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Kansas governor vetoes tax credit programs for private schools
Gov. Laura Kelly told Legislators Monday to focus on fully funding special education and to prioritize public schools instead of giving tax credits for youths attending private schools.
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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe KANSAS NEWS
Kansas Black Hills Energy customers will see 9% rate increase, pending regulatory approval
Kansas Black Hills Energy customers may see their bills increase by nearly 9%, or about $5.96 per month for average residential use, if regulators approve a settlement agreement presented Monday.
ICE rushed no-bid contract to pay CoreCivic $4.2M per month to hold immigrants at Kansas prison
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement used the pretense of a national emergency to justify a secret, no-bid contract with CoreCivic that would pay the company $4.2 million per month to house detained immigrants at its vacant Leavenworth prison.
Leader of Kansas public defender office resigns in face of budget cuts, constitutional crisis
Heather Cessna is resigning as executive director of the state public defender’s office after years of warning apathetic legislators about the constitutional crisis they created by persistently underfunding her agency.
Kansas AG wants state education department to remove gender, sex language from lunch contracts
Kansas AG Kris Kobach encouraged the State Board of Education to remove sex discrimination language from the state’s lunch contracts, the latest in his offensive against gender and identity politics.
‘I would have died without it.’ Kansas teen copes with gender-affirming care ban
Kansas’ ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapies for transgender minors takes effect next year. This family is trying to navigate the changes — and give their daughter a normal teen life.
Kansas Bureau of Investigation initiative to allow sexual assault survivors to track rape kit status
A Kansas Bureau of Investigation initiative is expected to change the state’s sexual assault evidence kit process so that survivors are no longer left in the dark.
Kansans can’t yet change gender markers on driver’s licenses, despite recent ruling
A Kansas Court of Appeals ruling Friday allows Kansans to change the gender markers on their licenses. But AG Kris Kobach instructed the state Department of Revenue not to make gender marker changes while the matter is in litigation.
Freedom’s Frontier will ‘cease to exist’ if Congress rescinds funding for National Heritage Areas
Freedom’s Frontier, a coalition of more than 200 historically significant sites on both sides of the Kansas-Missouri border, will “cease to exist” if Congress approves proposed legislation to defund National Heritage Areas, the organization’s spokesman says.
‘Our nation is in distress’: Thousands protest Trump in ‘No Kings’ rally at Kansas Statehouse
Thousands of Kansans rallied Saturday at the Statehouse in Topeka as part of a nationwide backlash to President Donald Trump, hoisting signs, joining in pro-democracy chants and speaking out against immigration raids.
Trans Kansans win court ruling to change the gender on their IDs
A Kansas Court of Appeals decision Friday reversed a district court order that prohibited transgender people from changing their driver’s licenses to reflect their gender identity.
Kansas Republican exploits fear of imaginary ‘axis of ballot harvesting’ to gain political advantage
As Kansas Rep. Pat Proctor launched his campaign to oversee state elections, he honed in on a signature phrase that would serve his interest of dismissing critics — and reporting by Kansas Reflector — while appealing to far-right voters.
Democrat steps forward in race for Kansas governor, focuses on schools and ‘kitchen table’ issues
Kansas Sen. Cindy Holscher says she will seek the Democratic nomination for governor to try to protect public schools and shield the state from a potential double dose of “slash and burn policies” ignited by Republicans at federal and state levels.
Kansas troopers on standby for protests, ahead of nationwide anti-Trump demonstrations
State troopers are on standby in Kansas as demonstrations against federal immigration raids crop up around the country following an increased military presence in response to protests in Los Angeles.
Kansas commission nominates judges from Douglas and Johnson counties, private attorney for vacancy on Supreme Court
A state judicial nominating commission unanimously recommended Tuesday that Gov. Laura Kelly choose from Douglas County District Judge Amy Hanley and two other candidates to fill an impending vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court.
Proposed federal budget cuts could have ‘grim impact’ on Kansans with disabilities
A leaked federal budget and the president’s budget forced Kansas advocates for people with disabilities to consider potential funding losses that could dramatically affect their services.
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