Latest new posts from ALL categories of The Lawrence Times:
Lawrence news, state news, Community Voices, Lawrence Life, obituaries and more.
(Please note that opinion pieces are included in this list, marked as columns or letters to the Times. Not all posts linked on this page were written or produced by the Lawrence Times staff.)
Kansas senators give preliminary passage to sweeping flat tax proposal
The richest Kansans would receive thousands of dollars in income tax cuts while the poorest residents would save just a few under a bill Kansas senators gave initial approval to Thursday.
Douglas County sees spike in cases of Norovirus, a nasty stomach bug
Douglas County has seen a spike in Norovirus in waste detection recently, according to Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health.
Kansas House, Senate pass bills on ballot boxes, three-day grace period for advance ballots
Election legislation meant to shore up public trust and transparency passed out of the Kansas House and Senate Thursday, despite concerns that the bills would have a chilling effect on voters.
Kansas lawmakers vote to restrict transgender athletes and doctors treating gender identity
The Republican-dominated Kansas Legislature on Thursday approved a group of bills that would prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming care to children, ban transgender girls from girls’ sports and legally define sex as the sex a person is assigned at birth.
Kansas House and Senate both pass legislation targeting transgender youth
The Kansas House passed parental rights legislation and a controversial transgender student athlete sports bill following months of debate and pushback from public education officials and advocates.
Kansas Senate votes to block abortion medication prescriptions via telemedicine
The Kansas Senate voted Thursday to prohibit use of telemedicine services to prescribe medications for inducing abortions and to forbid watering down the mandate during any disaster emergency declared by the state’s governor.
Cuyler Dunn/Lawrence Times
Lawrence school district’s boundary committee weighs impact of closing Hillcrest Elementary
The Lawrence school district’s Boundary Advisory Committee on Wednesday discussed the possible closure of Hillcrest Elementary and its English as a Second Language program, as well as possible implications of the school board’s looming decision on budget cuts.
Kansas Senate moves to ban ballot drop boxes, limit advance voting and write-in candidacies
The Kansas Senate debated four election bills Wednesday banning use of ballot drop boxes, setting a tighter deadline for mail-in advance voting and more.
Mayor appoints 2 new members to Lawrence’s police review board; commissioners question board and its direction
The Community Police Review Board has two new members following Tuesday’s Lawrence City Commission meeting, and commissioners briefly discussed the fraught board’s situation.
Kansas Senate flat tax would cut $1 for low-wage earners, hand windfall to top 1%
A flat tax plan moving through the Senate is structured to provide minimal relief to low-income Kansans while granting a windfall to high wage earners.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
KU Department of Design open house showcases work of past and current students
KU’s Department of Design held an open house Tuesday evening, allowing visitors to admire student projects from the visual communication, animation, illustration, photography and industrial design studios.
LMH Health board approves ‘strategic clinical relationship’ with KU Health System
The LMH Health board of trustees on Wednesday voted to approve an agreement with the KU Health System that aims to improve specialized patient care, according to an announcement from the hospital.
Iridescent Riffel: Amid attacks on our rights, transgender Kansans can celebrate being true to ourselves (Column)
”To any trans kid who might be reading this right now: You matter, and you are completely valid. You are loved, and we will not stop fighting for you. Please, don’t forget that,” Iridescent Riffel writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Lawrence school board members ask for clarity on proposed budget cuts, process used to reach them
As the Lawrence school board prepares to soon approve final budget cuts for next year, board members asked district administrators for more concrete details about plans for school closures and more.
City of Lawrence staff members want to increase diversity of community events
City employees outlined goals related to diversity in local events at Tuesday’s Lawrence City Commission meeting, with a focus on increasing outreach to diverse communities.
Maya Hodison/Lawrence Times
Save Our Schools 497 group rallies ahead of Lawrence school board special meeting
Supporters of keeping neighborhood schools open rallied outside of Lawrence school district offices Tuesday evening ahead of a special school board meeting.
Kansas governor renews push to invest in special education services
Gov. Laura Kelly renewed her emphasis on fully funding special education services in Kansas as she toured a Topeka school Tuesday.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Lawrence goes all out for Fat Tuesday during Mardi Gras parade downtown
Locals donning beads and masks flooded Massachusetts Street for the annual Mardi Gras parade Tuesday.
Carole Cadue-Blackwood: Kansas must honor – and study – treaties with Native American governments (Column)
”Vouchers will further chip away, dismantle, and do away with the right to a quality education that was promised in Indian treaties,” Carole Cadue-Blackwood writes in this column.
Wide-ranging Kansas tax exemption proposal would benefit fitness club magnate
Though he hadn’t actually read the legislation in question, Senate President Ty Masterson spoke in support of wide-ranging tax exemptions for businesses thought to be in competition with government entities.
August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
Grant of $1.3 million to help fund improvements to Lawrence airport
The Lawrence Regional Airport has secured a $1.3 million grant to assist with apron rehabilitation, updates to its master plan and a feasibility study for a runway extension, according to the city.
The Raven Book Store’s bestsellers for Feb. 21, 2023 (Sponsored post)
“How do literary Lawrencians handle the doldrums of February? By reading spooky books, apparently,” the Raven Book Store writes.
From school choice to parents’ rights, Kansas lawmakers are pushing education changes
Conservatives want to make it easier for Kansas families to send their children to private schools, and they’re once again pushing for more parental control over what’s taught in public school classrooms.
Kansas Senate president: Roll back food tax relief so state can afford flat tax plan
Senate President Ty Masterson’s “broader picture” for tax policy changes came into focus Monday with a plan that involves rolling back tax relief on food so the state can afford to cut income taxes for the highest wage earners.
