Geary County Sheriff Tony Wolf appeared in Geary County District Court Friday for an arraignment hearing on a charge of felony theft and a misdemeanor count of misuse of public funds.

According to Defense Attorney Barry Clark, Wolf entered a not guilty plea to the charges. A trial has been scheduled in the case on May 8 and 9.

Wolf was arrested Oct. 18 at the Geary County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on the felony theft count for allegedly giving a county-owned firearm as a gift, and in a separate matter for the alleged misuse of public funds.

 

JACKSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for an alleged violent attack on a family member.

On Wednesday evening, police were called to a residence on Gregory Lane in Raytown, according to court records reported in a media release from police.

Callers had informed police dispatch that 29-year-old Christopher J. Wilson had stabbed his father with a sword.

The first officer on scene encountered a man leaving the residence. He had a knife in his hand. The officer also observed a sword on the front porch.

A woman inside yelled, “He stabbed him.” Police took Wilson into custody, and an older man was found in the kitchen on the floor in a pool of blood. Responding officers provided immediate care to the victim and applied tourniquets to try to stop the bleeding.

The victim told police that his son pushed him to the floor and stabbed him. The victim’s wife also described the attack.

Responding officers provided immediate care to the victim and applied tourniquets to try to stop the bleeding.

Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced Thursday that  Wilson faces Assault 1st Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges, according to the release. He remains jailed on a $50,000 bond.

 

SALINA — Salina Comic Con: Episode III will return to Tony’s Pizza Events Center on May 4 and 5.

Vendors will be on hand for attendees who want to buy, sell, and trade comic books, toys and pop
culture memorabilia. Also returning is the popular costume contest, known as “cosplay.” Additional
character & prop appearances may be announced closer to the event.

The show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 4, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 5.

Saturday tickets are just $10 in advance, and Sunday tickets are just $8 in advance. Prices increase
$2 the day of show. Tickets for Salina Comic Con are on sale now through the Tony’s Pizza Events
Center Box Office, online at tonyspizzaeventscenter.com, or by calling 888-826-SHOW (7469).

By MARISSA VENTRELLI
KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA — The Kansas House of Representatives discussed the removal of an amendment to House Bill 2079 on Wednesday, which currently states that spouses are exempt from being charged with sexual battery in the state of Kansas.

The amendment is sponsored by Rep. Brett Parker (D-29th), who expressed a need for explanation on the difference between sexual battery and rape as well as highlighting the difficulties within the legal community when it comes to defining consent. It comes at a time when there are more and more victims of sexual assault that are deciding to take justice into their own hands and tell their stories via movements like #MeToo and Time’s Up.  

Sexual battery, which is defined in the bill as “the touching of a victim who is 16 or more years of age and who does not consent thereto,” is not the same as rape or sexual assault, nor is it the same as aggravated battery, the latter of which is defined in the bill as sexual battery in which the victim is overcome by force or fear, or is physically powerless.

In fact, the relationship between victim and abuser is irrelevant in just about every offense except for sex crimes. It is important to note that the spousal exemption for the statute of rape was removed from legislation in 1975, but remains in place for sexual battery. This “outdated and unnecessary language,” as Parker described it, needs to be removed because he believes that “marriage should not absolve offenders of guilt nor deprive victims of justice.” The bill is widely supported by members of the House, however there were a few requests for clarification in regards to more ambiguous situations and a concern that a spouse may invent an accusation to seek revenge when they are angry at their significant other. Research shows, however, that false accusations of assault are extremely rare. According to the National Sexual Violence Research Center, between two and 10 percent of sexual crimes are falsely reported.

Michelle McCormick, program director for the YWCA Center for Safety and Empowerment in Topeka, which provides services and support for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, stated in her written testimony that one in three women have experienced sexual violence by a partner. She wrote that she was “stunned” to learn that the current law doesn’t protect married individuals from sexually abusive spouses and believes that keeping the law the way it is only reinforces “a deeply flawed and antiquated cultural norm indicating that consent is implied by the act of marriage, and that spouses do not retain agency over their own bodies.”

Rep. Kellie Warren (R-28th), was the first to question the legal definition of consent, and was curious as to how other states have handled this situation. Although marital rape is illegal in all 50 states, the laws become hazier when it comes to sexual battery. Sara Rust-Martin, legal and policy director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence in Topeka, mentioned affirmative consent, which is defined as explicit, informed and voluntary agreement in regards to a sexual act. This is the most widely accepted and most valid form of consent, however it is not a term widely known by the general population.


Rep. Dennis “Boog” Highberger (D-46th) asked about situations involving sexual battery between unmarried people who have been living together for an extended period of time. Parker and Rust-Martin agreed that this situation is no different than that for married couples. The main objective of this amendment, according to Parker, was to clarify that being married does not mean that a person can take advantage of their spouse and get away with it simply under the pretense that they’re husband and wife.

The amendment will be discussed further in the coming week as representatives confer over remaining technicalities including the definition of consent.  

Marissa Ventrelli is a University of Kansas senior from Chicago majoring in journalism.    

By GRANT HEIMAN
KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA — The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) has requested roughly $2.1 million in administrative and investments costs for the next two fiscal years.

KPERS handles the retirement benefits of 312,000 members including public employees, police, firefighters and judges.

“Of course, serving all those members is what KPERS is all about,” Alan Conroy, executive director of KPERS, said Monday. “That’s the only reason we exist.”

The funding request breaks down as $224,699 requested for 2019 to cover maintenance costs for the KPERS Integrated Technology System and $1.9 million requested for 2020 to primarily cover consultation services, legal fees, computer programming, salary adjustments and fringe benefits, according to an agency budget summary.

As noted in the agency’s budget summary, Gov. Laura Kelly agrees with the revised estimate. Kelly also recommends the elimination of a payment of up to $56 million from the State General fund to the KPERS Trust Fund scheduled for the end of 2019 and instead the reamortization of the KPERS State/School employees’ group.

“The agency certainly supports the governor’s recommendation in both [fiscal years] 19 and 20,” Conroy said.

Conroy also spoke to the diversification of KPERS investment portfolio, noting that there was public equity, U.S. equity, stocks, international equity, bonds, real estate, alternative investments, timber and more all maintaining a balance. The investments retain an above average 25-year return of 8.1 percent.

“We take that fiduciary responsibility very seriously in trying to have that high level of service,” Conroy said.

As of 2018, KPERS received $1.3 billion in contributions from state employees and employers, and paid out $1.7 billion in annual benefit payments.

Also, up for consideration within the House Committees is House Bill 2119 which would “expand the delegated authority of the [KPERS] Board [of Trustees] to enter into contracts for additional services when it is in the best interests of the Trust Fund,” according to the budget summary.

HB 2119 is up for consideration in the House Financial Institutions and Pensions Committee.

Grant Heiman is a University of Kansas junior from Wichita majoring in journalism.

LONDON (AP) — Instagram has agreed to ban graphic images of self-harm after objections were raised in Britain following the suicide of a teen whose father said the photo-sharing platform had contributed to her decision to take her own life.

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said Thursday evening the platform is making a series of changes to its content rules.

He said: “We are not where we need to be on self-harm and suicide, and we need to do more to protect the most vulnerable in our community.”

The company is also removing non-graphic images of self-harm from searches.

The call for changes was backed by the British government after the family of 14-year-old Molly Russell found material related to depression and suicide on her Instagram account after her death in 2017.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A conservation organization has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Interior over oil and gas leases offered in southeast Utah, claiming the parcels are packed with ancient cultural relics.

Advocates for the West filed the suit Wednesday in federal court in Utah on behalf of Friends of Cedar Mesa, the Deseret News reported.

The lawsuit targets the first of three oil and gas lease sales held in March 2018. The Bureau of Land Management has not yet issued the leases.

The parcels are between Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Colorado and the former boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. The organization claims the area contains dozens of ancient community centers and Chacoan Great Houses.

The Cedar Mesa group has worked with federal land managers, but officials have refused to remove the sensitive parcels from potential leasing, said Josh Ewing, executive director of the organization.

“For an on-the-ground organization focused on stewardship and working constructively with government agencies, going to court is an absolute last resort for us,” Ewing said. “However, if we don’t stand up for these lands and cultural sites, no one will.”

The federal government has acknowledged the existence of 1,700 archaeological sites on the parcels, Ewing said. More than 900 sites in the area are eligible for listing on the national register, according to the lawsuit.

“In many of these lease parcels, less than 10 percent of the lands have been surveyed,” said Don Simonis, a former archaeologist for the Bureau of Land Management. “So the recorded sites the BLM knows about are just the tip of the iceberg.”

By JIM MCLEAN
Kansas News Service

Kansas Democratic Governor Laura Kelly named former Republican Rep. Melissa Rooker on Thursday to help lead one of her signature initiatives.

Kelly chose Rooker to head the Kansas Children’s Cabinet, a 15-member group created in the late 1990s to guide state investments in early childhood programs.

Rooker, a moderate Republican, represented a Johnson County district in the Kansas House for six years before narrowly losing last year to Democrat Rui Xu. While in the Legislature, Rooker played a leadership role on education issues.

“I worked closely with Rep. Rooker for many years and know her to be a steadfast advocate for Kansas children and families,” Kelly said in a statement.

Kelly has said that expanding and improving programs that help prepare children to succeed is one of her top priorities as governor.

As the paid executive director of the Children’s Cabinet, Rooker will play a key role in helping the governor implement her vision.

“I have always focused my policy work on children’s issues,” she said. “So, for me … this could not be a more perfect fit.”

The cabinet advises the governor and Legislature on how to spend approximately $50 million in annual dedicated funding for early childhood programs. It also works with researchers at the University of Kansas to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs it funds.

Kelly also appointed Kim Moore to chair the Cabinet and the Children’s Trust Fund. Moore retired last year after 30 years as president of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

“I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact that high-quality early intervention and support can have on children and families across the state of Kansas,” Moore said. “I look forward to (making) sure all children in Kansas are safe, healthy and have the opportunity to succeed.”

In a related development, Senate President Susan Wagle on Wednesday reinstated Sen. Dinah Sykes to the cabinet after removing her in December for switching parties.

Sykes, a former moderate Republican who became a Democrat just before the start of the 2019 legislative session, had challenged her removal from the cabinet. She argued that Wagle didn’t have the authority to replace her before the end of her term.

Research done by legislative staff proved her correct.

Skyes said she’s excited to again be working with Rooker.

“Her passion is Kansas kids and I think she’ll do an incredible job,” Sykes said.

Rooker succeeds Janice Suzanne Smith, who resigned in December.

Jim McLean is the senior correspondent for the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks. 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Democrats are attacking a Republican tax relief bill approved Thursday by the state Senate as a give-away to large corporations and managed to peel away a couple of GOP votes Thursday by highlighting how it benefits big businesses.

The bill is designed to prevent Kansas residents and businesses from paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. The Senate vote was 26-14 , leaving GOP leaders one vote short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto by new Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who has opposed the bill.

A key part of the bill would prevent thousands of individuals from losing itemized deductions on their state forms, but nearly three-quarters of the relief in the first year of the changes would go to businesses — and much of that to corporations with international operations.

“They’ve had tax breaks for years, and it’s time for them to start paying their fair share,” said Sen. John Skubal, a moderate Kansas City-area Republican who was one of two GOP senators to vote no.

Kelly and other Democrats want to boosting spending on public schools and expand state Medicaid health coverage for needy families. But Republicans — who have supermajorities in both chambers — are making tax relief a top priority, which would make Kelly’s spending goals more difficult.

The populist arguments from Democrats haven’t given GOP leaders pause because many Republicans argue that the state’s business climate and economy will suffer if it doesn’t provide corporate tax relief quickly.

“Our young people are going to have fewer job opportunities and have fewer companies looking at Kansas,” Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican and the bill’s architect, said during its debate. “We need to have an economic environment that encourages growth, encourages new jobs, encourages creativity.”

The Kansas Department of Revenue estimates that the bill would save taxpayers $187 million during the next budget year, which begins in July.

Corporations would save $137 million of that, or 73 percent of the total tax relief, and $81 million — or 43 percent of the total — comes from provisions designed to prevent the state from taxing foreign income that it hasn’t previously taxed.

“How many multi-national corporations are small?” House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, said Thursday. “You’re not talking mom-and-pops.”

The federal tax changes included provisions preventing corporations from sheltering income and assets outside the U.S. that could lead to Kansas and other states taxing foreign income.

The Kansas Department of Revenue said the state is among only a dozen taxing one part of companies’ foreign income. Other parts could be taxed by more than half with the federal changes, according to a report last month from the conservative Tax Foundation.

In Kansas, Kelly’s called on legislators to wait at least another year to consider tax changes. Her staff has called the tax bill irresponsible, and Kelly spokeswoman Ashley All said Thursday that the bill benefits “top income earners” and “does nothing for the people who need it the most.”

A conservative GOP senator predicted Wednesday that the bill is headed for “a big, fat veto.” Republicans have the two-thirds majorities needed in both chambers to override a veto, but the Senate vote Thursday showed how Kelly could prevail if just a few GOP moderates bolt.

All 11 Democrats and the Senate’s one independent member voted against the bill. Republicans hold 28 seats, but Skubal and Sen. Mary Jo Taylor, a moderate western Kansas Republican, voted no.

Taylor said lawmakers ought to settle budget issues, including school funding, before tackling tax relief. Skubal raised the same issue but said he might have been able to vote for the bill had its relief gone only to individuals.

GOP leaders contend Kansas is receiving an unanticipated “windfall” from the federal tax overhaul championed by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress. The state’s tax laws are tied to the federal tax code.

Federal individual and corporate income taxes were cut but the overhaul included provisions that are expected to raise revenues in some states while lowering it in others.

The federal tax changes limit itemized deductions, and Kansas estimates that 200,000 individual filers will stop itemizing on their federal returns this year. But only 26 percent of Kansas filers itemized on their 2017 federal returns, and a smaller group, 14 percent, itemized on their 2017 state returns.

A Senate committee’s hearings last week on the tax bill were dominated by the concerns of business groups and big corporations with a sizeable Kansas presence, such as aviation’s Spirit AeroSystems and agribusiness’ Seaboard Corp.

A trade association for multistate corporations told lawmakers their state taxes could rise 11 percent.

“We operate in competitive markets with small margins,” David Rankin, a senior Seaboard vice president, told senators in committee testimony. “It seems counter-productive to penalize U.S.-based companies for growing their international operations.”

But Democrats have not been moved by such arguments. Kelly, a former state senator, has said her top tax relief priority would be reducing the state’s 6.5 percent sales tax on groceries — a goal Democrats and many Republicans share.

“If we were to make changes to tax policies, those changes should benefit every Kansan, or at the very least those who need it the most,” said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat. “Giant multi-national corporations with record profits don’t fit in either category.”

___

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s fellow Democrats are attacking a Republican tax relief plan approved by the state Senate as a give-away to large corporations.

The vote on Thursday in the GOP-dominated Senate was 26-14. GOP leaders have acknowledged that big businesses would benefit but see that as helping the economy.

The bill goes next to the Republican-controlled House. It is designed to prevent Kansas residents and businesses from paying higher state income taxes because of changes in federal tax laws at the end of 2017. Most of the relief would go to businesses in the first year.

Many Republicans expect Kelly to veto it. GOP leaders fell one vote short of a two-thirds majority in the Senate necessary to override a veto when two moderate Republicans voted no.

RENO COUNTY — A Kansas woman arrested in Reno County on Jan. 30 for drug charges failed to get a bond reduction when she appeared in court Thursday.

Deborah Jones, 26, Liberal, is charged with trying to arrange a drug transaction using a cell phone in what the state says is the unlawful distribution of methamphetamine. Jones is also charged with possession of methamphetamine, marijuana and interference with law enforcement.

Jones asked for a bond reduction for fear of losing her job in Liberal. However, she has prior crimes in both Seward and Meade counties. She also has a history of failing to appear in court, so Magistrate Judge Daniel Gilligan denied her request.

Jones will be back in court March 6.

SEDGWICK COUNTY — For the second time this week, a sheriff’s department in Kansas is reporting a DNA collection scam.

On Tuesday, Ford County Sheriff Bill Carr reported the scam that included a man calling, claiming to be a deputy sheriff and telling residents in an around Dodge City they had missed their DNA swab meeting. To pay it off they must get a Google Play Card. The scammer called from (620) 801-3184.