TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) The Kansas House has sent Gov. Sam Brownback a bill making it legal to own switchblades and stiletto-type knives. The vote was 95-26 on Thursday, a day after the measure cleared the Senate. The Wichita Eagle reports switchblades and stilettos would still be banned at schools, jails and juvenile corrections facilities Some House Democrats expressed concerns. Jim Ward, a former Wichita prosecutor, said switchblades were banned decades ago because they were used mostly by gangs and criminals. Ward says the potential for harm from the weapons outweighs any good from legalizing them. But proponents said switchblades can…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A promise from Kansas health officials to continue protecting people with AIDS and HIV from being quarantined has resolved a dispute over legislation designed to help medical personnel and emergency workers. Kansas Equality Coalition executive director Tom Witt said Thursday the group can accept the bill following the pledge from the Department of Health and Environment. The bill directs KDHE to draft rules making it easier for medical personnel and emergency workers to learn whether they’ve been exposed to infectious diseases. Part of the bill repeals a 1988 law specifically barring health officials from quarantining people with…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas legislators are making slow progress on two gun measures that are expected to win approval from solid gun-rights majorities in the House and Senate. Votes on the bills had been expected Thursday, but members spent much of the day drafting and reviewing final versions. House and Senate leaders now expect final action Friday. One bill declares that the federal government has no power to regulate guns, ammunition and accessories that are made, sold and kept exclusively in Kansas. The measure would make it a felony for a federal agent to enforce restrictions on such items. The…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A new clinic offering abortions and other women’s medical services has opened in the Wichita building where a slain Kansas abortion provider had practiced. The South Wind Women’s Clinic saw its first patient Thursday nearly four years after Dr. George Tiller was gunned down in his church by an abortion opponent. The building was purchased by the abortion rights group Trust Women Foundation. Group spokeswoman Kerry Townsend Jacob cited privacy rights in declining to say whether the first patient received an abortion. No abortions have been performed openly in Wichita since the death of Tiller, who was…
OTTAWA, Kan. (AP) Authorities in eastern Kansas have evacuated a university residence hall and closed the campus after suspicious packages were found. The Franklin County sheriff’s department says a package was reported about 5:45 a.m. Thursday outside Tau Jones Hall at Ottawa University. University spokeswoman Paula Paine told The Kansas City Star that campus security found other packages at other buildings, and the campus was closed about 7 a.m. The buildings were evacuated and people have been warned to stay off campus. Paine says authorities are investigating the possibility that the packages could be related to a scavenger hunt that…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A bill that would reduce property taxes on boats and other watercraft is on its way to Gov. Sam Brownback. The House and Senate approved a bill Wednesday that would reduce the taxes from 30 percent of appraised value to 11.5 percent next year. Boat taxes would be reduced to 5 percent in 2015 and beyond. The bill was introduced after 54 percent of Kansas voters approved a change to the state Constitution last fall that allowed the Legislature to set up a new watercraft tax system. The Wichita Eagle reports supporters of the bill said the…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Federal prosecutors allege three Kansas men ran a worldwide synthetic marijuana operation that made them millions of dollars. U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom announced the indictment Wednesday against Bradley Miller, 55, of Wichita; his brother, Clark Sloan, 54, of Tonganoxie; and Sloan’s son, Jonathon Sloan, 32, of Lawrence. They are charged with conspiracy, distribution of misbranded drugs, mail fraud and smuggling. Prosecutors allege the men began by selling the synthetic marijuana known as K2 in Lawrence and then expanded to an international business. Federal officials say the men sold the products as incense but always intended that they…
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) Hutchinson Community College will be the center of the forensic tournament world this weekend. The college is hosting the American Forensic Association-National Individual Events Tournament. It’s expected to bring 1,000 people to the city for the competition Saturday through Monday. The events will be held at the college, the Cosmosphere and the Ramada Conference Center. About 80 schools will participate. Travis Roberts, coach of forensics and debate at the college, says he didn’t expect the college to be named as host when he first applied. But Hutchinson met the requirements of being near a major airport and…
EMPORIA, Kan. (AP) About one-third of the employees at an Emporia soybean processing plant will be temporarily laid off because of a lack of a crop. Officials with the Bunge plant announced Tuesday that crush operations at the plant will be suspended, effective May 1. The company says crush operations are expected to resume with the fall harvest. A spokeswoman for the company says the drought depleted the available soybean crop. That combined with a strong export demand in Asia led to the layoffs. The remaining employees will work reduced hours, doing maintenance and other projects. The Emporia Gazette reports…
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) The city of Wichita wants to hear residents’ ideas on how the region should respond to prolonged drought. Wichita is in the third year of drought, and it is unclear when it will end or how severe it will be. Officials have scheduled six public meetings around the city April 16-18 to hear how residents are affected by the drought and how they think the city might extend its water supply. The public feedback will be presented later to the City Council. Wichita gets about 60 percent of its water from Cheney Reservoir. Officials have predicted that…