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Kansas BOE names Jake Steel as state’s next education commissioner
Kansas public schools will soon have a new chief administrator. The Kansas State Board of Education has named Jake Steel as the state’s next education commissioner.
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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
MORe STATE GOVERNMENT NEWS
Transgender Kansans barred from altering birth certificates
The state will no longer recognize transgender Kansans’ identities, reversing birth records back to assigned sex at birth and halting future modifications of birth certificates following a federal judge’s ruling.
This Kansas teacher retired 23 years ago — and her pension payment is frozen in time
Thousands of retired public employees in Kansas have never seen an increase to their pension pay, and inflation is eating away the value of the those payments. Advocates argue the Legislature owes them a boost.
Kansas property tax increases have homeowners objecting and legislators looking at new laws
Taxpayers are lining up at public meetings to voice frustration over increasing property taxes. State lawmakers are taking notice and could consider new restrictions on tax increases.
Kansas awards $2 million unplanned-pregnancy contract to group moored in anti-abortion politics
Kansas awarded a $2 million contract to start a state program aimed at influencing women with unplanned pregnancies to give birth and to accept guidance of a nonprofit directed by some of the state’s most vocal opponents of abortion rights.
Kansas lawmakers press state’s child advocate for foster care solutions
With increased rates of children in the foster care system sleeping in offices and social workers spending their time “shuttling kids” from place to place, advocates say lawmakers and government officials need to step up before the state faces another lawsuit.
After Kansas newspaper raid, lawmaker proposes taking warrant power away from magistrates
House Minority Leader Vic Miller said Tuesday he would introduce legislation to take away a magistrate’s power to authorize a search warrant, addressing one aspect of the circumstances surrounding the raid on the Marion County Record.
Judge allows transgender Kansans to intervene in Kobach’s driver’s license lawsuit
A district judge has granted a motion allowing transgender Kansans to intervene in AG Kris Kobach’s lawsuit that would require Kansas driver’s licenses to list an individual’s sex assigned at birth instead of their gender.
Kansas judge hears first post-Roe challenge to abortion restrictions
Abortion providers are suing over a handful of new and old abortion restrictions they say violate Kansans’ right to abortion. AG Kris Kobach says the rules are necessary.
Gov. Laura Kelly forms PAC to support moderate GOP, Democratic legislative candidates
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly launched a political action committee Monday to support election of moderate Republican and Democratic candidates to the Kansas Legislature and loosen the policy grip of conservative lawmakers at the Capitol.
Sports betting apps give away free bets worth millions of dollars. Kansans are subsidizing that
When Kansas lawmakers legalized sports betting, they seemingly gave lobbyists for casinos everything they wanted. That includes tax exemptions on promotional bets that are aimed at getting bettors hooked.
New KHP leader eager to rectify troopers’ flaws, rejects claim agency at ‘war’ with drivers
The new commander of the Kansas Highway Patrol vowed to amend traffic-stop techniques a judge concluded unfairly took advantage of motorists’ lack of knowledge about constitutional rights.
Kansas wooed mega employers like Panasonic with mega tax breaks. But that may end
Luring Panasonic to Kansas with $830 million of incentives was considered a major victory for the state. But as the company builds its $4 billion plant in De Soto, it’s unclear if state lawmakers will even allow another mega-project package.
LGBTQ+ legal group joins fight over Kobach’s quest to halt changes on Kansas birth certificates
A national civil rights organization focused on LGBTQ+ issues waded into a federal-court campaign by AG Kris Kobach to unravel a 2019 consent order guaranteeing transgender people could change gender markers on their Kansas birth certificates.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Lawrence City Commission to consider ‘safe haven’ ordinance against anti-trans law
Following a push by local activists, Lawrence city commissioners on Tuesday will consider approving an ordinance to enhance protections for transgender and gender-nonconforming people.
Kansas Board of Education seeks 4-year, $346 million funding hike for special education
The Kansas State Board of Education voted unanimously to recommend a four-year initiative raising state aid to special education by $86.6 million annually to bring Kansas into compliance with the law.
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