UPDATE: Judge Orders Release of Kansas Senate Leader After Arrest
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A judge has ordered the release of a Kansas Senate leader from jail in Topeka after finding that there was not enough evidence to support his arrest hours earlier on suspicion of driving under the influence and attempting to flee from a law enforcement officer. Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop was booked into the Shawnee County jail just before 4 a.m. Tuesday following his arrest on Interstate 70 by the Capitol Police. But Shawnee County District Judge Penny Moylan ruled only hours later that a Capitol Police officer’s report did not include “pertinent information” about the arrest and ordered Suellentrop's release.
(–Earlier Reporting–)
Kansas Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop Arrested on DUI Charge
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KNS) - The Majority Leader in the Kansas Senate, Gene Suellentrop, has been arrested on charges that he was driving under the influence and tried to elude law enforcement officers. Shawnee County authorities booked the Republican lawmaker early today (TUE) on charges of driving under the influence, improperly crossing a divided highway, speeding and fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer. The Shawnee County Department of Corrections website shows Suellentrop was booked at 3:55 am and charged with four offenses. Suellentrop is one of the state's top legislative leaders. The conservative Republican from Wichita took over as majority leader this year when he was elected to the post by his fellow senators. He’s served in the Legislature since 2009. A spokesperson for the Senate Republican leadership did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (This is a developing story and will be updated.)
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Kansas House Lawmakers Reject Requiring In-Person Classes March 26
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Republican proposal to require all Kansas public schools to offer every student full in-person classes by March 26 has failed in the state House. Some lawmakers had complained that it would take too much power away from local school boards. The GOP-controlled House’s 69-55 vote against the measure Tuesday showed that some Republicans had misgivings. The bill would have overridden a few local school districts’ decisions to wait longer because of the coronavirus pandemic. Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, pushed for the mandate, and his GOP-controlled chamber approved it earlier this month with no Democratic support. Democratic Governor Laura Kelly was skeptical of it.
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Proposal to Ban Transgender Athletes Advances to Full Kansas Senate
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Conservative Republicans have advanced a proposal that would ban transgender students from girl’s and women’s sports in Kansas schools and colleges. Supporters are confident they'll overcome arguments that there’s no need for such a measure. The state Senate Education Committee approved the bill on a voice vote after a brief debate Tuesday, sending it to the full Senate, where GOP leaders have identified the measure as a priority. Republicans in Congress and more than 20 state legislatures are pushing for similar bans. Supporters largely haven’t been able to cite examples of transgender students’ participation causing problems, but argue they're promoting fairness in sports.
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New Trial Ordered for Man in Lawrence Rape Case
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A judge has granted a new trial for a man serving a 12-year sentence in a rape case, finding that his trial attorney failed to review hundreds of text messages from his accuser whom he met at at popular bar near the University of Kansas campus. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Douglas County Judge Sally Pokorny said Tuesday that she will soon order Albert Wilson transferred from a prison in Hutchinson back to the Douglas County Jail for a new bond hearing and the setting of a new trial.
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KBI Helps Investigate Suspected Homicide in Osage County
BURLINGAME, Kan. (AP/KPR) - Authorities are investigating the death of an Osage County woman as a homicide. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says it's working with local police and Osage County Sheriff's deputies in investigating the death of 49-year-old Cristina Pratt, whose body was found Monday morning in her Burlingame home. Police say they were called Sunday night to check on Pratt by a friend who hadn't been able to reach her. Police received no response when they knocked on her apartment door that night. They went back the next day and found her dead inside. Police have not said how Pratt died, but said she appeared to be victim of foul play.
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Tornado, Severe Storms Damage Roofs, Siding, Fences in Johnson County
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - Severe thunderstorms rolled through the Kansas City area Monday afternoon, spawning at least one tornado that touched down in Johnson County, damaging some homes, tearing down fences and snapping-off tree limbs. Law enforcement officers reported that the tornado touched down Monday (near 199th Street and Switzer Road) in rural southeast Johnson County, south of Overland Park. About 20 homes sustained damage to roofs and siding.
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Kansas Attorney General Among Those Questioning Stimulus Barring Tax Cuts
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Republican attorneys general from 21 states are questioning a provision in the $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue plan that bars states from using its funds to offset tax cuts. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday, they said the prohibition is “unclear, but potentially breathtaking” — airing concerns that any tax cut could be construed as taking advantage of the pandemic relief funds. The attorneys general list over a dozen instances of states currently considering new tax credits or cuts that they believe could be jeopardized simply because of the relief funds.
“We ask that you confirm that the American Rescue Plan Act does not prohibit States from generally providing tax relief,” wrote the coalition, led by Georgia, Arizona and West Virginia.
The aid plan, approved by Congress in close party-line votes and signed by President Joe Biden last week, includes $195 billion for states, plus separate funds for local governments and schools. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that Biden expects the relief funds to not go toward decreasing taxes.
“The original purpose of the state and local funding was to keep cops, firefighters, other essential employees at work and employed, and it wasn’t intended to cut taxes,” she said at a briefing.
The Treasury Department did not immediately return an email requesting comment. In West Virginia, Republican Governor Jim Justice has applauded Congress for passing a massive stimulus but railed against the provision amid his push to cut the state personal income tax.
“Congress may not micromanage a state’s fiscal policies in violation of anti-commandeering principles nor coerce a state into forfeiting one of its core constitutional functions in exchange for a large check from the federal government,” Republican West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement.
Signing on to the letter were Arizona, Georgia, West Virginia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming. Three Republican members of the U.S. Senate introduced a long-shot bill on Tuesday to eliminate the provision.
“If a state like Idaho wants to provide tax relief in the interest of economic recovery, and to help people return to earning their livelihoods, the American Rescue Plan says it will be financially punished by the federal government,” U.S. Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho said in a statement.
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Governor: Kansas Speeding up COVID Shots to Hit May Target
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Governor Laura Kelly says Kansas will give COVID-19 vaccinations faster than planned so that all adults with medical conditions can seek shots next week. She also announced Monday that the state will aim for President Joe Biden’s goal of having inoculations available for all adults by May 1. The governor said the state will launch both the third and the fourth phase of its planned vaccine distribution next week. That's a week before the expected arrival of 100,000 doses of a single-shot vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson.
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Growing Partisan Split Emerges in Vaccinations
FRONT ROYAL, Va. (AP) - There is a growing partisan split when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 42% of Republicans say they probably or definitely will not get the shot, compared with 17% of Democrats. That's raising alarms among health experts who fear it could undermine efforts to achieve herd immunity and finally move past a pandemic that has left more than 530,000 dead. Those who self-identify as vaccine hesitant cited various factors, including concerns about potential side effects and their belief that the pandemic has been politicized and overblown.
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Fewer than 500 New COVID-19 Cases Reported in Kansas Since Friday
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/AP) - Fewer than 500 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in Kansas since last Friday. State health officials released the latest coronavirus case numbers Monday, showing there have been 298,218 cases of COVID-19, including 4,835 deaths, since the start of the pandemic. Johnson County continues to report the highest number of cases in Kansas, with 55,287. Another update will be released Wednesday.
- KPR's Coronavirus Information and Resources Guide
- Kansas COVID-19 Vaccination Information
- NEW: Kansas COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard
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Series of Earthquakes Rattles Wichita Area
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - At least eight earthquakes have shaken Wichita since early Sunday morning. The strongest so far was a 3.9 magnitude that hit Sunday evening. Rick Miller, senior scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey, says the frequency of earthquakes is concerning, but he says the region shouldn’t experience any quakes stronger than what it’s already seen. Quakes under a magnitude 5.0 don’t generally cause structural damage in well-maintained buildings. State regulators continue to investigate if the recent string of earthquakes in the area is related to oil and gas operations.
(AP version)
Cluster of Earthquakes Strikes Wichita
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A cluster of earthquakes with epicenters in Wichita has rattled south-central Kansas. Kansas geologists say the shaking started about 6:30 a.m. Sunday and resumed Monday morning with recorded magnitudes ranging from 2.2 to 3.9. People reported feeling the strongest quakes throughout south-central Kansas, with some reports coming from near Salina and Emporia. The two highest magnitude earthquakes ever recorded in Kansas were a roughly magnitude 5.2 in Manhattan in 1867 and one of around magnitude 5.0 in Sumner County in 2014.
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Third Victim Dies After Fender Bender Crash in Kansas City Ends in Gunfire
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A third victim has died after a fender bender crash earlier this month in Kansas City ended in gunfire. Police say 41-year-old Gregory Harper died Monday. He was wounded after a March 6 crash led to a disturbance. Two others were declared dead at the scene - 64-year-old Joseph Smith and 33-year-old Curtis Thompkins. Police are asking anyone with information on the shooting to contact homicide detectives or a tips hotline. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information.
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Police Identify Woman Killed While Checking on Injured Driver
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) - Police in Kansas City, Kansas, have identified the woman who was hit and killed while trying to help the victim of an earlier car crash. Police say 58-year-old Cynthia M. Goulding of Kansas City, Kansas, came upon the wrecked SUV Sunday and stopped to check on its driver. As she was standing next to the SUV, it was struck again by a pickup truck. Goulding was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the SUV was taken to an area hospital. The driver of the pickup was taken into custody.
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Police: Man Died from Injuries in Missouri Double Shooting
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. (AP) — Police in suburban Kansas City say a man has died of his injuries in a shooting at a Blue Springs home that also killed a woman. Blue Springs police say a tactical team sent into the home after repeated attempts to make contact with people inside found 46-year-old Denine McCord dead from gunshot injuries. Police also found 57-year-old Joseph Patterson critically injured from a gunshot wound. Patterson was taken to a hospital, where he died later Friday. Police Lt. John Kingsolver told The Examiner of Independence that police believe the shooting was a murder-suicide, but are still investigating.
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"Monumental Day:" Indian Country Reacts to Deb Haaland Vote
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) - Citizens of tribes across the U.S. are cheering Deb Haaland's confirmation as the first Native American secretary of a Cabinet agency. On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted 51-40 in favor of the Democrat's nomination to lead the Interior Department. Many Native Americans have called Haaland's historic confirmation an answer to their prayers and a long time coming. They say the move positions someone they trust to carry forward their hopes and expectations. The Interior Department has broad oversight of tribal affairs and energy development. Kansas is home to four, federally recognized Indian tribes.
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