Kansas Lawmakers Fail to Legalize Medical Marijuana; Will Study the Issue this Summer
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - When this year’s session of the Kansas Legislature began, supporters of legalizing medical marijuana were optimistic. But lawmakers once again failed to reach agreement on the issue. In late April, members of the Kansas House and Senate committees working on medical marijuana bills met to negotiate and seemed headed for progress. The House team, headed by Republican John Barker, was eager for an agreement. But Senate negotiators had a problem. They didn’t have the backing of Senate President Ty Masterson. So, the talks stopped and never resumed. Shortly after lawmakers adjourned for the final time this week, the head of the Senate negotiating team, Republican Rob Olson, released a statement. In it, he said he planned to work over the summer on a compromise bill that could pass next session.
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Kansas Agencies Work to Gather Clothes for Foster Children
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas foster children do not always have the extra clothes they need when placed in state custody. Foster agencies are now working to drive up clothing donations. When a child is removed from a home, he or she may only have the clothes they're wearing. The children are often moved from one home to another and items can get lost or worn out. Meanwhile, stipends for Kansas foster parents are not enough to buy every child new clothing. Lori Ross is the CEO of Foster Adopt Connect, a group that supports foster families. The group even used a 5K race to raise awareness of this issue. Some foster homes might not be expecting a kid, which can make stocking up on supplies hard. “Those people are as surprised about the placement as the kids are, right. They weren’t planning on taking those kids," she said. She says diapers, new underwear and socks are always in need. Foster Adopt Connect and state foster contractors accept donations year-round.
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Kansas Lawmakers Override Governor's Veto of Medicaid Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas lawmakers have wrapped up their 2022 session. They spent part of their final day overriding a veto from the Democratic governor. Republicans overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that blocks her administration from negotiating new multi-billion-dollar contracts with companies that run KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program. They say that should be left to the next governor, who they’re hoping will be Derek Schmidt, the state’s Republican attorney general. Opponents - mainly Democrats - argue the bill could give the current KanCare companies what amount to no-bid contract extensions. To ensure they had the votes, Republicans combined the contracts bill with one that prohibits the governor from closing down religious services during disease outbreaks. Representative Brenda Landwehr. “That occurred right here in the state of Kansas. This bill assures us that that cannot happen again," she said. With the override vote, the combined bills are now state law.
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Republicans in Kansas Senate Block Efforts to Legalize Fentanyl Test Strips
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Republicans in the Kansas Senate have blocked efforts to legalize possession of fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl is a prescription opioid 100 times stronger than morphine. Because dealers often blend it with illegal drugs, it’s contributing to a sharp increase in Kansas overdose deaths. Democratic Representative Jason Probst says legalizing test strips would allow outreach programs that would save lives. “To make sure that students, active drug users (and) people working towards recovery are aware of fentanyl, the danger of it and how to protect themselves," he said. The House supports legalization of testing strips, but the Senate does not. Republican Senator Kelli Warren, a candidate for attorney general, says the proposed change would suggest that Kansas condones illegal drug use.
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Kansas Plans to Provide Pandemic Relief to Businesses
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas plans to provide $50 million in relief to businesses forced by state or local officials to shut down or restrict their operations during the first weeks of the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, the Republican-controlled Legislature approved a bill setting up the new program and sent it to Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. The measure is aimed at small businesses and would allow them to receive up to $5,000 for 2020 and 2021 if state and local officials imposed COVID-19 restrictions.
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One Person Dies After Standoff with Wichita SWAT Team
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita police say a man died after exchanging gunfire with a SWAT team during a nearly nine-hour standoff. Wichita Officer Chad Ditch said officers were called to a home in west Wichita early Wednesday after reports of a shooting. They found a woman and a child in the front yard. Ditch says the officers saw a man run into the home with a gun in his hand. A short time later, some people inside the house left the residence. After about nine hours, SWAT members went into the home. Ditch said the suspects exchanged gunfire with the officers and was shot to death. Ditch said the 39-year-old suspect was wanted on an aggravated kidnapping warrant.
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Lawrence Humane Society Seeks Assistance with Dogs
LAWRENCE, Kan. (The Lawrence Times) – The Lawrence Humane Society has too many dogs, and is seeking help from the public. The Lawrence Times reports that the humane society is above its capacity for dogs and has lowered its dog adoption fees...which normally begin at $150...to $20, to encourage people to adopt. Elina Alterman, director of development and communications for the Lawrence Humane Society, said via e-mail that the shelter has 75 dog kennels, and all of those were full as of today (WED). Meanwhile, they're also taking in a unusually high number of stray dogs and a large number of owner surrenders. Alterman said that shelters all around the region are grappling with the same situation. For more information on fostering or adopting a dog, visit lawrencehumane.org.
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Researchers Hope Kansans Will Sign Up to Catch and Release Bumblebees
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Scientists are looking for Kansans across the state to help count bumblebees. That will require people to take training on how to catch bumblebees, take photos of the insects and let them go. Volunteers in Missouri and Nebraska have already recorded thousands of sightings. Katie Lamke is a biologist with the Xerces Society, a conservation group that focuses on insects. Insect populations are dropping in the Midwest, but bees are critical for many plants to reproduce. “They are by far the most effective pollinator," she said. "They’re constantly gathering pollen and nectar because that’s their only source of food.” Next month, the Xerces Society will offer training in Kansas City, Wichita and Strong City.
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Rain, Snow Slow New Mexico Fire, but Hot, Dry Weather Looms
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Light rain and a bit of snow in the mountains of northern New Mexico helped slow the largest wildfire in North America. But nearly 3,000 firefighters are continuing to scramble to clear flammable vegetation and deploy aircraft to douse flames ahead of a worsening fire forecast into the weekend. The Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of the primary wildfire season across many parts of the Southwest. But wildland blazes already have burned an area larger than the state of Delaware this year in extremely dry conditions created by lingering drought and climate change. A new fire that broke out Wednesday briefly forced some evacuations near Flagstaff, Arizona.
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Some New Mexico Wildfire Evacuees Worry About Their Future
MORA, N.M. (AP) — As nearly 3,000 firefighters in northern New Mexico continue to battle the nation's largest active wildfire, many evacuees are worried about their future. Hundreds have been away from their homes for more than a month now due to the biggest fire in state history, and some say their financial resources are dwindling. Officials at Glorieta Adventure Camps said there have been 67 coronavirus cases among evacuees, including some that required hospitalization. Meanwhile, the six-week-old wildfire remained 40% contained around its perimeter Sunday.
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Starbucks Employees in Wichita Hope to Form Union
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) - Workers at a Starbucks in Wichita hope their store will become the first in the city with a union. Employees at the Starbucks at 21st and Amidon filed for a union vote with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last week. It’s the second store to file in Kansas, joining a store in Overland Park. Maia Cuellar Serafini is a barista at the Wichita location and a lead organizer in the union drive. She says about 70% of her coworkers support the union. “Why are we getting the bare minimum when we are the backbone of this company? If we all left, this company couldn’t function," she said. About 56 Starbucks locations have formed unions since the first store unionized in December. The NLRB has filed a number of complaints against Starbucks for anti-union activity in the past year, including a complaint that three pro-union workers in Overland Park were illegally fired.
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Central Missouri Library System Workers Vote to Unionize
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Workers at a regional library system in central Missouri have voted to unionize. Officials said Monday that 65% of Daniel Boone Regional Library employees who voted to form a union, which will be the only active public library union in the state. The system has branches in Columbia, Fulton, Ashland and Holts Summit. The library employees covered by the union will be represented by the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME. The next step is contract negotiations, although no date has been set to begin that process.
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Courts Stymie Abortion Bans in Iowa, Other GOP-Led States
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Supreme Court decision is holding back the state's solidly Republican Legislature and governor from banning abortion if the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Iowa is among GOP-controlled states that would be expected to ban abortion, except for state high court decisions recognizing the right under the state constitutions. The issue is most immediate in Iowa, where a court now dominated by Republican appointees is expected to decide in the coming weeks whether to uphold the ruling, decided just four years ago. The Iowa case highlights the inevitable confrontation between new abortion bans being prepared in anticipation of Roe's reversal and state constitutions.
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Missouri Women Plead Guilty to Capitol Riot Participation
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Two women from Springfield have pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after participating in the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol building. Cara Hentschel and Mahailya Pryer, both 34, pleaded guilty to parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Their sentencing is scheduled for August 19. Court documents say the women admitted to being inside the Capitol and walking around for about 12 minutes before they were left. So far, 22 Missourians have been charged with participating in the riot. Hentschel and Pryer are the 12th and 13th to plead guilty.
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Report: Rural Kansas Airports at Risk of Closing
HAYS, Kan. (KNS/HPPR) - A nationwide pilot shortage has put some rural Kansas airports in danger of losing their only commercial airline carrier. The Kansas News Service reports that the uncertainty is already affecting local economies. For Kansans living in Liberal, Dodge City and Hays, there’s only one airline that flies to and from the local airport: SkyWest. So when that airline filed paperwork this spring to terminate services, it sent shock waves through these communities. Liberal area economic development director Eli Svaty says small towns like his still need air service — and not just for the convenience of travelers, but to draw the new businesses and workers that grow the local economy. “Not to say that you lose the airport, you lose the town. But it is critical that… we find something that can assure people that it's okay to live out here in rural Kansas because we still have great air service," he said. For now, the federal government is forcing SkyWest to continue some service to these towns while the airports try to find a replacement airline. ( Read more.)
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California Couple Gives McPherson College $25 Million Gift
MCPHERSON, Kan. (AP) - A California couple known for their philanthropy is donating $25 million to McPherson College in central Kansas. Melanie Lundquist announced the gift from her and her husband, Richard, during her commencement address Sunday at the small liberal arts college. The Lundquists did not attend or graduate from McPherson but have been supporters since 2012. The gift is the largest donation in McPherson's 135-year history. Richard Lundquist owns Continental Development Corporation, a property development firm based in California.
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Global Shortage of Medical Dye Prompting KC Hospitals to Ration Supplies
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) - A global shortage of medical dyes used for procedures like CAT scans has prompted Kansas City area hospitals to start rationing the supplies. Contrast fluids contain iodine that helps doctors look for abnormalities on X-rays and CAT scans. But there’s a shortage – yet another example in a long string of supply problems since the pandemic hit in 2020. The KU Health System says COVID lockdowns affecting Chinese manufacturing plants triggered this latest shortage. KU Health System is using its contrast dyes on critical patients. It delays scans for non-urgent patients or uses alternatives, like MRIs, whenever possible.
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Abilene to Display World’s Largest Belt Buckle
ABILENE, Kan. (KNS/KCLY) - The world’s largest belt buckle could be on its way to Abilene, Kansas, thanks to a $22,000 grant. The size of the buckle has not been revealed yet, but it’s intended to beat one in Texas that’s 10 feet by 14 feet. The idea started when Julie Roller-Weeks, director at the Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau, was trying to find a way to add tourism to the city. “I started looking at belt buckles, and found that there was one in Missouri that was the world’s largest and then some folks down in Texas were working on the World’s Largest and they announced the size of it and I thought you know what… I think we can do better.” With the help of Fluters Creek Metal Works in Abilene and a Kansas Tourism Attraction Development grant, the project has started to take shape. The design on the buckle will showcase Abilene Icons like Dwight D. Eisenhower and Wild Bill Hickok. The hope is to showcase the belt buckle during the Central Kansas Free Fair and Wild Bill Hickok Rodeo in August.
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These area headlines are curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Kaye McIntyre, and Tom Parkinson. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays, 11 am weekends. This news summary is made possible by KPR listener-members. Become one today.