January Kansas Tax Collections Fall $49 Million Short
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas says it collected $49 million less in taxes than anticipated in January, giving Governor Laura Kelly and lawmakers a dose of bad news as they consider budget issues. The Department of Revenue reported Friday that the state collected $646 million in taxes last month when its fiscal forecast predicted more than $695 million. The shortfall was 7.1 percent. Continuing monthly shortfalls would cloud the debate over a plan from Kelly to boost education funding and a Republican proposal for tax relief. The state has collected $4 billion in taxes since its current budget year began in July. That's $36 million less than expected, or 0.9 percent. Interim Revenue Secretary Mark Beshears said last month's shortfall is not yet a trend but added that Kansas faces a "storm of uncertainty."
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Attorney General Files Appeal to Allow Ban on Kansas Telemedicine Abortions
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is appealing a judge's ruling that allows telemedicine abortions in the state even though legislators have enacted three laws against them within eight years. Attorney General Derek Schmidt filed the appeal Friday with the Kansas Court of Appeals. Schmidt hopes to overturn a December 31st decision by Shawnee County District Judge Franklin Theis in a lawsuit filed by a Wichita clinic's operators. Since October, clinic doctors have conferred with some patients through teleconferences when providing pregnancy-ending drugs. Theis ruled that a 2018 law banning telemedicine abortions has no legal force because it contained no way to punish violators. The judge also ruled that 2011 and 2015 laws are on hold indefinitely because they're covered by an injunction in a separate lawsuit challenging abortion regulations that is still pending.
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Man Charged in 3 Deaths in KCK Fire
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A 40-year-old man has been charged with killing three people whose bodies were found after a fire in Kansas City, Kansas. The Kansas City Star reports Carlisle Hervey is charged with three counts of first-degree murder and aggravated arson in the 2017 deaths. The victims were 53-year-old Gwinn Green, 61-year-old Ronald Guess and 54-year-old Kevin McBride, all from Kansas City, Kansas. Firefighters found the bodies after extinguishing a fire at the home on December 12th. Police have not said how the victims died or why Hervey has been linked to the slayings and the fire. Hervey is being held on a $1 million bond. No court date has been set.
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Prosecutors to Seek Death Penalty in Death of 2 Deputies
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree plans to seek the death penalty against a man charged with killing two sheriff's deputies. Dupree said Friday during a hearing for 30-year-old Antoine Fielder that he will pursue the death penalty. Fielder is charged with capital murder in the deaths of Wyandotte County sheriff's deputies Patrick Rohrer and Theresa King. They were killed last June while they were transporting Fielder and another prisoner between the jail and a court hearing. Fielder allegedly disarmed them but details of the incident have not been released. Fielder also was injured during the confrontation. The Kansas City Star reports a judge on Friday ordered that Fiedler be taken to Larned State hospital for a mental evaluation. Court proceedings will be stayed until the evaluation is complete.
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Judge: Johnson County Must Provide Names on Rejected Ballots
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A Johnson County District Court judge has ruled that Johnson County violated Kansas open records law by refusing to provide names of hundreds of people whose provisional ballots were not counted in the August primary. The American Civil Liberties Union, on behalf of voting rights advocate Davis Hammet, sought the names and justification for why the ballots didn't count. Johnson County election commissioner Ronnie Metsker rejected Hammet's request, prompting a lawsuit . The Topeka Capital-Journal reports District Judge David Hauber on Thursday ruled in favor of Hammet and the ACLU. The county dismissed 898 ballots in the August primary for several reasons. Hammet said the county didn't notify people before throwing out their ballots. He said Thursday's ruling means elections officials will have to have strict standards before rejecting ballots.
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Shawnee Man Charged with Rape while Free on Bond
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Court records show a Kansas man charged with rape had been out on bond for a previous child molestation case. The Kansas City Star reports that 23-year-old Crosson Saisi of Shawnee was arrested Friday and charged in Johnson County District Court with rape and aggravated sexual battery. The crimes allegedly occurred last October in Shawnee. The victim is listed as 22 or 23 years old. Court records in the case do not show a defense attorney. Saisi was charged in July with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, age 14 or 15, in Lenexa. He was free on bond in that case. He is also out on bond for a separate identity theft filed in October. His bond for the latest charges has been set at $500,000.
