TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Fifty-five Kansas lawmakers are co-sponsoring a bill that would ban discrimination in the private sector based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
The bill introduced Monday would protect LGBTQ residents in employment, housing and services.
This morning, @SusanRuiz_KS23 and I, along with 36 co-sponsors, introduced HB2130, which adds gender identity and sexual orientation to the Kansas Act Against Discrimination. Kansas is no place for discrimination. #ksleg#YesWeKansaspic.twitter.com/pVu2HwfdLD
38 representatives and 17 senators are co-sponsoring the bill.
Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Democrat from Shawnee who is one of the state’s two openly gay legislators, said the legislation would help attract outside businesses to Kansas.
The bill would amend the Kansas Act Against Discrimination to add sexual orientation and gender identity to a list that includes race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin and ancestry.
Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, said the law already exempts religious institutions, and concerns by people who support those institutions are unfounded.
HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE? – BE AN INSTRUCTOR AT HRC
Have a talent you would like to share with others and get paid for? The Hays Recreation Commission is looking for people to teach classes for Adults or youth in anything!!
If you are interested or would like more information please contact Program Director Haley Nixon at 785-623-2650 or e-mail her at [email protected]. Please contact her as soon as possible but no later than February 20th!
CLAY COUNTY – The Clay County Sheriff’s Department requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) issue a statewide Silver Alert for a missing 66-year-old Nebraska man. Mr. Kubes was last seen Sunday morning in Clay Center, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Mr. Kubes -Photo courtesy Clay Co. Sheriff
He was last seen wearing dark long sleeve shirt with a dark green windbreaker, blue jeans. a red/white ball cap, red in the front with mesh in the back and wearing glasses and large mustache. He is 5-foot-10, and weighs 175 pounds. He has white hair and a white mustache.
He was heading to his home in Auburn, Nebraska from Clay Center.
Mr. Kubes travels from Clay Center north on K-15 to Highway 36 then East bound on 77 then North to Beatrice Nebraska and then east on 136 to Auburn. His family states that he doesn’t travel outside this normal route.
He is driving a 2010 Ford Super Ranger pickup, silver in color. The back window has an “N” Nebraska sticker and a pass thru window. The front has a black bug guard. There is also a cooler and red two wheel appliance cart in the back.
The tag that is on the vehicle is Nebraska KUMFISH.
Kubes was in pain when he left Clay Center and was headed to the hospital in Auburn. He does have a phone but is not answering it.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Law Enforcement Center of Clay Center Kansas at 785-632-5601 opt #5.
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors are researching an appeal after a Kansas judge called two teenage girls the “aggressor” in a sexual encounter with a 67-year-old man and eased his prison sentence.
Soden -photo Leavenworth Co.
Leavenworth County District Judge Michael Gibbens sentenced Raymond Soden in December to five years, 10 months in prison. Prosecutors sought more than 13 years behind bars because Soden had prior convictions.
Gibbens said at the sentencing that the girls were “more an aggressor than a participant,” citing as a reason that the girls had voluntarily gone to Soden’s house and taken money for sexual favors.
Harleigh Harrold with the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault tells the newspaper children don’t have the ability to understand the consequences of such an act.
Michelle Herman, president and CEO of the child advocacy center Sunflower House, says “sexual assault is never the victim’s fault.”
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LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Prosecutors are researching an appeal after a Kansas judge found that a 13- and 14-year-old girl were partly to blame for a sexual encounter with a 67-year-old man and reduced his prison sentence.
Leavenworth County District Judge Michael Gibbens said that “the victims in this case, in particular, were more an aggressor than a participant in the criminal conduct” before sentencing Raymond Soden to five years and 10 months in prison. Prosecutors sought 13-plus years because Soden had prior convictions for battery and for sexual battery
In ordering a lighter prison term than what sentencing guidelines called for, the judge noted at the Dec. 4 hearing that the two girls had voluntarily gone to Soden’s house and had taken money for sexual favors.
No. 6 Tiger Women avoid upset-minded UNK in overtime Saturday
Fort Hays State was down by 20 midway through the third quarter in Kearney and things looked bleak for the Tiger women and Tony Hobson. The Tigers shot 20.5% from the field in the first half and 1-13 from three before Kacey Kennett knocked down three three-pointers in the third to spark the comeback for Fort Hays State. From that mark until around six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Fort Hays State went on a 25-4 run to take their first lead 50-49. Tatyana Legette came alive in the overtime period, scoring 11 of her career-high 25 points in the extra period carrying the Tiger women to a 74-64 victory. The 20-point comeback was the biggest comeback of Tony Hobson’s career at Fort Hays State as the Tiger women remain at the top of the MIAA conference.
The Tiger men fell to Nebraska-Kearney 59-56. Aaron Nicholson lead the Tigers with 15 points.
Both teams will be on the road this week to take on Pittsburg State on Thursday and Missouri Southern on Saturday. You can listen to the games on Tiger Radio 103.3 FM, the KJLS app, or online here.
Hays High girls go 2-0 in back-to-back
The Hays High girls got two WAC wins Friday and Saturday with wins over Dodge City and Garden City at home. Hays High took a 10-point lead in the third quarter against Garden City but went 10 minutes without a field goal until Mattie Hutchison tied the game with a three 38-38 with 12 seconds left. After a Garden City turnover, Brooke Denning buried an NBA three at the buzzer to give Hays the 41-38 win.
The Hays High boys split the back-to-back with a 75-63 win over Dodge City Friday and a 50-39 loss to Garden City Saturday. Hays falls to 7-7 on the year and 2-2 in the WAC. You can listen to the interviews and highlights of Saturday’s games here.
TMP girls move to first place in MCL; both teams sweep Norton Friday
The TMP girls took down a good Norton team on Friday last week, moving them to first place in the conference. Emily Schippers scored 11 straight points for the Monarchs in the second half to give them a 25-20 lead with 6:50 left to go in the game. TMP would never give up the lead and won 37-34. With the win the Monarchs take over sole of first place in the MCL at 6-0. They also improved to 11-4 overall.
The TMP boys made nine first-half threes and had four players in double-figures as they ended a three-game losing streak with a 55-42 victory over Norton. TMP improved to 9-7 on the season and 4-2 in the MCL. You can listen to the interviews and highlights of Friday’s games here.
OVERTIME
Trego’s Lili Shubert surpassed 500 points last Thursday in a 45-43 win over Phillipsburg. Only a sophomore, Shubert has 508 points in her career.
The Central Plains girls basketball team reached 100 straight wins last week. The state record is 107 straight victories set by Hoxie from 2012-2016.
Have highlights you want to share for next week’s Hoops Highlights? Email them to C.D. DeSalvo. Photos are encouraged!
Depending on whom you talk to, either definition might apply to the way the Kansas Farm Bureau is proposing to rescue farmers and ranchers priced out of the health insurance marketplace set up under the federal Affordable Care Act.
Farmer Tim Franklin, holding his son during a Senate committee hearing, told lawmakers he needs a more affordable health coverage option for his family. JIM MCLEAN / KANSAS NEWS SERVICE
It’s either a bold and daring move. Or, it’s presumptuous, bordering on brazen.
The powerful ag lobbying organization is petitioning lawmakers for what amounts to carte blanche authority to develop and market health coverage free of state and federal oversight.
Opponents are warning of dire consequences for consumers if lawmakers okay the proposal.
But Terry Holdren, CEO of the Kansas Farm Bureau, said the failure of traditional insurers and government to address the plight of farm and ranch families left the organization with little choice but to step forward with a potential solution.
“Had current providers in the marketplace taken the initiative to… develop more affordable solutions, we wouldn’t be here today,” Holdren said Wednesday in testimony to the Kansas Senate committee considering the Farm Bureau’s bill.
Most farmers and ranchers make too much to qualify for federal subsidies that help low-income people purchase individual coverage in the ACA marketplace, Holdren said. Still, many can’t afford the rapidly rising cost of non-group coverage.
In his testimony, Holdren cited a national survey in which 65 percent of farmers identified the cost of health insurance as the “most significant threat” to their livelihood.
It’s a big worry for Tim Franklin, who grows corn and wheat on a fourth-generation family farm near Goodland. Testifying in favor of the Farm Bureau bill, Franklin told lawmakers that he’s paying nearly $24,000 in premiums this year to cover his family. Out-of-pocket expenses could amount to another $10,000.
“To say that providing workable and affordable health coverage for our family is challenging is a bit of an understatement,” Franklin said.
Insurance that isn’t
The bill under consideration would allow the Farm Bureau, which already sells property and casualty insurance, to market health coverage that isn’t technically insurance.
That technical distinction would exempt the organization from federal rules that, among other things, require insurers to offer coverage to anyone regardless of the health status.
“This legislation… would give us the ability to say ‘no’ to folks if they don’t meet our underwriting standards,” Holdren said when briefing members of the Legislature’s Rural Caucus.
In addition to rejecting people with costly, life-threatening conditions such as heart disease and cancer, Farm Bureau could deny coverage to those with chronic ailments like diabetes and high blood pressure.
The ability to screen policyholders — a standard insurance company practice prior to enactment of the ACA — would help keep the cost of Farm Bureau plans relatively low, Holdren said.
“We believe that we can offer products to our members that are 30 percent or lower than the cost of Affordable Care Act products,” he said.
The ACA requires insurers to cover “10 essential benefits.” In addition to hospitalization and preventive office visits, they include maternity care, emergency services and prescription drugs.
Exactly what the Farm Bureau plans would cover hasn’t been decided, Holdren said. But, he told lawmakers, it was safe to assume they would include many but not all of the ACA-mandated benefits.
Playing by different rules
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas, the state’s largest insurer, is urging lawmakers to reject Farm Bureau’s proposal.
“We think the whole concept is unfair,” BCBS lobbyist Brad Smoot told the Senate insurance committee.
Unfair to both consumers and other insurers because it would allow the Farm Bureau to set prices based on its ability to reject potentially costly applicants.
“Nobody else can do that,” he said.
Likewise, Smoot said, the Kansas insurance commissioner would have no authority to review the Farm Bureau’s rates or resolve consumer complaints.
“I just wonder who they’re going to call,” he said. “If they can’t call the insurance department, they may have to call you (lawmakers).”
Rising health care costs are pushing up the cost of coverage, Smoot said. Allowing a single player in the marketplace to suspend the rules and return to practices that exclude those who most need coverage won’t solve that problem, he said.
Medica, a nonprofit Minnesota-based insurance company that competes with BCBS in Kansas’ ACA marketplace, is also fighting Farm Bureau’s entry into the market.
Noah Tabor, a lobbyist for the company, said allowing the ag organization to “siphon” healthy people out of the insurance pool would force costs up for everyone else and leave people with preexisting conditions fewer affordable options.
“What about the farmer with cancer?” Tabor asked members of the committee. “Who is going to stand for him or her?
“We encourage the committee to look at options… that include all Kansans,” he said.
Those options include several bills under consideration that would make it easier to establish and participate in association health plans, which Tabor said would be subject to state and federal rules.
Medica is working with the Nebraska Farm Bureau to gain legislative approval for such a plan, he said. The Iowa Farm Bureau is also seeking legislative approval to market plans exempt from state and federal rules.
The Tennessee Farm Bureau has sold coverage since the mid-1990s similar to what its Kansas counterpart is proposing. It provides similar levels of coverage to traditional health plans at lower costs because it can exclude applicants with preexisting conditions.
BARTON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities continue their investigation involving the death of a baby girl in Barton County and are waiting for the result of an autopsy.
On January 28, emergency crews responded to an apartment in the 1300 block of Cherry Lane in Great Bend in reference to an unresponsive 5-month-old, according to a media release.
The infant was then transported to the emergency room at the hospital in Great Bend. Life saving measures were attempted on scene and at the hospital.
The infant was then transferred by air ambulance to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita where she remained in critical condition.
On Thursday, the baby died as a result of her injuries. Detectives expect to receive the result of an autopsy this week, according to Great Bend Police Chief David Bailey.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is assisting with the investigation.
Ruth Anne “Susie” Krug, 93, La Crosse, Kansas, died Friday, February 1, 2019, at her home.
Mrs. Krug was born September 19, 1925, in rural Bison, Kansas, the daughter of Everett O. Edwards, Sr., and Frances (Bitter) Edwards. She was a lifelong resident of Rush County. A 1944 graduate of Bison High School, Bison, Kansas, she was the Rush County Treasurer for many years before her retirement.
She was a member of the United Methodist Church, and the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, both of La Crosse, Kansas.
On September 11, 1949, she married Melvin “Pete” Krug at the United Methodist Church, Bison, Kansas. He preceded her in death April 3, 2009.
Survivors include: her son, Mark Krug, La Crosse, Kansas; her daughter, Michelle Keogh (Jerry), Wichita, Kansas; one granddaughter, Wendy Bublitz (Erich), Lawrence, Kansas; two great granddaughters, Mikala Bublitz, and Sofie Bublitz; and one sister, Holly Brack, Spearman, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; six brothers, Robert Edwards, Everett “Peck” Edwards, Jr., Thomas Edwards, Forrest Edwards, Zane Edwards, and Elbert “Bert” Edwards; and five sisters, Ladine Peterson, Lois Edwards, Elma Edwards, Hazel Stump, and Minetta Smith.
Visitation will be Friday, February 8, 2019, from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at the Janousek Funeral Home, La Crosse, Kansas, with the family receiving friends from 6:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
Funeral service will be Saturday, February 9, 2019, at 1:30 P.M. at the Janousek Funeral Home, La Crosse, Kansas, with Pastor Norma McNair officiating. Interment will be in the La Crosse City Cemetery, La Crosse, Kansas.
The Hays Police Department reports it is no longer looking for the silver pickup from the Colby gas station.
“There is an arrest warrant for Tre M. Carrasco and we are still actively searching for him,” the HPD said in a release Monday. “Carrasco is to be considered armed and dangerous.If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Tre M. Carrasco please contact the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1011.”
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UPDATE: 4 p.m. Sunday:
Wanted sexual assault suspect, Tre M. Carrasco was observed getting into the below silver pickup at 10:08 a.m. Sunday at a Colby gas station. The pickup was observed leaving the truck stop heading south toward Interstate 70.
The photograph is of Tre Carrasco at the gas station and he was wearing a hoodie that says “HUSTLE” on the front of it.
Carrasco is to be considered armed and dangerous. If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Tre Carrasco please contact the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1011. Carrasco is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
At 5:42 a.m. Sunday, the Hays Police Department received a report that a female had been sexually assaulted in the 400 block of west 7th Street in Hays, according to a media release.
The suspect has been identified as 23-year-old Tre Miekale Carrasco. He is described as a light skinned black male who is 5-foot-8 tall, weighs 173 pounds, has brown eyes, and black curly hair that is in a short afro. Carrasco may have facial hair and be wearing a red shirt.
Carrasco should be considered armed and dangerous.
Carrasco reportedly stole a 2011 four-door navy blue Chevy Malibu with tinted windows from the scene which has since been located.
Carrasco has three previous convictions that include aggravated sexual battery and aggravated battery, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.
If anyone has information on the whereabouts of Tre Carrasco, contact the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1011.
SALINE COUNTY — A Kansas high school police resource officer was arrested early Sunday morning after a traffic stop.
Amanda Londono. Photo Saline County Sheriff’s Office
Just before 2a.m. a Saline County deputy traveling southbound on Interstate 135 noticed the car in front of him attempt to pass a car.
The white 2018 Honda Accord pulled into the passing lane and then kept moving left, driving on the inside shoulder, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.
The deputy stopped the car, which was occupied by four people, near the Crawford exit. The deputy detected the odor of alcohol in the vehicle, according to Soldan.
The car was driven by Amanda Londono, who Soldan said was a Salina Police Department school resource officer at Salina High School Central.
The deputy tried for 20 minutes to get Londono to step out of the car, but she refused, so she was arrested on suspicion of interference with a law enforcement officer, Soldan said.
Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester said Monday that the department was aware of Londono’s arrest and was conducting an internal affairs investigation.
The other three occupants of the car were not arrested and made arrangements for someone to pick them up, according to Soldan.
Top Row (L-R, Freshmen):Lakyn Fischer, daughter of DJ and Julie Fischer; Easton Burton, son of Corey and Amy Burton; Madison Gottschalk, daughter of Dean and Julie Gottschalk; Sam Honas, son of Randy and Wendy Honas; Michelle Gottschalk, daughter of Dean and Julie Gottschalk; and Tyson Jimenez, son of Javi and Jessica Jimenez.
2nd Row (L-R, Sophomores):Grace Eck, daughter of Mark and Sarah Eck; Zach Schiel, son of Jared and Beth Schiel; Morgan Bittel, daughter of Brady Bittel and Tammy Rudd; Brady Frickey, son of Brad and Stacy Frickey; Abigail North, daughter of Travis and Ava North; and Trace Patee, son of Terry and Dena Patee.
3rd Row (L-R, Juniors):Rylee Werth, daughter of Rodney and Cristi Werth; Noah Lohrmeyer, son of David Lohrmeyer and Amy Hudson; Breonna North, daughter of Travis and Ava North; John Gamez, son of Domingo and Martha Gamez; Abigail Mattheyer, daughter of Dustin and Mara Mattheyer; and Jake Eck, son of Geoff and Mindy Eck.
Front Row (L-R, Seniors):Cameryn Kinderknecht, daughter of Tim and Rhonda Kinderknecht; Kennedy Burgess, daughter of Justin Burgess and Christina Burgess; and August Sinclair, daughter of Mark Sinclair and Katie Armstrong.
The annual KAY Snowball Dance will be on Saturday, February 9. Promenade will be at the Ellis Good Samaritan Nursing Home from 6:00 to 7:45 p.m. Pictures start at 7:30 p.m. & the dance begins at 8:00 p.m. Crowning for Snowball Royalty will be at approximately 10:00 p.m.
Hello from Topeka! Happy 158th Birthday Kansas! On Tuesday January 29th, the Kansas House joined citizens across the state in celebrating the 158th birthday of our great state. Representatives raised their voices in the singing of our state song, Home on the Range. Home on the Range has its origins in the poem, “My Western Home,” written by Dr. Brewster M. Higley in 1871 near Athol.
This week begins the budget hearing process. In Higher Education Budget Committee we will hear from the regent universities, community colleges and technical schools over the next two weeks.
Last week, the Commerce Committee, the Department of Commerce presented an overview of the state’s economic incentive programs. They highlighted their 2018 top successful projects: Geico in Lenexa, Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Great Plains Manufacturing in Abilene, and Hopkins Manufacturing Corp. in Emporia. Additionally, they reviewed the state’s various incentive programs including Promoting Employment Across Kansas (PEAK), High Performance Incentive Program (HPIP), Rural Opportunity Zones (ROZ), Sales Tax Revenue (STAR) Bonds, Angel Investor Tax Credit, and the Job Creation Fund. Per the department, during the 2018 calendar year there were 138 successful tax credit projects, which generated 11,548 jobs, with a total capital investment of $1.7 billion. The committee did express a desire to improve transparency with data concerning economic incentives.
The Commerce Committee also heard testimony on HB 2006, a bill that would require the Department of Commerce to establish a database for publishing information on economic development incentive programs. This database must be easily accessible digitally to the public, and would be managed and updated by the department, and would include any tax credits, locally-granted property tax exemptions, and other various programs. This bill is an exact duplicate of 2018 HB 2572, which passed the House with a vote count of 114-7 last year, and also passed the House 119-0 in the form of 2018 SB 449.
Proponents including Rep. Kristey Williams (R-Augusta), the Kansas Policy Institute, and Johnson County Commissioners Michael Ashcraft and Mike Brown (both of whom were testifying as private citizens). They asserted that a public database that is easily accessible would improve transparency efforts, and the state needs to ensure that there is a tangible return and mechanism of accountability with these programs. Opponents to HB 2006 included the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas Economic Development Alliance. They contended that the Kansas Legislative Research Department ought to conduct an independent review of each tax credit, rather than placing taxpayer information online. This would also allow the Legislature to make informed decisions on whether to continue each economic development incentive program. Taxpayer confidentiality was also a concern of the opponents. No action has taken place on this bill.
On Tuesday, Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research (CEDBR) presented their Kansas Economic Outlook report to the committee. Chiefly their research found that a recession is looming, with a 30% chance of occurrence in 2020, and a 50% chance of one taking place in 2021 or later. Jeremy Hill, Director of CEDBR, expressed serious concern for the Kansas economy, specifically the aerospace industry—a decline of aerospace production in the past couple of years and civilian aircraft exports have remained flat. However, he remains optimistic as aerospace employment has increased recently, and also expansion of national defense spending is likely. Hill also highlighted crude oil production in Kansas, which has been steadily declining since the 1980s, but also stressed how Kansas has avoided overproduction, and related issues.
Another issue which is seeing a lot of attention is sports betting. Last week, the Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony on HB 2032, which would require that any sports gambling authorized by the Kansas Lottery be conducted exclusively at racetrack gaming facilities. This bill was sponsored by Rep. Stan Frownfelter (D-Kansas City), who was also the sole proponent. Additionally, testimony was presented on HB 2068, a bill that would create the Sports Wagering Act. Essentially, this would legalize sports betting through the Kansas Lottery. The Lottery would able to conduct and operate sports betting itself and would be allowed to do so by entering into a contract with lottery vendors and racetrack facilities. As the bill is written, 0.25% of the total amount wagered is paid to the appropriate “sports governing body” (MLB, NBA, NFL, etc.). 6.75% of the total amount wagered minus what is paid to the governing body will then be deposited into either the Sports Wagering Receipts Fund, or the Lottery Operating Fund. No action has taken place on either of these bills.
Chairman John Barker (R-Abilene) appointed a subcommittee to study sports wagering, specifically to examine the logistics of sports betting mobile apps, and to also assess how much governing bodies ought to receive from sports betting earnings. Dates for this subcommittee have yet to be determined.
This past week there were several folks from the district in Topeka: Tim Driggs, City of Phillipsburg; Bret Greenwood from Plainville and many folks from Prairieland, Wheatland and Midwest Energy who were in town for meetings. It was a busy weekend with an appearance on “Kansas Week” on Wichita Public TV on Friday, then Saturday began in Hays for a chamber legislative update, on to the Phillipsburg Chamber and Main Street annual banquet and then Norton Community Foundation Gala. The week was complete by attending the annual Ground Hog Day pancake feed in Agra. It is always great to see so many folks and have the opportunity to meet one on one, so they can share concerns or ask questions on pending legislation.
If you come to Topeka during the session, my office is in Room: 149-S. My phone number is (785) 296- 7463 and email is: [email protected] and you can always try my cell number is (785) 302-8416.
I look forward to seeing you around the 110th District. It is my honor to by your representative.
Rep. Ken Rahjes (R-Agra), is the 110th state representative and chairman of the Higher Education Budget Committee. House District 110 includes Norton and Phillips counties as well as portions of Ellis, Graham, and Rooks counties.
