TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A top social services official says Kansas will ask the federal government within six months to recertify one of its two mental hospitals.

But interim Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Tim Keck faced pointed questions Thursday from legislators about staffing at Osawatomie State Hospital.

The House and Senate health committees had a joint hearing.

The federal government decertified the hospital last month after a critical survey found that the hospital failed to protect suicidal patients, adequately supervise care or perform required safety checks. The survey also cited a report of an employee’s rape in October.

Keck said the department is hiring a consultant to help regain certification.

Legislators from both parties said the hospital needs more staff and were frustrated with the lack of a specific proposal.

SALINA -A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 5 p.m. on Thursday.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Hyundai Sonata driven by Travious Ledale McFate, 18, Salina, was southbound on Ohio Street.

The vehicle entered the intersection and struck a 2011 Dodge Avenger driven by Benny J. Zadina, 64, Salina, that was eastbound on Republic.

The collision caused the Dodge to strike a 2014 Ford OCCK bus driven by Tawnie Marie Heard, 35, Salina, that was northbound on Ohio and stopped waiting to turn onto Republic

Zadina was transported to Salina Regional Health Center. McFate and Heard were not injured. There were no passengers on the bus at the time of the accident.

All three drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Pro-abortion rights Kansas House members plan to introduce three bills aimed at increasing access to reproductive health care.

One measure outlined Thursday would repeal laws that prevent women from deducting abortion expenses from their state income taxes and restrict private health insurance coverage of abortions.

A second bill would repeal a ban on so-called telemedicine abortions.

A third measure promotes the use of reversible contraceptives that can prevent pregnancies for up to 10 years.

Republican Rep. Barbara Bollier of Mission Hills said the measures are a reaction to attacks on women’s right to make health care choices.

GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and other abortion opponents have argued that Kansas is a leader in helping to create what they call a culture of life.

TOPEKA – On Friday Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) will be the keynote speaker for the annual Kansans for Life March and Rally outside the Topeka Statehouse. Watch the Congressman’s comments on floor of the House here.

On the 43rd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, Congressman Huelskamp will join thousands of Kansans to rally, learn, pray and march for life. The Congressman will provide the keynote address during the Rally.

The rally portion of the day’s events will begin at 12:45 p.m.at the Kansas Statehouse South Steps

The Congressman has long been a pro-life advocate in Congress and during his time in the Kansas Legislature. Currently he is the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Whip and an advisory board member of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

Congressman Huelskamp gave the following statement in advance of this address:

“I look forward to joining supporters of Life in Topeka on Friday. Despite the decades-long frontal assault by pro-abortion forces, along with a complicit media, and a corrupt Court system, the support the most innocent babies has only continued to grow. And that will be clearly evident at Rallies and Marches all across America tomorrow.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers have heard testimony from opponents of a measure to mitigate penalties for marijuana possession, permit the use of hemp oil to treat seizures and allow industrial hemp research.

Law enforcement representatives were among several opponents Thursday testifying about a bill to allow medical hemp preparations to treat people suffering from seizures. They testified before the Senate Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee.

Ed Klumpp, a lobbyist from the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, said that the bill would lead to recreational marijuana use.

Many other opponents voiced concerns that the proposed measure was not broad enough.

Proponents of the bill spoke before the committee Wednesday.

Committee Chairman and Republican Sen. Greg Smith from Overland Park said that the committee would discuss the bill next week.

FORD COUNTY- A Kansas woman was injured in an accident just before 9a.m. on Thursday in Ford County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Freightliner semi driven by Hugo Ernest Alvarez-Cisneros, 43, Wichita, was eastbound on U.S. 400 five miles east of Ford.

The truck collided with a westbound 2005 Chrysler Van driven by Lorena Velaquez-Vazquez, 34, Dodge City, in the westbound lane.

Velaquez-Vazquez was transported to Western Plains Medical Center. Alvarez-Cisneros was not injured.

Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democrats are backing a bill aimed at shortening the Kansas Legislature’s annual sessions as part of a package of measures for making state government more open.

Democratic lawmakers had a news conference Thursday to highlight what they’re calling their good government proposals.

The proposals include strengthening open meetings and records law and barring elected officials and Cabinet appointees from becoming lobbyists for two years after leaving office.

Top Democrats are also endorsing a proposal from Democratic Sen. Tom Holland of Baldwin City to cut legislators’ pay off once they’ve spent 90 days in session in odd-numbered years and 60 days in even-numbered years.

Holland said the goal is to force legislators to be more efficient in how they handle their work. Last year’s session lasted a record 114 days.

MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — New federal rules to protect smaller streams, tributaries and wetlands have survived the latest Republican effort to block them.

Congress last week sent President Barack Obama a “resolution of disapproval” that would scrap the rules. He promptly vetoed the measure. On Thursday, Senate Democrats voted 52-40, falling short of the three-fifths threshold to vote on a veto override.

Republicans didn’t appear to have the votes to win an override if they had been able to vote. An override needs support from two-thirds of the Senate and two-thirds of the House.

The Obama administration says the rules would safeguard drinking water for 117 million people. Republicans say the regulations are costly, confusing and amount to a government power grab.

LEAVENWORTH -Another contraband arrest at a Kansas prison leads to additional time behind bars for an inmate.

Carlos Jackson, 34, an inmate at the Lansing Correctional Facility, was sentenced Wednesday to 40 more months in prison, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

In September of 2014, staff at the prison searched Jackson’s cell and his person because they heard that Jackson had contraband, according to Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson.

When doing a strip search, Jackson pulled out a cell phone from his boxer shorts. The staff also found a cell phone charger and a homemade knife in the pocket of his jeans that hung were up in the cell .

All these things are illegal for inmates to possess while incarcerated.

In December a jury found Jackson guilty of possessing the contraband.

During sentencing, the defense attorney, Clinton Lee, argued for a downward departure for his client from the standard sentence of 43 months as required by the Kansas Sentencing Guidelines. The State, argued by County Attorney Todd Thompson, asked for the standard sentence.

Judge Gunnar Sundby denied the departure, but instead granted a mitigated sentence as allowed by the sentencing guidelines to 40 months saying this was due to the financial problems the State of Kansas is having.

Mr. Jackson was convicted of a murder in Topeka in 2003 as a juvenile, and then later convicted of three aggravated batteries as an adult from Douglas County.