GOP Fights Off Attempt to Rescue Governor's Plan to Cut Sales Tax on Food
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Republicans in the Kansas House have fought off an attempt to rescue Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s proposal to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries. Democrats in the House tried to force a vote on the governor’s bill to take the state’s 6.5% sales tax off groceries by July 1st. Republicans blocked the effort, but some said they could support a compromise plan to phase the tax out by 2025. But it’s not clear that even that idea will get a vote. Kelly says the political risk to Republicans of doing nothing keeps her hopeful. “I just cannot imagine this Legislature going home and facing their constituents without eliminating the sales tax on food," she said. The state expects to have more than $3 billion in cash reserves at the end of the coming budget year. Kelly says that means it can afford to do without the roughly $450 million generated annually by the grocery tax.
==========
Kansas Lawmakers May Beef Up Child Abuse Investigations
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas lawmakers are looking to tighten the rules for investigating allegations of child abuse. The Kansas News Service reports that lawmakers are considering plans that might help identify more instances where kids are abused. Legislators could expand access to more thorough child abuse exams, allow specialists to review allegations of abuse and give police more access to confidential information when abuse is reported. Under the current rules, law enforcement lobbyist Ed Klumpp says police might not even get the name of the person who filed a complaint of abuse. “Just imagine if we were told to go respond to a robbery call, and the dispatcher said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t tell you who called and I can’t tell you who the witnesses are. Just go investigate this, and that is kind of where we were on this,'” he said. Some child abuse reforms have already passed. Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill increasing punishment for some child abuse crimes.
==========
Kansas Senate Overrides Governor's Veto of "Parents Bill of Rights"
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Senate has voted to override Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a Parents’ Bill of Rights, which gave parents more control over what’s taught in public schools. Now, the measure goes to the Kansas House. Democratic Senator Pat Pettey says parents already have access to classroom materials, and that teachers deserve more trust and respect. “I’ve heard today: Parents on one side, teachers on the other. That should be what we don’t want to have happening. We shouldn’t want to have that kind of division," she said. Republicans supporting the measure say some districts have shut parents out of public school board meetings.
==========
Kansas Senate Overrides Governor's Veto of Ban on Transgender Sports
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Republicans in the Kansas Senate have voted to override Democratic Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from competing in girls’ and women’s sports. If the House also votes to override the governor’s veto, the transgender ban will become law. Supporters of the bill argue it’s needed to prevent cisgender girls and women from being overmatched in competition and to protect them in their locker rooms. Democratic Senator Cindy Holscher says those arguments remind her of how people used to defend other discriminatory policies. “These types of statements harken back to the 1950s and 60s when closed-minded individuals labeled Black people as predators as a reason for not sharing restrooms and water fountains. How far back, do we as a state, need to go," she said. All but one Senate Republican voted to override the governor’s veto.
==========
Missouri House Approves Limits on Transgender Athletic Participation
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri's GOP-led House has voted to limit which high school sports teams transgender athletes can compete on. House members on Monday voted 93-41 to require transgender students to compete on teams that match the sex listed on their birth certificates. Missouri’s current public high school sports rules already prohibit transgender girls from competing on girls teams unless they’re undergoing hormone therapy. Two transgender girls have been approved to play on Missouri girls’ teams in the past decade.
==========
Missouri High School Bans LGBTQ Support Stickers and Cards
GRAIN VALLEY, Mo. (AP) - The school board of suburban Kansas City high school has told its teachers to remove cards and stickers that show they are allies of LGBTQ students. Officials in the Grain Valley emailed families on Monday saying the school board had directed administrators to remove cards or stickers that may read "Safe space for all." The directive came after members received "a concern" about the cards and stickers. The email said the district remains committed to helping create a safe and inclusive environment but the cards were "not appropriate at this time." The Kansas City Star reports some parents, teachers and advocates have objected to the decision.
==========
Kansas Voters to Decide on Preserving Election of Sheriffs
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) - Kansas voters will decide in November whether to make sure counties and state lawmakers can't stop the longstanding tradition of electing county sheriffs. The Kansas House has approved a proposed amendment to the state Constitution to declare that almost every sheriff in the state must be elected to a four-year term. The Senate had already passed the measure, so it goes on the ballot this fall. There's little chance counties will stop electing sheriffs, but the Legislature has the power to make changes. Amendment supporters said sheriffs should remain directly accountable to voters. Riley County in northeastern Kansas is the only county out of 105 without an elected sheriff.
==========
Haskell University May Soon Have New President
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KCUR) - Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence may soon have a new - and permanent - president, though that person has not yet been named. In an email to constituents, Kansas Republican Senator Jerry Moran wrote that he spoke with the director of the Bureau of Indian Education last week, and was informed a hire has been made. B-I-E spokesperson Klarissa Jensen didn’t confirm that, but told KCUR Radio in an email: “Once all the specifics have been finalized we will be letting local media know the full details.” Interim president Tamarah Pfeiffer has led the federally-funded tribal university since May. There have been six permanent or interim presidents in the last four years.
===========
Abortions in Kansas Rise; Fewer Women Coming from TX and OK, More from Missouri and Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Kansas saw a 4.1% increase in the number of abortions performed in the state in 2021 compared with 2020. More Missouri residents but fewer Oklahoma and Texas residents came into the state to terminate their pregnancies. A preliminary report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment showed that nearly 8,000 (7,849) abortions were performed in the state last year, several hundred more the year before. The number of abortions performed in Kansas for women from Oklahoma and Texas dropped by nearly 35%. But abortions for Missouri women increased 8%, as did abortions performed for Kansas women.
(Editor's note: KDHE reports 7,849 abortions were performed in the state last year. That's 303 more than the 7,546 performed in Kansas in 2020.)
==========
UPDATE: Attorney General Appeals Wyandotte County Judge's Decision on Congressional Map
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt has filed legal notice he’s going to try to save the congressional map drawn by Republicans in the state supreme court. He wants it to reverse Monday's ruling in a Wyandotte County court that tossed out the map after finding it discriminated against minority voters and Democrats. “I think everybody understands that there’s an urgency here and we certainly are going to be moving as fast as we can," he said. In his decision, District Judge Bill Klapper said the redistricting plan violated the Kansas Constitution’s guarantee of equal rights by intentionally diluting the voting power of people of color in Wyandotte County. If the state Supreme Court upholds his decision, Republican leaders say they’ll bring lawmakers back in late May to draw a new map ahead of the June candidate filing deadline.
(-Related-)
Kansas Lawmakers Might Need to Reconvene Next Month to Wrap-Up Business
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - What was supposed to be the final week of this year’s Kansas legislative session might not be. Monday's decision in a redistricting lawsuit might force lawmakers to reconvene sometime next month. Much of the first day of what was expected to be a week-long wrap-up to the session was spent celebrating the national championship won by the KU men’s basketball team. Governor Laura Kelly signed a proclamation honoring the Jayhawks. And the team and coach Bill Self made the rounds at the Statehouse. “This has been a fun day for us and one we’ll always remember," Self said. Behind the scenes, Republican legislative leaders were preparing for the possibility that they’ll have to break and then come back in late May to rework the congressional redistricting plan they pushed through over the governor's veto. A Wyandotte County judge rejected that plan on grounds that it violates the rights of minority voters. Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt is now appealing that ruling to the Kansas Supreme Court.
(Earlier reporting...)
Kansas Judge Rejects GOP-Drawn Congressional Map for Violating Minority Voters' Rights
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KNS) — A Wyandotte County judge struck down the state’s new congressional map, clearing the way for the Kansas Supreme Court to weigh in on how far politicians can go in gerrymandering political boundaries. District Court Judge Bill Klapper ruled the map — drawn by the Republican-dominated Kansas Legislature — violates the rights of residents in Lawrence and Wyandotte County by watering down the influence of Black voting blocs to serve partisan ambitions. He said a gerrymandered map violates provisions in the state constitution related to free speech, voting and equal protection rights. “The State has created classes of favored and disfavored voters, allowing voters of one party to elect their candidates of choice while denying that same right to voters of another,” Klapper wrote in the ruling. “The Kansas Constitution, which recognizes citizens’ right to political equality, stands as a bulwark against such legislative misconduct.” Klapper ordered the Legislature to redraw a legal map. However, attorneys for the state are expected to appeal the ruling. Republican leaders in the Kansas House said in a joint statement they looked forward to an appeal. ( Read more.)
==========
Construction Expected to Wrap-Up Soon at NBAF
MANHATTAN, Kan. (KNS) - Construction is almost complete on NBAF, the federal lab in Manhattan that will conduct animal disease research. The Kansas News Service reports that the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility will be the first of its kind in the U.S. After pandemic-related construction delays, some of the 240 employees at NBAF are moving in. When it opens this summer, it’ll be the first lab in the US that’s big enough to hold large livestock like cattle with the highest level of biosafety containment. That’ll allow researchers to study dangerous animal diseases, work on vaccines and prepare for outbreaks. Communications director Katie Pawlosky says NBAF will help protect an agriculture industry that contributes more than $1 trillion to the US economy. "NBAF, with the capabilities we’ll have, really acts as an insurance policy for our agriculture," she said. The Manhattan facility will employ roughly 400 people once it’s fully operational in 2024.
==========
Kansas College Looking into Alleged Water Cooler Tampering
LINDSBORG, Kan. (AP) — Bethany College officials are investigating an allegation that someone associated with its baseball program intentionally contaminated the water cooler used by the opposing team. Athletic director Laura Moreno confirmed the investigation and declined further comment. Kansas Wesleyan athletic director Steve Wilson said a foreign substance was discovered in the cooler during a doubleheader Sunday. He said it is common practice for the home team, Bethany in this case, to provide water for the visitor. Wilson declined further comment, including whether any players, coaches or support staff drank the water or became ill.
==========
Justices Hear Arguments over Asylum-Seekers Waiting in Mexico
WASHINGTON (AP/KPR) — The Biden administration is seeking the Supreme Court’s go-ahead to end a controversial Trump-era immigration program that forces some people seeking asylum in the U.S. to wait in Mexico for their hearings. The justices are hearing arguments in the administration’s appeal of lower-court rulings that require immigration officials to reinstate the “Remain in Mexico” policy. Republican-led states that sued to keep the program in place say it has helped reduce the flow of people into the U.S. President Donald Trump launched Migrant Protection Protocols, as it is formally known, in 2019. President Joe Biden suspended it on his first day in office. Since then, approximately 2 million immigrants have crossed into the U.S. illegally over the southern border.
==========
Wichita Task Force Releases Recommendations Following Teen's Death
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) - A task force reviewing the death of 17-year-old Cedric Lofton finalized its recommendations to various government agencies Monday. Key recommendations include additional training for officers, limiting the use of the prone position on juveniles in custody, and funding a 24-hour mental health response unit. Lofton died while in custody in 2021 at the Sedgwick County juvenile intake facility. He was arrested by Wichita police while suffering a mental health crisis. City Council member Brandon Johnson says city and county staff are working to review the suggestions. Both will report back on any changes implemented after 90 days. "This was a tragedy that never should have happened, he said." Changes requiring additional funding will be worked out during the city and county’s respective budgeting processes. State-level recommendations will be included in the city and county’s legislative platforms.
(AP version)
Group Recommends Policy Changes After Wichita Teen's Death
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - A task force is recommending dozens of policy changes in response to a Black Wichita teenager's death while being restrained at a juvenile detention center. The task force was created after 17-year-old Cedric Lofton died in September after being restrained facedown for more than 30 minutes. The Wichita Eagle reports the task force made 57 recommendations for changes in the state foster care system, Sedgwick County 911, the Wichita Police Department and the county's youth corrections system. The recommendations are not binding. They include an audit of "Stand Your Ground" laws that were cited when officers who restrained Lofton were not charged.
==========
Strong Storm Rolls Through Western Kansas, Tearing Off Roofs, Damaging Buildings
SHARON SPRINGS, Kan. (AP) - Recovery efforts are underway in western Kansas where a strong storm and possible tornado tore through several towns Friday night. National Weather Service officials were in western Kansas over the weekend to assess damage in Sharon Springs and elsewhere. Authorities say the late Friday storm rolled through numerous Kansas communities, including Grainfield, Mingo and Winona. Large hail was reported in Leoti, Colby, Holcomb, Ulysses, Hugoton and Garden City. There have been no reports of injuries.
==========
Weary of Many Disasters? UN Says Worse Yet to Come
UNDATED (AP) - A new United Nations report says disasters are on the rise and are going to get worse. In the late 20th century, the world had some 90 to 100 disasters per year. Now a new UN report says disasters that range from climate change to COVID-19 are going to jump to about 560 a year by 2030. One scientist likened the trend to multiple illnesses that weaken a body's immune system. He says it's not just the disasters themselves but the accumulated risk, how they add up and ping-pong against each other.
==========
Oklahoma Governor Signs Bill for Massive Corporate Subsidy
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt's staff says the Republican governor has signed a bill to authorize up to $700 million in state subsidies to lure an unidentified major manufacturer to the state. Stitt spokeswoman Carly Atchison says the governor signed the Large-scale Economic Activity and Development, or LEAD, Act on Monday. Stitt and lawmakers who crafted the plan have not identified the company they are targeting, but the Japanese broadcast network NHK has reported that Panasonic. is considering both Kansas and Texas as potential sites for an electric-vehicle battery factory. The state of Kansas has passed its own incentive package, worth up to a billion dollars, to attract the company and the 4,000 jobs that are promised to come with it.
==========
Wildfires Force Some Evacuations in Southwestern Nebraska
CAMBRIDGE, Neb. (AP) — Crews were making progress fighting wildfires that forced people in several communities in southwestern Nebraska to evacuate, authorities said Saturday. The fires pushed by strong winds threatened mostly rural areas hit hard this spring by drought, although residents in the town of Cambridge were the first ones asked to evacuate Friday evening. The community of about 1,000 people is located near Arapahoe, where wildfires burned nearly 35,000 acres earlier this month. Wildfires were reported Friday from the Kansas border to the Cambridge area, with a smaller blaze between Cambridge and Stockbridge. Authorities said Saturday morning that conditions had improved, although the risk of fires and significant blowing dust are still possible.
==========
Nation's Highest Court Won't Revive Ban on Secret Filming at Slaughterhouses
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal by Kansas to revive a law that banned secret filming at slaughterhouses and other livestock facilities but that was struck down by lower courts. The justices did not comment Monday in leaving in place a ruling by a federal appeals court panel that the so-called ag-gag law violated the First Amendment by stifling speech critical of animal agriculture. The Kansas law made it a crime for anyone to take a picture or video at an animal facility without the owner's consent or to enter the facility under false pretenses. Federal appeals courts considering similar laws in Iowa and Idaho had split over the issue.
==========
Midwest Farmers Turn to Manure as Fertilizer Prices Spike
UNDATED (HPM) - Fertilizer prices have doubled from a year ago and yet, farmers still need to get nutrients into the ground. Harvest Public Media reports that farmers are now turning to a more organic product: manure. Andy Scholting’s phone has been ringing off the hook. He’s the president of Nutrient Advisors, a Nebraska-based manure brokerage. It’s farmers blowing up his phone, desperate to get manure on their fields instead of costly synthetic fertilizers. "We have been inundated with calls. The demand is breaking records. And unfortunately, there's not a lot of supply to meet all of the demand," he said. For the first time since the company’s founding in 2005, demand is outpacing the cows and poultry that produce most of Scholting’s product. He’s pre-sold manure into winter 2023.
==========
Kansas Gov: It's KU National Championship Day!
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly welcomed members of the KU men's basketball team to the state capitol Monday. The governor greeted KU Coach Bill Self and members of the team and signed a proclamation, declaring April 25th as "KU Men's Basketball National Championship Victory Day."
==========
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!