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Kansas Court of Appeals rules CoreCivic can’t house ICE detainees without Leavenworth permit
CoreCivic can’t house immigration detainees before reaching an agreement with the city of Leavenworth on reopening its private prison, the Kansas Court of Appeals ruled Friday when it upheld a lower court’s decision.
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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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Kansas AG announces plan to sue Biden administration over lesser prairie chicken protections
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach plans to sue President Joe Biden’s administration over the lesser prairie chicken, calling federal protections for the bird illegal and potentially devastating to landowners and businesses in the state.
Kansas ballot drop boxes need to be more secure, lawmaker says, comparing issue to 9/11
Election officials debunked ideas of so-called ballot mules stuffing dozens of votes into drop boxes, reassuring lawmakers Tuesday that the boxes are already secure during a hearing fraught with election security concerns and misinformation.
Gov. Kelly condemns flat tax proposal, touts plan to cut taxes on groceries and other supplies
Following the unveiling of a flat tax proposal that would cost the state $1.5 billion, Gov. Laura Kelly once again rallied Kansans to her tax cut plan, saying any bill passed this legislative session needs to be fiscally responsible.
Kansas restaurant industry still struggling for comeback, officials say
The restaurant industry statewide has been plagued by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and workforce shortages, with new issues making it difficult for restaurant owners to bounce back, officials have said.
Analysis show Kansas Chamber’s flat tax proposal costs $1.5B, favors top 20% of wage earners
Assessments by the Kansas budget director and an independent tax policy institute Monday showed the flat tax proposal by the Kansas Chamber would reduce the state budget by $1.5 billion per year and primarily benefit the state’s highest wage earners.
Scuffle over Kelly’s nominee to Court of Appeals foreshadows bigger fight over Supreme Court
The Kansas Senate unanimously confirmed Kansas Court of Appeals nominee Rachel Pickering despite alarms set off by Republicans about judicial criticism leveled against her decisions as appellate defense counsel in a 15-year-old criminal case.
How bad was the 2022 drought? For these 7 Kansas communities, it was the driest on record
Record-setting lack of rain in 2022 transformed parts of western Kansas into a temporary desert. And it’ll take a while for the region’s fields, towns and mindsets to recover.
FBI special agent’s take on national cybersecurity threats: ‘I have a hard time going to sleep’
FBI supervisory special agent George Schultzel pulled hundreds of people to the edge of their seats Friday during a gathering at KU exploring how government, industry and researchers could work together to improve cybersecurity in the United States.
Judicial Council wants 30-day notice of involuntary discharge from Kansas elder care facilities
Rachel Imthurn remains a champion more than a decade after her husband’s death for implementation of a Kansas law giving residents of assisted living facilities at least 30 days notice of an involuntary discharge and the right to appeal the facility’s decision.
Kansas Republicans want election rule changes that could give them an edge over Democrats
Kansas Republicans are considering the removal of a three-day grace period for returning ballots by mail and creating runoff elections for statewide races. Democrats and voter turnout advocates say they are voter suppression efforts.
Despite a ballot box loss, anti-abortion lawmakers in Kansas propose a complete ban
Republican lawmakers in Kansas have introduced the most extreme anti-abortion legislation so far this session. It comes less than six months after voters dealt a landslide upset to abortion opponents when they rejected an anti-abortion ballot measure.
Kansas House tangles on procedural rules before preserving late-night debates, bill bundling
Republicans in the Kansas House voted down a proposed rule forbidding the launch of House floor debate on a bill after midnight.
Salt makes icy roads less dicey, but it poisons the land. Here’s what Kansas is doing about it
Rock salt saves lives by helping tires grip icy roads. It avoids broken bones when homeowners use it on slick surfaces. But it also costs Americans billions in corroding cars and bridges. It adds so much sodium to drinking water in some places that it can affect people’s health.
Gov. Laura Kelly argues Kansans deserve bipartisan progress on tax, health care, K-12 policy
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly pleaded with lawmakers to avoid injecting politics more deeply into K-12 public schools. She amplified recommendations to expand eligibility for Medicaid, legalize medical marijuana, accelerate workforce training and answer calls for action on the rural housing crisis.
Kansas Senate president rails against wokeness in response to governor’s annual speech
The Republican president of the Kansas Senate said Tuesday that Kansans should appreciate Gov. Laura Kelly is governing near the ditch on the left side of the road rather than from the center as she has claimed on many occasions.
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