BY MEGAN HART

The Kansas House on has passed a bill narrowing the scope of abuse claims the Attorney General’s Office investigates, with some revisions by a committee.

Senate Bill 408 would move responsibility for investigating some cases involving children away from the Attorney General’s Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Unit.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt testified during a February hearing in favor of the bill, which he said would allow the unit to focus on abuse cases involving seniors and adults with disabilities.

The bill passed 103-19 in the House. The Senate approved a slightly different version of the bill 40-0 in February. It now is in a judiciary conference committee.

The bill originally directed the Department of Corrections to investigate complaints about abuse and neglect in the juvenile justice system. The House Judiciary Committee added that the Attorney General’s Office also could investigate in those cases.

The committee left in place a provision moving responsibility for investigating abuse or neglect of children in facilities owned by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services to local law enforcement.

Rep. Blaine Finch, an Ottawa Republican, said the changes would allow the Attorney General’s Office discretion to take part in investigations or leave them up to the Department of Corrections and local law enforcement.

Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat, said during debate Tuesday that he thought the bill weakened protections for children. “I can’t imagine there’s a right way to vote on this bill,” he said.

“A vote ‘yes,’ I believe, endangers children. A vote ‘no’ endangers the disabled.” Finch said the change would allow the Attorney General’s Office to use limited resources effectively, because other agencies can investigate alleged abuse. In addition, most allegations by youths in state custody in recent years were unfounded, he said. “Often they’re complaints about food quality or personality conflicts,” he said.

Clint Blaes, spokesman for the Attorney General’s Office, said Wednesday after the House vote that the office still supports the bill but declined to comment on specific provisions.

The committee also added licensed behavioral analysts and licensed assistant behavioral analysts to the list of professional required to report if they suspect a child is being abused.

Other bills that passed the House include:

• Senate Bill 449, which would standardize the state’s licensing of behavioral health professions and prohibit outsourcing of building or operations at the state’s psychiatric hospitals, on a 97-26 vote. It is on a list of bills in a health conference committee.
• Senate Bill 407, which would reinstate some language related to the state’s program to civilly commit sexually violent predators after a 2015 law accidentally struck it, on a 123-0 vote.

Megan Hart is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach her on Twitter @meganhartMC

FINNEY COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Finney County are investigating a robbery.

Just after 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, officers of the Garden City Police Department were dispatched to the 600 block on North 13 Street for a reported robbery that had just occurred, according to a media release.

An 83-year-old victim received a knock at his door. When the victim answered the door 3 men were standing outside and invited into the residence.

Once inside the men asked for alcohol and or money. The victim advised he had none. One of the suspects then demanded money from the victim and began searching him. The victim’s wallet was forcefully removed from his person and all three suspects fled the scene on foot.

The victim did not recognize the suspects. He advised one suspect was wearing a mask and one was standing behind the others so he could not see him. He described the person who took the wallet as a white male in his early 20’s wearing a black jacket and tan pants.

The Garden City Police Department is requesting assistance from the community, if they have any information related to this incident they should call the Garden City Police Department (620) 276-1300, Crime Stoppers (620) 275- 7807, or text your tip to Garden City PD, text GCTIP and your tip to Tip411 (847411).

LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the Pentagon will be deploying an armored brigade combat team to Eastern Europe next February as part of the ongoing effort to rotate troops in and out of the region to reassure allies worried about threats from an increasingly aggressive Russia.

The officials say the Army will announce Wednesday that it will be sending a full set of equipment with the brigade to Europe. Earlier plans had called for the Pentagon to rotate troops into Europe, where they would use a set of training equipment that had been pre-positioned there.

There are about 4,500 soldiers in an armored brigade, along with dozens of heavy vehicles, tanks and other equipment.

The officials were not authorized to discuss the announcement publicly so spoke on condition of anonymity.

OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) — A therapist says an eastern Kansas man convicted of four 2013 killings once wrote that he wanted to die in a suitcase, but that he couldn’t remember penning that when she questioned him in jail.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Robin Burgess recounted her interviews with Kyle Flack while testifying Tuesday during the penalty phase of Flack’s Franklin County trial.

Flack last week was convicted of the slayings of Kaylie Bailey, her toddler daughter, Bailey’s boyfriend and his roommate at a rural Ottawa farmhouse.

The toddler’s body was found in a suitcase in a creek.

Jurors eventually will decide whether to recommend the death penalty or life in prison for Flack.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A southern Kansas postal clerk is accused in federal court of stealing nearly $14,000 while at work.

A federal grand jury in Wichita indicted 25-year-old Micah Hutchinson of Arkansas City of one count of employee theft from the U.S. Postal Service.

The indictment alleges that from October to December of last year, Hutchinson issued to herself money orders worth roughly $13,780 while working at the post office in Rock, Kansas. She allegedly then cashed the money orders, using the money for her own benefit.

Online court records don’t show whether Hutchinson has an attorney.

The felony count is punishable by up to a decade in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is seeking improvements to the revenue forecasting system after the state’s monthly estimates became overly optimistic during the past year.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Brownback’s administration said Monday that it’ll consult with experts in other states to identify potential changes. The state missed revenue targets for 11 out of the past 12 months, and long-range forecasts have been downgraded during the past two years.

The governor’s critics say that it isn’t the estimating process, but the state’s tax policy, that’s at fault as revenues continue to drop.

The state is scheduled to release the March revenue report Friday. If the trend holds, the amount of generated revenue will fall below estimates.

In the past, Brownback has made budget cuts in response to below-estimated revenue.

MCPHERSON COUNTY- A Kansas man died in an accident just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday in McPherson County.

On Tuesday afternoon following an investigation, the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Lincoln LS driven by Paula K. Proxmire, 47, Delphos, was southbound on Interstate135 a mile south of the Smokey Valley Road junction.

The vehicle left the road, entered the center median, crossed to the northbound lanes and was struck by a northbound 2012 Nissan Frontier driven by Billie J. Webster, 55, St. George, Kansas.

A passenger in the Lincoln Michael K. Alton, 52, Salina, was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to the Sedgwick County Forensic Science Center.

Proxmire, Webster and a passenger in the Nissan Joni A Webster, 56, St. George, were transported to Salina Regional Medical Center.

Alton was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

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MCPHERSON COUNTY – The Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating an accident in McPherson County.

The 2-vehicle accident occurred just before 11:30 p.m. on Friday, a mile south of the Interstate 135 and Smokey Valley Road junction.

On Monday, the KHP reported that the names of the victims and additional details on the accident  have not been released because family of the victims were still being notified.

Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

JUNCTION CITY- Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating 3 suspects on drug charges.

Just before 1a.m. on Tuesday, police in Junction City reported the arrest of three people at residence in the 1800 Block of Caroline Avenue.

Akeem Davis, 21, and Kassadie Davis, 21, both of Junction City were arrested on suspicion of Possession of Marijuana with Intent, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

Richard Goodrum Jr., 20, Junction City, was also arrested on suspicion of

Possession of Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Esther George says she advocates for “a very slow process” of getting interest rates back to something normal, while maintaining the recovery.

George made the statement during a meeting Tuesday in Wichita with a coalition of labor and community leaders who champion working-class families. Sunflower Community Action and its allies were lobbying her to keep interest rates low to allow the economy time to fully recover for low-income people.

Activists told her of their personal struggles feeding their families and paying bills on minimum wage jobs.

George says the Federal Reserve plays an important role in the economy, but a narrow role relative to what it can directly affect.

She cites other actors in the economy, such as the government and the private sector.

RENO COUNTY– Law enforcement authorities in Reno County are investigating the theft of a large quantity of irrigation pipe.

Over the past two weeks, suspects took 176 pieces of aluminum, flood gated irrigation pipe from Douglas Engelland’s property at 7201 W 108th in northern Reno County, according to a media release.

Suspects also damaged an irrigation well motor in an attempt to steal it.

They also took approximately 15 feet of copper wire that ran from the motor to the electrical pole.

No arrests have been made in this case.

SEDGWICK COUNTY- A Kansas man was injured in an accident just after 2 p.m. on Tuesday in Sedgwick County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Sterling Dump Truck driven by Baudelio Ricar Marquez-Morales, 43, Wichita, was northbound on Interstate 135 at 21st Street,

The driver lost control of the truck when the tire blew.

The truck over turned and struck the inside barrier wall.

Marquez-Morales was transported to St. Francis Medical Center.

He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two fired employees of a troubled union district office in Wichita are suing.

Frank Molina Jr. and Becky Ledbetter allege wrongful termination, breach of contract and defamation in lawsuits filed this month in Sedgwick County. The Wichita Eagle reports that both lawsuits seek more than $75,000 in damages.

The suit names the International Association of Machinists, its District 70 and several union officers.

Molina is the former president of District 70, while Ledbetter was a business representative.

The lawsuits come after the international union assumed operations of District 70 in February. In announcing the move in a letter to union members, Machinists International President Robert Martinez Jr. described “mass overspending.” He also said there was “no proper approval for Lodge expenses.”

Court documents say those claims are “erroneous.”