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Kansas Supreme Court chief justice to retire by early February
Kansas Supreme Court Chief Justice Marla Luckert will step down from her position at the start of the new year and retire within weeks, she announced Friday.
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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 senators shoot down ‘voodoo math’ public education bill
Kansas senators killed a school finance bill that would have guided state education funding for the next three years, heeding warnings from public schools advocates that the bill’s special education provision could have proven disastrous.
Kansas House derails governor-backed tax legislation overwhelmingly approved by Senate
The Kansas House on a voice vote decided Thursday to send a three-year, $1.4 billion tax cut package back to House and Senate negotiators, overriding a call from House Speaker Dan Hawkins to pass the bill and defying guidance of Gov. Laura Kelly.
Gov. Laura Kelly embraces not ‘perfect’ Kansas tax bill crafted by House, Senate negotiators
Gov. Laura Kelly endorsed the tax-relief bill negotiated Wednesday by a committee ending the food sales tax early, exempting from income tax all Social Security benefits, expanding the residential property tax exemption, increasing the standard deduction for income tax purposes and cutting the top income tax rate.
Education advocate: Kansas school finance bill would ‘permanently underfund’ special education
Kansas lawmakers are trying to overhaul special education funding for public schools in a move condemned by public school advocates.
House, Senate negotiators seeking income, sales and property tax bills capable of dodging vetoes
Legislators engaged Tuesday in opening rounds of conversation about using the state’s large revenue surplus to draft legislation delivering property, income and sales tax relief that Gov. Laura Kelly won’t veto.
Colorado authorities wrapping up investigation into Marion police who raided Kansas newspaper
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is nearly finished with its inquiry into potential criminal activity surrounding the raid on the Marion County Record last year and will turn over findings to special prosecutors later this month, state authorities said Tuesday.
Kansas newspaper that was raided by Marion police sues officials for attack on free press
The Marion County Record has filed a lawsuit against local authorities who planned and carried out an illegal raid last year, accusing the “co-conspirators” of seeking revenge for unfavorable news coverage through falsified and invalid search warrants.
Want more young Kansans to run for office? A coming pay raise in the Statehouse might help
Kansas lawmakers are set to receive a substantial pay raise next year. Some say that’s key to recruiting more young and working class people to run for office.
Kansas Legislature sends Democratic governor bill banning under-18 transgender health care
The Kansas Legislature voted to send an intensely divisive bill Wednesday to Gov. Laura Kelly forbidding gender transition surgery, prescribing of puberty blockers and delivery of other gender-affirming care by medical professionals in Kansas to people younger than 18.
Kansas bill limiting privacy advances as lawmakers opine on ‘regret and emptiness’ of abortion
Senate Republicans say 11 questions proposed to survey pregnant people in the state before they can receive an abortion will help lawmakers make better decisions. Critics say the proposed survey is overly invasive, offensive and a blatant attempt to push an anti-abortion agenda.
NRA insider Phil Journey shines a light on corruption at influential gun-rights organization
A longtime NRA board member says hints of financial impropriety surfaced years before the New York state AG filed a lawsuit against four executives of the gun-rights advocacy organization and revealed indiscretions so disturbing the conservative political giant could crumble.
Wichita may pull public notices from the Wichita Eagle. But will that hurt transparency?
The City of Wichita could soon become one of the largest cities in Kansas to withdraw its public notices from its paper of record.
GOP lawmakers tie care for disabled Kansans to their opposition of Medicaid expansion
Several Republican lawmakers have sworn against expanding state health care coverage, arguing that they are “laser-focused” on fixing long wait times for thousands of the state’s disabled residents in need of health care first.
Despite overwhelming Kansas public support, Medicaid expansion bill shot down
Republican lawmakers on Thursday brought a Medicaid expansion bill to a halt, after one day of discussion, 900 testimonies in support of expansion and dozens of statewide rallies held by Kansans desperate for more health care coverage.
House bill imposes $10,000 fine on Kansas public colleges, universities for misuse of DEI policy
The Kansas House tentatively approved legislation Wednesday imposing a $10,000 fine for every instance in which a public university or college tied student admissions or faculty hiring to an ideological pledge or statement related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
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