Kansas Lawmakers Override Governor's Veto of "Born Alive" Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas lawmakers overrode a veto by Democratic governor Laura Kelly to enact their first anti-abortion bill of the year. The law will require doctors to provide lifesaving medical care to infants born alive after an attempted abortion. Critics say there’s little evidence that's happening in Kansas. And, they say, it could interfere with palliative care for dying infants. Representative Susan Ruiz is a Democrat from Shawnee. “I have received so many emails from couples who feel that this bill is denying them the ability to stay with their infant until the infant is no longer alive because they’re going to have to be immediately whisked away to a hospital," SHE SAID. Several Democrats joined Republicans in overriding the governor's veto of the so-called "Born Alive" bill.
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GOP Fails to Override Kansas Governor's Veto of Bill Affecting Transgender Children
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - A bill that would have banned hormone treatment, puberty blockers and sex organ related surgery for minor children will not become law in Kansas after all. Republican lawmakers failed to override Democratic governor Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill affecting transgender children. The bill never won full support of Republicans in the Legislature. Democrats said it would have prevented trans kids from getting vital care that could reduce their risk of suicide. Republican state senator Mike Thompson voted for the bill. He says trans kids are too young to make such significant decisions about hormone treatments and sexual transition surgery. “The most loving thing you can do is try to protect them (children)," he said. "This is a situation where it is not reversible.” A recent Washington Post poll found that 78% of people who transitioned were satisfied with the decision. (Read more.)
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GOP Fails to Override Kansas Governor's Veto of Advance Voting Bill
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - The Kansas Senate has failed to override Governor Laura Kelly's veto of a bill that would have made changes to mail-in ballots. Republicans wanted to require mail-in ballots to reach election offices before polls close. Wichita Democratic state Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau voted to keep the current system in place. “I think we should do all we can to make sure that everyone’s vote counts," she said. So, for now, the current law stands. That means mail-in ballots will count if they are postmarked before Election Day and reach the county election office no more than three days after the election.
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Governor, other Statewide Kansas Officials Will Get Significant Pay Raises in 2025
TOPEKA, Kan. (TCJ) - The Kansas governor, attorney general and top judicial officials are among those in line for a significant pay raise under legislation signed by Governor Laura Kelly. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the bill signed last Friday would also tie future compensation to the rate of pay for members of Congress and also give state lawmakers a path to making more money by creating a commission to evaluate legislative compensation.
Currently, the governor makes $110,707 a year. The lieutenant governor makes $31,313. The attorney general is paid $98,901 and other statewide officials make a little over $86,000. Under the new law, the governor would make 100% of what a Congressman earns, which currently is $174,000. The attorney general would make $169,650, and the secretary of state, state treasurer and commissioner of insurance would make $160,950. Judges would also see a raise and their pay would be tied into what federal judges make moving forward.
Changes won't take effect until 2025.
Kansas legislators believe low pay has limited the number of candidates seeking public office. Some legislators have worried that the traditional pay rate of $88.66 per day, plus an additional $157 per day for meals and lodging, blocked younger individuals, the middle class and people of color from serving in Topeka. Others say the pay raises for state officials are too rich and came at a time when legislators were delaying consideration of whether to give state workers a pay increase.
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Uninsured Kansans with Certain Types of Cancer May Go Without Care
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - About 17,000 people in Kansas will be diagnosed with cancer this year, but many of those who are uninsured will not be eligible for a federal program that helps cancer patients. Some say Medicaid expansion could help reduce the disparity. Doctors in Salina told Stephanie Barr she had breast cancer in 2010. That made her eligible for Medicaid through a federal program called Early Detection Works. It’s only for breast and cervical cancer. Barr’s mom was later diagnosed with lung cancer and didn’t get the same care. “She didn’t have the right kind of cancer and she couldn’t get on Medicaid," Barr said. Her mom passed away about 6 months later. Barr is asking lawmakers to expand Medicaid so more uninsured people could get coverage for cancer screenings and treatment. Expansion proposals have failed in recent years because of concerns about the cost.
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New Rules Mean Fewer Organ Donations for Kansans
KANSAS CITY, Kan (KNS) - A liver transplant can save a life. But, a recent change in how livers are allocated across the country has meant that wealthier states on the east and west coasts, now get many more donated livers than before while rural states in the South and Midwest are receiving fewer. The University of Kansas Health System has sued over the policy change. Dr. Ryan Taylor directs the liver transplant program at the KU Health System. "What it’s meant, is that our patients are waiting longer to receive a transplant than ever before. And as a result, we do see patients dropping off the list or becoming too sick for transplant more than we have before," he said. Experts say the issue with liver organ allocation are the result of inequity in the transplant system. (Read more.)
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Wichita Police Officer Won't Face Charges in Fatal Shooting
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Sedgwick County district attorney says a Wichita police officer will not be charged for shooting and killing a man who had shot another officer. District Attorney Marc Bennett said Tuesday the officer, whose name was not released, was acting in self defense when he shot 28-year-old Tyler Hodge in June 2021. Police say Hodge shot about a dozen rounds at officers who responded to a domestic disturbance call. Bennett said Hodge was a former U.S. Marine who had struggled with mental health issues and made comments in the past about "suicide by cop." Eventually, one officer, who has been on the force for five years, saw Hodge pointing a rifle at him and other officers and shot Hodge once in the torso, killing him. Officer Kyle Mellard was shot in both legs and the face. He has recovered and returned to the police force.
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School Funding Fight Looms at Kansas Statehouse
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - The Kansas Legislature is gearing up for another battle over school funding. Some legislators say they want to keep controversial policies out of the discussion. For the past several years, lawmakers have tied K-12 funding to accountability measures or provisions such as vouchers and parental rights. Democrats say they want a straightforward school spending bill. They tried to boost special education funding as part of the Legislature’s overall budget package, but that measure failed in committee. Republican Rep. Kristey Williams says school spending comprises half the state’s budget, so lawmakers should look at structural issues. “There’s a lot more to this, and just giving $72 million does not answer the question and does not fix the problem," she said. The current school funding bill would allow some families to use state tax money to pay for private school or homeschools.
Democrats in the House Appropriations Committee tried and failed to boost funding for special education without tying it to policy changes. For the past several years, lawmakers have combined K-12 funding with provisions such as vouchers and parental rights legislation. Representative Mari-Lynn Poskin says schools just need the money. “We have already seen that the policy that is attached to the special education funding is not popular, and we don’t want to perhaps have it go down again," she said. Republican lawmakers say special education funding isn’t equitable across the state. They want to address that formula in the spending bill.
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Kansas Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Illegal Immigration, Human Trafficking
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP/KPR) - Democratic Governor Laura Kelly has vetoed a measure that she said could have meant prison terms for people who help immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Republicans say the bill would have fought human smuggling. The bill makes it a felony to transport, harbor or conceal a person in the country illegally but would only apply when someone knows -- or should know -- that a person is in the U.S. illegally and "is likely to be exploited" for another person's financial gain. The measure cleared the Legislature with large, bipartisan super-majorities.
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With the Kansas Legislative Session Winding Down, Action on Medical Marijuana Remains Unlikely
TOPEKA, Kan. (Kansas Reflector/KPR) - Kansas lawmakers are unlikely to take up marijuana-related legislation as the 2023 session draws to a close. This is upsetting to many Democratic lawmakers who say the state is losing business to neighboring states, like Missouri, Colorado and Oklahoma, where marijuana has been legalized to one extent or another. The Kansas House approved medical marijuana legalization in 2021. But a similar bill in the Senate died in committee during the last legislative session. Marijuana legislation seems likely to meet a similar fate this year. Kansas is one of three states where possession of cannabis for any purpose remains illegal. The other two states are Nebraska and Idaho.
The Kansas Reflector reports that House Minority Leader Vic Miller, a Topeka Democrat, has renewed his push for a cannabis amnesty bill. The measure would release those convicted for marijuana-related offenses from their sentences and allow expungement of their records — essentially decriminalizing marijuana statewide. Miller says Kansans shouldn’t be punished for marijuana use. “We’re stuck in the dark ages, still spending taxpayer money to imprison people for eating pot brownies and smoking a joint,” Miller said.
“Given the negative consequences other states are experiencing and the resounding rejection of recreational marijuana by Oklahoma voters, the momentum for legalized marijuana appears to be losing steam," said Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover. “While the discussions about legitimate medical marijuana will continue in future sessions, Kansas is wise to learn from the mistakes of other states and instead proceed with caution on this understandably emotional topic.”
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Kansas Governor Wants to Upgrade Sporting KC Stadium
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) - Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is proposing $10 million for upgrades to the Sporting KC soccer stadium ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The World Cup matches will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, but Children’s Mercy Park in Wyandotte County will be a practice site. The governor's office says the upgrades to the stadium and surrounding area would help promote economic activity long after the World Cup is over. But some lawmakers, including Republican Representative Ken Rahjes, say the money could be better spent elsewhere. The money is part of a new slate of funding proposals lawmakers are considering when they return to the Statehouse this week.
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$50 Million in Infrastructure Grants Awarded Across Kansas
WICHITA, Kan. (KNS) - Local governments, private developers and other groups across Kansas are getting state money for economic development projects delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Kansas Department of Commerce announced $50 million dollars in new grants for 39 projects in 31 counties. They range from housing development in Olathe, to dairy farming in Thomas County, to a kid’s playscape at Wichita’s Exploration Place. Recipients will have two years to use the funds and must provide a 25% matching investment. It’s the second round of funding in the state’s Building a Stronger Economy program, an effort to use federal pandemic relief money to attract business development to Kansas.
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Kansas Rural Housing Program Expanded to All Communities
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS/KMUW) - The Kansas Legislature has successfully expanded an affordable housing incentive program to include the state’s larger cities like Wichita. The incentive allows cities to issue bonds to pay for the development of up to 100 residential starter homes a year. As the value of the homes grow, the new property tax generated is used to pay off the bonds. Governor Laura Kelly signed a bill to expand the program from rural cities with less than 60,000 people to all cities in Kansas. Affordable housing across the state is limited, including in Wichita. A 2021 statewide housing assessment found about one in four renters in Sedgwick County spends more than the recommended 30 percent of their income on housing costs.
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Evergy Electric Bills to Increase by $14 Per Month for Some Kansas Residents
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas Evergy customers could see a marked increase in their monthly bill if a request by the energy company is approved. Evergy has filed a request with the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to recover investments made to improve service to customers. These improvements include a more reliable and resilient power grid and updated customer service systems. KSNT reports that Evergy has requested a net revenue increase of $204 million, or a 9.77% overall rate increase, for customers in the company's central Kansas service area. Around 736,000 customers of Evergy reside in the area in cities like Topeka, Pittsburg, Wichita, Emporia, Manhattan and Hutchinson.
Another rate increase has been requested for customers in the Kansas City metro service area of $14 million or a 1.95% overall rate increase. If approved, customers in this area could see an additional $3.47 added to their monthly Evergy bill. This would impact around 273,000 customers in the greater Kansas City metro, including Lenexa and Overland Park. This request comes shortly after Evergy announced that it would be increasing utility rates for Kansas customers in April. A monthly increase of $2.82 for two years is to be expected for residents in the central Kansas area.
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Ex-Arkansas Lawmaker Gets 4 Years in Missouri Bribery Case
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a former Arkansas state senator has been sentenced to four years and two months in prison for accepting multiple bribes in Missouri. The U.S. Department of Justice says 48-year-old Jeremy Hutchinson, of Little Rock, was sentenced Tuesday on a charge of conspiracy to commit federal program bribery. The federal government says that sentence will run consecutive to previous sentences of three years and 10 months for similar convictions in the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, bringing a total of eight years in prison. Hutchinson admitted he was hired as outside counsel for Preferred Family Healthcare Inc. and in exchange took action in the Legislature to help the Springfield, Missouri-based nonprofit. Hutchinson admitted to holding up agency budgets, initiating legislative audits, and sponsoring and voting for legislation that would help Preferred Family, according to his plea agreement. Hutchinson was paid more than $350,000 in charity funds between May 2014 and 2017 and also received hotel rooms and Major League Baseball tickets paid for by the nonprofit.
In 2022, Preferred Family Healthcare agreed to pay more than $8 million in forfeiture and restitution to the federal government and the state of Arkansas under the terms of a non-prosecution agreement, in which the company admitted to criminal conduct by former officers and employees. Hutchinson is the son of former U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson of Arkansas and is former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson's nephew.
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NFL Draft a Boon for Cities, Teams Since It Hit the Road
UNDATED (AP/KPR) - The Kansas City Chiefs recently celebrated another Super Bowl victory with a parade in downtown Kansas City. And now... the city will welcome even more football fans to town for the NFL Draft, which gets underway Thursday at Union Station. There will be plenty of Kansas City barbecue available from food trucks for people who come to the NFL draft. A number of events for NFL fans are being held at Union Station and the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Thousands of people are expected to attend the three-day extravaganza.
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This summary of area news is curated by KPR news staffers, including J. Schafer, Laura Lorson, Tom Parkinson and Kaye McIntyre. Our headlines are generally posted by 10 am weekdays and updated throughout the day. These ad-free headlines are made possible by KPR members. Become one today. And follow KPR News on Twitter.