KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A quiet office in a Kansas City entertainment district offers a rare space for LGBTQ people to find help in times of crisis and several other social services.

The Kansas City Anti-Violence Project recently opened the only domestic violence and sexual assault services center for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Advocates say such centers are helpful to populations who are still misunderstood.

From today forward anyone can drop in at our office without an appointment 10 am – 6 pm on weekdays! pic.twitter.com/nyc7Lke7ts

— KCAVP (@KCAVP) February 4, 2016

 

While the project does not provide overnight shelter for domestic violence victims, it will find hotels or other safe housing. It also provides a 24-hour crisis line and services such as clothing, food, job counseling and group meetings.

Executive Director Justin Shaw says project is a step forward in helping LGBTQ people but much more needs to be done.

By Johanna Hecht

KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA – Lawmakers are discussing a state constitutional amendment to protect Kansans’ right to hunt, fish and trap wildlife, with the hope the issue can be put on the ballot in November.

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee held a hearing Wednesday on House Concurrent Resolution 5008, which passed the House 117-7 on Feb. 22. If approved, the amendment would help ensure the protection of hunting, fishing, and trapping rights for generations to come, supporters say. The Committee Report recommended the resolution be adopted by Committee on Federal and State Affairs

The Kansas Bill of Rights currently states: “A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and state, for lawful hunting and recreational use, and for any other lawful purpose.”

The proposed amendment gives people the constitutional right to hunt, fish and trap “including by the use of traditional methods, subject to reasonable laws and regulations,” and it says that “public hunting and fishing shall be the preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife.” The bill does not define traditional methods.

Travis Couture-Lovelady, state liaison for the National Rifle Association (NRA), says the bill would ensure future wildlife conservation and management decisions are based on scientific research in order to preserve Kansas’ hunting heritage.

“I don’t care about tomorrow. I want to do things for the benefit of Kansans 50 and 100 years from now, and I think that is what this (amendment) will do,” said Christopher J. Tymeson, the chief legal counsel for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Currently, 19 states have adopted some form of hunting, fishing and trapping rights, the National Conference on State Legislatures (NCSL) reports. Proponents of such amendments believe they are necessary because of “increasing urbanization, decreased habitat, declining numbers of sportsmen, and more restrictions on hunting,” NCSL reported.

States that have not adopted constitutional protection for hunting are beginning to see the negative effects, supporters said.

Couture-Lovelady explained that he works with Colorado government leaders who wish the state had put similar provisions in its constitution before the state became urbanized. This urban population doesn’t understand or value hunting traditions, he said, and a recent surge in wildlife population is causing Colorado legislators to revisit current trapping bans.

However, Tymeson told legislators a constitutional amendment may face opposition.

“There is a potential that this issue could serve as a rallying cry for anti-hunting, fishing, and trapping groups, where none currently exist in Kansas,” Tymeson said.

He also warned that opposition might come from individuals who view this as a firearms issue.

Rep. Sydney Carlin, D-Manhattan, who voted in opposition of the bill on Feb. 22, said it is rare for a constitutional amendment to pass, mainly because it’s costly. She says she doesn’t understand the purpose of the bill since Kansans already have the right to hunt and fish.

“I just didn’t think it raised itself to the level of necessary constitutional change,” Carlin said.

Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-Wichita, has raised concerns about how the amendment would be placed on the ballot.

“It’s a presidential election (year), and you’re going to have a lot of names on that ballot, and we have talked about voters having fatigue voting where they don’t go all the way down (on the ballot),” Faust-Goudeau said.

She feels it is important to include the necessary critical language but that “less is best” in this case.

Secretary of State Kris Kobach estimates that HCR 5008 would require approximately $30,000 from the state’s general fund. Additionally, counties would be required to spend a total of $76,000 for ballot programming costs.

The bill will move to the full Senate and must pass by a two-thirds majority vote. If approved by the legislature, the amendment would be placed on the Nov. 8 ballot for approval by voters.

 

Edited by Leah Sitz

 

 

HOYT, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man and woman are charged after authorities say sheriff’s deputies found a 1-year-old baby and an improvised explosive device in a stolen van.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Jackson County authorities arrested 34-year-old Christopher Dollen of Valley Falls and 28-year-old Cassandra Reveles of Denison on Friday.

Sheriff Tim Morse says deputies made the arrests after responding to a report Friday night of a suspicious vehicle parked near a pasture in Hoyt.

Morse says authorities found the baby, the explosive device, methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside the van, which had been reported stolen in Shawnee County.

Dollen and Reveles are charged with various felonies including drug counts, child endangerment and trespassing. It’s unclear if they have attorneys.

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are investigating a fatality accident involving 6 vehicles.

Just before 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to report of a collision involving a Capital City Cab and a Nissan Altima at 5322 Southwest 22nd Place in Topeka, according to a media release from police.

The male driver of the Altima and a female passenger drove away before officers arrived. As they drove away, the Nissan hit two parked vehicles, according to police. The driver of the cab was transported to a local hospital.

Just before 10:40 p.m. officer received another report that the Nissan had been involved in another collision on Southwest 6th between Fairlawn and Gage.

The driver of the other vehicle followed the Nissan and relayed information on the direction of travel to police.

The Nissan hit a fourth vehicle at 6th Street and MacVicar and a 5th vehicle, a Chevy Trailblazer, at 29th and Topeka Boulevard.

The driver of the Nissan was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene. The woman driver of the Trailblazer was also transported for treatment.

Names of the victims have not been released as the investigation continues, according to police.

HUTCHINSON – A Kansas man was taken to jail on Wednesday after police responded to a grocery store after report of a person shoplifting.

When police made contact with William Meyers III, 27, Hutchinson, they discovered that he had what they believe was in possession of a distribution amount of marijuana as well as methamphetamine and related drug paraphernalia.

He is alleged to have stolen a bottle of water from the store.

When police attempted to arrest him for shoplifting he allegedly tried to run from officers, but was quickly apprehended.

He then pulled a black case from his pants and threw it.

Inside the bag, officers reported they found five small baggies of suspected marijuana, as well as another bag they believe was methamphetamine.

Myers is being on suspicion of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of meth, possession of drug paraphernalia, felony interference with law enforcement and a misdemeanor count of theft.

In court Thursday, Myers alleges that officers used unreasonable force when they apprehended him.

His bond is set at $12,500.

By JIM MCLEAN

Poll results released this month by the Kansas Hospital Association show a majority of Kansans continue to favor expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income adults.

The statewide poll conducted in mid-February found that 62 percent of Kansas voters supported expanding KanCare, the state’s privatized Medicaid program, to cover approximately 150,000 non-disabled adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or $16,243 for an individual and $33,465 for a family of four in 2015.

Support increased to 76 percent when respondents were told that an expansion bill introduced by the hospital association was “budget neutral” and would provide coverage only to U.S. citizens who helped pay for their care.

“These are things that we’ve heard from the (Brownback) administration, from legislators and from Kansans that are really important,” said Cindy Samuelson, a KHA spokesperson.

The KHA bill, called The Bridge to a Healthy Kansas, was modeled after a so-called red state expansion plan implemented by Republican Gov. Mike Pence in Indiana.

The poll of 500 likely voters, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.38 percent, found majority support for KanCare expansion among Republicans, Democrats and independent voters. When “base” Republicans were given a description of the KHA bill, 74 percent said they supported it.

Previous KHA polls also have found strong support for expansion . But public opinion on the issue hasn’t reduced opposition among Republican legislative leaders, who have expressed doubt that the federal government would cover no less than 90 percent of expansion costs as the ACA requires it to do.

More recently Gov. Sam Brownback and GOP leaders have said they don’t want to expand basic health coverage to non-disabled adults until all Kansans with developmental and physical disabilities are getting the support services they need. Currently, thousands are on waiting lists for such services.

Like other recent polls, the KHA survey found that a large majority of Kansans believe the state generally is headed in the wrong direction. When asked, “Would you say that things in Kansas are going in the right direction, or have they pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track?” 67 percent answered “wrong track.” That’s up from 63 percent in the KHA poll conducted in April of last year.

Download the Kansas Statewide Survey Questions and Results

Several issues — from the state’s ongoing budget problems to its rejection of expansion — are combining to make Kansans pessimistic, Samuelson said.

“That could mean lots of different things, but we believe the fact that the state has not made a decision to try a Kansas solution for expanding the KanCare program is one of the factors,” she said.

No hearings have been held on the KHA expansion bill in the House or Senate and none are scheduled.

Jim McLean is executive editor of KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A jury has convicted a 31-year-old man in the 2014 death of another man.

The Lawrence Journal World reports that Dustin Walker was found guilty Friday of first-degree felony murder in the March 2014 death of 39-year-old Patrick Roberts. It was Walker’s third trial in connection with Roberts’ death after two previous juries failed to reach decisions on the murder charge.

Walker was accused of breaking into Roberts’ duplex to steal marijuana and money. During the incident, police say, Walker shot and killed Roberts.

Another defendant, Archie Robinson, was found guilty earlier of first-degree murder and aggravated burglary in Roberts’ death. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 20 years.

Sentencing for Walker is April 29.

MELISSA HELLMANN, Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — An effort to repeal national educational standards in math and reading is moving forward in the Kansas Legislature.

The House Education Committee approved a bill last month that would prohibit school districts from using Common Core standards. The Kansas Department of Education says the standards will better prepare students for college and life, but critics say they set a national curriculum instead of letting local leaders decide what’s best for students.

House Speaker Ray Merrick’s spokeswoman Rachel Whitten said the bill was sent back to committee to remove the most-opposed provisions. Common Core supporters say they worry that signals the bill could pass this year.

The standards call for a classroom focus on analytical skills instead of rote memorization.

DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — President Barack Obama says politicians who aspire to lead the country should try to bring Americans together, not divide them.

Obama says candidates who won’t do that don’t deserve the public’s support and votes.

He says the best leaders remind Americans that what they have common is more important than their differences.

The president spoke a day after protesters forced Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to cancel a campaign event in Chicago on Friday.

Trump’s political rivals and others blame him for using language they say is sowing division across the country rather than unity.

Obama commented at a Democratic Party fundraiser Saturday in Dallas.

Party officials say about 750 supporters paid up to $33,400 per person to attend the event at Gilley’s saloon.