TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Sam Brownback’s staff says he warned lawmakers not to violate the state’s open meetings law while attending dinners at Cedar Crest mansion. Caleb Stegall, the governor’s counsel, said in a statement Tuesday that none of the private dinners attended by Republicans from 13 legislative committees violated the law. He said Brownback was careful to warn those attending the dinners that they could not discuss legislative business. The open meetings law prohibits a voting majority of any government group from discussing business without giving the public notice and access to the meeting. Stegall says once lawmakers were…
Author: KMAN Staff
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas lawmakers have been considering a proposal that would allow utility companies to raise rates before the state approves the increases. The Wichita Eagle reports that the proposal for “interim rates” is contained in a House bill that was proposed by natural gas companies. It was the subject of a hearing this week in the House Energy and Utilities Committee. The measure would allow a utility company to increase rates 30 days after it files with the Kansas Corporation Commission for permission to increase rates. The commission has 240 days to consider rate hikes. The company would…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Secretary of State Kris Kobach says Kansas legislators can show they’re serious about fighting election fraud by passing his bill to speed up a requirement for some potential voters to show proof of citizenship. But the Republican secretary of state faced hostile questions Wednesday from Democrat during a House Elections Committee hearing. A law enacted last year says people registering to vote for the first time in Kansas must prove their U.S. citizenship, starting in January 2013. Kobach wants the rule to take effect by June 15, ahead of this year’s presidential election. But state Rep. Ann…
HAYS, Kan. (AP) NEW Corp. says it will close its calling center in Hays March 31. The company made the announcement Tuesday to 280 employees in Hays. The Hays Daily News reports NEW Corp. is the fifth-largest employer in Ellis County. It received significant incentives from the city of Hays, Ellis County and private investors when it opened in 2004. NEW Corp official Terri Feely says the plant is closing because the company could not find enough qualified workers. He says NEW Corp. never reached its goal of having 450 employees and could not keep the plant running at full…
With the increase in stolen vehicles this past year in Riley County, Riley County police are considering options that would aid recovery efforts in such instances. RCPD Captain Tim Hegarty told county commissioners Monday the department is scheduled to have a demo vehicle in April that will have a mobile license plate reader. This is a camera mounted on the front of a police vehicle. That vehicle would then drive around town and through parking lots, taking pictures of license plates, notifying officers is a particular vehicle is stolen or not. “What this system also allows us to do is connect…
Manhattan City Staff presented commissioners Tuesday night with a look at revenues for this past year in advance of the 2013 budget process to begin later this spring. Bernie Hayen, Director of Finance, and Pamela Jager, budget officer, informed the commission $18.9 million dollars was levied in property taxes for the 2012 City Budget. Of that, $4.3 million will be used for the funding of City Operations, including debt service. Outside city services, those not under the control of City Manager Ron Fehr, will receive $14.5 million. “You’ve seen my own personal property taxes for the last 11 years,” Hayen…
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Kansas Senate committee is preparing to vote on a bill that would redraw the state’s U.S. House districts to reflect population changes over the past decade, with a possible direct imipact on Manhattan. The bill on the Reapportionment Committee’s agenda Wednesday contains a plan from Chairman Tim Owens, an Overland Park Republican. That plan moves the northeast Kansas community of Manhattan into the 1st Congressional District of western and central Kansas, something local officials oppose. It also puts all of Lawrence in the 2nd District of eastern Kansas, rather than splitting it between the 2nd and…
An Ogden woman has waived a preliminary hearing that was set for Tuesday afternoon, in connection with attempted second degree murder charges. Elizabeth Heaven, 29, is set for an arraignment and plea on Feb. 6 in Riley County District Court. Heaven was taken into custody in early July 2011 following a domestic dispute at an Ogden residence and subsequent injury accident. Heaven’s charges include two counts of attempted second degree murder, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and various traffic violations.