (KPR) — The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia on Wednesday registered on a seismograph in Kansas. The Kansas Geological Survey’s seismograph in Sedgwick County detected the quake, which is believed to be one of the strongest ever recorded. The distance from the epicenter to Sedgwick County is roughly 5,000 miles.
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NTSB Holds Hearings into Deadly Crash of Flight from Wichita
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KMUW) — Federal safety officials will hold hearings this week in Washington concerning the deadly crash involving a commercial airline flight from Wichita. The National Transportation Safety Board will hear from its investigative staff and witnesses beginning Wednesday. They'll discuss details of the midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Eagle flight on January 29th that killed 67 people. The three-day hearing will include discussions about the crowded airspace around Reagan National Airport and procedures in the airport’s air traffic control tower. People can watch a live-stream of the hearings on the NTSB’s website, NTSB.gov.
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State of Kansas Reaches Settlement in Prison Death Lawsuit
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) — The State of Kansas will pay out $275,000 in a settlement after a prisoner was allegedly killed by his cellmate. The Kansas News Service reports that Gary Raburn died in 2023 at Lansing Correctional Facility after his cellmate allegedly attacked him. In a lawsuit, Raburn’s family says the state knew the cellmate had an extensive history of violence. They say the state failed to protect Raburn while he was in custody. The suit also says Raburn was physically infirm and about 37 years older than his cellmate. The cellmate was later charged with capital murder. State lawmakers opted to settle the case outside of court, at the request of the Kansas Attorney General’s Office.
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Rep. Sharice Davids Seeks to Aid Kansans Losing Food Assistance
UNDATED (KCUR) — Democratic U.S. Representative Sharice Davids says she wants to help thousands of Kansans who are losing federal food assistance. But she says that will be hard in the Republican-controlled Congress. The Trump administration’s recently approved tax and spending bill cut funding and changed eligibility requirements for food stamps. Davids told KCUR that she wants Congress to enact new policies to make sure Kansans don’t go hungry. But that would require bipartisan support in the U.S. House, and she says Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is not up to the task. “There’s some failures on his part in protecting people that need it the most,” she asserted. Davids says the new law also cuts funding to Medicaid and could lead to rural hospital closures.
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Kansas Man Charged with Killing Wyandotte County Sheriff's Deputy
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCUR) — A 38-year-old Kansas man accused of killing a Wyandotte County Sheriff’s deputy was charged with capital murder Tuesday. Shawn Harris faces life in prison or the death penalty if convicted in the fatal shooting of Deputy Elijah Ming. Kansas City, Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman says Harris shot at the deputy during a domestic violence call last Saturday. “This is another example of the far-reaching effects of domestic violence. Unfortunately, in this situation, Deputy Ming was in the middle of that,” Oakman said. KCUR reports that Harris was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon by a felon. The case is still under investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
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Over-the-Counter Contraceptives Now Available at Some Convenience Store Locations in Kansas and Missouri
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCUR) – Kansas and Missouri residents can now buy the morning-after pill from some convenience stores. KCUR reports that it's part of efforts to increase accessibility to emergency contraception. A California company called Cadence OTC is now selling their over-the-counter contraceptives at eight 7-Eleven locations in Missouri and five in Kansas. Their “morning-after” pill costs $25 in-store and needs to be taken within 3 days after sex to work. Emergency contraception has been available over-the-counter for years, but many regions have few, if any, retailers that sell it. The Cadence company says selling at stores like 7-Eleven is just one step toward making contraception more accessible and affordable.
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Salina Votes to Remove Log Jam from Smoky Hill River
SALINA, Kan. (KSN) — The Salina City Commission has voted to move ahead with a plan to remove that massive log jam on the Smoky Hill River. The jam has become something of a tourist attraction, raising fears that people could be injured if it collapses. The commission voted Monday to pay more than $450,000 to remove the debris from the river. KSN reports it’s expected to take about two weeks to remove the jam. The commission rejected a cheaper plan to simply set the log jam on fire, as that would only burn to the waterline, leaving hazards below the surface.
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Medicaid to Cover More Dental Care for Low-Income Kansans
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) — Some low-income Kansans may have better access to dental care thanks to an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for dentists. State lawmakers recently provided funding to increase rates for certain dental services. Kevin Robertson is executive director for the Kansas Dental Association, a group that advocated for the rate increase. He says the increased funding helps, "but at the end of the day, our hope is that those increases will create more providers in the dental network for Medicaid in Kansas.” Robertson says the rate increases also covers sedation dentistry, which helps people relax during dental work and is often used for patients with special needs.
The recently approved funding will increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for exams, x-rays and fillings. Tayna Dorf-Brunner works for Oral Health Kansas, a group that advocated for the rate increase. She says only about 30% of Kansas dentists currently take Medicaid patients. She says it’s especially hard for rural residents. “There are 41 counties that have no Medicaid dental provider at all," she said. "And they are all in rural counties - mostly western Kansas - but definitely some in the east and southeast Kansas.” Dorf-Brunner says the increased rates for dental work may enable more providers to accept Medicaid and help improve dental health among low-income Kansans.
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Sunflower Summer Program Extended to August 8
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) – The Sunflower Summer program has been extended for five days. It now runs through Friday, August 8. The popular program allows Kansas children to visit more than 230 attractions across the state for free, including zoos, art galleries, museums, nature centers, and historical sites. Kansas students who are enrolled in Pre-K through 12th grade can participate. One adult accompanying the child is also admitted free. (Click here for more information.) This year’s Sunflower Summer program was shorter than in past years, due to budget cuts.
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