Governor Signs Kansas Public School Funding Bill into Law
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Governor Laura Kelly has signed legislation to increase public school funding a day after Kansas lawmakers approved the plan. Kelly, a Democrat, signed the bill at a ceremony Saturday, saying she was following through on a campaign promise to be the state's "education governor" and to try to end a protracted education funding lawsuit. The bill was a measure pushed by Kelly in hopes of satisfying a court mandate for more school funding. The bill ties Kelly's proposal to increase spending on public schools by roughly $90 million to several education policy changes favored by GOP lawmakers. Four school districts sued the state over education funding in 2010. The Kansas Supreme Court said in an order last year that a 2018 law promising additional funding increases wasn't sufficient because it hadn't accounted for inflation. An obligation to finance a suitable education for every Kansas child is written into the state's constitution.
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Medicaid Expansion Fight Delaying Work on Next Kansas Budget
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) _ A legislative fight over expanding Medicaid in Kansas is delaying approval of the state's next annual budget. Some top GOP lawmakers are conceding that expansion could pass. Expansion is a priority for Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and has bipartisan support in the Republican-controlled Legislature. However, opponents are hoping for time to develop a smaller program than Kelly wants with a work requirement and other restrictions she opposes. Expansion became a sticking point in negotiations between the House and Senate on budget issues. It caused them to put off votes until May on any part of the budget for the fiscal year beginning in July. Expansion costs are hotly debated, but the disagreement in budget talks is over how much to tie Kelly's hands in pursuing expansion this year.
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Kansas Lawmakers Allow Veto of Tax Relief Measure to Stand
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a Republican tax relief bill will stand because GOP lawmakers did not attempt to override it. The Republican-controlled Legislature adjourned Friday for its annual spring break without an override attempt. The deadline for trying to override will pass before lawmakers reconvene May 1. The bill was designed to prevent individuals and businesses from paying more in state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. Republican leaders said it would have prevented an unlegislated tax increase. Kelly and fellow Democrats said the bill was fiscally reckless. Republicans hold the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override a veto but at least a few GOP lawmakers were expected to vote against overturning Kelly's action, making an attempt futile.
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Democrat Seeks Debate on Medicaid Expansion in Kansas Senate
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Senate's top Democrat is trying to force the chamber to debate Medicaid expansion. Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka notified the Senate on Friday that he will try to pull a Medicaid expansion bill out of committee. Hensley made the move just before lawmakers adjourned for an annual spring break. Senators will vote on the matter when lawmakers reconvene May 1. Hensley will need 24 of 40 votes to succeed. The bill contains a modified version of Democratic Governor Laura Kelly's proposal to expand state Medicaid health coverage to as many as 150,000 more people. The House approved it last month. Top Senate Republicans oppose Medicaid expansion and argue that it will prove too expensive even with the federal government's promise to cover most of the cost.
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Kansas Lawmakers Pass Bill to Allow Farm Bureau Health Plan
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas have pushed through a measure allowing the state Farm Bureau to offer health coverage that doesn't satisfy federal Affordable Care Act mandates. The Kansas House approved a bill on an 84-39 vote that would exempt health coverage offered by the Farm Bureau from state insurance regulation. Supporters anticipate that the nonprofit group could offer lower-cost products to thousands of individuals. The Senate approved the bill Thursday on a 28-12 vote and it goes next to Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. The bill had overwhelming support from GOP legislators and faced strong opposition from Democrats. Kelly hasn't taken a public position on it. The Kansas proposal is patterned after a Tennessee law in place for decades, and Iowa enacted its own law last year.
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Kansas Lawmakers OK Mandating Notice on Abortion "Reversal"
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers have approved a measure that would require abortion providers to tell patients that medication abortions can be reversed after they take the first of two pills. The votes Friday were 85-35 in the House and 26-11 in the Senate. The bill goes to Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. She is an abortion-rights supporter and has questioned whether the bill is based on sound science. The bill deals with medication abortions involving RU-486. It would require abortion providers to inform patients that RU-486 isn't always effective in ending a pregnancy, so that a medication abortion can be reversed. Supporters said the bill ensures that women have the information so they can continue their pregnancies if they change their minds. Critics say it requires providers to distribute questionable information.
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Court: State Must Pay Legal Fees over 'In Cold Blood' Notes
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A court has ordered Kansas to pay legal fees arising from its efforts to block publication of notebooks kept by the lead investigator into the murders chronicled in Truman Capote's book "In Cold Blood." KCUR reports the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled last week the state must pay more than $168,000 to attorneys who represented the investigator's son and a literary memorabilia dealer in Seattle. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt sued in 2012 to prevent the publication or selling of notes from Harold Nye, lead investigator into the killings of the Clutter family in 1959 in Holcomb, Kansas. A judge ruled in 2014 that Nye's son, Ronald, could use the notebooks as the basis for a book. He also ordered the state to pay legal fees.
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Teen Skateboarder Seriously Hurt While Being Pulled by Car
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a 15-year-old skateboarder was seriously injured while being pulled down a street by a car. The Wichita Eagle reports that the teen was holding onto an open car window Sunday when he lost control and hit his head on the ground as he fell. Bystanders called 911, and he was rushed to a hospital, where he remained in critical condition Monday. Wichita police Officer Charley Davidson says another 15-year-old also was being pulled by the car at the time. But that teen was able to let go and stopped safely. Davidson says the teen's 16-year-old friend was in the driver's seat. The case will be presented to prosecutors for possible criminal charges, while adding that speed and alcohol aren't believed to be a factor.
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Fans of 'Queer Eye' Show Raise $90,000 for Kansas Woman
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A woman whose experience of being kicked out of her home as a 16-year-old because she's a lesbian was highlighted on the Netflix show "Queer Eye" has a fresh shot at college after fans raised enough to pay off her student loans. The show tells the story of 23-year-old Jess Guilbeaux attempting to put herself through college at the University of Kansas before dropping out due to debt. It led a supporter to set up a GoFundMe last month, with a goal of raising $100,000 to "Send Jess Back to College!" More than $90,000 has been raised so far. GoFundMe spokesperson Aja Shepherd told The Wichita Eagle reports that Guilbeaux managed to pay off her loans thanks to the generosity of people around the world. The university declined to comment.
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Kansas Woman Killed, Suspect Arrested in Missouri
NORTON, Kan. (AP) — State and county authorities say a man arrested in Missouri is suspected of killing his 38-year-old wife in northern Kansas. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says Lori Shields was found dead in her home in Norton Sunday afternoon. Her husband, 42-year-old Damien Shields, was arrested Monday in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, after police responded to a hotel after receiving a call for help. The KBI says Damien Shields was hospitalized in Cape Girardeau for injuries that appeared to be self-inflicted. He was later booked into the Cape Girardeau County Jail. Lori Shields was a secretary at Eisenhower Elementary School in Norton. Classes in the district were called off Monday in response to her death.
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Motorcyclist Dies After Crashing on Kansas Raceway
PARK CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a motorcyclist has died after crashing on a Kansas raceway. The Wichita Eagle reports that the crash happened around 1 p.m. Sunday at the Jeeps Motorcycle Club raceway in Park City. Police Sgt. Richard Wolff says paramedics responded and performed CPR on the 30-year-old but he didn't survive. His name wasn't immediately released. Wolff says it's not yet known if the man crashed and died of a medical condition, or if he died of injuries related to the crash. The nonprofit, member owned club announced in a Facebook post that the decision was made to call the remainder of the races Sunday. The post says the club's "thoughts and prayers go out to the racers family and friends" Park City is located on the northern edge of the Wichita area.
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Second Teen Charged in Killing of 17-Year-Old Olathe Student
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A second teenager has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 17-year-old Olathe East High School senior. The Kansas City Star reports that the new suspect charged is a 17-year-old boy. He and a 16-year-old girl also charged with murder earlier this week are accused in the death of 17-year-old Rowan Padgett of Overland Park. Prosecutors are seeking to try both teens as adults. The Associated Press typically does not name juveniles charged with a crime. Authorities say Padgett's killing in a suburban cul-de-sac on March 29 occurred during a drug deal involving the anxiety drug Xanax. Padgett, an Olathe East High School senior, was just weeks from celebrating his 18th birthday when he died.
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Visitor Notices Live Cannonball on Display in Kansas Museum for Past 20 Years
PLEASANTON, Kan. (AP) — Authorities in eastern Kansas have detonated a Civil War-era cannonball that had been on public display for two decades before officials determined it was live ordnance. Kansas City television station KMBC reports that the cannonball had been on display for 20 years at a Pleasanton museum before it was detonated Friday afternoon. The 90-pound (40.82-kilogram) cannonball was donated to the Trading Post Museum. It had originally been purchased in the Chesapeake Bay area in the 19th Century. A visitor to the museum Thursday noticed a fuse in the cannonball and alerted museum officials that it might still be live. Museum officials contacted authorities, and Fort Riley's Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit later came out to detonate it in a controlled environment. No one was injured.
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Gift to KU Will Fund Professorship in Military History
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas plans to establish a new professorship focused on military history with a $500,000 gift from a 1972 graduate. The university says in a news release that David Pittaway, of Naples, Florida, made the donation because he thinks history departments do not adequately acknowledge military history. The gift will be placed in an endowed fund account, which will ensure permanent funding for the professorship. The first recipient of the professorship is history professor Adrian Lewis, who is a retired U.S. soldier. Pittaway, originally from Kansas City, Kansas, is vice chairman, senior managing director and chief compliance officer of the private equity investment firm Castle Harlan in New York City. Pittaway previously donated to the university to create the David B. Pittaway Director of Debate professorships.
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Plan Approved to Sell Old Arrowhead Stadium Seats
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The county that's home to the Kansas City Chiefs is moving forward with a plan to remove and store thousands of old Arrowhead Stadium seats with the intention of reselling them to fans and sports memorabilia collectors. The Kansas City Star reports that Jackson County, Missouri, officials voted Monday in favor of the plan despite concerns about the county spending time and money selling stadium seats when other projects need attention. The county will pay nearly $43,000 to remove and store the dismantled seats. The decision comes as the Chiefs replace some of the stadium's seating as part of an $11.5 million renovation project. County official Caleb Clifford says Jackson County could recoup the costs and make a profit from restoring and selling the chairs.
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Charges Dismissed in McPherson Homicide
MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) — Charges have been dismissed against a 27-year-old man accused in an April 2017 death of a central Kansas man. The McPherson Sentinel reports first-degree murder and other charges against Travis Belt were dismissed Friday without prejudice, which means charges could be filed again. Belt, of Little River is charged in the death of 58-year-old Steven Carlson of McPherson. Carlson was found dead in his home in April 2017. The newspaper reports the dismissal will allow further testing of DNA found at the scene. Prosecutors said Belt used Carlson's truck to shoplift at a Walmart the day before Carlson's body was found. Belt remains incarcerated in the Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility on charges stemming from unrelated cases.
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Dismembered Horse Found at Park Was Longtime Family Pet
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A horse whose dismembered remains were found in a Missouri park was a family pet that was pregnant. Miguel Valdez told WDAF-TV that breaking the news to his children was difficult. But he said it was equally disturbing to go to animal control and identify the mare, named Senaida, which the family had owned for nine years. He says he's "upset and angry." The horse was at a friend's farm in Kansas City, Kansas, when it went missing. A man playing disc golf found the animal's remains a week ago in Kessler Park in neighboring Kansas City, Missouri. Police there say the horse appeared to have been prepared for consumption. After the meat was removed, the carcass was placed in a barrel and dumped in the park.
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Conflict in Myanmar Reaches Garden City Immigrants
GARDEN CITY, Kan. (AP) — A conflict across the world in Myanmar has reached into a refugee center that for years has helped immigrants who arrive in Garden City to find jobs. Workers at the LiveWell Finney County's Neighborhood Learning Center say they have noticed tension between predominantly Muslim ethnic Rohingya and the Buddhist Buddhists who all fled from Myanmar during upheaval there, The Kansas News Service reported. More than 700,000 ethnic Rohingya have fled from Myanmar since August 2017, the country's military launched a purge of Rohingya, an ethnic minority of mostly Muslims and some Hindus in the predominantly Buddhist Burmese country. "The Rohingyas ... were just really upset about the situation at home. And then also not that comfortable being around Burmese," said Birgit Lemke, the program coordinator for LiveWell Finney County. "The Rohingyas just didn't come to class anymore."
It is a change for the center, which has served refugees who have arrived in Garden City for decades to work at the region's meatpacking plants. The city includes several immigrant communities that offer refugees a connection to their homelands of Southeast Asia, Eastern Africa and Central America.
Khaing Pyi, 24, a community health worker at the Neighborhood Learning Center, fled a refugee camp in Thailand and arrived in Garden City after her family came to the U.S. in 2011. She considers herself ethnically Burmese. "With the Rohingya people, we try our best to help them," Pyi said. "They have family back home and me, of course, you're going to feel bad or, you know, because of what happened back home."
Numan Mohammed, 26, is Rohingya and continues to study at the center while working as a meat cutter at a Tyson plant. "I like school and work," said Mohammed, who said both are hard but necessary because he needs the money.
All refugees who attend the center might soon have nowhere to go. The grant funding the center expires at the end of June, and the organization hasn't been granted new funding. Callie Dyer, executive director of Livewell Finney County, says people who arrived in Garden City when the center opened six years ago still go there. "It's a place where people feel safe, and they trust the individuals that are there to help them," Dyer said. "But we also are a place where other organizations in town dovetail, come in and let the residents know of what they're doing."
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KU Hoops Star Dedric Lawson Declares for NBA Draft
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) _ University of Kansas forward Dedric Lawson will skip his senior year and enter the NBA draft, the latest move in what should be a significant overhaul of the Jayhawks' roster for next season. Lawson transferred from Memphis and sat out last season, then led the Big 12 with 19.4 points and 10.3 rebounds this past season. He was voted All-Big 12 and third-team All-American while finishing No. 2 nationally and third in school history with 22 double-doubles. His brother, K.J. Lawson, already has announced plans to transfer. So has guard Charlie Moore, while center Udoka Azubuike and shooting guard Quentin Grimes have yet to announce whether they will go pro. Kansas had a disappointing season by its standards, going 26-10 and getting blown out by Auburn in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It was the first time in 15 years the Jayhawks did not win a piece of the Big 12 title, which was instead shared by Texas Tech and Kansas State.
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