WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is avoiding a high-profile case by rejecting appeals from Kansas and Louisiana in their effort to strip Medicaid money from Planned Parenthood over the dissenting votes of three justices.

Lower courts in both states had blocked the states from withholding money that is used for health services other than abortion for low-income women. Abortion opponents have said Planned Parenthood should not receive any government money because of heavily edited videos that claimed to show the nation’s largest abortion provider profiting from sales of fetal tissue for medical research.

Investigations sparked by the videos in several states didn’t result in criminal charges.

Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch say they would have heard the case.

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for a North Carolina man who pleaded guilty to killing an 81-year-old former sheriff.

58-year-old Donald Mack Gray Jr. has pleaded guilty in the June 10 stabbing death of William Joy of Billings. Joy was once sheriff of Big Horn County.

No sentencing date has been set.

Authorities say Gray wanted to return to North Carolina when he spotted Joy and forced him to drive at knifepoint. Prosecutors say he stabbed Joy after Joy tried to attract attention.

Gray also faces a murder charge in North Carolina where he’s accused of killing 59-year-old Tamra Ann Gibson of Asheville, North Carolina. Her body was found in Junction City in May, and her car was found in Laramie, Wyoming, in June. No charges have been filed in Junction City. The case was turned over to authorities in North Carolina.

Gibson was last seen in Asheville on May 22 and was reported missing on May 24. Her body was found May 28th between two buildings in Junction City but it was not until June that her identity could be determined.

MCPHERSON —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged burglary and robbery.

On Saturday, a 90-year-old man was in need of medical assistance in the 800 block of North Cedars in McPherson, according to a media release.

EMS was dispatched to the scene and the victim was transported to the McPherson Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police launched an investigation at the scene which led to the arrested of 48-year-old Michael Hodges for suspected charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and aggravated battery.

Hodges has over two dozen convictions for burglary, robbery, forgery and theft, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Anyone with additional information on this case is asked to the department at 620-245-1200 or Crime Stoppers of McPherson County at 620-241-1122.

By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ new Democratic governor promised not to raise taxes to meet her goals of boosting spending on public schools and social services. Republicans who control the Legislature argue that a tax increase is coming even if state politicians do nothing.

One of the first big political fights Gov.-elect Laura Kelly faces upon taking office in January will be over cutting income taxes. The state is receiving a revenue windfall thanks to changes in the federal tax code at the end of 2017.

Kansas has been roiled by&nbsp;<a href=”https://www.apnews.com/f5741d8d0d8c40979857c9d2d6afae9f”>a debate over tax cuts</a>&nbsp;for most of this decade, since a previous Republican experiment in slashing income taxes went awry and most voters came to view it as a failure. Lawmakers rolled back most of the experiment, and Kelly built her campaign on a pledge that Kansas wouldn’t repeat it.

Now, according to a spokeswoman, Kelly wants to “let the dust settle” and stabilize the budget before considering new tax changes. But there will be no hiatus: Top Republicans are saying that an early priority for them is rewriting income tax laws to cancel out the unintended revenue increase from the federal tax changes.

“I’ve been working on it the past few weeks,” said state Sen. Caryn Tyson, a GOP conservative and chairwoman of the Senate tax committee. “We should take a vote as legislators to say, do we want to stop that increase? Which I absolutely do.”

<a href=”https://www.apnews.com/e3990de7f5bc45ffb7e171cfcc364fce”>Policies championed by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress</a>&nbsp;slashed federal income taxes but included provisions that will have some people paying more to their home states. The federal standard deduction increased — further limiting who can itemize — and it triggered a change in Kansas because its tax code is tied to federal law.

The federal overhaul is expected to raise revenue in some states and lower it in others. Officials in Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Missouri and Utah cited new revenues in justifying state tax cuts adopted this year. In each, Republicans control the governor’s office and legislature.

Kansas officials have struggled to calculate the size of the boon. One early estimate put the gain at $138 million for the state’s current budget year. By last month, they had whittled the figure to $84 million.

That uncertainty hurt efforts by Republicans to rewrite Kansas tax laws earlier this year. They passed&nbsp;<a href=”https://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2017_18/measures/documents/ccrb_hb2228_01_may3.pdf”>a bill</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, only to see it fall a few votes short in the House.

A bill has a better chance of passing in 2019. While voters statewide chose Democrat Kelly, a veteran state senator from Topeka, as the next governor, local contests left the Legislature more conservative.

“A lot of Republicans ran on giving that money back to the taxpayers,” said state House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Kansas City-area conservative.

But Kelly&nbsp;<a href=”https://www.apnews.com/461ce99d524a4058ad2399ad5dd7eb2c”>plans to increase spending</a>&nbsp;— for public schools alone, possibly $90 million a year — which could require the state to keep that tax revenue.

“Kansas still faces massive financial challenges,” said Kelly’s spokeswoman Ashley All. “After years of self-inflicted budget crises, we need to be more cautious and fiscally responsible.”

Kansas was ground zero for a national debate over trickle-down economics after then-Republican Gov. Sam Brownback successfully pushed GOP legislators to slash income taxes in 2012 and 2013 in hopes of stimulating the economy. Persistent budget shortfalls arose, and Kansas became a cautionary tale, even for Republicans elsewhere who favored tax cuts.

Voters turned on Brownback’s legislative allies, and bipartisan majorities in 2017&nbsp;<a href=”https://www.apnews.com/e4f794cd96cb488cb04ab1cd48b1458d”>reversed most of his tax policies</a>, raising income taxes $600 million a year.

In the November election, voters had an overwhelmingly negative view of Brownback’s tax experiment: 77 percent said his tax policies were bad for Kansas, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 115,000 midterm voters nationwide, including nearly 4,000 in Kansas. The margin of sampling error among Kansas voters was plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Kansas voters had a more favorable view of the federal tax cuts. According to AP VoteCast, about half, or 51 percent, said they approve, while a little less than half, or 44 percent, said they disapprove.

Many Republicans view adjusting state tax laws as a moral imperative. New House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins, a conservative Wichita Republican, said the state is “just robbing” taxpayers.

Democrats acknowledge that they worry about lower-income families being hurt by inaction. New House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat, said he is open to working with Republicans on legislation dealing with itemized deductions but fears GOP lawmakers will push for tax breaks for multinational corporations.

Jared Walczak, a senior policy analyst for the conservative Tax Foundation, said revenue windfalls allow states to pursue broader tax reforms, citing Georgia, Iowa and Vermont as examples. He said reverting to a state’s previous status quo on taxes is “the path of least resistance.”

“You’re missing an opportunity,” he said. “Other states are saying this is an opportunity for meaningful reform.”

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A former Olathe teacher and Shawnee City Council member will go to trial after pleading not guilty to having a sexual encounter with a student.

Thirty-three-year-old Justin Adrian waived his right to a preliminary hearing Friday in Johnson County District Court.

The alleged sexual encounter occurred in a classroom at Olathe East High School, where Adrian was a history teacher.

The student was 18, but Kansas law makes it illegal for a teacher to have sexual contact with a student at the same school.

Adrian was a member of the Shawnee City Council but resigned when the allegations surfaced.

He is free on bond while the case is pending. His next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 23.

RENO COUNTY— A man who was extradited to Kansas from Florida is now charged with three felonies that could see him spend the rest of his life in prison.

Charles E. Richmond is charged with rape, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent liberties with a child. All three fall under Jessica’s Law statutes, meaning he could face a life sentence on each count if convicted.

The alleged crimes occurred over a period from Jan. 1, 2013, to Dec. 31, 2017. However, the crimes were not reported until August of this year.

District Attorney Keith Schroeder says he received the information in October and filed the charges. It involves a relative of Richmond and started when the victim was 8-years-old.

Richmond apparently left for Florida after learning there was an investigation involving the report. He was brought back to Kansas to face the charges.

In court, District Judge Joe McCarville set a bond of $50,000 and set another court date for Jan. 9.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The new attorneys for a man charged with fatally shooting three people and wounding two others in downtown Lawrence say they are optimistic that they will be ready for trial in two months.

Shaye Downing and another attorney were appointed to represent 21-year-old Anthony Roberts Jr. after his old attorney was kicked off the case over concerns about her competency. The concerns culminated in a judge declaring a mistrial last month.

Downing said that she intends to hire an investigator and ballistics expert. She says she is hopeful their work will be done in time for a Feb. 4 trial.

Roberts is charged with three murder counts and one attempted murder count. Two other suspects face less series charges in the October 2017 shooting.

RENO COUNTY— Authorities are working to determine the cause of a Sunday  morning house fire in Hutchinson.

Just before 10a.m., fire crews responded to a fire at a single family, one story home at 1621 East 30th Avenue in Hutchinson, according to Fire Chief Steven Beer.

Upon arrival, first arriving units reported heavy smoke coming from the structure. An adult female and daughter were located outside the structure on the front lawn along with their dog.

All parties were evaluated by Reno County EMS and released.

Engine 7 crew immediately performed an aggressive interior attack in order to locate and extinguish the fire. Main body of fire was in the rear portion of the house where the kitchen was located. The home sustained smoke and heat damage with extensive damage to the kitchen area.

Truck crews ventilated the roof to contain the spread of the fire into the attic space. Crews remain on scene completing salvage and overhaul, along with checking for hot spots.

Investigators know that the fire started in the kitchen. Authorities released no additional details.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Wichita’s last remaining drive-in will be back to show movies next year.

An anonymous person has purchased The Starlite Drive-In, which closed in October. The deal was announced Friday by Landmark Commercial Real Estate, a Wichita-based group that brokered the deal.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

The new Starlite buyer will lease drive-in operations to Blake Smith, co-owner of the Admiral Twin of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The drive-in is expected to reopen in spring.

Chuck Bucinski, the previous owner, said in October that he was closing the drive-in because of financial difficulties.

The two-screen outdoor theater is one of only five still operating in the state, and the only one in south-central Kansas. It opened in 1953.

RENO COUNTY – A Kansas woman was arrested Friday on drug distribution charges after two search warrants were served by the Reno County Drug Enforcement Unit.

According to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department Francesca Wharton, 33, Hutchinson, was arrested and booked into the Reno County Correctional Facility on suspicions of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of paraphernalia with intent to distribute, possession of personal use drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of stolen property.

It all started when the drug unit executed two search warrants. The first was on a 2005 Pontiac Bonneville. They found a locked bank bag which contained approximately 189 grams of methamphetamine, an operational digital scale and unused packaging materials. A smoking pipe with methamphetamine residue was found in the glove box. An additional zipper style bag was found containing approximately 1.7 grams of methamphetamine.

The second search warrant was served on the residence at 924 East 2nd and during a search of the residence, officers located approximately 6.3 grams of marijuana, multiple pieces of various drug paraphernalia, packaging materials, and owe sheets.

Officers also found a Winchester .22 caliber rifle that was reported stolen through the Reno County Sheriff’s Office. An additional handgun was also found in the residence.

Wharton has prior convictions for aggravated robbery, burglary, forgery, drugs and bringing contraband into a jail facility. She had been discharged from those convictions back in May.

Wharton is jailed on a $30,000 bond and should make a first appearance in court Monday morning.

By ANDREA TUDHOPE

President Donald Trump visited Kansas City Friday to speak at a national conference for Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Justice Department initiative that aims to partner local and federal officials in order to reduce violent crime.

This afternoon, President Trump delivered remarks at the 2018 Project Safe Neighborhoods National Conference where he reinforced his commitment to making our communities safer for all Americans. pic.twitter.com/8I1j0F0B30

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 8, 2018

At the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, a crowd of hundreds of law enforcement officials and prosecutors from around the country greeted the president with warm applause, dozens of cell phones popping up in the air to capture his entrance.

“You keep America safe, and you maybe don’t hear it enough or sometimes don’t feel it enough,” Trump said to the crowd. “You do an incredible job. The people in this country know it and they love you. Just remember that, so true. On behalf of a grateful nation, I just want to say that we thank you. We salute you and we stand with you 100 percent.”

Trump said it is through Project Safe Neighborhoods that his administration has shown its dedication to supporting and protecting law enforcement officials. He said his administration has provided access to more than $600 million dollars worth of surplus military equipment and that there are more than 200 new violent crime prosecutors nationwide.

Western Missouri and Kansas have each received around a quarter million dollars in the past fiscal year from the federal program.

Trump said the core of the Project Safe Neighborhoods strategy “is restoring respect for law enforcement.”

“For too long, many politicians and radical activists have been smearing and slandering our police, making life easier for criminals and harder for law-abiding Americans. We will not tolerate attacks on the heroes who protect our streets and defend our communities. We will not allow it to happen,” he said as the room broke into a long stretch of applause.

Unlike most of his appearances, this one was missing that notorious campaign rally spirit, which could be attributed to the fact that it was a closed event.

But he did touch on many of his typical hot-button issues, like illegal immigration, the border wall and fake news, which he dropped in just three minutes into his speech, while congratulating Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley for his election to the U.S. Senate.

“So I just want to congratulate you, and you know, I keep listening to the fake news that they won the House, House, House. Nobody ever talks about the Senate,” Trump said.

Trump campaigned heavily for Hawley during the midterm race. He failed to mention that, as of Thursday, Hawley is under investigation for possibly using “public funds” in his bid for U.S. Senate.

On the whole, Trump did not have much to say about Kansas City — in fact, at one point, he mistakenly referred to it as St. Louis.

He was thanking officers, attorneys and advocates by name for their work, when he came to James Clark, vice president of community outreach for Better Family Life in St. Louis. He praised Clark for ending “more than 50 escalating gun battles between rival gangs right here in St. Louis.”

Though the fact that this conference was held here, in Kansas City, does hold significance. The city has seen rising levels of violence in recent years, and with just a few weeks left of 2018, homicides are only slightly off pace from 2017, which saw the highest number at in 25 years, with 150 people killed.

In his roughly 30 minute speech Friday, Trump spent a significant portion of the time talking about illegal immigration and his border wall. But U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Missouri Tim Garrison said that’s relevant for Kansas and Missouri.

“He understands that a lot of the problems that we face here in this district may not be obvious as border protection issues, most of the controlled substances that we find here in the heartland make their way to us over the border. So that’s important,” Garrison said.

In closing Friday, Trump told everyone in the room they were the “reason Americans sleep soundly in their beds at night.” As he did after his victory speech in 2016, Trump exited the stage Friday to the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Andrea Tudhope is a reporter in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. Follow her on Twitter @andreatudhope.