Manhattan&nbsp;–&nbsp;A Manhattan man died Friday following an arrest and confinement in the Riley County Jail, according to a statement from the Riley County Police Department.

Just before 2a.m. Thursday, Joseph Varvel, 25, was detained in the 300 block of N. 14th&nbsp;Street in Manhattan for suspicious activity.

While speaking with officers, he ran and was later found in possession of cocaine. Officers on scene called for Riley County EMS (RCEMS) assistance at 1:50 a.m. after Varvel complained of breathing issues while in custody. RCEMS arrived on scene at 1:56 a.m. and cleared Varvel at 2:05 a.m.

Officers then arrested Varvel on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of cocaine, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, and interference with LEO and transported him to the Riley County Jail.

RCEMS was called at 3:32 a.m. when Varvel became physically ill. His condition quickly deteriorated and Corrections Officers began lifesaving measures. RCEMS arrived at 3:41 a.m. and continued lifesaving measures. RCEMS then transported Varvel to Via Christi in Manhattan at 4:03 a.m. where he arrived at 4:12 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 4:47 a.m.

Per state statute, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) will be the lead agency investigating&nbsp;the death. An autopsy will be conducted.

Manhattan&nbsp;–&nbsp;A Manhattan man died Friday following an arrest and confinement in the Riley County Jail, according to a statement from the Riley County Police Department.Just before 2a.m. Thursday, Joseph Varvel, 25, was detained in the 300 block of N. 14th&nbsp;Street in Manhattan for suspicious activity.While speaking with officers, he ran and was later found in possession of cocaine. Officers on scene called for Riley County EMS (RCEMS) assistance at 1:50 a.m. after Varvel complained of breathing issues while in custody. RCEMS arrived on scene at 1:56 a.m. and cleared Varvel at 2:05 a.m.Officers then arrested Varvel on requested charges of&nbsp; possession of cocaine, possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia, and interference with LEO and transported him to the Riley County Jail.RCEMS was called at 3:32 a.m. when Varvel became physically ill. His condition quickly deteriorated and Corrections Officers began lifesaving measures. RCEMS arrived at 3:41 a.m. and continued lifesaving measures. RCEMS then transported Varvel to Via Christi in Manhattan at 4:03 a.m. where he arrived at 4:12 a.m. and was pronounced dead at 4:47 a.m.Per state statute, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) will be the lead agency investigating&nbsp;the death. An autopsy will be conducted.

Kansas man in police custody has died

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Abortion bans in deeply conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-abortion-ban-legislature-8a3d4c18db8aabfc869b9466aa4f76aa">South Carolina</a>&nbsp;both fell short of advancing in close legislative votes amid heated debates among Republicans, yet another sign that abortion is becoming a difficult issue for the GOP.

In Nebraska, where abortion is banned after 20 weeks of pregnancy, an effort to ban abortion about the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster. Cheers erupted outside the legislative chamber as the last vote was cast, with opponents of the bill waving signs and chanting, “Whose house? Our house!”

In South Carolina, lawmakers voted 22-21 to shelve a proposed near-total abortion ban for the rest of the year. Republican Sen. Sandy Senn criticized Majority Leader Shane Massey for repeatedly “taking us off a cliff on abortion.”

“The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words,” she said.

The Nebraska proposal, backed by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, is unlikely to move forward this year. And in South Carolina, where abortion remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy, the vote marked the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed in the Republican-led Senate chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer.

The state has increasingly served patients across a region where Republican officials have otherwise curtailed access to abortion. Six Republicans helped block motions to end debate and defeated any chance the bill will pass this year.

Fourteen other states have bans in place on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where enforcement is blocked by courts. The majority of those bans were adopted in anticipation of Roe being overturned, and most do not have exceptions for rape or incest.

In Utah, a judge on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-abortion-clinic-ban-b568ddfab7c9bd2c9fdbf9a36e03668f">will consider a request from Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;to delay implementing a statewide ban on abortion clinics set to take effect next week. Planned Parenthood argues a state law passed this year will effectively end access to abortion throughout the state when clinics stop being able to apply for the licenses they’ve historically relied on to operate.

In North Dakota,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-north-dakota-ban-exceptions-da5a7b70eb8757cb563529881f3c4b40">Gov. Doug Burgum signed a ban Monday</a>&nbsp;that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed later in pregnancy only in specific medical emergencies.

The North Dakota law is intended to replace a previous ban that is not being enforced while a state court weighs its constitutionality.

Pat Neal, 72, of Lincoln, was among those cheering the Nebraska vote Thursday. She, like others in attendance, expressed shock at the bill's failure.

“This gives me hope for the future,” she said. “It gives me hope that the direction we’ve been seeing — across the country — could turn around.”

The bill failed to get the crucial 33rd vote when Sen. Merv Riepe, a former hospital administrator from Ralston, abstained. Riepe was a cosigner of the bill but expressed concern this year that a six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they were pregnant.

Riepe introduced a measure Thursday that would have extended the proposed ban to 12 weeks and add to the bill’s list of exceptions any fetal anomalies deemed incompatible with life.

When he received pushback from fellow Republicans, Riepe warned his conservative colleagues they should heed signs that abortion will galvanize women to vote them out of office.

“We must embrace the future of reproductive rights,” he said.

Independent South Carolina Sen. Mia McLeod criticized leaders who prioritized the near-total ban over efforts to make South Carolina the 49th state in the country with a law allowing harsher punishments for violent hate crimes.

McLeod, who shared during a previous abortion debate that she had been raped, said it is unfortunate that women must reveal intimate experiences to “enlighten and engage” men.

“Just as rape is about power and control, so is this total ban,” McLeod said Thursday. “Those who continue to push legislation like this are raping us again with their indifference, violating us again with their righteous indignation, taunting us again with their insatiable need to play God while they continue to pass laws that are ungodly.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682703916625.jpeg" alt="Pat Neal, left, and Ann Fintell, both of Lincoln, celebrate in the Nebraska Capitol rotunda after the failure of a bill that would have banned abortion around the sixth week of pregnancy, Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Lincoln, Neb. The bill is now likely dead for the year, leaving in place a 2010 law that bans abortions at 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)" />
 <figcaption>Pat Neal, left, and Ann Fintell, both of Lincoln, celebrate in the Nebraska Capitol rotunda after the failure of a bill that would have banned abortion around the sixth week of pregnancy, Thursday, April 27, 2023 in Lincoln, Neb. The bill is now likely dead for the year, leaving in place a 2010 law that bans abortions at 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Margery Beck)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Abortion bans in deeply conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-heartbeat-bill-nebraska-78b861951e8cc0ca92fa320820e2cbee">Nebraska</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-abortion-ban-legislature-8a3d4c18db8aabfc869b9466aa4f76aa">South Carolina</a>&nbsp;both fell short of advancing in close legislative votes amid heated debates among Republicans, yet another sign that abortion is becoming a difficult issue for the GOP.In Nebraska, where abortion is banned after 20 weeks of pregnancy, an effort to ban abortion about the sixth week of pregnancy fell one vote short of breaking a filibuster. Cheers erupted outside the legislative chamber as the last vote was cast, with opponents of the bill waving signs and chanting, “Whose house? Our house!”In South Carolina, lawmakers voted 22-21 to shelve a proposed near-total abortion ban for the rest of the year. Republican Sen. Sandy Senn criticized Majority Leader Shane Massey for repeatedly “taking us off a cliff on abortion.”“The only thing that we can do when you all, you men in the chamber, metaphorically keep slapping women by raising abortion again and again and again, is for us to slap you back with our words,” she said.The Nebraska proposal, backed by Republican Gov. Jim Pillen, is unlikely to move forward this year. And in South Carolina, where abortion remains legal through 22 weeks of pregnancy, the vote marked the third time a near-total abortion ban has failed in the Republican-led Senate chamber since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade last summer.The state has increasingly served patients across a region where Republican officials have otherwise curtailed access to abortion. Six Republicans helped block motions to end debate and defeated any chance the bill will pass this year.Fourteen other states have bans in place on abortion at all stages of pregnancy. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Four other states have bans throughout pregnancy where enforcement is blocked by courts. The majority of those bans were adopted in anticipation of Roe being overturned, and most do not have exceptions for rape or incest.In Utah, a judge on Friday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-abortion-clinic-ban-b568ddfab7c9bd2c9fdbf9a36e03668f">will consider a request from Planned Parenthood</a>&nbsp;to delay implementing a statewide ban on abortion clinics set to take effect next week. Planned Parenthood argues a state law passed this year will effectively end access to abortion throughout the state when clinics stop being able to apply for the licenses they’ve historically relied on to operate.In North Dakota,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-north-dakota-ban-exceptions-da5a7b70eb8757cb563529881f3c4b40">Gov. Doug Burgum signed a ban Monday</a>&nbsp;that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks of pregnancy. Abortion is allowed later in pregnancy only in specific medical emergencies.The North Dakota law is intended to replace a previous ban that is not being enforced while a state court weighs its constitutionality.Pat Neal, 72, of Lincoln, was among those cheering the Nebraska vote Thursday. She, like others in attendance, expressed shock at the bill's failure.“This gives me hope for the future,” she said. “It gives me hope that the direction we’ve been seeing — across the country — could turn around.”The bill failed to get the crucial 33rd vote when Sen. Merv Riepe, a former hospital administrator from Ralston, abstained. Riepe was a cosigner of the bill but expressed concern this year that a six-week ban might not give women enough time to know they were pregnant.Riepe introduced a measure Thursday that would have extended the proposed ban to 12 weeks and add to the bill’s list of exceptions any fetal anomalies deemed incompatible with life.When he received pushback from fellow Republicans, Riepe warned his conservative colleagues they should heed signs that abortion will galvanize women to vote them out of office.“We must embrace the future of reproductive rights,” he said.Independent South Carolina Sen. Mia McLeod criticized leaders who prioritized the near-total ban over efforts to make South Carolina the 49th state in the country with a law allowing harsher punishments for violent hate crimes.McLeod, who shared during a previous abortion debate that she had been raped, said it is unfortunate that women must reveal intimate experiences to “enlighten and engage” men.“Just as rape is about power and control, so is this total ban,” McLeod said Thursday. “Those who continue to push legislation like this are raping us again with their indifference, violating us again with their righteous indignation, taunting us again with their insatiable need to play God while they continue to pass laws that are ungodly.”

Abortion ban fails in conservative Nebraska

Negotiations between the largest health insurance company in the state and the largest health care provider in central and north-central Kansas have entered the public arena.

In a members website update titled "Salina Regional Health Center Contract Update" dated April 26, 2023, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) noted that it "is currently in negotiation with Salina Regional Health Center (SRHC) to come to an agreement on a contract that is mutually beneficial for both organizations and, most importantly, for our members."

We were made aware of a letter sent recently by the SRHC CEO to his staff and partnering hospitals. Matt All, BCBSKS president/CEO then spoke with the SRHC CEO. It was a good conversation focused on partnership and collaboration between the two organizations.

BCBSKS will continue to work toward an agreement that keeps SRHC in network for years to come. At this time, we have every reason to believe that this will happen. In the meantime, members can still receive in-network care at SRHC.

Join us in reaching out to SRHC and ask them to keep you in mind when making their decisions. That they keep your care in network and that they don't ask you to pay more than your share.

The BCBSKS update then includes contact information for Salina Regional.

Additionally, the update includes a short video from Matt All, BCBSKS president and CEO, in which he said, "Now you may have heard recently from executives at Salina Regional Health Center claiming that we're not paying them enough money for the services they provide to our members. But the fact is, these executives are demanding more money. Drastically more money, beyond the fair and reasonable rates that we already pay them. That money comes from the premiums you pay. When we pay them more money, you pay them more."

All continues, "We want to protect your money. In fact, you've told us that affordability and keeping costs down are the most important things we can do for you. Salina Regional is feeling the sting of inflation, but so are you, our groups and members. Your business and living expenses have also gone up. That's why every year, we're working closely with hospitals to deliver reimbursement rates to help keep their doors open, while keeping costs in check for our members.

"We typically do this one-on-one with the hospital, face-to-face, as fellow Kansans. But this year, Salina Regional has taken a different approach, aggressively demanding more money. Instead of collaborating with us to keep healthcare affordable, they're taking this public and putting you in the middle, a position that could ultimately impact your access to care and hurt your wallet.

"Despite these actions, we want to work with Salina Regional to provide affordable, quality healthcare close to home. We've been a longstanding partner with Salina Regional, supporting them through good times and bad. Most recently, we paid them well beyond their contract to help keep their hospital staff and doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now rest assured, we have more than 97 percent of doctors and hospitals in our network and we have every confidence that this is going to work out between Salina Regional and that they're going to remain in network. Until then, we'll keep communication open, protect your dollars, and work toward an agreement. So please join us in reaching out to Salina Regional to ask that they keep you in mind when making their decisions. That they keep your care in network. That they don't ask you to pay more than your share. Thank you," All concluded.

The video also includes share to Facebook and Twitter features.

In response, Salina Regional this afternoon released the following statement.

A note from CEO Joel Phelps

Our focus across our system is to provide top quality care with access to high level of services to patients across our region. Our mission is to provide services close to home so patients can stay in their communities to receive the healthcare they deserve. We are committed to hiring staff, nurses, physicians and providers who value providing high quality, patient centered care.

I’m writing today to share some important news about your health insurance benefits and your in-network access to Salina Regional through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS). This is the email no hospital leadership team ever wants to write, but it’s important that you are fully informed so you can make the best decisions for yourself, your employees, and their families.

First, let me share a quick bit of context. Every year, the largest health insurance company in the state, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, sends every hospital and physician in the state a letter outlining the payment rates they will receive for the care they provide the following year. We must sign that offer by a certain date or the provider’s contract ends and they become an out of network provider. And every year, we have been told that Salina Regional Health Center is paid at rates similar to our comparable competitors – Lawrence, Stormont Vail, St. Francis, and Manhattan.

Unfortunately, we now know this isn’t true, and it hasn’t been true for years.

Publicly available price transparency now reveals that Salina Regional is paid substantially less than other hospitals. We are doing our part. BCBSKS must do its part through fair payment rates and fair treatment of hospitals and physicians.

Salina Regional cannot continue to deliver top quality care in a rural part of the state while being paid as much as 50% less than comparable hospitals in urban markets. Our system isn’t providing 50% less care in comparison to hospitals in urban areas; our system isn’t providing 50% less quality or 50% fewer services than hospitals in urban areas. Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas needs to recognize patients in rural areas deserve to receive care close to home and pay Salina Regional Health Center System fair rates.

We want to be a good value, and we want to be good stewards of your healthcare dollar. That doesn’t mean BCBSKS should take advantage of us. Salina Regional needs to be paid fairly, and that means BCBSKS making our payment rates equal to other comparable hospitals in the state.

We get it. No one wants to pay more for healthcare. We don’t want you or your employees to pay more either. We know Blue Cross has the money without raising premiums one penny. In fact, BCBSKS’s reserves created by excess profits have increased $300 million in the last five years alone. That’s money that should have been used to pay Salina Regional, and possibly other providers too, fairly.

Salina Regional faces significant financial pressures, just like every other hospital in America right now. We’ve struggled to maintain a strong financial foundation, and make ongoing investments in our facilities and equipment, only to find out that BCBSKS has been financially starving Salina Regional. That must change.

If BCBSKS refuses to pay us fairly, we will have no choice but to go out of network. This is a practical need as well as a matter of principle.

I am sorry BCBSKS shared a video with your employees and the media before they communicated with you. We have been asking for parity and fairness, and are surprised this is their response.

I wish I didn’t have to share this news, and I wish we weren’t in this situation. My promise is this: we will work hard, in good faith, to reach a new agreement with BCBSKS. I hope they will do the same.

We have launched a website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.srhc.com/blue">www.srhc.com/blue</a>&nbsp;to provide the information people need, and we will update it regularly. Beyond that, if you have any questions, please email me at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:fairrates@srhc.com">fairrates@srhc.com</a>&nbsp;or call me at 785-452-7000. I appreciate your trust and continued support of Salina Regional Health Center.

On the special website Salina Regional set up are links to contact BCBSKS, as well as a link concerning BCBSKS' "financial performance."

Additionally, there is a link through which people can sign up for updates from Salina Regional.

By SALINA POST Negotiations between the largest health insurance company in the state and the largest health care provider in central and north-central Kansas have entered the public arena.In a members website update titled "Salina Regional Health Center Contract Update" dated April 26, 2023, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) noted that it "is currently in negotiation with Salina Regional Health Center (SRHC) to come to an agreement on a contract that is mutually beneficial for both organizations and, most importantly, for our members."The update continues with the following.We were made aware of a letter sent recently by the SRHC CEO to his staff and partnering hospitals. Matt All, BCBSKS president/CEO then spoke with the SRHC CEO. It was a good conversation focused on partnership and collaboration between the two organizations.BCBSKS will continue to work toward an agreement that keeps SRHC in network for years to come. At this time, we have every reason to believe that this will happen. In the meantime, members can still receive in-network care at SRHC.Join us in reaching out to SRHC and ask them to keep you in mind when making their decisions. That they keep your care in network and that they don't ask you to pay more than your share.The BCBSKS update then includes contact information for Salina Regional.Additionally, the update includes a short video from Matt All, BCBSKS president and CEO, in which he said, "Now you may have heard recently from executives at Salina Regional Health Center claiming that we're not paying them enough money for the services they provide to our members. But the fact is, these executives are demanding more money. Drastically more money, beyond the fair and reasonable rates that we already pay them. That money comes from the premiums you pay. When we pay them more money, you pay them more."All continues, "We want to protect your money. In fact, you've told us that affordability and keeping costs down are the most important things we can do for you. Salina Regional is feeling the sting of inflation, but so are you, our groups and members. Your business and living expenses have also gone up. That's why every year, we're working closely with hospitals to deliver reimbursement rates to help keep their doors open, while keeping costs in check for our members."We typically do this one-on-one with the hospital, face-to-face, as fellow Kansans. But this year, Salina Regional has taken a different approach, aggressively demanding more money. Instead of collaborating with us to keep healthcare affordable, they're taking this public and putting you in the middle, a position that could ultimately impact your access to care and hurt your wallet."Despite these actions, we want to work with Salina Regional to provide affordable, quality healthcare close to home. We've been a longstanding partner with Salina Regional, supporting them through good times and bad. Most recently, we paid them well beyond their contract to help keep their hospital staff and doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now rest assured, we have more than 97 percent of doctors and hospitals in our network and we have every confidence that this is going to work out between Salina Regional and that they're going to remain in network. Until then, we'll keep communication open, protect your dollars, and work toward an agreement. So please join us in reaching out to Salina Regional to ask that they keep you in mind when making their decisions. That they keep your care in network. That they don't ask you to pay more than your share. Thank you," All concluded.The video also includes share to Facebook and Twitter features.In response, Salina Regional this afternoon released the following statement.A note from CEO Joel PhelpsOur focus across our system is to provide top quality care with access to high level of services to patients across our region. Our mission is to provide services close to home so patients can stay in their communities to receive the healthcare they deserve. We are committed to hiring staff, nurses, physicians and providers who value providing high quality, patient centered care.I’m writing today to share some important news about your health insurance benefits and your in-network access to Salina Regional through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS). This is the email no hospital leadership team ever wants to write, but it’s important that you are fully informed so you can make the best decisions for yourself, your employees, and their families.First, let me share a quick bit of context. Every year, the largest health insurance company in the state, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, sends every hospital and physician in the state a letter outlining the payment rates they will receive for the care they provide the following year. We must sign that offer by a certain date or the provider’s contract ends and they become an out of network provider. And every year, we have been told that Salina Regional Health Center is paid at rates similar to our comparable competitors – Lawrence, Stormont Vail, St. Francis, and Manhattan.Unfortunately, we now know this isn’t true, and it hasn’t been true for years.Publicly available price transparency now reveals that Salina Regional is paid substantially less than other hospitals. We are doing our part. BCBSKS must do its part through fair payment rates and fair treatment of hospitals and physicians.Salina Regional cannot continue to deliver top quality care in a rural part of the state while being paid as much as 50% less than comparable hospitals in urban markets. Our system isn’t providing 50% less care in comparison to hospitals in urban areas; our system isn’t providing 50% less quality or 50% fewer services than hospitals in urban areas. Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas needs to recognize patients in rural areas deserve to receive care close to home and pay Salina Regional Health Center System fair rates.We want to be a good value, and we want to be good stewards of your healthcare dollar. That doesn’t mean BCBSKS should take advantage of us. Salina Regional needs to be paid fairly, and that means BCBSKS making our payment rates equal to other comparable hospitals in the state.We get it. No one wants to pay more for healthcare. We don’t want you or your employees to pay more either. We know Blue Cross has the money without raising premiums one penny. In fact, BCBSKS’s reserves created by excess profits have increased $300 million in the last five years alone. That’s money that should have been used to pay Salina Regional, and possibly other providers too, fairly.Salina Regional faces significant financial pressures, just like every other hospital in America right now. We’ve struggled to maintain a strong financial foundation, and make ongoing investments in our facilities and equipment, only to find out that BCBSKS has been financially starving Salina Regional. That must change.If BCBSKS refuses to pay us fairly, we will have no choice but to go out of network. This is a practical need as well as a matter of principle.I am sorry BCBSKS shared a video with your employees and the media before they communicated with you. We have been asking for parity and fairness, and are surprised this is their response.I wish I didn’t have to share this news, and I wish we weren’t in this situation. My promise is this: we will work hard, in good faith, to reach a new agreement with BCBSKS. I hope they will do the same.We have launched a website,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.srhc.com/blue">www.srhc.com/blue</a>&nbsp;to provide the information people need, and we will update it regularly. Beyond that, if you have any questions, please email me at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:fairrates@srhc.com">fairrates@srhc.com</a>&nbsp;or call me at 785-452-7000. I appreciate your trust and continued support of Salina Regional Health Center.On the special website Salina Regional set up are links to contact BCBSKS, as well as a link concerning BCBSKS' "financial performance."Additionally, there is a link through which people can sign up for updates from Salina Regional.

Blue Cross, Blue Shield-Kan. hospital go public with negotiation dispute

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson responded to a second failure to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill collapsing the state’s three-rate individual income tax structure into a single 5.15% rate and speeding elimination of the state’s sales tax on groceries by stripping a dissident Republican of a committee chairmanship.

The decision to deprive Olathe Sen. Rob Olson of the opportunity to lead the Senate Utilities Committee in waning hours of the 2023 legislation session was unlikely to alter fate of Senate Bill 169, but Masterson sent a message to his caucus by dismissing Olson from the job of vetting utilities legislation.

Kelly said she vetoed the tax bill because it would eliminate $1.4 billion in state tax revenue within three years. It was financially unsustainable and would push the budget into the red in the manner resembling Gov. Sam Brownback’s aggressive income tax cuts nearly a decade ago, she said. Brownback’s quest to eliminate the state’s personal income tax cratered the budget, forced spending cuts and a sales tax increase before his program was repealed in 2017.

On Wednesday, Masterson’s effort to override Kelly on the tax legislation fell one vote shy of the required two-thirds majority. GOP Sen. John Doll of Garden City, GOP Sen. Carolyn McGinn of Sedgwick and independent Sen. Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha voted with the 11 Democrats for a 26-14 result.

McGinn said in a Senate floor speech Thursday that she had an overnight change of heart and made the motion to reconsider the bill. Her plan was to provide the 27th vote for an override. She explained she regretted her previous “no” vote and concluded $1.6 billion in the state’s rainy day fund was a sufficient cushion to advance tax reduction.

“It is not our money,” she said. “I do feel comfortable now about the (budget statistical) profile.”

The political math crumbled when Olson announced he would flip his “yes” vote to a “no” vote on the override to leave Masterson short again. Olson said he regretted voting the previous day for the override and was convinced the bill was overly generous to people making more than $100,000 annually but not helpful enough to lower-income Kansans. He also said he was troubled by a provision of the bill to accelerating reduction in corporate taxes.

“I’ve been thinking about this bill since we voted on it,” Olson said. “People making more than $100,000 are doing really well in this tax bill. I struggle with that. I just don’t think we did enough for the people at the bottom.”

Result of the second vote was 25-14 in the 40-member Senate with GOP Sen. Alicia Straub of Ellinwood deciding to vote “pass” after voting “yes” in the first round of voting on this override. The bipartisan coalition rejecting the override included 11 Democrats as well as Pyle, Doll and Olson.

“This bill is about the average lower-income taxpayer,” said Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who helped put the bill together. “If you don’t see that, you’re in denial. This is a vote for the people.”

Masterson relied on his authority as Senate president to terminate the utilities committee chairmanship held by Olson, a member of the Legislature since 2005.

“We appreciate Senator Olson’s service as chair of the utilities committee,” Masterson said in a statement. “However, his services are no longer required.”

The Senate Democrats reacted with a post to Twitter: “And just like that, Senator Rob Olson has been stripped of his chairmanship after bucking&nbsp;Republican leadership on their reckless tax policy. This is what happens when you stand up for what’s right for Kansans.”

Under Senate Bill 169, the state’s individual income tax structure would be converted to a flat rate of 5.15% starting in the 2024 tax year. The corporate income tax rate would fall in 2024 to 3%, rather than the scheduled 3.5%, from the current 4%. The bill would expand the income tax exemption tied to Social Security benefits from the current $75,000 in federal adjusted gross income to a new limit of $100,000 in adjusted gross income.

The bill would eliminate the state sales tax on food and food ingredients on Jan. 1, 2024. Under a bill adopted last year by the Legislature and signed by Kelly, the 6.5% state sales tax on groceries was reduced to 4% on Jan. 1. That law scheduled a cut to 2% in January 2024 and the reduction to zero in January 2025.

It also would raise to $60,000 the appraised value of residential property exempted from the state’s 20 mill levy for K-12 public schools. The existing exemption stood at $40,000. In addition, the individual standard deduction on state income taxes would be increased annually by use of a cost-of-living adjustment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://kansasreflector.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/P2230259-1024x576.jpg" alt="Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, voted against overriding Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a tax bill and was stripped of a committee chairmanship by Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, voted against overriding Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a tax bill and was stripped of a committee chairmanship by Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson responded to a second failure to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill collapsing the state’s three-rate individual income tax structure into a single 5.15% rate and speeding elimination of the state’s sales tax on groceries by stripping a dissident Republican of a committee chairmanship.The decision to deprive Olathe Sen. Rob Olson of the opportunity to lead the Senate Utilities Committee in waning hours of the 2023 legislation session was unlikely to alter fate of Senate Bill 169, but Masterson sent a message to his caucus by dismissing Olson from the job of vetting utilities legislation.Kelly said she vetoed the tax bill because it would eliminate $1.4 billion in state tax revenue within three years. It was financially unsustainable and would push the budget into the red in the manner resembling Gov. Sam Brownback’s aggressive income tax cuts nearly a decade ago, she said. Brownback’s quest to eliminate the state’s personal income tax cratered the budget, forced spending cuts and a sales tax increase before his program was repealed in 2017.On Wednesday, Masterson’s effort to override Kelly on the tax legislation fell one vote shy of the required two-thirds majority. GOP Sen. John Doll of Garden City, GOP Sen. Carolyn McGinn of Sedgwick and independent Sen. Dennis Pyle of Hiawatha voted with the 11 Democrats for a 26-14 result.McGinn said in a Senate floor speech Thursday that she had an overnight change of heart and made the motion to reconsider the bill. Her plan was to provide the 27th vote for an override. She explained she regretted her previous “no” vote and concluded $1.6 billion in the state’s rainy day fund was a sufficient cushion to advance tax reduction.“It is not our money,” she said. “I do feel comfortable now about the (budget statistical) profile.”The political math crumbled when Olson announced he would flip his “yes” vote to a “no” vote on the override to leave Masterson short again. Olson said he regretted voting the previous day for the override and was convinced the bill was overly generous to people making more than $100,000 annually but not helpful enough to lower-income Kansans. He also said he was troubled by a provision of the bill to accelerating reduction in corporate taxes.“I’ve been thinking about this bill since we voted on it,” Olson said. “People making more than $100,000 are doing really well in this tax bill. I struggle with that. I just don’t think we did enough for the people at the bottom.”Result of the second vote was 25-14 in the 40-member Senate with GOP Sen. Alicia Straub of Ellinwood deciding to vote “pass” after voting “yes” in the first round of voting on this override. The bipartisan coalition rejecting the override included 11 Democrats as well as Pyle, Doll and Olson.“This bill is about the average lower-income taxpayer,” said Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican who helped put the bill together. “If you don’t see that, you’re in denial. This is a vote for the people.”Masterson relied on his authority as Senate president to terminate the utilities committee chairmanship held by Olson, a member of the Legislature since 2005.“We appreciate Senator Olson’s service as chair of the utilities committee,” Masterson said in a statement. “However, his services are no longer required.”The Senate Democrats reacted with a post to Twitter: “And just like that, Senator Rob Olson has been stripped of his chairmanship after bucking&nbsp;Republican leadership on their reckless tax policy. This is what happens when you stand up for what’s right for Kansans.”Under Senate Bill 169, the state’s individual income tax structure would be converted to a flat rate of 5.15% starting in the 2024 tax year. The corporate income tax rate would fall in 2024 to 3%, rather than the scheduled 3.5%, from the current 4%. The bill would expand the income tax exemption tied to Social Security benefits from the current $75,000 in federal adjusted gross income to a new limit of $100,000 in adjusted gross income.The bill would eliminate the state sales tax on food and food ingredients on Jan. 1, 2024. Under a bill adopted last year by the Legislature and signed by Kelly, the 6.5% state sales tax on groceries was reduced to 4% on Jan. 1. That law scheduled a cut to 2% in January 2024 and the reduction to zero in January 2025.It also would raise to $60,000 the appraised value of residential property exempted from the state’s 20 mill levy for K-12 public schools. The existing exemption stood at $40,000. In addition, the individual standard deduction on state income taxes would be increased annually by use of a cost-of-living adjustment.

Kan. Senate’s attempt to override Kelly on tax cuts falls short again

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in the 8500 block of Georgia Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from police.

Just after midnight Friday, police were dispatched to a residence on a reported shooting. Once on scene, they discovered a woman with critical injuries and an man who was pronounced deceased on scene. Both were victims of apparent gunfire. The woman was transported to an area hospital in serious condition.&nbsp;

Police have not reported any suspect information and released no additional details early Friday.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting in the 8500 block of Georgia Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to a media release from police.Just after midnight Friday, police were dispatched to a residence on a reported shooting. Once on scene, they discovered a woman with critical injuries and an man who was pronounced deceased on scene. Both were victims of apparent gunfire. The woman was transported to an area hospital in serious condition.&nbsp;Police have not reported any suspect information and released no additional details early Friday.

Man dead, woman critically injured in Kansas shooting

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with an altercation in a Kansas courtroom. On Tuesday, a jury found 21-year-old Corey T. Robinson II of Topeka, a&nbsp; guilty of two counts of aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, reckless driving, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian. At the conclusion of the trial, Robinson became disorderly inside the courtroom while receiving those guilty verdicts. Deputies escorted him out of the courtroom. While leaving the courthouse, Robinson assaulted deputies and was quickly restrained. Robinson was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a no bond custody slip and will be facing additional requested charges of felony interference, criminal threat, and battery against a law enforcement officer from that incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682554553755.png" alt="Robinson-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Robinson-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with an altercation in a Kansas courtroom. On Tuesday, a jury found 21-year-old Corey T. Robinson II of Topeka, a&nbsp; guilty of two counts of aggravated battery, aggravated endangering a child, reckless driving, failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license, according to Shawnee County Deputy Abigail Christian. At the conclusion of the trial, Robinson became disorderly inside the courtroom while receiving those guilty verdicts. Deputies escorted him out of the courtroom. While leaving the courthouse, Robinson assaulted deputies and was quickly restrained. Robinson was transported to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on a no bond custody slip and will be facing additional requested charges of felony interference, criminal threat, and battery against a law enforcement officer from that incident.

Kan. man accused of disorderly conduct while learning jury verdict

SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp; A juror accused of actions that prompted the judge to declare a mistrial in a murder, aggravated battery trial Wednesday will face charges in court Friday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

The trial on Wednesday involved a man who was accused of fleeing police when his pickup was involved in a four-vehicle crash that killed a pregnant Kansas woman.&nbsp;

According to a statement from Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, the District Court declared the mistrial after it came to the court’s attention that a juror had shared news media reports with other jurors.

The juror is scheduled to face charges during a court appearance at 10a.m. Friday.

In July of 2021, a&nbsp;2002 Dodge Ram driven by<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=161387">&nbsp;Javan Jermaine Ervin, 37,</a>&nbsp;Wichita, was actively attempting to elude law enforcement following a robbery.

The pickup was northbound on Ridge Road in Wichita at a high rate of speed and failed to stop at the red traffic light at Central Avenue.

The pickup collided with a westbound 2000 Chevy Silverado driven by Jordan Samuel Peltzer, 40, Henderson, Nevada.

The impact caused the driver side rear wheels and tires to detach from the vehicle which collided with a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by Connie L. Holt, 73, Wichita, that was stopped on the inside left turn lane from South bound Ridge Road to East bound Central Avenue.

The Dodge Ram then collided with 2019 Mazda CX3 driven by 22-year--old <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/wsph3-support-for-the-russell-family">Samantha Lee Russell</a> which was stopped behind the Jeep. The Dodge Ram then rolled onto its top and came to a rest in the North bound lanes of Ridge Road.

EMS transported Russell to Wesley Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.&nbsp;She was 33 weeks pregnant. Doctors delivered the baby boy who at that time was hospitalized in critical condition.

The trial for Ervin has been set for retrial on June 5, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625655160724.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the fatal 4-vehicle crash photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the fatal 4-vehicle crash photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—&nbsp; A juror accused of actions that prompted the judge to declare a mistrial in a murder, aggravated battery trial Wednesday will face charges in court Friday, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.The trial on Wednesday involved a man who was accused of fleeing police when his pickup was involved in a four-vehicle crash that killed a pregnant Kansas woman.&nbsp;According to a statement from Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett, the District Court declared the mistrial after it came to the court’s attention that a juror had shared news media reports with other jurors.The juror is scheduled to face charges during a court appearance at 10a.m. Friday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625654789637.png" alt="Ervin-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Ervin-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>In July of 2021, a&nbsp;2002 Dodge Ram driven by<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=161387">&nbsp;Javan Jermaine Ervin, 37,</a>&nbsp;Wichita, was actively attempting to elude law enforcement following a robbery.The pickup was northbound on Ridge Road in Wichita at a high rate of speed and failed to stop at the red traffic light at Central Avenue.The pickup collided with a westbound 2000 Chevy Silverado driven by Jordan Samuel Peltzer, 40, Henderson, Nevada.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625764005417.png" alt="Samantha Russell and her husband Brandon -photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Samantha Russell and her husband Brandon -photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>The impact caused the driver side rear wheels and tires to detach from the vehicle which collided with a 2016 Jeep Compass driven by Connie L. Holt, 73, Wichita, that was stopped on the inside left turn lane from South bound Ridge Road to East bound Central Avenue.The Dodge Ram then collided with 2019 Mazda CX3 driven by 22-year--old <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/wsph3-support-for-the-russell-family">Samantha Lee Russell</a> which was stopped behind the Jeep. The Dodge Ram then rolled onto its top and came to a rest in the North bound lanes of Ridge Road.EMS transported Russell to Wesley Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.&nbsp;She was 33 weeks pregnant. Doctors delivered the baby boy who at that time was hospitalized in critical condition.The trial for Ervin has been set for retrial on June 5, according to the district attorney's office.

Kan. juror blamed for mistrial due in court to face charges

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas enacted what may be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">the most sweeping transgender bathroom law</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. on Thursday, overriding the Democratic governor's veto of the measure without having a clear idea of how their new law will be enforced.

The vote in the House was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230427092755_781966/">84-40,</a>&nbsp;giving supporters exactly the two-thirds majority they needed to override Gov. Laura Kelly's action. The vote in the Senate on Wednesday was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230426150454_940900/">28-12,</a>&nbsp;and the new law will take effect July 1.

At least eight other states have enacted laws preventing transgender people from using the restrooms associated with their gender identities, but most of them apply to schools.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb180_enrolled.pdf">The Kansas law</a>&nbsp;applies also to locker rooms, prisons, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers.

“When I go out in public, like I’m at a restaurant or up on campus or whatever, and I need to go to the bathroom, there’s definitely going to be a voice in my head that says, '"Am I going to get harassed for that?’” said Jenna Bellemere, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student. “It just makes it so much more complicated and risky and unnecessarily difficult.”

Republican legislators argued that they’re responding to people’s concerns about transgender women sharing bathrooms, locker rooms and other spaces with cisgender women and girls. They repeatedly promised that the bill would prevent that.

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, told GOP colleagues after the vote that the override was “truly the icing on the cake” among conservative policy victories this year.

The Kansas law is different than most other states' laws in that it legally defines male and female based on the sex assigned at birth and declares that “distinctions between the sexes” in bathrooms and other spaces serves “the important governmental objectives" of protecting "health, safety and privacy.” Earlier this week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathroom-north-dakota-doug-burgum-5330b3f2a936a1f9014343280f613f92">North Dakota enacted a law</a>&nbsp;that prohibits transgender children and adults from having access to bathrooms, locker rooms or showers in dormitories of state-run colleges and correctional facilities.

Kansas' law doesn't create a new crime, impose criminal penalties or fines for violations or even say specifically that a person has a right to sue over a transgender person using a facility aligned with their gender identity. Many supporters acknowledged before it passed that they hadn't considered how it will be administered.

The bill is written broadly enough to apply to any separate spaces for men and women and, Kelly’s office said, could prevent transgender women from participating in state programs for women, including for female hunters and farmers. As written, it also prevents transgender people from changing the gender markers on their driver’s licenses — though it wasn’t clear whether that change would occur without a lawsuit.

Critics of the new law believe it is an attempt to legally erase transgender people while also refusing to recognize gender fluid, gender non-conforming and non-binary people. They argued that the bill’s vagueness will prompt harassment of transgender people.

“The lack of clarity is by design because it allows them to disclaim the worst possible interpretation while also allowing for the worst possible outcome to happen," said Micah Kubic, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, which opposed the law.

When she vetoed the bill, Kelly suggested it was discriminatory and said it would hurt the state's ability to attract businesses.

The new law is part of a larger push by Republicans across the U.S. to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender rights. At least 21 states,&nbsp;<a>including Kansas,</a>&nbsp;restrict or ban female transgender athletes’ participation in female sports. At least 14 states —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-genderaffirming-care-kansas-0dcbbe6515e8f72d17e5aed2a04aa1ec">but not Kansas</a>&nbsp;— have restricted or banned gender-affirming care for minors.

The new Kansas bathroom law borrows language — and a title — from three national groups' anti-trans “Women's Bill of Rights.”

One of those groups, Independent Women's Voice, said the new law will “prevent judges, unelected bureaucrats, and administrators in Kansas from unilaterally redefining the word ‘woman’ to mean anyone who ‘identifies as a woman.’”

Under the new law in Kansas, legally “sex” means “biological” sex, “either male or female, at birth," though it allows accommodations for intersex people if their conditions are considered disabilities under U.S. law. Intersex people can have ambiguous external genitalia at birth or conditions involving external genitals that don’t match a person’s sex chromosomes.

The new law declares that females have a reproductive system at birth “developed to produce ova,” while males have one “developed to fertilize the ova.”

Supporters said they expect that most school districts, cities and counties already are in line with the new law in how they handle sex-separated spaces. They also don't expect local officials to actively police who uses which restrooms.

Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said he expects police to intervene if there's “any kind of harassing behavior" but transgender people still will use facilities associated with their gender identities “if they’re discreet about it.”

He compared the new law to existing “decency laws,” but in Sedgwick County, home to Wichita, District Attorney Marc Bennett, an elected Republican, said that in general, if a law doesn't list "explicit elements” for a “defined” crime, the elected prosecutor "would not have enforcement authority.

Both supporters and critics suggest the new law will prompt court cases if someone has a complaint about how local officials or even businesses handle the use of facilities by transgender people.

Brittany Jones, policy director for the conservative Kansas Family Voice, which backed the law, said the law will come into play as officials and courts deal with conflicts.

“It would be as the cases arise,” Jones said.

Yet critics believe that the new law will prompt harassment not only of transgender people but nonbinary, gender-fluid and gender-nonconforming people.

“Tomboys, people who just aren’t really that into femininity as a woman, they can’t freely express themselves without being worried that they’re going to be called out and removed from the spaces that they rightfully belong in," said Adam Kellogg, a 19-year-old transgender University of Kansas student.

Former state Rep. Stephanie Byers, the first elected transgender Kansas lawmaker who now lives in Texas, predicted that legal chaos is coming to her former home state.

While the attack on transgender people is not physical, Byers said, “They’re taking us out in every possible way.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/3/1678410028413.png" alt="Adam Kellogg, a University of Kansas student and transgender man, follows a Kansas Senate health committee hearing in February (AP Photo/John Hanna)" />
 <figcaption>Adam Kellogg, a University of Kansas student and transgender man, follows a Kansas Senate health committee hearing in February (AP Photo/John Hanna)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas enacted what may be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">the most sweeping transgender bathroom law</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. on Thursday, overriding the Democratic governor's veto of the measure without having a clear idea of how their new law will be enforced.The vote in the House was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230427092755_781966/">84-40,</a>&nbsp;giving supporters exactly the two-thirds majority they needed to override Gov. Laura Kelly's action. The vote in the Senate on Wednesday was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230426150454_940900/">28-12,</a>&nbsp;and the new law will take effect July 1.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I promised Kansans I’d govern from the middle of the road and that I’d serve as a check on legislation that is too extreme one way or the other.&mdash; Governor Laura Kelly (@GovLauraKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly/status/1651696045871562752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>At least eight other states have enacted laws preventing transgender people from using the restrooms associated with their gender identities, but most of them apply to schools.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/sb180_enrolled.pdf">The Kansas law</a>&nbsp;applies also to locker rooms, prisons, domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers.“When I go out in public, like I’m at a restaurant or up on campus or whatever, and I need to go to the bathroom, there’s definitely going to be a voice in my head that says, '"Am I going to get harassed for that?’” said Jenna Bellemere, a 20-year-old transgender University of Kansas student. “It just makes it so much more complicated and risky and unnecessarily difficult.”Republican legislators argued that they’re responding to people’s concerns about transgender women sharing bathrooms, locker rooms and other spaces with cisgender women and girls. They repeatedly promised that the bill would prevent that.Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, told GOP colleagues after the vote that the override was “truly the icing on the cake” among conservative policy victories this year.“I’m just giddy,” he said.The Kansas law is different than most other states' laws in that it legally defines male and female based on the sex assigned at birth and declares that “distinctions between the sexes” in bathrooms and other spaces serves “the important governmental objectives" of protecting "health, safety and privacy.” Earlier this week,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-bathroom-north-dakota-doug-burgum-5330b3f2a936a1f9014343280f613f92">North Dakota enacted a law</a>&nbsp;that prohibits transgender children and adults from having access to bathrooms, locker rooms or showers in dormitories of state-run colleges and correctional facilities.Kansas' law doesn't create a new crime, impose criminal penalties or fines for violations or even say specifically that a person has a right to sue over a transgender person using a facility aligned with their gender identity. Many supporters acknowledged before it passed that they hadn't considered how it will be administered.The bill is written broadly enough to apply to any separate spaces for men and women and, Kelly’s office said, could prevent transgender women from participating in state programs for women, including for female hunters and farmers. As written, it also prevents transgender people from changing the gender markers on their driver’s licenses — though it wasn’t clear whether that change would occur without a lawsuit.Critics of the new law believe it is an attempt to legally erase transgender people while also refusing to recognize gender fluid, gender non-conforming and non-binary people. They argued that the bill’s vagueness will prompt harassment of transgender people.“The lack of clarity is by design because it allows them to disclaim the worst possible interpretation while also allowing for the worst possible outcome to happen," said Micah Kubic, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, which opposed the law.When she vetoed the bill, Kelly suggested it was discriminatory and said it would hurt the state's ability to attract businesses.The new law is part of a larger push by Republicans across the U.S. to roll back LGBTQ+ rights, particularly transgender rights. At least 21 states,&nbsp;<a>including Kansas,</a>&nbsp;restrict or ban female transgender athletes’ participation in female sports. At least 14 states —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-genderaffirming-care-kansas-0dcbbe6515e8f72d17e5aed2a04aa1ec">but not Kansas</a>&nbsp;— have restricted or banned gender-affirming care for minors.The new Kansas bathroom law borrows language — and a title — from three national groups' anti-trans “Women's Bill of Rights.”One of those groups, Independent Women's Voice, said the new law will “prevent judges, unelected bureaucrats, and administrators in Kansas from unilaterally redefining the word ‘woman’ to mean anyone who ‘identifies as a woman.’”Under the new law in Kansas, legally “sex” means “biological” sex, “either male or female, at birth," though it allows accommodations for intersex people if their conditions are considered disabilities under U.S. law. Intersex people can have ambiguous external genitalia at birth or conditions involving external genitals that don’t match a person’s sex chromosomes.The new law declares that females have a reproductive system at birth “developed to produce ova,” while males have one “developed to fertilize the ova.”Supporters said they expect that most school districts, cities and counties already are in line with the new law in how they handle sex-separated spaces. They also don't expect local officials to actively police who uses which restrooms.Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said he expects police to intervene if there's “any kind of harassing behavior" but transgender people still will use facilities associated with their gender identities “if they’re discreet about it.”He compared the new law to existing “decency laws,” but in Sedgwick County, home to Wichita, District Attorney Marc Bennett, an elected Republican, said that in general, if a law doesn't list "explicit elements” for a “defined” crime, the elected prosecutor "would not have enforcement authority.Both supporters and critics suggest the new law will prompt court cases if someone has a complaint about how local officials or even businesses handle the use of facilities by transgender people.Brittany Jones, policy director for the conservative Kansas Family Voice, which backed the law, said the law will come into play as officials and courts deal with conflicts.“It would be as the cases arise,” Jones said.Yet critics believe that the new law will prompt harassment not only of transgender people but nonbinary, gender-fluid and gender-nonconforming people.“Tomboys, people who just aren’t really that into femininity as a woman, they can’t freely express themselves without being worried that they’re going to be called out and removed from the spaces that they rightfully belong in," said Adam Kellogg, a 19-year-old transgender University of Kansas student.Former state Rep. Stephanie Byers, the first elected transgender Kansas lawmaker who now lives in Texas, predicted that legal chaos is coming to her former home state.While the attack on transgender people is not physical, Byers said, “They’re taking us out in every possible way.”

Critics respond to Kansas new anti-trans bathroom law 

FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate two southwest Kansas drug suspects.

In February police arrested&nbsp;48-year-old Kelly Deremus and 31-year-old Shelby Deremus after a high-risk traffic stop.

Officers of the Garden City Police Department and the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force conducted the stop in the 3400 block of E. Spruce Street in Garden City, according to a media release.

Officers made contact with the couple as part of an ongoing investigation.&nbsp; Officers had prior knowledge that Kelly Deremus had an active warrant. 

After further investigation, a search of the vehicle was conducted. Multiple narcotics were seized to include fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, and counterfeit oxycodone pills. 

Officers arrested both at the scene. Due to the location and known criminal history of Kelly Deremus, Victor Ornelas Elementary School and Charles O. Stones Intermediate Center were placed on lockdown for a few minutes as a precaution.

Kelly Deremus was in custody on requested charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Stimulants, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Ignition Interlock and the Finney County District Court warrant along with Fleeing and Eluding/Driving Under the Influence. Shelby Deremus was held on requested charges of Possession of Stimulants and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

If you have any information on the Deremus’ or their whereabouts, please contact the Finney County Sheriff’s Office directly at 620-272-3700 or anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 620-275-7807 or by texting tip411.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675979613263.png" alt="Kelly Deremus-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Kelly Deremus-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are asking the public for help to locate two southwest Kansas drug suspects.In February police arrested&nbsp;48-year-old Kelly Deremus and 31-year-old Shelby Deremus after a high-risk traffic stop.Officers of the Garden City Police Department and the Garden City/Finney County Joint Drug Task Force conducted the stop in the 3400 block of E. Spruce Street in Garden City, according to a media release.Officers made contact with the couple as part of an ongoing investigation.&nbsp; Officers had prior knowledge that Kelly Deremus had an active warrant. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675979545580.png" alt="Shelby Deremus-photo Finney Co ." />
 <figcaption>Shelby Deremus-photo Finney Co .</figcaption>
 </figure>After further investigation, a search of the vehicle was conducted. Multiple narcotics were seized to include fentanyl, methamphetamine, marijuana, and counterfeit oxycodone pills. Officers arrested both at the scene. Due to the location and known criminal history of Kelly Deremus, Victor Ornelas Elementary School and Charles O. Stones Intermediate Center were placed on lockdown for a few minutes as a precaution.Kelly Deremus was in custody on requested charges that include Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Stimulants, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Ignition Interlock and the Finney County District Court warrant along with Fleeing and Eluding/Driving Under the Influence. Shelby Deremus was held on requested charges of Possession of Stimulants and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.If you have any information on the Deremus’ or their whereabouts, please contact the Finney County Sheriff’s Office directly at 620-272-3700 or anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 620-275-7807 or by texting tip411.

Police ask for help to locate 2 SW Kansas drug suspects

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man was fatally shot late Wednesday after a confrontation with police officers in Kansas City, Kansas — the second fatal shooting by police in the city this year.

The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near a bridge that crosses the Kansas River. An officer pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation, said Officer Donna Drake of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, which is handling the investigation as part of an agreement between the two agencies.

Police on Thursday identified the man as Amaree’ya Henderson, of Kansas City.

Drake said a “confrontation ensued” after the traffic stop and ended when the officer shot the driver. No further details about the confrontation were immediately released. The police officer was treated for minor injuries.

The name of the involved officer has not been released.

In February, police in Kansas City, Kansas, fatally shot a man after he allegedly fled on a bicycle from a house where two people had recently overdosed on fentanyl, the Star reported. Police said the man had a gun.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A man was fatally shot late Wednesday after a confrontation with police officers in Kansas City, Kansas — the second fatal shooting by police in the city this year.The shooting happened around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday near a bridge that crosses the Kansas River. An officer pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation, said Officer Donna Drake of the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, which is handling the investigation as part of an agreement between the two agencies.Police on Thursday identified the man as Amaree’ya Henderson, of Kansas City.Drake said a “confrontation ensued” after the traffic stop and ended when the officer shot the driver. No further details about the confrontation were immediately released. The police officer was treated for minor injuries.The name of the involved officer has not been released.In February, police in Kansas City, Kansas, fatally shot a man after he allegedly fled on a bicycle from a house where two people had recently overdosed on fentanyl, the Star reported. Police said the man had a gun.

Police ID man who died in Kansas officer shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic measure to revive the Equal Rights Amendment, dealing yet another blow to supporters who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-discrimination-constitutions-jackie-speier-1023e4afabc87f7c6dcd552ba02cbe98">pushed for more than five decades</a>&nbsp;to amend the Constitution to prohibit discrimination based on sex.

Democrats failed to win the necessary 60 votes to move forward with the resolution, which would have removed a 1982 deadline for state ratification and reopened the process to amend the Constitution.

The 51-47 vote included support from two Republicans, Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski — well short of the 10 GOP votes needed. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the measure.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., put the resolution up for a vote this week, even as it was unlikely to pass. He said it was especially timely in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">to overturn Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the constitutional right to an abortion.

“Women in America have far fewer rights today than they did even a year ago,” Schumer said.

After the vote, Schumer said the Senate is “not giving up,” and would keep trying to pass the measure.

Congress sent the amendment, which guarantees men and women equal rights under the law, to the states in 1972. It gave states seven years to ratify it, later extending the deadline to 1982. But the amendment wasn’t ratified by the required three-quarters of states before the deadline.

Three years ago, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/constitutions-us-news-discrimination-va-state-wire-virginia-fd7f31ce50bc15184317d1abefb08da1">Virginia lawmakers voted to ratify the amendment,</a>&nbsp;becoming the 38th and final state needed.

At the same time, several states — including Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky and South Dakota — have attempted to remove their prior approval.

States can support the federal version individually, though it is not ratified into the U.S. Constitution, so those ratifications remain mostly symbolic.

In a statement of policy, the White House said that President Joe Biden “strongly supports” extending the deadline and that it is long past time.

“Gender equality is not only a moral issue – the full participation of women and girls across all aspects of our society is essential to our economic prosperity, our security, and the health of our democracy,” the White House said.

Republicans have argued that Democrats are trying to rewrite history.

“The Democrats’ novel unconstitutional approach bypasses states’ rights and circumvents the process our founders put in place,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., after the vote. “This is simply another liberal wish list item meant to drive a political wedge.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682647247525.png" alt="Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and ERA Caucus marched over to the Senate to push for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. imaage courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus and ERA Caucus marched over to the Senate to push for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. imaage courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Thursday blocked a Democratic measure to revive the Equal Rights Amendment, dealing yet another blow to supporters who have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-discrimination-constitutions-jackie-speier-1023e4afabc87f7c6dcd552ba02cbe98">pushed for more than five decades</a>&nbsp;to amend the Constitution to prohibit discrimination based on sex.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today I voted against the <a href="https://twitter.com/SenateDems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenateDems</a> &quot;ERA&quot; amendment. Make no mistake, this was never a pursuit for “equality.” It&#39;s always been a scheme to push their radical, nationwide, taxpayer-funded -up until birth- abortion agenda.&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1651639638048612386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Democrats failed to win the necessary 60 votes to move forward with the resolution, which would have removed a 1982 deadline for state ratification and reopened the process to amend the Constitution.The 51-47 vote included support from two Republicans, Maine Sen. Susan Collins and Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski — well short of the 10 GOP votes needed. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall voted against the measure.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., put the resolution up for a vote this week, even as it was unlikely to pass. He said it was especially timely in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision last year&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">to overturn Roe v. Wade</a>&nbsp;and the constitutional right to an abortion.“Women in America have far fewer rights today than they did even a year ago,” Schumer said.After the vote, Schumer said the Senate is “not giving up,” and would keep trying to pass the measure.Congress sent the amendment, which guarantees men and women equal rights under the law, to the states in 1972. It gave states seven years to ratify it, later extending the deadline to 1982. But the amendment wasn’t ratified by the required three-quarters of states before the deadline.Three years ago, however,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/constitutions-us-news-discrimination-va-state-wire-virginia-fd7f31ce50bc15184317d1abefb08da1">Virginia lawmakers voted to ratify the amendment,</a>&nbsp;becoming the 38th and final state needed.At the same time, several states — including Nebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky and South Dakota — have attempted to remove their prior approval.States can support the federal version individually, though it is not ratified into the U.S. Constitution, so those ratifications remain mostly symbolic.In a statement of policy, the White House said that President Joe Biden “strongly supports” extending the deadline and that it is long past time.“Gender equality is not only a moral issue – the full participation of women and girls across all aspects of our society is essential to our economic prosperity, our security, and the health of our democracy,” the White House said.Republicans have argued that Democrats are trying to rewrite history.“The Democrats’ novel unconstitutional approach bypasses states’ rights and circumvents the process our founders put in place,” said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., after the vote. “This is simply another liberal wish list item meant to drive a political wedge.”

Moran, Marshall vote no: Equal Rights Amendment fails in Senate

WASHINGTON —GHSW, LLC of Houston, Texas is voluntarily recalling 8.55 oz packages of Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches due to undeclared sesame in bread, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

 People who are allergic to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

The recalled product was shipped to Dillon stores in Kansas, Baker’s stores in Nebraska, Gerbes stores in Missouri, as well as Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana from 01/01/23 to 4/24/23.

The recalled Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches are packaged in 8.55 oz clear plastic clamshells, with UPC 8 2676615584 2, and marked with Sell-by Dates on the front of the packet. All sell-by dates up to and including 4/29/23 are included in this recall. No other products or lots are affected by this recall. Example photos of the recalled product with labels are below.

No reports of illnesses or injury have been received to date.

The recall was initiated after it was discovered by a GHSW internal review/audit that sesame in the bread was not declared as an allergen. Sesame was always an ingredient and should have been declared as an allergen starting January 1, 2023, as it was added to the list of the major food allergens.

GHSW, LLC. is urging customers with any sesame concerns or allergies to dispose of the recalled products or return to the store of purchase for a full refund. Receipts are not required for the return. GHSW, LLC is standing by to answer customer questions at 888.449.9386 Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm PST.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682678193605.png" alt="photo FDA" />
 <figcaption>photo FDA</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —GHSW, LLC of Houston, Texas is voluntarily recalling 8.55 oz packages of Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches due to undeclared sesame in bread, according to a statement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. People who are allergic to sesame run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.The recalled product was shipped to Dillon stores in Kansas, Baker’s stores in Nebraska, Gerbes stores in Missouri, as well as Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana from 01/01/23 to 4/24/23.The recalled Turkey and Havarti Sandwiches are packaged in 8.55 oz clear plastic clamshells, with UPC 8 2676615584 2, and marked with Sell-by Dates on the front of the packet. All sell-by dates up to and including 4/29/23 are included in this recall. No other products or lots are affected by this recall. Example photos of the recalled product with labels are below.No reports of illnesses or injury have been received to date.The recall was initiated after it was discovered by a GHSW internal review/audit that sesame in the bread was not declared as an allergen. Sesame was always an ingredient and should have been declared as an allergen starting January 1, 2023, as it was added to the list of the major food allergens.GHSW, LLC. is urging customers with any sesame concerns or allergies to dispose of the recalled products or return to the store of purchase for a full refund. Receipts are not required for the return. GHSW, LLC is standing by to answer customer questions at 888.449.9386 Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm PST.

Sandwiches recalled in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska stores

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area woman has been charged with Animal Abuse for leaving a female dog in the cold, causing substantial harm to the animal, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Onica M. Morgan, 39, faces a count of misdemeanor Animal Abuse.

According to court records, Animal Services Officers responded to 4100 block of Wayne Avenue on a report of a dog being abandoned in the cold. 

The animal service officers found the animal in the garage. The odor of dog urine and feces was overwhelming. The dog appeared to be deceased. 

But the animal service officers noticed the dog taking a breath. The dog,&nbsp;Jolene, a 3-year-old Pit bull, was transported to Kansas City Pet Project for emergency treatment. 

It appeared, veterinary staff later concluded that the neglect had gone on for some time. Kansas City Police Department detectives assisted in establishing that the defendant connection to the residence where they found the neglected animal.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682547826434.png" alt="Jolene, a 3-year-old Pit bull is doing well and has been adopted-Photo courtesy KC Pet Project" />
 <figcaption>Jolene, a 3-year-old Pit bull is doing well and has been adopted-Photo courtesy KC Pet Project</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City-area woman has been charged with Animal Abuse for leaving a female dog in the cold, causing substantial harm to the animal, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Onica M. Morgan, 39, faces a count of misdemeanor Animal Abuse.According to court records, Animal Services Officers responded to 4100 block of Wayne Avenue on a report of a dog being abandoned in the cold. The animal service officers found the animal in the garage. The odor of dog urine and feces was overwhelming. The dog appeared to be deceased. But the animal service officers noticed the dog taking a breath. The dog,&nbsp;Jolene, a 3-year-old Pit bull, was transported to Kansas City Pet Project for emergency treatment. It appeared, veterinary staff later concluded that the neglect had gone on for some time. Kansas City Police Department detectives assisted in establishing that the defendant connection to the residence where they found the neglected animal.

KC-area woman charged in abuse of dog found in the cold

JACKSON COUNTY —A man involved in a fatal head-on crash in Kansas is being held in the Jackson County Jail facing multiple allegations.

Just before 11a.m. Wednesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Dodge Avenger driven by&nbsp;Ayinde-Jriel James, 44, Fort Worth, Texas, was northbound on U.S. 75 two miles north of Holton at excess speeds.-

The driver began to pass numerous vehicles without sufficient clearance and struck a southbound 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Melinda J.&nbsp;Wareham, 74, Whiting. The vehicles collided head-on, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.

Wareham was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Frontier Forensics.&nbsp; 

The KHP arrested James on requested charges of involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and reckless driving, according to Morse.

North and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 75 were closed with traffic rerouted until after 2:30p.m.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682614177066.png" alt="James-photo Jackson" />
 <figcaption>James-photo Jackson</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY —A man involved in a fatal head-on crash in Kansas is being held in the Jackson County Jail facing multiple allegations.Just before 11a.m. Wednesday, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2013 Dodge Avenger driven by&nbsp;Ayinde-Jriel James, 44, Fort Worth, Texas, was northbound on U.S. 75 two miles north of Holton at excess speeds.-<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682537465769.png" alt="Traffic backed up after the crash -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Traffic backed up after the crash -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>The driver began to pass numerous vehicles without sufficient clearance and struck a southbound 2010 Mercury Grand Marquis driven by Melinda J.&nbsp;Wareham, 74, Whiting. The vehicles collided head-on, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.Wareham was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Frontier Forensics.&nbsp; The KHP arrested James on requested charges of involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, unlawful possession of a controlled substance and reckless driving, according to Morse.North and southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 75 were closed with traffic rerouted until after 2:30p.m.

Driver accused of DUI in head-on crash that killed Kan. woman

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man who was freed from prison last year after his murder conviction was set aside alleges in a lawsuit that Kansas City police framed him in the killing.

Keith Carnes, 53, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-crime-shootings-8391fec6c493f88287a0c4940d5bcd29">released from prison</a>&nbsp;in April 2022 after serving 18 years of a life sentence for first-degree murder and armed criminal action.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Carnes alleges police and former Jackson County assistant prosecutor Amy McGowan coerced witnesses and issued fraudulent reports that led to his conviction in the 2003 shooting death of 24-year-old Larry White, in a Kansas City parking garage.

The Kansas City police department said it does not generally respond to ongoing lawsuits “to ensure fairness to all involved.”

The Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-missouri-kansas-39e398c6e9f3a8e0ead320942d4a9ee7">set aside Carnes' conviction</a>&nbsp;in 2022, in part because because an eyewitness account from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration was not given to Carnes’ defense team.

The Jackson County Prosecutor's office said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-kansas-kansas-city-crime-3ddfdcab460d26a68c95ff9d6e1ae953">would not retrry</a>&nbsp;Carnes because although its case review did not establish Carnes' innocence, there was insufficient evidence to convict him a second time.

In the lawsuit, Carnes' attorneys said a feared Kansas City drug dealer killed White in a dispute over territory and that officers who struggled to find witnesses decided to “pin” the murder on Carnes.

Two witnesses who identified Carnes as the killer recanted their testimony in 2014, alleging police and prosecutors pressured them to name Carnes as the shooter.

“The Kansas City police practices described in this lawsuit — fabricating evidence to secure convictions and propel officers’ own careers forward — amount to corruption,” one of Carnes' attorneys, Locke Bowman, said in a statement.

One of the witnesses testified in 2021 that she recanted her original testimony after threats from Carnes’ supporters. The second witness testified at the same hearing that she could no longer remember the night of the murder clearly.

Prosecutors have said case evidence was “tainted from all directions.”

Two other Kansas City area men who were exonerated in recent years after serving years in prison for murders they did not commit have also sued the Kansas City police department. Kevin Strickland, who spent more than 40 years in prison; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ab01918e80a642af8c64b18fa190244b">Ricky Kidd</a>, who served nearly 25, each&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-strickland-wrongful-conviction-missouri-lawsuit-0a0d2731943d25a242e82eb7b47353cf">sued the department</a>&nbsp;over its investigations.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1682623292629.png" alt="Carnes following his release from prison in April 2022-photo courtesy KMBC" />
 <figcaption>Carnes following his release from prison in April 2022-photo courtesy KMBC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A man who was freed from prison last year after his murder conviction was set aside alleges in a lawsuit that Kansas City police framed him in the killing.Keith Carnes, 53, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-crime-shootings-8391fec6c493f88287a0c4940d5bcd29">released from prison</a>&nbsp;in April 2022 after serving 18 years of a life sentence for first-degree murder and armed criminal action.In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Carnes alleges police and former Jackson County assistant prosecutor Amy McGowan coerced witnesses and issued fraudulent reports that led to his conviction in the 2003 shooting death of 24-year-old Larry White, in a Kansas City parking garage.The Kansas City police department said it does not generally respond to ongoing lawsuits “to ensure fairness to all involved.”The Missouri Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-missouri-kansas-39e398c6e9f3a8e0ead320942d4a9ee7">set aside Carnes' conviction</a>&nbsp;in 2022, in part because because an eyewitness account from a confidential informant that might have led to his exoneration was not given to Carnes’ defense team.The Jackson County Prosecutor's office said it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-kansas-kansas-city-crime-3ddfdcab460d26a68c95ff9d6e1ae953">would not retrry</a>&nbsp;Carnes because although its case review did not establish Carnes' innocence, there was insufficient evidence to convict him a second time.In the lawsuit, Carnes' attorneys said a feared Kansas City drug dealer killed White in a dispute over territory and that officers who struggled to find witnesses decided to “pin” the murder on Carnes.Two witnesses who identified Carnes as the killer recanted their testimony in 2014, alleging police and prosecutors pressured them to name Carnes as the shooter.“The Kansas City police practices described in this lawsuit — fabricating evidence to secure convictions and propel officers’ own careers forward — amount to corruption,” one of Carnes' attorneys, Locke Bowman, said in a statement.One of the witnesses testified in 2021 that she recanted her original testimony after threats from Carnes’ supporters. The second witness testified at the same hearing that she could no longer remember the night of the murder clearly.Prosecutors have said case evidence was “tainted from all directions.”Two other Kansas City area men who were exonerated in recent years after serving years in prison for murders they did not commit have also sued the Kansas City police department. Kevin Strickland, who spent more than 40 years in prison; and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ab01918e80a642af8c64b18fa190244b">Ricky Kidd</a>, who served nearly 25, each&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-strickland-wrongful-conviction-missouri-lawsuit-0a0d2731943d25a242e82eb7b47353cf">sued the department</a>&nbsp;over its investigations.