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Kansas governor doubtful GOP legislators can pull off congressional redistricting
Gov. Laura Kelly predicted Tuesday the 2026 Legislature wouldn’t muster enough political support to implement a new congressional district map splitting Johnson County and making it easier to defeat U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in the midterm election.
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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe KANSAS NEWS
Inclusion, fairness central to Kansas Senate debate over ban on transgender athletes in sports
Kansas Senators renewed a debate Monday over legislation to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports, advancing the bill to a final vote despite pushback over what some considered discriminatory policy.
Democrats fail to shelve Senate GOP’s education bill of rights for K-12 public schools
One senator wanted legislators to volunteer for a week in classrooms before introducing a bill that would influence education funding or curriculum. Another said she didn’t need to do so to understand the necessity of affirming in law the key role of parents in educating children.
Kansas COVID-19 case numbers, hospitalizations slowing as weather warms up
For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, some Kansas hospitals are seeing low to no COVID-19 patients in critical care units as case numbers statewide appear to be in a lull.
Big Lie huckster peddles bogus election conspiracies with Kansas lawmakers at Topeka church
Douglas Frank entertained a church crowd in Topeka with bogus conspiracies about hacked voting rolls, fake ballots, machines secretly connected to cellphone towers and a plot by technocrats to predetermine the outcome of elections.
Survivors of child sex abuse call for elimination of Kansas statute of limitations
By the time Kim Bergman was able to come forward about her experiences, it was past the statute of limitations in Kansas to collect damages for childhood sexual abuse.
Kansas Senate health panel endorses vaccine opt-out for school kids, ivermectin prescriptions
The Kansas Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee adopted a bill that gives an easy out for childhood vaccine requirements and allows doctors to prescribe ineffective treatments for COVID-19 without fear of discipline.
Kansas Senate bill would bolster inspections of dog breeders, animal shelters
A bill supported by animal shelters and opposed by the Kansas Livestock Association and dog breeders would establish a division of the Kansas Department of Agriculture to deal with pet animal facility inspections.
Kansas House map plan raises concerns about Leavenworth County, LGBTQ representation
More than 50 people submitted testimony to the House Redistricting Committee urging modifications to the map titled Freestate 3, with debate largely centered on Leavenworth County districts, LGBTQ representation, and the need for further analysis.
Kansas Senate launches effort to legalize medical marijuana by end of session
Retired Holton mechanic Jim Ricketts, 71, is a criminal. That’s because in order to ease the pain of injuries he suffered in a pair of car crashes, he relies on smoking pot — which has allowed him to stop taking opioids.
Calls for additional analysis go unheard as panel advances updated Kansas Senate map
A Kansas Senate panel approved a redistricting map despite pushback from Democrats and concerns from those testifying that legislators had allowed inadequate time for map analysis.
AG-backed bill prohibiting ‘sanctuary cities’ brings heavy opposition to Kansas Statehouse
Kansas lawmakers are wrangling with a bill that would prohibit city governments from adopting rules that block cooperation with ICE, aka becoming “sanctuary cities.” The bill drew strong opposition Tuesday.
Republicans introduce proposed redistricting map for Kansas House, Democrats on hold
The redistricting showdown between Republicans and Democrats shifted Monday to the House with the introduction of the GOP’s map accommodating a decade’s worth of rural-to-urban population shift and adhering to the quest for partisan political advantage.
At two-year mark of pandemic, Kansas doctors remember first patient and appetite for information
When the first Kansas patient to be treated for COVID-19 arrived two years ago at the University of Kansas Health System, doctors weren’t sure how to handle the new and scary sickness.
Trio of Kansas Senate redistricting maps introduced by committees with little fanfare
Republicans and Democrats along with a voter advocacy group introduced 3 competing redistricting maps outlining new boundaries for the 40 Kansas Senate districts in response to population shifts during the past decade.
Senate panel backs educational bill of rights for Kansas parents
A Kansas Senate panel approved legislation establishing an “educational bill of rights” for parents of public school children. The bill faced strong opposition and little support in testimony.
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