PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Attorney General’s office says it executed a search warrant at a southeast Kansas hospital that closed last month.

The search warrant was executed in February at Oswego Community Hospital, about a week after the hospital and two other medical facilities in Labette County closed.

C.J. Grover, spokesman attorney general Derek Schmidt, confirmed the search warrant but declined to comment further.

On Tuesday, the Horton Community Hospital in Brown County also closed. Grover said the attorney general’s office also is investigating that hospital.

The hospitals were once run by EmpowerHMS, which has had several hospitals close across the country.

FAIRWAY, Kan. (AP) — Court records indicate a 26-year-old man who was shot by police near a Kansas elementary school said he wanted officers to kill him.

The records say Dylan Christopher Ruffin was charged after he shot at Highlands Elementary School during the school day on March 1.

Police say three officers shot at Ruffin when he pointed a handgun at them outside his home, which was across from the school in suburban Kansas City. He was treated at a hospital and is jailed in Johnson County.

Court records say at the hospital, Ruffin talked about having police kill him and said he wished they had shot him in the head.

Students were being released from the school when the shooting occurred. No students, parents or school employees were injured.

Ruffin is jailed on $500,000 bond.

By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas helped advance Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to boost funding for public schools Thursday before sending her an income tax relief bill that could make it harder for the state to sustain the new spending.

The GOP-controlled Senate voted 32-8 to approve Kelly’s proposed education funding increase of roughly $90 million a year, sending the plan to the House. Top Republican senators backed the plan as the most straight-forward fix, putting them at odds with conservatives who want new money tied to policy changes , including a voucher program to allow bullied students to move to new schools, public or private.

Kelly’s plan is designed to satisfy a Kansas Supreme Court order last year requiring legislators to increase the state’s education funding, currently at more than $4 billion a year. Attorneys for four local school districts that sued the state in 2010 are pressing for a larger increase and Democrats who voted as a bloc for Kelly’s plan Thursday had supported the districts. Top Republicans argue that even Kelly’s plan would be a financial stretch.

But the Senate also approved, on a 24-16 vote, a bill pushed by GOP leaders and aimed at preventing individuals and businesses from paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. Republicans said the issue is fairness, while Democrats excoriated the bill as a budget buster, particularly after senators approved more money for public schools.

“How you turn around and vote for this thing, I don’t understand,” said Sen. Tom Holland, a Baldwin City Democrat. “It doesn’t add up.”

The tax measure is headed to Kelly because the House approved it last week. She and other Democrats have said the bill would repeat the failed fiscal policies of her Republican predecessors.

Kelly stopped short Thursday night of saying she would veto the measure but said it would create a “self-inflicted budget crisis.” Neither chamber passed the bill with the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.

“Our recovery is tenuous; our budget is fragile,” Kelly said in a statement. “This is not the time to make significant changes to our tax code.”

Republican leaders see no contradiction in considering Kelly’s school funding plan and the tax relief bill at the same time. GOP lawmakers argue the tax bill heads off an unlegislated tax hike that would occur otherwise because the state and federal tax codes are tied. They also argue that tax relief will stimulate the economy.

“I hope we have a strong economy for a long time so we can afford the school funding bill,” Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican, said before the chamber’s debates.

Wagle and other Republicans contend the income tax measures would merely keep Kansas from getting a “windfall” in revenues it isn’t collecting now.

“This bill keeps companies, individuals and families in business, and a vote against this bill is a vote for a tax increase,” Wagle said during her chamber’s debate.

Kelly’s administration sees the potential revenue picture differently, projecting that the state would give up $209 million during the budget year beginning in July.

Much of the tax savings are going to large businesses with operations outside the U.S. The bill also would provide relief to taxpayers who have claimed itemized deductions on their state returns in the past but no longer can because of federal changes discouraging itemizing on federal returns.

Before approving the bill, the House married its Senate-approved income tax measures to a cut in the state’s sales tax on groceries to 5.5 percent from 6.5 percent. Kelly pledged during her successful campaign for governor last year to lower the tax on groceries.

Still, legislators in both parties expect Kelly to veto the bill after she repeatedly urged them to hold off on considering tax proposals and focus instead on quickly meeting the court mandate on schools.

The state Supreme Court has ruled six times since 2013 that legislators weren’t fulfilling their duty under the Kansas Constitution to provide a suitable education for every child. A 2018 law phased in a $548 million increase in education funding by the 2022-23 school year, but the court ruled that it didn’t adequately account for inflation.

GOP conservatives remain frustrated with the continued demands from the Supreme Court and the school districts suing the state for more money.

“It’s ‘Peanuts,’ Charlie Brown. Every time you go to kick the ball, Lucy pulls it away,” said Sen. Ty Masterson, a conservative Andover Republican, referring to the classic comic strip. “I can see the lawyers laughing at us all the way to the bank.”

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas helped advance Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan to boost funding for public schools Thursday before sending her an income tax relief bill that could make it harder for the state to sustain the new spending.

The GOP-controlled Senate voted 32-8 to approve Kelly’s proposed education funding increase of roughly $90 million a year, sending the plan to the House. Top Republican senators backed the plan as the most straight-forward fix, putting them at odds with conservatives who want new money tied to policy changes , including a voucher program to allow bullied students to move to new schools, public or private.

Kelly’s plan is designed to satisfy a Kansas Supreme Court order last year requiring legislators to increase the state’s education funding, currently at more than $4 billion a year. Attorneys for four local school districts that sued the state in 2010 are pressing for a larger increase and Democrats who voted as a bloc for Kelly’s plan Thursday had supported them. Top Republicans argue that even Kelly’s plan would be a financial stretch.

But the Senate also approved, 24-16, a bill pushed by GOP leaders and aimed at preventing individuals and businesses from paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. The measure is headed to Kelly, who has said the bill repeats the failed fiscal policies under her Republican predecessors.

“We’re excited that they’re actually talking about school finance — that’s good,” said Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers, a former Democratic state senator. “It’ll be difficult to balance the budget and repair the damage of the last years with the tax bill.”

Republican leaders see no contradiction in considering Kelly’s school funding plan and the tax relief bill at the same time. GOP lawmakers argue the tax bill heads off an unlegislated tax hike that would occur otherwise because the state and federal tax codes are tied. They also argue that tax relief will stimulate the economy.

“I hope we have a strong economy for a long time so we can afford the school funding bill,” said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican, adding that the tax bill “keeps Kansas business-friendly.”

The House approved the tax bill last week after marrying its Senate-approved income tax measures to a cut in the state’s sales tax on groceries to 5.5 percent from 6.5 percent.

Wagle and other Republicans contend the income tax measures would merely keep Kansas from getting a “windfall” in revenues it isn’t collecting now. Kelly’s administration sees it differently, projecting that the state would give up $209 million during the budget year beginning in July, with much of the tax savings going to large businesses with operations outside the U.S.

Legislators in both parties expect Kelly to reject the bill. She has said repeatedly that legislators should “let the dust settle” on tax policy and focus on meeting the court mandate on schools.

The Supreme Court has ruled six times since 2013 that legislators weren’t fulfilling their duty under the Kansas Constitution to provide a suitable education for every child. A 2018 law phased in a $548 million increase in education funding by the 2022-23 school year, but the court ruled that it didn’t adequately account for inflation.

HUTCHINSON — Authorities are working to determine the cause of a large fire at Foundation of Life Church in Hutchinson early Friday

Update. Fire is running through void spaces in building. 3 aerial ladders in operations plus many hand lines in operation. Press briefing at 5 o’clock by command post on 1 st street. pic.twitter.com/UGzA5br27m

— Hutchinson Fire Dept (@Hutchinson_Fire) March 15, 2019

Just after 11:45p.m. Thursday, fire crews responded to 134 East Sherman after report of a fire at Foundation of Life Ministries Church in Hutchinson after an alert Hutchinson police officer on patrol reported the blaze, according to Fire Chief Steve Beer.

First arriving crews found heavy fire showing from the second floor of the church. The fire quickly spread despite aggressive interior tactics by firefighters.

 Extensive damage has occurred in two buildings. A third building owned by Electrex was threatened during the height of the incident but due to extensive efforts of fire fighters only minor damage occurred. 

The fire department operated 8 engines and 3 ladder trucks with 40 fire fighters. At the height of the fire, approximately 7000 gallons of water per minute was being utilized to fight the fire in order to contain it to the building of origin. Hutchinson was assisted with a ladder truck from McPherson and an engine from South Hutchinson. Reno County Fire District #3 and Pretty Prairie Fire provided engines to cover the City as all on duty fire fighters were working the fire. 

Crews continued to soak down numerous hot spots early Friday and will continue to be on scene throughout the day.

Notification has been made to the State Fire Marshal’s office and Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms as standard protocol for church fires. 

Many streets are closed in the area. Please do not come into the area as pedestrian traffic. Multiple fire units continue to work. Poplar Street is closed from 1st Avenue to Avenue A, 1st Avenue is closed from Poplar Street to Walnut Street, Walnut Street is closed from 1st Avenue to Sherman Avenue, and Sherman Avenue is closed from Main Street to Poplar Street.

Hutchinson Fire Department was assisted by Fire District #3, McPherson Fire, Pretty Prairie Fire, South Hutchinson Fire, McPherson Fire, Reno County EMS, Hutchison Police Department, Reno County Emergency Management, Hutchinson Street Department, Hutchinson Water Department, Hutchinson Central Garage, Kansas Gas Service, Westar, Salvation Army, and Kansas State Fire Marshal’s Office

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HUTCHINSON — Authorities are working to determine the cause of a large fire at Foundation of Life Church in Hutchinson early Friday.

Crews from multiple agencies responded to the fire just before midnight at 134 East Sherman Street, according to a social media report from the Hutchinson Fire Department. There are no injuries reported.

Update: all crews working. Heavy fire still showing. pic.twitter.com/A7JzZOAAXW

— Hutchinson Fire Dept (@Hutchinson_Fire) March 15, 2019

The Kansas Fire Marshal’s office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive swill begin their investigation later Friday.