Tag Archives: Kansas

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports: Walgreens officials are not planning to distribute the abortion drug mifepristone in Kansas, Attorney General Kris Kobach said Monday, weeks after Kobach sent a letter to the pharmacy giant blasting their move to distribute the pill in pharmacies nationally. In the original Feb. 6 letter, Kobach said he would “not hesitate” to enforce Kansas law in …

The Kansas Reflector reports: The Kansas GOP is testing the waters with new legislation meant to discredit the LGBTQ community, activists say, with bills seeking to criminalize gender-affirming care and drag show performances for children, and a revised ban on transgender athletes. Senate Bill 12, introduced by Sen. Mike Thompson, a Shawnee Republican, and Sen. Mark Steffen, a Hutchinson Republican, …

Wichita’s ABC affiliate reports: The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office says a man died over the weekend after his dog stepped on a rifle, causing the firearm to discharge. The incident happened at around 9:40 a.m. Saturday in the 1600 block of 80th Street, north-northeast of Geuda Springs. The sheriff’s office said the man was sitting in the front passenger seat …

NBC News reports: A cyber criminal took hundreds of thousands of dollars from Sen. Jerry Moran’s campaign coffers last year, according to a form filed with the Federal Election Commission by the Kansas Republican’s campaign. In the filing, the treasurer at Moran For Kansas said post-election reporting revealed the senator’s campaign was the victim of a “third-party cyber-criminal” that included …

Hemant Mehta reports at Only Sky: Michael Capps, a former Kansas lawmaker who once sponsored a bill to put the words “In God We Trust” in every federal building, has been found guilty of committing COVID relief fraud and money laundering. In 2018, the Republican was appointed to the Kansas State House and won his own election bid later that …

From the Justice Department: A federal grand jury in Topeka returned an indictment charging a Kansas priest and a New York businessman in connection with a scheme to defraud a foster care organization of $10 million. According to court documents, Robert Nelson Smith, 50, of Salina is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 15 counts of …

NBC News reports: Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has won re-election to a second term, NBC News projects, defeating Republican challenger Derek Schmidt. Kelly was the only Democratic governor running for re-election in a state won by Donald Trump in 2020. Her win keeps a Democrat in the top job in ruby red Kansas for another four years. Her narrow victory …

The Kansas City Star reports: Kansas reaffirmed its landslide vote to uphold abortion rights after election officials on Sunday finished a recount that never had any chance of changing the outcome but was sought by an election denier and anti-abortion activist advancing baseless allegations of fraud. The exercise instead delivered a second victory for opponents of an amendment that would …

Roll Call reports: Democrats seeking to retain control of Congress are doubling down on the need for abortion rights after Kansas voters resoundedly defeated a ballot measure that would have made it easier for state lawmakers to restrict the procedure. “What was done in Kansas shows you how much people in this country value reproductive rights and freedoms,” Democratic National …

Talking Points Memo reports: Anti-immigration hardliner, voter fraud alarmist and former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach finally broke his losing streak on Tuesday night, winning the Republican primary for Kansas attorney general. Kobach defeated Kansas state Sen. Kellie Warren (R), his top rival, by a little over four points. Kobach’s victory follows a string of failed bids for Kansas …

PBS NewsHour reports: The top state elections official in Kansas beat back a far-right challenger who promoted conspiracy theories in one of several primaries Tuesday featuring candidates for secretary of state who have expressed skepticism of elections or promoted lies about the 2020 presidential election. Mike Brown, a construction contractor and former county commissioner in the Kansas City area had …

The Associated Press reports: Kansas voters on Tuesday sent a resounding message about their desire to protect abortion rights, rejecting a ballot measure in a conservative state with deep ties to the anti-abortion movement that would have allowed the Republican-controlled Legislature to tighten restrictions or ban the procedure outright. It was the first test of voter sentiment after the U.S. …

The Washington Post reports: The text messages arrived on Monday, the day before Kansans were set to vote on an amendment that would excise abortion protections from their state constitution. The text claimed that approving that measure, which could allow the Republican-controlled legislature to outlaw abortion, would safeguard “choice.” The gambit was all the more alarming to abortion rights advocates …

The Kansas City Star reports: An anonymous group is sending a misleading text to Kansas voters telling them to “vote yes” in order to protect choice. “Women in KS are losing their choice on reproductive rights. Voting YES on the amendment will give women a choice. Vote YES to protect women’s health.” The message went to voters across the state, …

NPR reports: Intense heat that baked Kansas over the weekend is being blamed for killing thousands of cattle — a toll documented in striking images on social media. In widely seen video footage, rows of carcasses are shown lined up along the edge of a farm field. State officials are blaming a heat wave that sent temperatures higher than 100 …

The Topeka Capitol-Journal reports: A think tank found 20 state lawmakers, or 12% of the Legislature, were members of Facebook groups deemed to be “far-right,” including ones spreading COVID-19 misinformation and raising concerns about the integrity of the 2020 election. Some groups began as a coalition of members pushing back on restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic but appear to have …

The Associated Press reports: Kansas’ highest court on Wednesday upheld a Republican redistricting law that makes it harder for the only Democrat in the state’s congressional delegation to win reelection in a big victory for the GOP. The state Supreme Court declined for now to declare that overly partisan gerrymandering violates the Kansas Constitution. The ruling sets district boundaries less …

The Kansas City Star reports: On Monday, a Johnson County city unanimously voted to ban a living arrangement aimed at helping tenants decrease the amount of rent they pay. The Shawnee City Council voted 8-0 to ban co-living, which has gained popularity in recent years as rent and home prices have soared. The new ordinance defines a co-living group as …

The Kansas Reflector reports: Rep. Tatum Lee and Sen. Mark Steffen heartily embraced anti-vax activists Monday at the Capitol ahead of the Legislature’s consideration of limited-government policy tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and potential overrides of a cluster of vetoes issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. Lee, a Ness City Republican not averse to criticizing GOP leadership, lauded the group affiliated …

The Kansas News Service reports: 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 …