TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill to prohibit candidates from withdrawing from an election unless they die received first-round approval in the Kansas House.

The bill also would require political parties to name another candidate to fill ballot vacancies. It is a response to a controversy last year when Democrat Chad Taylor withdrew from the U.S. Senate race a month before the Democratic primary, leaving independent candidate Greg Orman the only challenger to Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.

Republican Rep. Mark Kahrs, of Wichita said during debate Wednesday that similar situations should be prohibited.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports  that the bill was requested by Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who tried to prevent Taylor’s withdrawal from the race.

Democrats argued the law would cause problems when a candidate becomes incapacitated but doesn’t die.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Topeka zoo officials say a 20-year-old black bear died during spinal surgery.

Zoo director Brendan Wiley says the bear, named Peek, died Wednesday during surgery at Kansas State University’s veterinary health center.

Peek was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in January and gradually got worse, recently losing the use of her hind legs.

Wiley said in a news release that the zoo tried several methods, including stem cell therapy, to help the bear before deciding surgery was the only option.

Peek and her sister, Sneak, arrived at the Topeka Zoo in 1996 from Wildlife Prairie Park in Peoria, Illinois.

The zoo acquired two female, orphaned black bear cubs last year. They have not yet been introduced to Sneak.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Teachers no longer would be exempt from criminal charges for showing students materials deemed to be harmful to minors under a bill passed by the Kansas Senate.

The Senate’s vote Wednesday was 26-14.

Teachers could be charged for any materials thought to be too sexual or too profane for minors under the proposal. Critics say it could cover sex education materials and even some classical literature and would have a chilling effect on educators wary of treading too close to the line.

Supporters say the bill would protect children and that teachers should not be allowed to show materials that would draw penalties in other contexts. They also said the fears of opponents are overblown.

The bill moves to the House for debate.

JOHN HANNA, Associated Press
ROXANA HEGEMAN, Associated Pres

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A suburban lawmaker’s proposal that would dramatically increase property taxes on Kansas agricultural land has spawned a strong rural backlash.

Farmers also fear that pieces of it will pop up in legislation to close a projected state budget shortfall.

Republican Sen. Jeff Melcher of Leawood argues that agricultural land is valued for tax purposes so far below market values that it’s unfair.

He also contends the state and local communities are losing millions of dollars they could use to finance public schools and services.

But farmers and agriculture groups see huge potential tax increases.

The Kansas Department of Revenue estimates the annual state and local property taxes on agricultural land would increase by $890 million. Owners would see an average statewide per-acre increase of 569 percent on irrigated land.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Officials say a United Airlines flight has landed safely after being diverted to a Wichita airport because of landing gear issues.

Airport Police and Fire Capt. Randy Currie says the plane that took off Wednesday night from Denver International Airport had experienced landing gear issues, prompting a request to land at Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport.

The Bombardier Q-400 aircraft was operated by Republic Airlines and was headed to the Kansas City International Airport in Missouri.

A Republic Airlines representative says 67 passengers and a four-member crew were onboard Flight 4912. He says a maintenance crew is investigating the issue.

Currie says United Airlines offered to put the passengers in a hotel overnight. He also says the airline service used two buses to shuttle about 30 passengers to Kansas City.

By JIM MCLEAN
Legislation to allow Kansas dental hygienists with advanced training to provide a broader range of services isn’t likely to survive approaching deadlines that restrict the number of bills lawmakers can consider during the remainder of their session.

Because they are non-budget bills that haven’t advanced in either legislative chamber, the bills authorizing the licensing of registered dental practitioners (RDPs) likely will be set aside for the remainder of the session.

It’s happened before. Advocates have introduced RDP bills every year since 2011 in Kansas only to have them shelved by lawmakers, usually without a hearing.

This year is different in only one respect: The chairpersons of the House and Senate committees with jurisdiction over health issues said they didn’t intend to “work” the RDP bills — Senate Bill 49 and House Bill 2079 — but agreed to have hearings on them this week.

Determined to make the most of their face time with the committees, advocates structured their testimony to showcase the broad nature of their coalition. They brought in the dean of the University of Minnesota Dental School and officials from Wichita State University and Fort Hays State University to testify along with the CEOs of two Kansas health foundations.

And they emphasized that the RDP bills had the support of Americans for Prosperity – Kansas, the free-market advocacy group backed by the Koch brothers that is especially influential with the conservative Republicans who control both houses of the Legislature.

Rodger Woods, deputy director of AFP – Kansas, told members of the House Health and Human Services Committee that licensing RDPs — also known as dental therapists — would help expand access to dental services in underserved areas of the state.

“There is far more demand than supply for oral health services (in Kansas),” Woods said, noting that 95 of the state’s 105 counties have a shortage of dental providers.

He praised the Kansas Dental Association for sponsoring the Mission of Mercy program that once a year provides charity care to large numbers of Kansans in desperate need of dental services. But he said, “From my perspective, it’s more like what we do in Third World countries.”

Woods added: “I think we need to address the issues beyond providing free care once a year. We need a dental workforce in this state just as willing to see a Medicaid or uninsured patient as they are someone with private insurance.”

Representatives of the Kansas Dental Association said creating a new kind of dental provider isn’t the way to address the state’s access problems. Kevin Robertson, KDA’s director, said various initiatives are increasing the number of dentists in Kansas and the number practicing in rural and underserved areas. He said allowing hygienists with advanced training to fill cavities, pull teeth and do restorative work that now only dentists can do would jeopardize the safety of patients.

“Kansas has made great progress in improving access to quality dental services throughout Kansas, and we will continue to work with our partners and the Legislature to develop additional strategies,” Robertson said in his written testimony to the House committee. “This is a complex issue that does not have a simple one-size-fits-all solution.”

Daniel Minnis, a Pittsburg dentist who has broken ranks with his KDA colleagues, countered the association’s safety concerns.

“Your decision on this legislation should be made on facts and not emotions,” Minnis told members of the House committee.

And the facts, he said, are that RDPs receive more intensive training than dentists do on the limited number of procedures the bills would allow them to perform. In addition, he said, thousands of studies have been done on patient safety.

“And they all show the same thing,” Minnis said. “The mid-level provider is safe.”

Minnis urged lawmakers to ask the opponents for “one piece of factual evidence” to support their claims that RDPs would endanger patients.

Rep. John Wilson, a Lawrence Democrat, complied, asking the KDA’s Robertson if he “could provide evidence” of harm.

Robertson said he couldn’t point to specific research.

“There is not a study, so to speak,” he said.

Even so, he said, dentists believe the Kansas bills would allow RDPs to do more complicated procedures than supporters are suggesting.

“I think they (dentists) believe very strongly that there would be health consequences,” he said.

The debate over this year’s RDP bills may be over. But the debate on the issue isn’t. Supporters say they will continue to press their case next year and beyond with help from national groups backing similar efforts in other states.

And Robertson said the KDA, with help from the American Dental Association, will continue its opposition.

Jim McLean is executive editor of KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.