By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas will swear in its first two openly LGBT state lawmakers next month and the new Democratic governor promises to end a ban on discrimination over sexual orientation or gender identity in state hiring and employment decisions once she takes office.

Yet other goals for LGBT-rights activists, such as expanding the state’s anti-discrimination law covering landlords and private employers, might not be much closer to fruition — despite a historic national wave of victories by LGBT candidates and Gov.-elect Laura Kelly’s promise to break with Republican predecessors on policy.

The GOP still has large majorities in the Legislature, and it will be a little more conservative after this year’s elections. While Kelly’s election likely prevents new laws that LGBT-rights advocates oppose, they probably will struggle to undo policies enacted in recent years when Republicans held the governor’s office.

“It’s not the governor who decides if we get hearings or if bills come out of committee,” said Tom Witt, the executive director of Equality Kansas, the state’s most influential LGBT-rights organization. “That’s going to make it a little more challenging.”

Kelly takes office in January, along with the state’s first LGBT lawmakers, Democratic state Reps. Susan Ruiz and Brandon Woodard. They were elected in Kansas City-area suburbs, which also elected Democrat Sharice Davids , an LGBT and Native American lawyer, to Congress.

Kelly has promised to issue an executive order — possibly on Jan. 14, her first day in office — to end anti-LGBT discrimination in state hiring and employment decisions.

“Gov.-elect Kelly wants to send a message to people across this state, and across the country, that Kansas is an open, welcoming place that does not tolerate discrimination of any kind,” spokeswoman Ashley All said.

But the partisan breakdown in the Legislature did not change, and among Republicans, conservatives gained at least half a dozen House seats at moderates’ expense and elected a new, more conservative majority leader Monday. In the Senate, a moderate senator resigned after being elected state insurance commissioner, and her replacement is all but certain to be more conservative.

“Kansas is still Kansas, and I think most Kansans understand the nature of the family,” said Chuck Weber, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, a former state representative from Wichita.

Kansas voters added a ban on same-sex marriage to the state’s constitution in 2005, with 70 percent approval. It has not been enforced since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in 2015 legalizing gay marriage nationwide.

In 2007, then-Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a friend and political ally of Kelly, issued an executive order banning anti-LGBT discrimination in state employment. But conservative Republican Gov. Sam Brownback rescinded it in 2015, arguing that such a policy should be set by legislators — who clearly weren’t going to do it.

Brownback resigned in January to become U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. New GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer said his administration would not tolerate discrimination but did not reinstate the formal protections in Sebelius’ order.

Colyer signed a measure in May providing legal protections to adoption agencies that cite faith-based reasons for refusing to place children in homes that violate their religious beliefs. The legislative debate centered on agencies that won’t place children in LGBT homes. Supporters saw it as religious liberties measure, but Kelly has called it an “adoption discrimination law.”

Reflecting social conservatives’ influence, the Kansas Republican Party’s election platform, adopted in June, called for an amendment to the U.S constitution barring same-sex marriage, drafted so “judges and legislatures cannot make other arrangements equivalent to it.”

“The benefits and privileges of marriage exist only between one man and one woman,” the platform said.

Kansas has been a reliably red state in presidential elections for the past 50 years and until Kelly’s and David’s victories this year, the GOP had won every statewide and congressional race starting in 2010.

Yet GOP conservatives and moderates have feuded enough over the decades to give Democrats opportunities, and Kelly’s victory continued a half-century tradition of alternating control of the governor’s office. Groups such as the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas are preparing for political battles over what they view as attempts to limit religious liberties of social conservatives.

Eric Teetsel, the alliance’s president and a Brownback son-in-law, said Kansas politics “is complicated, and it’s local.”

“This idea that American society or Kansas is just this awfully bigoted, anti-gay culture is belied by what we see around us,” he said. “You can be elected to public office in Kansas as a member of the LGBT community and no one bats an eye at it.”

Ruiz and Woodard ran on platforms that included support for LGBT rights but emphasized issues such as voting rights, education funding, expanding the state’s Medicaid health coverage to more families and lowering the state’s sales tax on groceries.

Ruiz said when she campaigned door-to-door, her sexual orientation “never came up” and voters did not appear to care. She said she doubts that attitude would have been as widespread a decade ago.

Woodard won in a district that had been held by conservative Republicans who’d backed religious objections measures, like the adoption law, and Equality Kansas described his GOP predecessors as strongly anti-LGBT.

But with the state as a whole, he said, “We don’t know how much it has shifted.”

Ruiz and Woodard also expect that it will be harder for colleagues to pass anti-LGBT measures.

“They will see our faces,” Ruiz said. “They will hear us speak.”

Annise Parker, a former Houston mayor, now president and CEO of the Victory Fund, which helps elect LGBT candidates, said this year’s election represented a milestone in Kansas, “but it doesn’t mean sweeping changes.”

“Putting openly LGBT legislators in place changes the debate, changes the dialogue. It actually makes for a healthier dialogue,” Parker said. “But it doesn’t change things overnight.”

SEDGWICK COUNTY  — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a teenager for alleged animal cruelty.

Just after 7:30a.m. Sunday police responded to 3300 Block of North Wild Rose in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A suspect later identified as 19-year-old Cole Carter had reportedly slammed a small white dog onto the ground.

Witnesses also described the suspect in connection with a grey Ford Edge. Officers located the vehicle driven by Carter. Two 16-year-old girls were passengers in the vehicle, according to Davidson. Officers also found a small white dog in the vicinity that had died.

Police took Carter into custody without incident and found him to also be in possession of a concealed handgun, according to Davidson.  He is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail for animal cruelty and carrying a concealed weapon.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — A 26-year-old Missouri woman accused of driving her car into the Kansas River has pleaded not guilty in her daughter’s drowning.

Scharron Dingledine, of Columbia, Missouri, pleaded not guilty Monday to first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.

Dingledine is accused of driving into the river near downtown Lawrence on Aug. 3 in an effort to kill her children and herself.

Rescuers pulled Dingledine and her 1-year-old son, Elijah Lake, from the water soon but were not able to save her 5-year-old daughter, Amiyah Bradley. The child’s body was recovered from the river the next day.

Dingledine was found competent in August to stand trial.

She remains in custody on $1 million bond.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Two Wichita students whose families fled violence and civil war in their home countries are featured in a new documentary about refugee resettlement and its impact on the city’s schools.

The film produced by the Kansas State University’s College of Education called “Refuge in the Heartland” will premiere during a free screening Tuesday at the Wichita district’s headquarters.

The film follows students Alain and Dorcas, who are among more than 130 refugees enrolled in Wichita schools. Their last names weren’t included in the documentary. Alain’s family lived in a refugee camp for 17 years and Dorcas resettled in Wichita after fleeing the civil war in Congo.

District officials say the university focused on Wichita schools because of initiatives such as the Newcomers program, which helps new immigrants and refugees transition.

FINNEY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an armed robbery and asking for help to locate a suspect.

Just before 6 a.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to an aggravated robbery that had just occurred at a convenience store at 511 E. Kansas Ave. in Garden City, according to a media release.

A 27-year-old male employee told officers a man entered the store with a gun and demanded money. The suspect —described as a slender built black male, 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-5 inches tall wearing dark clothing, a dark face mask and dreadlocks hairstyle — took the money and fled on foot from the business.

Anyone with information on the crime is asked to contact police.

TOPEKA—Fiscal year tax collections have exceeded previous year’s totals by $221.20 million according to data from the latest revenue report released Monday from the Kansas Department of Revenue.

Fiscal year 2019 tax collections so far total $2.70 billion, exceeding estimates by $2.74 million.

November tax collections were up $38.60 million, or 8.41 percent over last year. November’s tax collections exceeded expectations for the month by $2.74 million.

Individual income tax collections in November totaled $235.02 million which is $27.40 million or 13.20 percent above the same time last year. November sales tax collections fell slightly short of last November’s collections by $115,000.

SEDGWICK COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities are investigation a case of alleged animal cruelty.

Just after 4:30p.m. Friday November 16, police responded to a suspicious character with a weapons call at a residence in the 1000 Block of North Poplar in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

A suspect later identified as 30-year-old Carlett McPherson was reported beating a dog with a tire iron and releasing other dogs to attack a victim dog.

At the scene, officers did find several dogs involved in a physical disturbance in the front yard of the residence.  Officers worked to separate the animals and with the assistance of animal control officers, the aggressive dogs were captured without incident. The victim dog was transported to a local animal hospital where it died from the injuries.

On December 1, as a result of the investigation, McPherson was arrested and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail on requested charges of animal cruelty, according to Davidson.  She is being held on a 25,000 Bond, according to the jail booking report.

Police will present the case to the district attorney this week.

 

JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Missouri and Kansas supporters are optimistic that the iconic Route 66 is on the road to becoming part of a National Historic Trail.

U.S. Sens. Tom Udall and Jim Inhofe announced this week that a bipartisan bill would include Route 66 in the National Trails System Act.

The route connected Chicago to Los Angeles and was an economic boon for small towns — including in Missouri and Kansas — before the interstate system was built. The House of Representatives passed a similar bill in June.

Supporters say the designation would revitalize towns along the historic corridor. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a similar bill in June.

The proposal would allow the National Park Service to administer Route 66. The agency would award federal funds for preservation, development and promotion.

The Office of Governor Jeff Colyer

Half-staff order effective immediately for 30 days due to the death of former President George H.W. Bush. pic.twitter.com/jgu8YnSShw

— Kansas.gov (@ksgovernment) December 3, 2018

WHEREAS, as the 41^st President of the United States, former President George H. W. Bush was a dedicated statesman who led our country through a time of change following the Cold War; and 

WHEREAS, President Bush’s courage, dedication and leadership were evident throughout his lifetime of public service in many different roles, including serving with distinction in the United State Navy, as a delegate to the United Nations, envoy to China and Director of the Central Intelligence Agency prior to being elected President; and 

 

WHEREAS, President Trump has declared Wednesday, December 5, 2018 a National Day of Mourning for President Bush; and  

WHEREAS, State of Kansas offices were closed to mourn the deaths of other Presidents; including Presidents Kennedy, Eisenhower, Truman, Johnson, Reagan and Ford. 

NOW, THEREFORE, pursuant to the authority vested in me as Governor of the State of Kansas, I hereby designate Wednesday, December 5, 2018 as a legal holiday in observance of the National day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush and order that State of Kansas offices are to be closed in observance of the holiday.   

This document shall be filed with the Secretary of State as Executive Order No. 18-20 and shall become effective immediately. 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers will get a crash course in sports gambling this week as they consider how to capitalize on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May that lifted a federal ban on it.

Seven states offer legal sports betting , and Kansas is among numerous other states considering whether to jump on the bandwagon. The surge in interest comes after New Jerseysuccessfully challenged the federal ban, clearing the way for gambling on games to expand beyond Nevada.

Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly voiced support for expanding into sports betting during her campaign. Kansas already allows commercial casino gaming. The challenge is the details, said state Sen. Bud Estes, a Republican from Dodge City who is the chairman of the committee that will handle bills on the topic.

“I don’t want to skate on thin ice on something we don’t know anything about,” he said, while adding that it is “probably” going to happen in some form. He’s encouraging all lawmakers to show up Tuesday and Wednesday in Topeka for a special interim committee session on the topic.

No legislation has been drafted yet for the upcoming session, which starts Jan. 14.

Key issues include ensuring the tax rate isn’t so high that betters turn to illegal wagers and providing oversight to prevent fraud or cheating in games. Where and how bets can be cast also raises other questions. Will betting be restricted to casinos or allowed at sports bars, too? Are mobile betting apps permitted? If so, who will manage them?

“If we start passing legislation for interest groups, we could make a real mess,” Estes said. “We need to be educated. I’m not going to let my committee go out and pass a lot of legislation right out of the bag. We need to be smarter before we do it.”

During the last legislative session, Republican Rep. Jan Kessinger, of Overland Park, introduced a bill that received a hearing but failed to gain much traction. Budget officials estimated that it would have generated $75 million a year. He plans to try again next year.

“That is not waving a magic wound, boom,” he said of the revenue such a bill would generate. “It would take a while to get up to speed.”

He said the money could allow the state to address several pressing issues, including foster cases , the state pensionsystem and highways. He said some money would be set aside to help problem gamblers.

Kessinger would like to see sports betting available in social settings, such as sports bars and restaurants.

“It will generate more excitement and interest in sports, which I think will drive more traffic into these social settings,” generating jobs and more revenue from taxes of food and drink sales, he said. “There are a lot of different opportunities there.”