TOPEKA — Kansas lawmakers won’t vote on expanding Medicaid until at least April 3. The House Health and Human Services Committee voted Monday to table the bill right before the deadline for committees to pass bills onto the floor. That could kill the bill for this year. Committee Vice Chair Susan Concannon says she will try to get House Speaker Ron Ryckman to exempt the bill from deadlines so that it can be considered later this year. Expanding Medicaid would give coverage to people who earn up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. It has support from health care…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA — Kansas legislators are skeptical of estimates for projected savings in spending on public schools included in Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget proposals. The debate over the numbers came as legislative committees had hearings Monday on proposals for elements of a new education funding formula. Brownback’s budget proposals assume that two measures would save the state $47 million during the fiscal year that begin in July and $89 million in the fiscal year beginning in July 2018. One measure would have all 286 school districts participate in a single health insurance plan for their employees and another would centralize…
Updated February 23: A temporary 4-way stop has been installed at the intersection of Anderson Avenue, Kimball Avenue and Scenic Drive and will be in place for one week. This traffic control change will allow crews to complete construction of temporary roads so they can be put into service while demolition of the intersection occurs and a roundabout is built. Motorists are reminded that speeds have been reduced to 20 mph in the construction zone and are urged to use caution and obey all traffic signs in the area. ### (Earlier report) Traffic control on Anderson Avenue at the Anneberg…
Today’s guests on In Focus were Debbie Nuss with Everybody Counts and Beverly Olson with Shepherd’s Crossing on Poverty Simulation event, as well as Biosecurity Research Institute Director Stephen Higgs. Nuss & Olson: Higgs:
WICHITA — Former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer is entering the race to be the next governor of Kansas. Brewer, a Democrat, announced his candidacy Monday. He plans campaign stops in Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City. The 59-year-old Brewer said in a news release that he has the experience and passion to “get the State of Kansas back on track.” Brewer was Wichita mayor from 2007 to 2015 and also served six years as a city councilman. Since leaving the mayor’s office, he has been in government relations at Spirit AeroSystems. Brewer pledged to visit every corner of the state. He says…
TOPEKA — The Kansas Legislature has approved a big increase in personal income taxes to help balance the state budget in a move that defies Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. Senate approved a bill Friday that would generate more than $1 billion over two years. The vote was 22-18. Senators acted the day after the House approved the measure, so the bill goes to Brownback. He has strongly criticized the bill and said he would not sign it, but he has so far stopped short of saying specifically that he would veto it. The bill would abandon core tax-cutting policies Brownback…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) Unusually warm and dry weather in February is stoking fears of another drought. The Wichita Eagle reports the average temperature this month in Wichita has been more than 8 degrees above normal, with more upper 60s and low 70s expected this week. The forecast calls for a good chance of rain Sunday night and early Monday. Forecasters say Sunday’s rain figures to be the most since mid-January. Moderate to severe drought currently grips most of the western third of the state. Abnormally dry conditions are reported in Sumner and Butler counties. National Weather Service meteorologist Kevin Darmofal…
AUSTIN, Texas — D.J. Johnson tipped in a miss by Kamau Stokes with 1.6 seconds left, then made a free throw to send Kansas State to a 64-61 win over Texas on Saturday that snapped the Wildcats’ three-game losing streak. Johnson’s tip came after Kansas State had called a timeout with 8 seconds left to set up a final play. Stokes, who had 14 points, drove to about 12 feet for the shot and Johnson got up over two defenders to get his hand on the ball for the winning basket. Wesley Iwundu scored 16 points and Barry Brown scored…
The 2017 Lud Fiser Citizen of the Year for Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce is Representative Tom Phillips. The award was announced during the Manhattan Chamber’s Annual Meeting on Friday, Feb. 17, at Manhattan Conference Center. Phillips is a proven leader in the Manhattan community who was first elected to public office in 2005 as a Manhattan City Commissioner. He proceeded to become Manhattan’s mayor in 2007. Phillips was appointed to fill a Kansas House vacancy in 2012, and was re-elected to serve as representative in the 67th district of the Kansas House of Representatives. This year, Phillips was elected…
The 2017 C. Clyde Jones Volunteer of the Year for Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce is Dixie Roberts. The award was announced during the Manhattan Chamber’s Annual Meeting on Friday, Feb. 17, at Manhattan Conference Center. Roberts has volunteered abundantly in the community, which includes serving on the board of directors for Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art and as regent for the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Polly Ogden Chapter. More volunteer efforts include Lions Club member and with First United Methodist Church, where she organized and sustained the Manhattan Dance Club for 30 years. Roberts has spent the…