Kansas Audit Questions Strength of Local Election Security Policies
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — County election security policies in Kansas don't appear to be strong or detailed enough, and the state doesn't appear to be giving counties enough guidance on how best to oversee voting, according to an audit released Thursday.
The report from the auditing arm of the Republican-controlled Legislature is the second on election security issues this year and was initiated amid an ongoing circulation of baseless election conspiracy theories among GOP conservatives. The first report, released in February, said auditors couldn't tell whether county election workers are being adequately trained “because no one tracks this, and state law says very little about it."
Like their counterparts in other states, Kansas supporters of former President Donald Trump have suggested that fraud is a major issue in the state's elections despite the lack of evidence of a significant problem. However, rather than attempt to bolster or undercut such claims, the two audits this year have focused on election procedures and whether they represent election security gaps.
For the latest report, auditors examined election security procedures in 15 of the state's 105 counties and found that none of those counties had comprehensive security policies or guidance. The audit said most of the counties had inadequate procedures for testing voting machines' accuracy after elections or for securing their voting machines from unauthorized access while they are deployed.
“We have some work to do,” said state Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican and vice chair of the legislative committee directing the auditors' work.
The audit suggested that money and personnel plays a role: The more populous counties surveyed generally were better at following best practices outlined by the federal Election Assistance Commission than the more rural ones. Yet even the auditors avoided suggesting that election procedures ought to be uniform across the state.
Asked whether the Kansas secretary of state's office might have separate sets of guidance for the most populous counties and the others, state elections director Bryan Caskey said: “To me, there's 105 ways of doing things, not two.”
Secretary of State Scott Schwab's office pushed back on auditors' suggestion that it isn't providing enough guidance on security issues to county officials. Its formal response to the audit said its training for election officials deals with security issues and the office is working on more standardized policies and forms.
Caskey said security regulations will be updated before the 2024 election and Schwab's office passes along guidance on best practices from multiple federal agencies. He noted that the agencies don't have a single, common list of practices that guarantee a secure election, making guidance “a never-ending job.”
Still, Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican and another audit committee member, said a single list of best practices for county officials “absolutely makes sense."
“I do think that it'd be overwhelming for county clerks, especially small counties, that may just recently have been elected to that position, to try to discern what are the best practices from so many different agencies or outlets,” Williams said.
Sen. Ethan Corson, a Prairie Village Democrat and audit committee member, said while lawmakers should encourage Schwab's office to provide more guidance, they shouldn't impose mandates without providing the funding to meet them, especially in rural counties.
“This is a tricky issue,” Corson said.
(–Additional Reporting–)
Audit Calls for More Training, Guidance for County Election Workers
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – A new Kansas audit calls for more training and guidance for county election workers. The audit reviewed the election policies and practices of 15 counties. These included the purchase of certified election equipment, and securing ballots when they are transferred from polling places to county offices. The audit found that elections run differently from one county to the next, and some lack strong security practices. It also found none of the counties have adequate written policies. Audit supervisor Andy Brienzo says larger counties have stronger security, and smaller counties may have less security because of inefficient guidance and a lack of resources. The audit notes that the Secretary of State’s Office, which oversees elections in Kansas, agreed with its recommendations and some efforts to make improvements are underway.
==========
Kansas Attorney General Sues to Prevent Transgender People from Changing Driver's Licenses
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican attorney general of Kansas sued Friday to force the state to be among a few that prohibit transgender people from changing their sex on their driver's licenses and to repudiate the Democratic governor, who continues to allow such changes despite a new anti-trans law.
Attorney General Kris Kobach filed his lawsuit in state court, seeking an order to stop Governor Laura Kelly, and agencies under her control, from letting transgender people change their licenses. Kobach contends a law that took effect Saturday prevents such changes and requires the state to reverse any previous changes in its records.
Kobach has argued that the law applies in the same way to birth certificates, but the lawsuit filed Friday doesn't address those documents. The settlement of a 2018 federal lawsuit requires Kansas to allow transgender people to change their birth certificates.
“The Governor cannot pick and choose which laws she will enforce and which laws she will ignore,” reads the lawsuit, filed in state district court in Shawnee County, home to the state capital, Topeka. It seeks to force the governor to enforce the law as he sees it and names as defendants two officials who oversee driver’s licenses.
While Kelly isn’t named as a defendant, the lawsuit holds her responsible for the policy on driver’s licenses.
“Governor Kelly is faithfully executing the laws of the state and has directed her administration to as well,” spokesperson Brianna Johnson said in a statement.
Even with a raft of measures targeting transgender people in statehouses across the U.S. this year, Kansas would be atypical for not allowing them to change sex or gender markers on birth certificates, driver's licenses or either. Montana and Tennessee also have policies against changing either document, and Oklahoma has a policy against changing birth certificates.
“The state has been doing just fine,” said Adam Kellogg, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student. “The fact that this is an issue now for some reason is confusing, to say the least, when there hasn’t really been a problem.”
The dispute between Kobach and Kelly highlights an odd feature of their generally conservative state's modern politics. In the past 50 years, Republicans have won every U.S. Senate race, but Democrats have won half of the governor's races with support from GOP moderates. The Legislature has anti-abortion Republican supermajorities, but a statewide vote in August 2022 decisively affirmed abortion rights.
Kelly won her first term as governor in 2018 by defeating Kobach, who was then the Kansas secretary of state. He staged a political comeback last year by winning the attorney general’s race as she captured a second term, both of them by slim margins.
More than 900 people in Kansas have changed the listing for sex on their birth certificates in the past four years. About 400 have changed their driver's licenses in that period, about four times as many a month this year as previously. The number of driver's licenses changes accelerated in May and June as LGBTQ+ rights advocates encouraged people to do it ahead of the new law.
That new law defines a person's sex as male or female, based on the “biological reproductive system” identified at birth, applying that definition to any state law or regulation. It also says that “important governmental objectives" of protecting people's privacy, health and safety justify single-sex spaces such as bathrooms and locker rooms.
The governor's office said last week that the state health department, which handles birth certificates, and the motor vehicle division, which issues driver's licenses, would continue allowing transgender people to change the markers for sex on those documents. Her office said lawyers in her administration had concluded that doing so doesn't violate the new law. Kelly is a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and vetoed the measure, but the Legislature overrode her.
But the governor's statements about the new law are at odds with descriptions from LGBTQ+ rights advocates before the Republican-controlled Legislature enacted it over Kelly's veto. The advocates predicted that it would prevent transgender people from changing their driver's licenses and amounted to a legal “erasure” of their identities, something Kobach confirmed as the intent when he issued his legal opinion.
Kansas is also among at least 10 states with a law against transgender people using facilities in line with their gender identities, though it includes no enforcement mechanism.
“For me to go into a bathroom and not have a marker that represents who I am, I was terrified. I was afraid I was going to get accosted or harassed,” said Ty Goeke, a 37-year-old transgender Topeka resident who changed both his birth certificate and driver’s license last month. “Now that I have the correct marker, I feel much better, feel more confident."
==========
GHB Test Strips Now Legal for Purchase in Kansas
TOPEKA, Kan. (KNS) – It is now legal to buy test strips in Kansas that can test whether a drink has been spiked with a date rape drug. The Kansas News Service reports that GHB test strips became legal on July 1. The test strips used to be classified as drug paraphernalia. But Kansas lawmakers removed the criminal penalties earlier this year. Jessa Farmer of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence says the drugs are odorless and tasteless. But the test strips can detect the drugs. Farmer says legalizing the strips also raises the awareness of the proliferation of date rape drugs.
==========
Beloved Lawrence Broadcaster Hank Booth Dies at Age 77
LAWRENCE, Kan. (Lawrence Times) – Broadcaster Hank Booth has died at the age of 77. The Lawrence Times reports that Booth's death on Friday followed a sudden and unexpected illness. His voice was heard for decades in Lawrence radio broadcasts. He was inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1990, among many other industry honors and community recognitions. Booth was a board member for the Cottonwood Foundation, a founding board member of the Lawrence Schools Foundation, and supported many Lawrence-area nonprofit organizations. He broadcast Lawrence High School football games for more than 50 years, and hosted the show "According to the Record" on KLWN radio for approximately 60 years. Tributes to Booth's career and community involvement poured in across area social media accounts Friday evening.
==========
New Washburn Law School Building to Bear Bob Dole's Name
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/WIBW) - Washburn University's new law school building will be named "Robert J. Dole Hall" in honor of the late Kansas senator. WIBW reports that Washburn's Board of Regents unanimously voted to name the new building after Dole, who graduated from Washburn in 1952. Construction on the building started in June 2021 and is expected to be completed at the end of July. The former law building was built after the 1966 tornado and housed Washburn's law school for more than 50 years. Mabee Library will moved into the old law school to make room for a clinical learning space for nursing students.
===============
Junction City Residents Attend Hearing on Proposed Geary County Highway Project
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (KPR/KSNT) - Junction City residents expressed concern last night (THU) about a proposed highway project in Geary County. The Kansas Department of Transportation held a public hearing about the proposed project to replace a bridge over Interstate 70 west of Junction City. KSNT reports K-DOT is looking at two options: replacing the bridge or replacing the bridge and adding a new interchange. At yesterday's (THUR) hearing, area residents raised concerns that adding an interchange could bring increased traffic and unwanted changes to their community. K-DOT engineers say the bridge is aging and needs to be replaced. The agency identified the project as a top priority in 2021. The project is expected to cost more than 30 million dollars; construction could start as soon as 2027.
==========
Chase by Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Ends in Death of Shooting Suspect
EL DORADO, Kansas (AP) — Authorities say a woman who was fatally injured in a crash while being chased by the Kansas Highway Patrol on Wednesday had just fled the scene of a shooting. The Butler County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the shooting between El Dorado and Shumway around 10:30 a.m. The shooting victim was taken to a Wichita hospital with critical injuries.
The patrol said a trooper soon spotted the suspect's pickup and a brief pursuit ensued. Trooper Chad Crittenden said the officer performed a maneuver using his vehicle to try to force the pickup to spin out and stop. The pickup then hit a sign in a business parking lot in the Wichita suburb of Bel Aire. The driver, a woman in her 60s, died at the scene. Her name has not been released. Crittenden told reporters that the trooper tried to force the stop because the woman was a suspect in a shooting and was getting ready to travel into a highly populated part of northern Wichita. He said he didn't know her hometown.
Details on the shooting in Butler County were not immediately released. The patrol is investigating the crash, while the Butler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting.
==========
Wandering Emu Found; Owner Located via Social Media
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KSNT) – The Shawnee County Sheriff's Office used social media to track down the owner of a wayward emu. KSNT reports that sheriff's office deputies posted a photo on Twitter Thursday night asking for the public’s help finding the bird’s owner. Deputies stayed with the bird in a neighborhood near NE 35th Street and NE Meriden Road north of Topeka. After locating the owner, the deputies thanked the community for its quick assistance. According to the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan, the emu is native to Australia and the second largest living bird in the world. The flightless bird can run at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.
==========
Loud Boom in Downtown Lawrence Caused by Fireworks Down Storm Drain
LAWRENCE, Kan. (KMBC) – People in downtown Lawrence reported a loud noise Wednesday afternoon. KMBC-TV reports that the Lawrence Police Department investigated, and found that it was caused by fireworks that two people had thrown down a storm drain. The sound of an explosion was reported around 4:30 p.m.
Police said the suspects threw one firework near the bridge at 2nd and Locust. Downtown cameras helped police discover the suspect’s vehicle. They contacted the driver and one passenger. A report has been filed and charges could be possible, police said. Police also said no one was injured.
==========
Fireworks Determined to Be Cause of Riley County Fires
RILEY COUNTY, Kan. (WIBW) – Riley County officials say that two recent fires were caused by fireworks. WIBW reportsextensive damage to a home and two vehicles in northern Riley County when fireworks debris stored in a garbage can caught fire, then spread from a garage to the attic. Four residents and one cat escaped the fire with no injuries reported. Riley County firefighters also reported a small brush fire Tuesday near High Plains Ranch Road and North Seth Childs Road had been caused by fireworks as well. No structures were damaged in the brush fire, and the fire only affected a small area. That blaze was quickly extinguished.
Tips from the Kansas Fire Marshal regarding safe fireworks use and disposal can be found here.
==========
Executives Charged with Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KPR/KC Star) – Two executives with a company based in Overland Park have been charged with conspiring to commit $1.9 billion in health care fraud. The Kansas City Star reports that 39-year-old Brett Blackman and 49-year-old Gregory Schreck of HealthSplash Incorporated were indicted in Florida for allegedly submitting false Medicare claims. Officials are calling it one of the largest such schemes prosecuted in Justice Department history. The indictments were announced as part of a nationwide crackdown on health care fraud.
==========
Downtown Topeka Post Office Reopens
TOPEKA, Kan. (KPR/KSNT) - The downtown Topeka post office is back in business. KSNT reports that the building has reopened its doors after being closed for over a month. The USPS closed the building in late May when asbestos was discovered during renovations. Repair work is now complete and the post office has resumed operating on its regular hours.
==========
City of Wichita Could Add Mold to City Housing Code Violations
WICHITA, Kan. (KMUW) – Some Wichita city council members want to add mold control to the city’s housing code this summer. The city’s building code lays out regulations for safe and healthy housing, such as adequate ventilation and plumbing. But City Council member Brandon Johnson says he frequently hears from tenants with severe mold in their apartments – and there’s nothing in the city code that addresses it. Health officials say mold can cause major respiratory issues, especially in vulnerable populations like youth and the elderly. This spring, an apartment complex in south Wichita garnered media attention after it became clear some units had severe mold. Several tenants complained of health problems.
==========
Beloved Kansas City Zoo Chimpanzee Euthanized
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KC Star) – The Kansas City Zoo announced Wednesday that one of its chimpanzees was etuhanized after being diagnosed with significant health problems. The Kansas City Star reportsthat the 24-year-old chimpanzee, Dafina, was born and spent her entire life in the Kansas City Zoo, according to a written statement posted on Facebook. The Zoo statement said she was known to the animal staff as “smart, playful, mischievous, sweet, and brave.” Over recent days, the chimpanzee suffered a decline in health stemming from an inoperable tumor, which led to renal failure. She received care from the facility’s veterinary staff until the “difficult decision” was made to euthanize her, according to the statement.
==========
Earthwork Artist Stan Herd Creates Image of Bob Dole in Lawrence
LAWRENCE, Kan. (LJW) — Earthwork artist Stan Herd is creating a giant image of the late Kansas Senator Bob Dole, just outside the Dole Institute on KU's west campus. The Lawrence Journal-World reports that Herd uses the ground as his canvas - using soil, coal, flowers, rock and mulch to further enhance his designs. The longtime Lawrence resident has earned international acclaim for his earthwork designs. The Bob Dole image should be completed later this month - just in time for the Dole Institute's celebration of the late senator's birthday. A free public celebration will be held July 22nd, which would have been Dole's 100th birthday. (Read more.)
==========
AP Source: Phillies' John Middleton and Royals' John Sherman Join MLB Relocation Committee
NEW YORK (AP) — Owners of teams in two of the Oakland Athletics' former cities will help evaluate whether the franchise should move to Las Vegas. Philadelphia Phillies chief executive officer John Middleton and Kansas City Royals CEO John Sherman will serve on Major League Baseball's relocation committee, a person familiar with their appointment told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made. They join Milwaukee Brewers chairman Mark Attanasio, picked last month by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to chair the relocation committee. That group will evaluate the team's application, define the new operating territory and television territory, then make a recommendation to Manfred and the eight-man executive council. The council formulates a recommendation to all 30 clubs, which must approve the move by at least three-quarters vote.
There has been no announced timetable for MLB to consider a relocation. Oakland's lease at the Coliseum expires after the 2024 season and the A's, who have the worst record, lowest attendance and smallest payroll in the major leagues, say they hope to move to a new ballpark in Las Vegas. Las Vegas would become the fourth home for a franchise that started in Philadelphia from 1901-54, moved to Kansas City for 13 seasons and arrived in Oakland for 1968. Nevada's Legislature approved providing $380 million in public financing for a proposed $1.5 billion, 30,000-seat ballpark with a retractable roof on the Tropicana hotel site of the Las Vegas Strip. The new venue would be close to Allegiant Stadium, where the NFL’s Oakland Raiders moved to in 2020, and T-Mobile Arena, where the current Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights started play in 2017 as an expansion team. Since the Washington Senators became the Texas Rangers for 1972, the only team to relocate has been the Montreal Expos, who became the Washington Nationals in 2005.
==========
Kansas Golfers Struggle in First Round of U.S. Women's Open
UNDATED (KPR) – In the U.S. Women's Open golf championship at Pebble Beach in California, the two Kansas women in the field had a rough go of it in the first round. Both Julia Misemer of Overland Park and Megan Propeck of Leawood are playing in their first U.S. Women's Open. Misemer, who attends the University of Arizona, is tied for 83rd after shooting a 4-over-par 76. And Propeck, a University of Virginia Cavalier, shot an 11-over-par 83. Only four others in the field of 156 had a worse day than Propeck. The U.S. Women's open continues today (FRI) with the second round.
==========
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. You can also follow KPR News on Twitter.