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Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Kansas students to face punishment for protests after lawmakers override veto
Kansas public school students will need parental permission to leave school grounds for a protest and schools could face $100,000 penalties if they don’t enforce restrictions after legislators overrode the governor’s veto Friday.
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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
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A transgender Kansas state employee says she was harassed at work after her transition
Shelly Lamb argues in a federal lawsuit that coworkers and inmates at the Kansas Department of Corrections harassed her and the department violated her civil rights and committed sex discrimination because she is a transgender woman.
Kansas disciplinary board dismisses complaint with prosecutor’s false account of police shooting
A secretive Kansas disciplinary board has dismissed a complaint against Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe for releasing a false narrative about the 2018 police killing of John Albers.
Kansas GOP leaders: House — not Senate — possesses votes to override Kelly’s tax veto
Republican leaders of the Kansas Legislature said a two-thirds majority of House members were committed to overriding Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a tax reduction bill but a supermajority hadn’t crystalized in the Senate to complete the maneuver.
Kansas governor vetoes ‘reckless’ flat tax proposal
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly announced her veto of a sprawling flat tax proposal Friday, calling the plan “reckless,” and one reminiscent of former Gov. Sam Brownback’s disastrous tax cuts.
Bill blocks Kansas counties from sending unsolicited advance ballot applications to voters
The organization of Kansas county election officers told legislators they opposed a Republican-sponsored bill that would prohibit counties from continuing the practice of mailing unsolicited advance ballot applications to registered voters.
Kansas edges closer to ban on planting Callery pear trees; critic warns: ‘Stay out of my yard’
Under a permanent quarantine the Kansas Department of Agriculture has endorsed, the Callery pear tree couldn’t be sold or planted anywhere in Kansas after Jan. 1, 2027.
Kansas prosecutor, disciplined after she complained about a judge, laments ‘broken’ legal system
Former Montgomery County prosecutor Lisa Montgomery appeared before a judicial ethics panel in May to face retribution for breaking a cardinal rule. She had complained publicly about a sitting judge.
Kansas GOP leaders tout flat tax plan that would save Charles Koch $875K annually
A plan by Republican legislative leaders to flatten income tax rates would save billionaire political donor Charles Koch an estimated $875,000, while most of the state’s workers would save between $37 and $84 annually.
Kansas foster care system has seen ‘great progress,’ DCF secretary says
Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Monday said the number of children in foster care has dropped, marking some improvement in the state’s long-criticized child welfare system.
Thousands of students in Kansas and Missouri have left public education. Here’s why
Kansas and Missouri public schools enroll thousands of fewer students compared to before the pandemic, in part, because of a homeschooling boom and declining birth rates.
Kansas lawmakers propose new restrictions on abortion providers
The Kansas Legislature will consider bills that would amend the state’s ‘born alive’ law and prevent abortion providers from purchasing liability insurance from a state fund.
Kansas House sends flat income tax bill to the governor for a possible veto
The Republican-controlled Kansas House of Representatives on Thursday approved legislation that would set a single rate on state income taxes, setting up a likely veto from the Democratic governor.
Kansas GOP’s proposed platform condemns same-sex marriage, abortion, gun control
Citing God’s guidance, the Kansas Republican Party has declared itself against same-sex marriage in an early unreleased version of its proposed 2024 platform.
Kansas could be the next state to stop people from planting Bradford pears
Local conservationists will cheer if Kansas moves forward with a ban on selling popular but invasive ornamental pear trees in the state.
Driver’s license gender needs to match sex assigned at birth, Kansas AG Kris Kobach argues in court
Civil rights advocates argued in court this week that drivers’ licenses should not lead to “forced outing,” leaving a district judge to decide how a divisive law will impact the day-to-day lives of transgender Kansans.
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