TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Health care advocates in Kansas are strongly criticizing a proposal from Republican Gov. Sam Brownback for decreasing prescription drug costs for the state’s Medicaid program.

They told the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee on Wednesday that the governor’s proposal could deny needed medications to people with chronic conditions and severe mental illnesses.

The committee took testimony on a bill eliminating the state’s ban on so-called step therapy with prescriptions in the Medicaid program.

In step therapy, patients are required to try less-expensive drugs first and have the treatment fail before obtaining more expensive prescriptions. Supporters say allowing Medicaid to use step therapy makes sense.

Brownback’s administration projects savings of nearly $11 million for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The state must close a projected $190 million budget shortfall.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The University of Kansas has unblocked limited information about two fraternities that were placed on probation for hazing.

But the Lawrence Journal-World reports that most of the information it sought when it initially requested documents from the school in October remains redacted. The paper raised concerns in December about the redactions with an open records appeal.

The university responded by provided a slightly less-redacted version of one of the five documents initially given to the newspaper. But the newspaper reported that all information remains hidden about the nature and severity of hazing behaviors by the Delta Tau Delta and Phi Beta Sigma fraternities. The fraternities have said some members have been disciplined.

The university says it met its obligation under the law to provide information without compromising student privacy.

SHAWNEE COUNTY- Three adults and a child were injured in an accident just after 7a.m. on Wednesday in Shawnee County.

The Kansas Highway patrol reported a 1999 Ford Ranger driven by William Ernest Jernberg, 17, Tecumseh, was eastbound on Kansas 4 at 46th Street.

The driver failed to stop and collided with a 2012 Chevy Malibu driven by Bailey J. Zobel, 28, Topeka, that was stopped, yielding to turn left onto Northeast46th.

The Malibu was pushed into oncoming traffic, striking a 2004 Chevy Silverado head-on.

The Silverado driven by Amanda Marie Butler, 38, Meriden, also hit a 2013 Kia Forte driven by Veanna K. Unruh, 65, Topeka, that was stopped at the stop sign on Northeast 46th.

Zobel, Butler and Unruh were transported to Stormont Vail.

A passenger in the Malibu Kranston Lee James Haehn, 5, Topeka was transported to Children’s Mercy.

Jernberg was not injured.

Zobel was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

By DAN MARGOILES

More than 100 people who attended the New Theatre Restaurant in Overland Park on Sunday, Jan. 17, reported becoming ill, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

In a news release Wednesday, the agency says it’s investigating an outbreak of norovirus infection. Symptoms of the extremely contagious virus include diarrhea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.

KDHE says it’s conducting a confidential online survey of people who attended the matinee and evening performances staged that day at the popular dinner theater.

Rob McGraw, the New Theatre’s vice president of marketing, said the theater got a call from one of its patrons on Tuesday and immediately contacted KDHE.

He described the virus as very common. “You can catch the flu anywhere,” he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says norovirus is the most common cause of acute gastroenteritis in the United States, causing 19 million to 21 million illnesses annually. It’s also the most common cause of foodborne-disease outbreaks.

Dan Margolies, editor of the Heartland Health Monitor team, is based at KCUR. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A judge will hear arguments next month on the request to dismiss the lawsuit filed by a Wichita mathematician who is seeking to audit voting machine results after finding statistical anomalies in election counts.

A hearing has been set for Feb. 18 in Sedgwick County District Court.

Wichita State University statistician Beth Clarkson wants the tapes to check the error rate on electronic voting machines used at a Sedgwick County voting station during the November 2014 general election.

Sedgwick County contends it is statutorily prohibited from producing the voting machine tapes, which it contends are not open records. It also argued the issue was settled in an earlier lawsuit.

But Clarkson’s attorney, Randall Rathbun, disagrees. He said Wednesday issues raised in the past are not being litigated in this case.

SALINA -The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has released details on the death of man who was in police custody.

According to the release, Salina Police officers were dispatched to a report of a disturbance in the 2000 block of Norton Street just before 5:30 p.m. Monday evening. When officers arrived, they located a woman with injuries. 50 year-old Scott A. Brunson was then taken into custody on allegations of domestic battery and resisting arrest. He was subsequently transported to the Saline County Jail.

Once at the jail, Brunson was allegedly involved in an altercation with jail staff. Two Saline County Sheriff’s Office deputies were injured in the altercation. Brunson and both deputies were transported to Salina Regional Health Center. Brunson was pronounced dead early Tuesday morning. One of the deputies was treated and released, and the other was kept for treatment and observation.

The KBI is conducting an investigation into the in-custody death. For the sanctity of the investigation, the KBI will be releasing no further information until the investigation is complete and has been reviewed by the Saline County Attorney’s Office.

MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press

FAIRFIELD, Ala. (AP) — An Associated Press analysis shows that the closing of more than 150 Wal-Mart stores nationwide will create three food deserts in Alabama, Kansas and Arkansas.

Stores slated to shut down Thursday will leave residents in Ellsworth, Clearwater, and parts of Wichita,  Fairfield, Alabama; and Coal Hill, Arkansas; without a supermarket.

The federal government considers a neighborhood a food desert if at least a fifth of residents live in poverty and a third live more than a mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than 10 miles in rural areas.

Another 31 neighborhoods in 15 states will also lack access to grocery stores after Wal-Mart’s closures. But those aren’t as impoverished.

Wal-Mart says it has a good track record in needy neighborhoods and is offering help to the communities it’s leaving.