WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-led House failed Tuesday to override President Donald Trump’s first veto, salvaging his effort to steer billions of extra dollars to erecting border barriers and delivering a victory to the White House in a constitutional and political clash that’s raged for months.

Lawmakers voted 248-181 to overturn Trump’s veto, but that fell 38 votes shy of the required two-thirds margin. Just days after Attorney General William Barr announced that special counsel Robert Mueller had found Trump didn’t scheme with Russia to help his 2016 election, Tuesday’s vote bolstered Trump’s drive to build a wall along the boundary with Mexico, a hallmark of his 2016 presidential campaign and a priority of his presidency.

While clearly a defeat for Democrats, the vote afforded them a chance to reemphasize policy differences with Trump and change the subject from collusion allegations that have lost political clout. Underscoring that, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi placed her name atop a House Democratic fundraising email referencing the failed veto override entitled, “My heart just sank.”

Just 14 Republicans joined all voting Democrats in Tuesday’s futile effort to void Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the Southwest border.

By invoking that power, Trump has said he will shift $3.6 billion from military construction to erecting barriers along that boundary. Congress has voted to provide less than $1.4 billion for border barriers, leaving Democrats and some Republicans fuming that Trump is abusing his powers by ignoring Congress’ constitutional control over spending.

Despite his veto remaining intact, Trump may not be able to spend the money for barriers quickly because of lawsuits by Democratic state attorneys general and others that could take years to resolve.

Even so, Democrats hope to use the border emergency battle in their 2020 election campaigns, both to symbolize Trump’s harsh immigration stance and claim he was hurting congressional districts around the country.

The Pentagon sent lawmakers a list last week of hundreds of military construction projects that might be cut to pay for barrier work. Though the list was tentative, Democrats say that by backing Trump, GOP lawmakers were endangering local bases to pay for the wall.

Unhappiness over Trump’s plan to siphon the money from the military has become a bipartisan concern. On top of the $3.6 billion from construction, the Pentagon has formally informed Congress that it wants to steer another $1 billion from personnel accounts to barriers instead.

At a House Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday, panel Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., said it was wrong to use the Pentagon as “sort of a piggybank-slash-slush fund.” The committee’s top Republican, Mac Thornberry of Texas, also said he opposes redirecting defense funds.

Congress had sent Trump a resolution annulling the national emergency that Trump declared at the US-Mexico border. That included passage by the Republican-led Senate, in which 12 GOP senators — nearly 1 of every 4 — joined Democrats in blocking him.

Trump vetoed that measure almost immediately.

“We take an oath that we must honor” to protect the Constitution,” Pelosi, D-Calif., speaking on her 79th birthday, said Tuesday. “The choice is simple, between partisanship and patriotism. Between honoring our sacred oath or hypocritically, inconsistently breaking this oath.”

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, called Trump’s declaration “constitutional vandalism.”

Republicans said Trump was merely following a 1976 law that gives presidents emergency powers, and was trying to head off Democrats with little concern about border security.

Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., said Trump was acting against the “radical left in this House that would dissolve our borders entirely if given the chance” — a stance that no Democrat has taken.

Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Mich., called the veto override effort “a partisan whack job” because of its certain defeat.

All 13 Republicans who voted with Democrats last month to oppose Trump’s declaration did the same Tuesday. That group of moderates from swing districts and conservatives was joined by Rep. John Katko, R-N.Y., who missed the earlier roll call.

In a symbolic move, presiding over the House was freshman Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, representing a border district surrounding El Paso.

The showdown began building last year. Trump’s insistence on wall money prompted this winter’s record 35-day partial government shutdown, which ended when he surrendered in January without getting any funds. Eventually a compromise was struck for $1.4 billion.

Opponents of Trump’s emergency warned that besides usurping Congress’ power over spending, he was inviting future Democratic presidents to circumvent lawmakers by declaring emergencies to finance their own favored initiatives.

Trump’s declaration was the 60th presidential emergency under that statute, but the first aimed at spending that Congress explicitly denied, according to New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks the law.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is nearing a victory over Democrats as the House tries overriding his first veto , a vote that seems certain to fail and would let stand his declaration of a national emergency at the Mexican border.

Tuesday’s vote would keep the border emergency intact, which for now would let him shift an additional $3.6 billion from military construction projects to work on a barrier along the southwest boundary. Building the wall was one of his most oft-repeated campaign promises, though he claimed the money would come from Mexico, not taxpayers.

Trump’s emergency declaration drew unanimous opposition from congressional Democrats and opposition from some Republicans, especially in the Senate , where lawmakers objected that he was abusing presidential powers.

But while Congress approved a resolution voiding Trump’s move, the margins by which the House and Senate passed the measure fell well short of the two-thirds majorities that will be needed to override the veto. That’s expected to happen again when the House votes Tuesday.

“The president will be fine in the House,” said Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in a brief interview. “The veto will not be overridden.”

Even with his veto remaining intact, Trump may not be able to spend the money for barriers quickly because of lawsuits that might take years to resolve.

Tuesday’s vote was coming as Trump claimed a different political triumph after Attorney General William Barr said special counsel Robert Mueller had ended his two-year investigation without evidence of collusion by Trump’s 2016 campaign with the Russian government.

Democrats were hoping to use the border emergency battle in upcoming campaigns, both to symbolize Trump’s harsh immigration stance and claim he was hurting congressional districts around the country.

The Pentagon sent lawmakers a list last week of hundreds of military construction projects that might be cut to pay for barrier work. Though the list was tentative, Democrats were asserting that GOP lawmakers were endangering local bases to pay for the wall.

Congress, to which the Constitution assigned control over spending, voted weeks ago to provide less than $1.4 billion for barriers. Opponents warned that besides usurping Congress’ role in making spending decisions, Trump was inviting future Democratic presidents to circumvent lawmakers by declaring emergencies to finance their own favored initiatives.

Trump supporters said he was simply acting under a 1976 law that lets presidents declare national emergencies. Trump’s declaration was the 60th presidential emergency under that statute, but the first aimed at spending that Congress explicitly denied, according to New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice, which tracks the law.

The House approved the resolution blocking Trump’s emergency by 245-182 in February. On Tuesday, Trump opponents will need to reach 288 votes to prevail.

Just 13 Republicans opposed Trump in February, around 1 in 15. Another 30 would have to defect to override his veto.

This month, the GOP-led Senate rebuked Trump with a 59-41 vote blocking his declaration after the failure of a Republican effort to reach a compromise with the White House. Republicans were hoping to avoid a confrontation with him for fear of alienating pro-Trump voters.

Twelve GOP senators, nearly 1 in 4, ended up opposing him.

If the House vote fails, the Senate won’t attempt its own override and the veto will stand.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) has identified the man suspected of shooting a coworker, and then fatally shooting himself, at the G&W Foods grocery store on Monday afternoon, in Cherryvale, Kan.

The suspected shooter has been identified as 28-year-old Jamal Brown of Independence.

The 39-year-old man shot by Brown was also from Independence. He remains hospitalized in Joplin, Mo., and his condition was upgraded to “fair.”

The KBI released no additional details Tuesday afternoon

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MONTGOMERY COUNTY – The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) is assisting the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Cherryvale Police Department with an investigation into a shooting that occurred Monday afternoon at a grocery store in Cherryvale.

According to a media release, just after 3:30 p.m., Monday, the Cherryvale Police Department, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the report of a man with a gun in the G&W Foods grocery store. When they arrived at the store at 216 N. Liberty St., they learned the armed man was an employee who was holding a coworker in an office in the northwest area of the store. They began to quickly evacuate employees and customers.

Soon after, gunshots were heard from the office. As authorities entered the office, they witnessed the 28-year-old suspect shoot himself. They also located his 39-year-old coworker suffering from gunshot wounds.

The male victim was flown to a hospital in Joplin. He underwent surgery, and his condition is unknown at this time.

The suspect was taken to a local hospital where he was stablized and then flown to a Tulsa hospital. He later died from his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing. Nothing further will be released at this time.

KWO

MANHATTAN – Technology and management tools keep evolving to help crop producers make every drop of water count on their fields.

Water Technology Farms, including the Northwest Kansas Technical College Water Technology Farm around Goodland,  were developed four years ago as part of the Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas. They began as three-year pilot public-private partnerships to demonstrate the latest in crop irrigation technology and water conservation research on the field scale.

“I’m pleased to see the growing interest in Water Technology Farms across the state,” said Kansas Water Office (KWO) Acting Director Earl Lewis. “We continue to see outcomes from these farms showing that water use reductions, coupled with irrigation technology adoption and water management improvements are leading to positive effects on the aquifer as well as the producer’s bottom line.”

Water Technology Farms have proven valuable in helping to expand the conversation and education of producers as well as decision makers on equipment and technology utilized in agricultural water conservation efforts.

“As one of the first three Tech Farms we have learned so much as far as water conservation production and how what we do affects the Ogallala Aquifer,” Dwane Roth, Garden City Company/Dwane Roth Farm near Holcomb. “A fifth generation Kansan recently said to me that western Kansas is different compared to other parts of the world – our water problems are solvable! I now ask with what we know, do we become resilient? And in doing so have vibrant local communities or do we become just another page in the history books? I say we become resilient.”

The 2018 Growing Season Report shares information about each of the 10 farms including the crop or crops grown, technology utilized to manage water application, as well as harvest data and sponsors of each location.

“My goal as a first year Water Technology Farm was to increase the bushels per inch of irrigation we produced,” said Matt Long of Long Water Technology Farm near Marienthal. “We really pushed our crop using different application technologies, soil moisture probes and a weather station to utilize our irrigation water efficiently which resulted in growing 34 bushels per inch of irrigation. As we start this spring with adequate profile moisture and more knowledge about the application technologies and soil probes, I am excited to see how much more progress we can achieve.”

It is anticipated up to five new farms will be added to the network in 2019, bringing the total number of Water Technology Farms up to 15 for the 2019 growing season.  Field days and other informational events in conjunction with the Water Technology Farm Program will take place later this summer. For more information and the complete 2018 Growing Season Report, visit www.kwo.ks.gov

The Water Technology Farms would not be possible without key public-private partnerships. More than 80 companies and organizations support this effort and sponsors for each farm are on the Water Tech Farm pages on the KWO website.

For more information visit: www.kwo.ks.gov or contact Armando Zarco, Water Resource Planner at (620) 276-2901.

By STEPHEN KORANDA
Kansas News Service

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has sent a tax relief bill down in flames, taking her veto pen to the measure she says would wreck the state budget. But, as a priority for Republicans, it could remain in play for the rest of the legislative session and rise from the ashes.

Legislative estimates say the bill would keep the state from collecting about $500 million in taxes over three years. The tax breaks would primarily benefit multinational companies with operations in Kansas.

Forgoing the revenue, the governor said Monday, would hamper the state’s ability to reinvest in education, transportation and other services neglected in the wake of tax cuts signed by then-Gov. Sam Brownback in 2012.

“We simply cannot go backward now,” Kelly said after vetoing the bill. “We cannot fix our state if we repeat the mistakes of the past.”

The veto is Kelly’s first as governor, and it’s indicative of the rift between the Democratic leader of the state and the conservative Republicans who control the House and Senate. They immediately branded the veto as a tax increase and a broken campaign promise.

The whole debate started with the federal tax cut bill approved in 2017.

Republican lawmakers pushed for changes to state tax rules to allow Kansans to continue itemizing on their state returns even if they no longer do so on their federal returns because of larger standard deductions. The bill Kelly vetoed would have also freed Kansas businesses from owing state taxes on overseas income.

Republicans say the core issue is preventing a tax increase caused by the federal changes.

Lawmakers had also folded into the bill a 1 percentage point cut to the food sales tax. That’s a policy many politicians, including Kelly, favor.

“Governor Kelly’s campaign promises that she would decrease food sales taxes for hardworking Kansans are clearly little more than talking points,” House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins said in response to the veto.

Kelly said in her veto message that it’s irresponsible to cut taxes — even taxes on food — until the state’s fiscal health stabilizes.

The debate could be far from over. Republican Senate President Susan Wagle said she’d be conferring with leaders about when to attempt a veto override.

Monday afternoon, the chairman of the Kansas Republican Party was already working in support of that effort.

“I am calling on all legislative Republicans including those who did not originally vote for the bill to override her veto,” Chairman Mike Kuckelman said in a statement.

The Kansas GOP is also gathering donations for mailings attacking Republican-turned-Democrat Sen. Dinah Sykes for voting against the tax relief package.

On its first trip through the Legislature, the measure secured 76 votes in the House and 24 in the Senate. An override requires support from 84 House members and 27 senators.

Democratic Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore suspects the uncertainty about the fiscal impact will keep lawmakers who opposed the bill initially from supporting an override.

“I feel relatively comfortable that they won’t be able to override it,” she said.

Still, parts of the bill could be resurrected as lawmakers pursue deals to fund schools and expand Medicaid.

“It is a possibility that we’ll get a bargaining chip,” Wagle said.

While Kelly said there’s no way she’d sign the full tax relief package in its current form, she indicated she could compromise on some pieces under the right circumstances.

“My door is always open. My mind is always open,” she said. “If I can be convinced that there’s something in here that’s good and worthwhile and won’t throw our budget into a tailspin, I’ll consider it.”

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda.