Advance voting for the City of Hutchinson’s sales tax special election begins today.

Voters may cast advance ballots Monday through Friday of this week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the conference room at the Reno County Annex. An additional advance voting opportunity will be available next Monday, March 2, from 8 a.m. to noon.

Mail ballots have already been sent to voters who requested them. However, due to changes in state law, advance mail ballots must now be received by the Reno County Election Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day. The previous three-day grace period for mail ballot returns is no longer in effect.

Voters who wish to return their completed mail ballots in person may use the secure ballot drop-off box located in front of the Reno County Annex.

The special election is Tuesday, March 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Advance voting begins today for Hutchinson sales tax special election

Kansas’ U.S. senators and a member of the state’s congressional delegation are asking the federal government to step in with assistance for farmers and ranchers impacted by recent wildfires.

In a letter sent to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, along with U.S. Rep. Tracey Mann, urged immediate action to support those affected by fires that swept across several Kansas counties.

“We write today to request that the U.S. Department of Agriculture take immediate action to support those affected by the devastating wildfires that recently swept through Kansas,” the delegation wrote.

According to the letter, wildfires burned thousands of acres across Clark, Comanche, Finney, Rawlins, Seward and Stevens counties. The fires destroyed fencing and hay supplies and led to significant livestock losses.

The lawmakers said the damage has placed “extraordinary strain” on farmers, ranchers and rural communities that were already facing economic challenges.

Kansas producers often rely on fencing to manage grazing operations and protect herds, and the loss of hay supplies can create immediate feed shortages. Lawmakers noted that livestock losses and forced sales at reduced prices can have long-term financial consequences for producers.

The delegation pointed to changes made following the 2017 wildfires in Kansas, when Moran worked to secure adjustments to USDA disaster programs. Those changes included removing payment limits for livestock losses and allowing compensation for animals sold at reduced prices due to disaster conditions.

The lawmakers are asking USDA to use existing disaster assistance authorities to provide relief and to ensure programs are implemented in a way that meets the needs of impacted producers.

No timeline for potential federal assistance has been announced.

Kansas congressional delegation seeks federal aid for wildfire-stricken producers

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HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Mayor Scott Meggers and City Manager Enrico Villegas say a proposed city sales tax increase is the result of more than two years of financial planning and public discussion — not a rushed attempt to raise revenue.

During a recent radio appearance on KWBW, the mayor and city manager addressed concerns raised at community “meet and greet” sessions about the proposal, which would replace Hutchinson’s existing stormwater runoff fee and provide dedicated funding for stormwater, street and parks projects.

Meggers said one of the most common misconceptions is that the city is adding a new tax without eliminating anything in return.

Currently, residents who receive a water bill pay a stormwater runoff fee. A typical residential customer pays $5.49 per month, which totals about $60 annually.

If the sales tax proposal is approved, that stormwater fee would be eliminated.

“We are wanting to raise the sales tax, but it is to replace the stormwater runoff fee,” Meggers said.

Because the sales tax would be spread across residents and visitors who shop in Hutchinson, Meggers said it would broaden the base of who contributes to infrastructure costs.

City leaders have identified three primary funding priorities: stormwater improvements, streets, and parks and facilities.

Stormwater remains a significant focus due to ongoing infrastructure needs and FEMA floodplain map requirements. While Hutchinson has made substantial progress in reducing flood risk, Villegas said additional work remains to address a backlog of projects.

Street maintenance is another major concern. Historically, street funding has been reduced in order to balance the city’s budget. Officials say that has delayed preventative maintenance and increased long-term costs.

“Whether it’s preventative maintenance or even brick streets, those are expensive to deal with,” Villegas said.

Parks and facilities funding would focus on quality-of-life improvements and maintaining city-owned amenities.

City officials have shared financial projections indicating the proposed sales tax would align closely with projected expenditures, covering identified needs without generating surplus revenue.

If voters reject the measure, city leaders say budget reductions would be necessary.

Villegas emphasized that a recent council presentation outlining potential cuts was intended to educate residents about the city’s financial position — not to suggest that specific facilities or departments would automatically be eliminated.

“We’ve historically cut our budgets to the point where in certain departments, the only thing left to give is people,” Villegas said.

He said the city would first look at reducing equipment purchases, cutting material expenses, eliminating or scaling back software contracts and postponing projects. Officials would also consider attrition — freezing or eliminating positions as employees retire.

Layoffs, he said, would be a last resort but could not be entirely ruled out.

Villegas said the city’s budget challenges have been building for years.

When he arrived during a prior budget cycle, the proposed budget reflected a negative $5 million fund balance. Through a combination of cuts, project delays and cost-control measures, the city rebuilt its reserves to approximately $5 million.

However, Hutchinson’s target fund balance is about $7 million.

A fund balance functions as the city’s savings account and plays a critical role in maintaining a strong bond rating. Bond investors evaluate reserve levels to determine whether a city is financially stable and capable of repaying debt, said Villegas.

If the city’s bond rating declines, future borrowing costs could increase — raising interest rates on bonds used to finance infrastructure projects.

“That impacts our credit score,” Villegas said. “If the city’s credit score goes down, the interest rate on all those bonds goes up. That ultimately makes projects more expensive for taxpayers.”

City officials say the proposal is tied directly to the upcoming budget cycle. Because the budget process is already underway, they need to know whether additional revenue from a sales tax would be available later this year.

Meggers rejected claims that the city is “ramming” the proposal forward, saying discussions about budget constraints and infrastructure funding have been ongoing in council meetings for more than two years.

“This is not a knee-jerk reaction,” he said. “It’s about being transparent about where we are financially and what options we have.”

Voters will ultimately decide whether the sales tax proposal moves forward — a decision city leaders say will shape Hutchinson’s financial outlook and infrastructure planning for years to come.

Hutch leaders defend sales tax increase, city infrastructure needs and budget pressures

HARVEY COUNTY —The Harvey County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the man who died in a farming accident in Harvey County over the weekend.

Mark Klaassen, 37, of Newton, was shifting soybeans Saturday inside a grain bin on a farm in the 2100 block of South Spencer Road, according to a media release from the sheriff's office. The contents suddenly shifted, trapping and injuring Klaassen.

Emergency responders were dispatched to the incident at 2:30 p.m. Klaassen was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men were working alongside Klaassen. They did not request medical treatment. The death was ruled accidental.

Sheriff IDs Kansas man who died in grain bin accident

Hutchinson Regional Medical Center (HRMC)is&nbsp;proud to announce the launch of a series of initiatives aimed at honoring veterans&nbsp;and those who have served our country. These efforts, which are deeply rooted in&nbsp;our mission to make health and healing available to all, are an expression of&nbsp;our&nbsp;gratitude&nbsp;and respect for the sacrifices made by our military personnel.&nbsp;

At HRMC, we believe that recognizing the contributions of our veterans is not just&nbsp;a duty, but a privilege. This month, we held our first-ever Veteran Honor Walk,&nbsp;a touching&nbsp;event where staff members, volunteers, and community members&nbsp;lined&nbsp;the&nbsp;halls to show their respect for a veteran’s life and service as they were escorted&nbsp;through the halls of the hospital. During the walk, taps were played over the&nbsp;hospital's overhead speakers, marking a solemn moment of silence. This simple but&nbsp;powerful act allowed us to collectively pause, reflect, and pay tribute to the selfless&nbsp;individuals who have given so much&nbsp;for&nbsp;our nation.&nbsp;

To further honor veterans, HRMC provides recognition items to veteran patients&nbsp;during their hospital stay. These small tokens of appreciation include a flag&nbsp;wristband, a Veterans Discount Card, and a door magnet displayed outside the&nbsp;patient’s&nbsp;room. These items are a simple yet meaningful way to show our respect&nbsp;and to acknowledge their service while they are receiving care.&nbsp;

These new initiatives were inspired by a deep commitment to ensuring that our&nbsp;veterans&nbsp;feel recognized, valued, and supported. HRMC believes that honoring&nbsp;veterans&nbsp;goes&nbsp;beyond just offering care when needed; it involves creating an&nbsp;environment where veterans are&nbsp;celebrated for&nbsp;their sacrifice and heroism.&nbsp;

In addition to our internal efforts, HRMC is honored to partner with KS4Vets, a local&nbsp;organization dedicated to serving and supporting veterans. Through this&nbsp;collaboration, members of KS4Vets are notified each time a&nbsp;veteran passes, allowing&nbsp;them to&nbsp;join us in our Veteran Honor Walk and further personalize our tribute. This&nbsp;partnership underscores the importance of community in honoring those who have&nbsp;served, reinforcing the idea that every veteran deserves respect, dignity, and&nbsp;recognition.&nbsp;

Cindy Naab, Chairperson of the HRHS Veteran Committee, added, “The Veteran&nbsp;Honor Walk and our continued initiatives reflect the heartfelt respect and&nbsp;admiration we hold for those who have served. These efforts are vital, not only for&nbsp;showing&nbsp;appreciation but&nbsp;for supporting veterans in their health journey.&nbsp;It’s&nbsp;a true&nbsp;honor for us to serve those who have served our country.”&nbsp;

Veterans hold a special place in the hearts of the HRMC family. Our team members,&nbsp;many of whom have close personal connections to military service, are proud to be&nbsp;part of an organization that offers this type of tribute. The Veteran Honor Walk is&nbsp;just one way we can show our gratitude and appreciation, but it is just the&nbsp;beginning. We are committed to exploring further opportunities to support and&nbsp;honor our veterans in meaningful ways.&nbsp;

As we continue to expand our initiatives, we invite the entire community to join us in&nbsp;celebrating the lives and legacies of veterans. We are grateful for their service and&nbsp;honored to be part of their journey in health and healing.&nbsp;

Hutchinson Regional Medical Center honors veterans and their service through new initiatives 

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/category/obituaries">Click&nbsp;to view the most recent obituaries and service times from our funeral home partners</a>.

Hutch Post is honored to publish full obituaries and photos. <a href="https://hutchpost.com/posts/35522b08-cd30-49e1-93e0-85962282628b">PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE NEW OBITUARY POLICY.</a> Funeral homes can send notices to <a href="http://hutchpost@eaglemedia.com">hutchpost@eaglemedia.com&nbsp;</a><a href="https://hutchpost.com/download" target="_blank"> </a>

Recent obituaries and service times

Here’s the latest booking activity from the Reno County Jail. This information is provided by the Reno County Sheriff’s Office and is not criminal history. The Hutch Post assumes no legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, or completeness, of this information. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. ——————————————

Vitaliy	Philip	Stubbs		2/22/2026 3:39&nbsp;AM	Use or Possess with Intent to use Drug Paraphernalia into Human Body, Poss of marijuana; 1 prior conviction,					Domestic Battery; Knowingly Cause Physical Contact (1st conviction),Shane	Clifton	Stone		2/22/2026 12:38&nbsp;PM	Failure to Appear

Melvin	James	Silas		2/22/2026 7:38&nbsp;PM	Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000

Melvin	James	Silas		2/22/2026 7:38&nbsp;PM	Criminal Damage to Property; Without consent; &lt; $1,000

Eric	Omar	Perez		2/23/2026 4:22&nbsp;AM	Failure to Appear,					Direct Contempt

Daily Bookings

Hutch Rec is partnering with Kansas CPR to offer a spring break babysitting training course designed to help young people gain lifesaving skills and confidence.

The two-hour, hands-on class is open to youth ages 10 to 18 and will focus on preparing participants to become responsible and well-prepared babysitters.

Students will receive instruction in CPR for infants, children and adults, automated external defibrillator, or AED, usage and basic first aid skills. Organizers say the training is intended to give youth practical knowledge they can use in emergency situations while caring for others.

Each participant will receive a certificate upon completion of the course.&nbsp;

Three sessions are available, and participants may choose one to attend. Sessions are scheduled for March 17, March 18 and March 19 from 10 a.m. to noon each day. The registration deadline for all sessions is March 13.

The training will be held at Hutch Rec Downtown. The cost is $60 per session, and scholarships are available.

Organizers say the program offers an opportunity for youth to take the next step toward becoming trusted babysitters while learning skills that can benefit them throughout their lives.

For more information, you can contact Hutch Rec at 620-663-6179.&nbsp;

Hutch Rec offering spring break babysitting training for youth

<a href="https://hutchpost.com/pages/weather">Click here for the KSStorm.info 7-day forecast.&nbsp;</a>

Three-day Outlook

State wildlife officials are giving Kansans a chance to enjoy the outdoors at no cost this year, announcing free fishing and free state park entrance days for 2026.

The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks said in a news release that residents and visitors can take advantage of designated Free Fishing Days and Free Entrance Days at all 28 Kansas state parks.

According to KDWP spokeswoman Laura Clawson, Free Fishing Days will be held Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7. On those dates, anglers will not need a Kansas fishing license to fish in public waters.

All other regulations will remain in effect, however. Participants must still follow established length limits, creel limits and other fishing rules.

In addition, all Kansas state parks will offer free entrance on Wednesday, April 22. While vehicle entrance fees will be waived that day, camping fees and other associated charges will still apply.

“These free days are a great opportunity for Kansans and visitors alike to get outside and enjoy Kansas’ natural resources,” KDWP Secretary Chris Kennedy said in a statement. “Whether you’re fishing, hiking, picnicking, or simply spending time outdoors, we hope these days encourage people to connect with nature and with each other.”

Kennedy has also designated several additional Free Entrance Days from April through October. Many of those dates coincide with special events and programs aimed at encouraging more people to explore Kansas state parks.

State officials say the annual initiative is designed to introduce new visitors to Kansas’ outdoor recreation opportunities while giving longtime park users another reason to plan a trip.

KDWP announces free fishing, park entry days

JACKSON COUNTY, Kan. (JASO) – Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on multiple allegations after a traffic stop.

Just after 2 a.m. February 18, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Subaru Forester near 118th&nbsp;Road on U.S. Highway 75 for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as 31-year-old Sierra Mackenzie Schumacher of Topeka.&nbsp; During the course of the traffic stop a probable cause search was conducted and resulted in the discovery of illegal drug or narcotics, fraudulent/fake identification cards and other documents.

Schumacher was arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges that include 20 counts of forgery; making or altering a written instrument; 1st&nbsp;conviction, 20 counts of identity fraud; replicate document with person info with intent to deceive, 4 counts of display or possess fictitious or fraudulent identification card, 5 counts of possession of a controlled substance; stimulant, possession of a hallucinogenic drug, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia and defective lamp on motor vehicle.

Kansas woman caught with dozens of fake IDs

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect for alleged child sex crimes.

In August of 2025, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office received tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Investigators determined the tips were associated with a case that began in 2023. Investigators continued the investigation and with the new information executed a search warrant on September 3, 2025, at a residence in the 100 Block of West Walnut Street, Herington, Kansas. 

Additional search warrants were executed and an arrest warrant was issued on February 18, 2026, for Loren Michael Jones.

On February 20, Sedgwick County Sheriff's office deputies arrested Jones on the warrant issued through the Dickinson County District Court. Jones was later booked into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

Cyber tip led to arrest of Kansas man for alleged child sex crimes

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/maria-verza">MARÍA VERZA</a>

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Surveillance of a romantic partner helped put the Mexican armed forces on the trail of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-jalisco-el-mencho-cartel-killing-8acfda160817fb27bed1914e769e955b">the notorious leader</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-jalisco-cartel-us-sanctions-8e40e7da8ce88c4feb45e61f3a2e00a3">Jalisco New Generation Cartel</a>&nbsp;known as “El Mencho,” who was captured and killed Sunday, Mexican authorities said Monday.

Mexican Defense Secretary Gen. Ricardo Trevilla said that Sunday’s Mexican special forces operation, which included U.S. intelligence information, ended when special forces found Oseguera Cervantes “hidden in the undergrowth” in his home state of Jalisco. After several shootouts, eight gunmen were killed and the drug lord and two of his bodyguards were wounded. They were taken into custody and died on the way to Mexico City, Trevilla said.

In all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-jalisco-cartel-mencho-sheinbaum-trump-226e50edc33f981d5d6509acc7021ae5">more than 70 people were killed in the operation and the ensuing violence,</a>&nbsp;including security forces, suspected cartel members and others.

Here’s how the capture of the country’s most powerful cartel leader and one of the United States’ most wanted fugitives unfolded, according to Mexican authorities:

Both Mexico and the United States had spent years tracking “El Mencho,” who faced numerous outstanding arrest warrants for organized crime and drug trafficking in both countries.

This time, however, the intelligence efforts proved successful. Trevilla noted that military investigators identified and began following a trusted associate of one of Oseguera Cervantes’ romantic partners. This individual escorted the woman to Tapalpa, Jalisco, on Friday for a meeting with the drug lord. The military official explained that the exact location was confirmed by “very important additional information” provided by U.S. intelligence.

Once the woman left after spending the night with “El Mencho,” special forces finalized their plans, having confirmed he was staying in the area with a security detail.

Units from the Mexican army and the National Guard established a ground cordon, while six helicopters and additional special forces stood by in states bordering Jalisco.

The Mexican Air Force provided further support with reconnaissance and aircraft, Trevilla said. In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, after his presence was confirmed, the operation began. Throughout the mission, Mexican&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-claudia-sheinbaum-woman-president-aa24527fc05dafa9e30b28e4bb40ccbd">President Claudia Sheinbaum</a>&nbsp;was kept informed of every development while on a tour in northern Mexico.

Gen. Trevilla described the criminals’ response as extremely violent.

During the confrontation, he said “El Mencho” attempted to flee with two bodyguards while a heavily armed group remained behind to stall the military advance. The death toll at the scene reached eight, which Trevilla noted was four more than initially reported on Sunday.

Among the seized weaponry were two rocket launchers, including one identical to the model used by the CJNG in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-border-patrol-surveillance-drivers-ice-trump-9f5d05469ce8c629d6fecf32d32098cd">2015 to down a military helicopter.</a>&nbsp;That 2015 attack served as a grim milestone, proving the cartel was prepared to meet the Mexican authorities with lethal, full-scale force.

Oseguera Cervantes attempted to take cover in a wooded area dotted with cabins on the outskirts of Tapalpa. Although the criminals were heavily armed with rocket launchers, Trevilla noted that they did not manage to deploy them. Special forces eventually “located him hiding in the undergrowth,” triggering another intense confrontation that left “El Mencho” and two of his bodyguards wounded.

During the chaos, a military helicopter was forced into an emergency landing after being struck by gunfire, and two individuals were apprehended at the scene. Three soldiers were injured in the engagement.

Once the scene was secured, the cartel leader and his bodyguards were loaded onto a helicopter for emergency transport to a nearby hospital. However, Trevilla confirmed they died en route, noting they were already in “critical condition.”

Following their deaths, the flight plan was redirected. Instead of landing in the Jalisco state capital, the bodies were flown to Mexico City to preempt any violent retaliation from the criminal organization.

About 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Tapalpa, a logistics and financial operator known only as “El Tuli” reportedly offered gunmen a bounty of 20,000 pesos — over $1,000 — for every soldier killed, said Trevilla.

The defense minister also said “El Tuli” — allegedly Oseguera’s right-hand man — was the mastermind of a series of roadblocks, arson attacks and hits on government installations across Jalisco state.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-security-trump-sheinbaum-lopez-obrador-ddb4d905e38bab9b9a1560df28a06331">Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch</a>&nbsp;said that the most severe violence occurred in Jalisco, where 25 National Guard members, a prison official, a prosecutor’s office employee and a presumed civilian woman were killed, along with 30 suspected criminals.

In neighboring Michoacán, four more gunmen died while 15 security personnel were wounded.

A paratrooper rifle brigade tracked down “El Tuli” and killed him in a shootout, seizing long and short firearms alongside nearly $1.4 million in mixed U.S. and Mexican currency. Still, retaliation from the cartel continued in several Mexican states.

Surveillance of girlfriend led to deadly capture of Mexican drug lord 

BY&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/29/kansan-returns-to-the-catholic-church-as-the-states-first-woman-priest/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers could transform elections with a series of bills that squeeze advanced voting timelines, stamp out rare instances of noncitizen voting and tinker with some candidate filing and advocacy rules.

One bill sought to eradicate elections exclusively conducted by mail.

Many of the changes largely were driven by the House Elections Committee chair, Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican who is running for secretary of state, and co-chair, Rep. Paul Waggoner, a Hutchinson Republican.

During debate this week, the duo propped up bills that would require driver’s licenses to indicate citizenship status, shrink the voter registration and advanced voting windows ahead of elections, and prohibit government employees from using public assets to advocate for or against constitutional amendments and ballot questions.

Twenty Republicans sponsored&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/HB2503/" target="_blank">House Bill 2503</a>, which would repeal the state’s Mail Ballot Election Act, removing the possibility for local entities to carry out elections solely with mail-in ballots. It passed the House on Thursday in a 72-50 vote.

Another bill would require the names, addresses and other personal identification information of people without U.S. citizenship who receive public benefits to be regularly shared with the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office under Proctor’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2491/" target="_blank">House Bill 2491</a>.

The National Voter Registration Act created an automatic voter registration option for people obtaining driver’s licenses, signing up for Medicaid or qualifying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Proctor said the law has turned Kansas into “a welfare voter state.”

The bill mirrors one passed last year that now requires the Kansas Department of Revenue, which oversees driver’s license administration, to send personal data to the Secretary of State’s Office, where it is compared side-by-side with statewide voter rolls.

“Every time we have one of these bills, we hear the same thing,” Proctor said. “We used to hear, ‘This never happens. Noncitizens never vote.’ ”

Now, he said, he hears that voting among people without U.S. citizenship “seldom happens. It’s infrequent.” It’s a shift he attributed to two voter fraud-related indictments in Kansas. Clay Barker, general counsel to the Secretary of State’s Office, confirmed at a Jan. 29 committee hearing that two people have been indicted for fraudulent voting-related crimes, a third indictment is on the way and 10 people are being examined.

“One is too many,” Proctor said, because he believes every vote cast by someone without U.S. citizenship cancels out a citizen’s valid vote.

It has been explicitly illegal for immigrants to vote in federal elections since 1996, and no state allows people to vote in statewide elections if they are not citizens. Election offices monitor for fraudulent votes, and people can face stiff penalties and potential deportation if they cast ballots illegally.

&nbsp;Voting rights advocates have maintained that illegal voting is extremely rare and often the result of administrative error.

“Am I up here saying that there’s a vast conspiracy to let noncitizens vote?” Proctor said. “No.”

He said he believes people without citizenship end up on voter rolls unintentionally.

“But we owe it to Kansans to be able to tell them with confidence, ‘No, noncitizens are not voting, and we know because we have all these different ways of scrubbing the voter rolls to make sure they never get on the voter rolls in the first place,’ ” he said.

No evidence suggests that instances of noncitizen voting affects the outcomes of elections in the U.S., according to&nbsp;<a href="https://bipartisanpolicy.org/article/four-things-to-know-about-noncitizen-voting/" target="_blank">an analysis from the Bipartisan Policy Center</a>, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank founded by four former U.S. Senate majority leaders, including the late U.S. Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas.

The analysis examined the Heritage Foundation’s  <a href="https://www.heritage.org/voterfraud/search?combine=citizen&amp;state=All&amp;year=&amp;case_type=All&amp;fraud_type=All" target="_blank">Election Fraud Cases</a>&nbsp;database, which found 77 instances of people without citizenship voting between 1999 and 2023, and a Brennan Center for Justice study that inspected 23.5 million votes cast in the 2016 general election across 42 jurisdictions, which found approximately 30 instances of people without citizenship voting.

HB 2491 passed the House on Wednesday in an 87-37 vote, with Republican Reps. Mark Schreiber of Emporia and Lauren Bohi of Olathe joining Democrats in voting against the bill and Democratic Rep. Wanda Brownlee Paige of Kansas City voting with Republicans in favor.

Rep. Kirk Haskins, a Topeka Democrat and the ranking minority member on the House Elections Committee, spurned the bill, pointing out it had three proponents and 12 opponents at a committee hearing. He highlighted the rare instances of votes cast by people without citizenship.&nbsp;

“I don’t know why we keep emphasizing we have an issue when it’s been proven we don’t time and time again,” he said.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2448/" target="_blank">House Bill 2448</a>, a Proctor-sponsored measure that would require citizenship status to appear on driver’s licenses, passed the House on Feb. 12 in a 77-41 vote.

People without citizenship can obtain a temporary driver’s license, but providing documented proof of citizenship is not currently a prerequisite to getting a driver’s license.

A previous Kansas law, backed by then-Secretary of State and current Attorney General Kris Kobach, that required proof of citizenship to vote was struck down in court. The litigation revealed the law&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/12/24/as-more-states-pass-proof-of-citizenship-laws-report-points-to-kansas-as-cautionary-tale/">prevented more than 30,000 Kansans from voting</a>&nbsp;and raised concerns of violating civil rights during the three years it was in effect. Kansans are still required to show photo ID upon voting.

As the Legislature barrels toward self-imposed deadlines to move bills from chamber to chamber and then on to committees, the House passed the elections-related legislation this week at a rapid clip.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2453/" target="_blank">House Bill 2453</a>&nbsp;would modify three components of advanced voting. It would shift the mail-in ballot deadline by a week, moving it from the Tuesday preceding Election Day to two weeks before Election Day, and clerks would have to send ballots 22 days before an election. It also would shrink the deadline for in-person advance voting, requiring ballots be submitted by the Friday before Election Day instead of noon the day before, as is the current practice. The bill gives county clerks the option to extend the deadline to noon on the Sunday preceding election day, but it could be costly to staff election offices on the weekend, when government buildings are typically closed.

The bill also would forbid county election officers from accepting voter registrations after the 25th day before an election, and it would eliminate the procedures for canvassing and challenging advance mail-in ballots after polls close on Election Day.

It was sponsored by Rep. Sandy Pickert, a Wichita Republican, but Proctor advocated in favor of it on the House floor Tuesday. Pickert was the only person to speak in support of the bill during its hearing in early February.

While the Secretary of State’s Office said it could use existing resources to update training information for local elections officials, the Kansas Association of Counties indicated HB 2453 would increase costs for counties to hire additional staff.

Haskins criticized the bill’s supporters on Tuesday for prioritizing legislation that could potentially drain county revenue at a time when voters are increasingly frustrated with high property taxes — often the main source of counties’ operating budgets.

“But yet, we’re not going to give them any money. We’re not going to reduce property tax,” he said. “We’re not going to address the fact that county election offices, they don’t even know how much it’s going to cost. But we do need more people. This is called by definition an unfunded mandate.”

The House passed the bill in a 86-38 vote on Wednesday, and Republicans Schreiber and Rep. Samantha Poetter Parshall of Paola joined Democrats in voting against it.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2733/" target="_blank">House Bill 2733</a>&nbsp;would require elected officials who hold statewide and local offices to be residents of the state of Kansas and the districts they represent upon election and throughout the duration of their terms. The bill from Rep. Bill Sutton, a Gardner Republican, passed the House on Tuesday without opposition.

Legislators are already required under state law to be voters in the district they represent and a resident of Kansas, with their primary residence located in their district, so they were not included in the bill’s proposed changes.

<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2451/" target="_blank">House Bill 2451</a>, sponsored by Waggoner, would bar government employees from&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/01/27/house-republicans-bill-takes-aim-at-kansas-school-employees-who-support-bond-issues/">advocating for or against</a>&nbsp;proposed constitutional amendments or ballot questions. The House voted on Wednesday to pass the bill in an 88-36 vote with Schreiber joining Democrats voting against it and Democrats Brownlee Paige and Rep. Angela Martinez of Wichita voting in favor with Republicans.

Kansas House passes election bills targeting noncitizens, advanced voting

LYON COUNTY— A pilot and passenger avoided injury after an emergency plane landing just before 10a.m. Monday in Lyon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1977&nbsp;Grumman American fixed wing single-engine aircraft piloted by 41-year-old Joseph Ira&nbsp;Glover of&nbsp;Defuniak Springs, Flordia made the emergency landing when the propeller on the aircraft stoped working.

The plane came down in a corn field at 3951 N K-99 just southwest of the&nbsp;Road 400 intersection.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Glover and a passenger were not injured. The FAA and NTSB will investigate.

Small plane makes emergency landing in Kan. cornfield

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks slumped Monday after President Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-truth-social-872c8f04112a8991d8aa6ae5005767b6">ramped up his newest tariffs</a>, while investors continued to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-fed-jobs-profit-45f8d8df807d4b7ed9127afc4b5809c9">punish companies</a>&nbsp;that could be losers in the artificial-intelligence revolution.

The S&amp;P 500 fell 1% after Trump said on Saturday that he would place&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-truth-social-872c8f04112a8991d8aa6ae5005767b6">temporary 15% tariffs</a>&nbsp;on other countries. That’s up from the 10% rate he announced Friday following&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-tariffs-trump-0485fcda30a7310501123e4931dba3f9">a Supreme Court ruling</a>&nbsp;that struck down his sweeping “reciprocal” taxes on imports from around the world.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 821 points, or 1.7%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.1%.

Trump’s quick move toward more aggressive tariffs shows&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-tariff-trump-supreme-court-596a1adfee90975c018ca292f7e918f8">how much uncertainty still hangs</a>&nbsp;over the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-china-trump-trade-supreme-court-fb8d38ae3664e845199d13113d03b471">global economy</a>, even after the Supreme Court said the president lacked the legal authority to institute his sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs.

Beyond a 15% tariff that could last for up to 150 days, unless Congress extends it further, Trump is moving forward on other avenues to place more permanent tariffs on countries and industries. That has trading partners uneasy. South Korea’s trade minister, Kim Jung-kwan, said Monday that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trump-china-eu-court-bessent-36c6951422ccd24f475429d4683e7e15">uncertainty may worsen</a>&nbsp;if the Trump administration continues imposing new tariffs under alternative laws.

To be sure, Monday’s moves for markets weren’t close to as bad as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-rates-tariffs-52dbb020a4c41122e31669c2da236d67">the panic that swept the world in April,</a>&nbsp;when Trump initially announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs. U.S. stocks were modestly higher for a brief moment during the morning.

The U.S. dollar’s value edged lower against other currencies. Bitcoin briefly fell below $64,000 but remained above its low point reached earlier this month. Gold continued to rise thanks to its reputation as something safer to own during uncertain times.

Investors may be sensing it will take a long time, as well as more court battles, before more clarity comes about how global trade will look.

“Stocks got a boost Friday from the Supreme Court’s tariff ruling, but it quickly became clear that the decision was simply going to open a new chapter in the trade saga, not end it,” according to Chris Larkin, managing director, trading and investing, at E-Trade from Morgan Stanley.

On Wall Street, big losses hit companies under suspicion of getting undercut by AI-powered rivals. Investors have been sharply and suddenly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-fed-jobs-profit-45f8d8df807d4b7ed9127afc4b5809c9">punishing stocks of such companies</a>&nbsp;recently.

CrowdStrike fell 9.8% to widen its loss for the young year so far to 25.3%. A new tool from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/anthropic-claude-380b-valuation-openai-rivalry-ipo-65c08aa4fab90cde952f37d32625394a">Anthropic</a>&nbsp;that scans codebases for security vulnerabilities and suggests targeted software patches for human review has been hitting stocks across the cybersecurity industry.

AppLovin sank 9.1% and took its loss for the year to date to 43.5%. It’s among the software companies hurt by worries that AI competition will steal customers and fundamentally reset their industries.

Companies that have lent money to software companies whose revenues may be under threat also continued falling, and Blue Owl Capital fell 3.4% to bring its loss for the year so far to 30.1%.

More big moves may still be ahead for Wall Street this week, particularly with a profit report from Nvidia coming on Wednesday.

Worries are rising that companies like Alphabet and Amazon may be spending so much on Nvidia’s chips that they’ll never be able to recoup their investments through higher productivity and future profits.

Elsewhere on Wall Street, stocks of airlines fell after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-storm-flight-cancellations-us-travel-54feed6ca0fb8e05c3b59326bd7ff24c">heavy snow and high winds canceled thousands of flights</a>&nbsp;across the busy Northeast.

United Airlines lost 5.2%, American Airlines fell 4.9% and Delta Air Lines sank 3.7%.

Novo Nordisk’s stock that trades in the United States tumbled 16.4% after the Danish drugmaker said a trial for its CagriSema drug showed people lost a smaller percentage of their weight after 84 weeks than with a similar one made by rival Eli Lilly. Eli Lilly rose 4.9%.

All told, the S&amp;P 500 fell 71.76 points to 6,837.75. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 821.91 to 48,804.06, and the Nasdaq composite sank 258.80 to 22,627.27.

In stock markets abroad, indexes mostly fell in Europe. They had risen on Friday after the Supreme Court’s ruling.

In Asia, where markets got their first chance to react to the court’s ruling, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.5%, while South Korea’s Kospi rose a more modest 0.6%. Markets in Japan and mainland China were closed for holidays.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.03% from 4.08% late Friday.

A top official at the Federal Reserve said Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/waller-inflation-interest-rates-728aa0b00b5d3291169cb807472332d6">that it’s a “coin flip”</a>&nbsp;on whether the Fed will cut its main interest rate at its next meeting in March or stand pat again.

The comments from Fed. Gov. Christopher Waller were a notable shift from January, when he was one of the two Fed governors to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-trump-powell-inflation-c13913c9e007981f075fb3b22d4a4cec">dissent against</a>&nbsp;the central bank’s decision to hold its key rate steady after three rate cuts at the end of last year.

Lower rates would give the economy a boost, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-trump-subpoena-bf4fc6c690fa248fbc531bc9bc7f1758">Trump has been</a>&nbsp;lobbying angrily for them. But they also could risk worsening inflation.

US stocks drop after Trump ramps up new tariffs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has ordered nonessential diplomats and their family members at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut to leave Lebanon, a State Department official said Monday, as tensions over Iran rise with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-russia-drill-nuclear-talks-aircraft-carrier-0456903e0d7a24cfcdc33d53732dee2f">the threat of a potentially imminent military strike</a>.

he official said a continuous assessment of the regional security environment determined it was “prudent” to draw down the U.S. Embassy’s footprint so that only essential personnel remain at their posts.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move had not yet been formally announced, said that it is a temporary measure and that the embassy will remain operational.

Lebanon has been the site of numerous Iran-related retaliatory attacks against U.S. facilities, interests and personnel for decades given Tehran's support for and influence with the Hezbollah militant group, which is held responsible for the deadly bombings of the Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 and an embassy annex in 1984.

As such, changes in the staffing status of the embassy in Beirut have often been seen as a bellwether for potential U.S. or Israeli military action in the region, particularly against Iran. A similar ordered departure was imposed for Beirut and other embassies in the region, including in Iraq, shortly before President Donald Trump ordered&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-war-nuclear-talks-geneva-news-06-21-2025-a7b0cdaba28b5817467ccf712d214579">military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities</a>&nbsp;last June.

It was unclear if other American embassies in the Middle East would implement similar orders.

Tensions have escalated between the U.S. and Iran as Trump has built up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-military-middle-east-iran-protests-b7a56659d708f2f11f66a18135f44c40">the largest military presence in the Middle East in decades</a>&nbsp;and repeatedly threatened action if Tehran does not negotiate a deal to constrain its nuclear program.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-aircraft-carrier-military-8db3fab10476949acda8b973be416204">A second aircraft carrier</a>&nbsp;is heading to the region to join a surge of other American warships and aircraft, offering the Republican president several options for a potential strike even as talks may continue.

Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, said the U.S. and Iran plan to hold&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-protests-khamenei-universities-tehran-trump-military-dd81a3d1e464975c56f02b729e742014">their next round of nuclear talks</a>&nbsp;Thursday in Geneva.

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