State News - The Morning Sun

Wichita police officer won't be charged in fatal shooting

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The Sedgwick County district attorney says a Wichita police officer will not be charged for shooting and killing a man who had shot another officer. District Attorney Marc … more

4/27/23

FILE - Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly gives her inaugural address to start her second term in office, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, outside the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The Democratic governor has vetoed a Republican transgender bathroom bill and a GOP plan for ending gender-affirming care for trans youth. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Kansas sets trans athlete rule; gender-affirming care saved

A Kansas board is telling high schools and middle schools that must see transgender athletes’ first birth certificates to decide what teams they can join. The Kansas State High School Activities … more

By JOHN HANNA | 4/26/23

Kansas abortion providers face new rule after veto overriden

Kansas health care providers could face criminal charges over accusations about their care of newborns delivered during certain abortion procedures. That's because the Republican-controlled … more

By JOHN HANNA | 4/26/23

Wichita police officer won't be charged in fatal shooting

The Sedgwick County district attorney says a Wichita police officer will not be charged for shooting and killing a man who had shot another officer. District Attorney Marc Bennett said Tuesday the … more

4/26/23

Capitol Federal: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Capitol Federal Financial Inc. (CFFN) on Wednesday reported fiscal second-quarter profit of $14.2 million. On a per-share basis, the Topeka, … more

4/26/23

FILE - Anti-abortion demonstrators rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court during the March for Life, Jan. 20, 2023, in Washington. North Dakota on Monday, April 24, became the latest state to ban abortion in most cases — again. Gov. Doug Burgum signed a ban that has narrow exceptions: Abortion is legal in pregnancies caused by rape or incest, but only in the first six weeks. Abortion is also allowed deeper into pregnancy in specific medical emergencies. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

North Dakota's latest try at abortion ban could face lawsuit

With the enforcement of one abortion ban held up by the courts, North Dakota lawmakers are trying a different version. The new one, signed into law this week, includes exceptions for rape and incest … more

By TRISHA AHMED and GEOFF MULVIHILL | 4/25/23

Editorial Roundup: Kansas

Kansas City Star. April 20, 2023. Editorial: Biden isn’t banning gas stoves. But facts don’t stop Missouri and Kansas GOP outrage It’s not a surprise anymore when prominent politicians … more

By The Associated Press | 4/25/23

Kansas wants to make it easier to hire out-of-state teachers

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is joining a fledgling effort that could one day make it easier to hire teachers from other states. A bill that Gov. Laura Kelly signed Thursday makes Kansas the latest … more

4/25/23

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly discusses her veto of a bill that would have cut Kansas taxes nearly $1.4 billion over three years at a news conference, Monday, April 24, 2023, in a second-grade classroom at Elmont Elementary School in Topeka, Kan. Kelly objected to a proposal included in the bill that would have imposed a single-rate "flat" income tax for individuals and abandoned the state's current, three-rate tax. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Kelly vetoes flat tax bill from state senate

TOPEKA, Kan. — Monday, Governor Laura Kelly announced her veto of House Substitute for Senate Bill 169, which would establish a 5.15 percent flat income tax rate for all Kansas taxpayers. According … more

By Dustin R. Strong / dstrong@morningsun.net | 4/25/23

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly answers questions from reporters during a news conference, Monday, April 24, 2023, in a second-grade classroom at Elmont Elementary School in Topeka, Kan. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Kansas has new anti-ESG law amid raft of culture war vetoes

Kansas officials won’t be allowed to use environmental, social and governance factors in investing public funds or deciding who receives government contracts. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly allowed a … more

By JOHN HANNA | 4/24/23

Marker sought for Black teen imprisoned after 1882 rape

Civil rights activists are seeking to draw attention to an 1882 rape that ended with the Black teenage victim dying in prison, her white attacker dead and three men lynched. Margaret Vinegar was 14 … more

4/24/23

Kelly vetoes bill to cut Kansas taxes $1.4B over 3 years

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed a bill to cut taxes in Kansas by nearly $1.4 billion over the next three years. Kelly told reporters Monday that she objected to a proposal included by … more

By JOHN HANNA | 4/24/23

Kansas wants to make it easier to hire out-of-state teachers

Kansas is joining a fledgling effort that could one day make it easier to hire teachers from other states. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that a bill that Gov. Laura Kelly signed Thursday makes … more

4/22/23

Governor announces nearly $10 million to expand Elderly, Disabled housing

TOPEKA, Kan. – Gov. Laura Kelly announced today that nearly $10 million has been awarded to nine recipients for the construction or renovation of housing for persons with disabilities and … more

Staff Reports / news@morningsun.net | 4/22/23

Kansas planning presidential primary for March 2024

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas plans to hold a presidential primary in March 2024 rather than leave it to political parties to decide whether they want to have more exclusive caucuses or state … more

Staff Reports / news@morningsun.net | 4/22/23

Man sentenced for anti-LGBTQ+ hate crime in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City man was sentenced Thursday to nearly 22 years in federal prison for committing a hate crime when he shot and wounded a teenager because of the victim's sexual … more

Staff Reports / news@morningsun.net | 4/22/23

Students listen as Dupont Elementary School teacher Sonal Patel reads to them on Nov. 22, 2019, in Chattanooga, Tenn. For decades, there has been a clash between two schools of thought on how to best teach children to read, with passionate backers on each side of the so-called reading wars. But the approach gaining momentum lately in American classrooms is the so-called science of reading. (Tim Barber/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File)

An end to the reading wars? More US schools embrace phonics

For decades, two schools of thought have clashed on how to best teach children to read, with passionate backers on each side of the so-called reading wars. The battle has reached into homes via … more

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH / Associated Press | 4/22/23

Two federal courts have issued contradictory rulings about whether a drug used as part of a medication abortion regimen should remain available. (AP Graphic)

Supreme Court fight over an abortion pill: What's next

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court initially gave itself a deadline of Wednesday to decide whether women seeking access to a widely used abortion pill would face more restrictions while a court … more

By MARK SHERMAN and JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press | 4/22/23

Police say a man confessed to killing four people in Maine, including his parents, and then firing on motorists on Interstate 295, just days after being released from prison. (April 19) (AP Video shot and produced by Rodrique Ngowi.)

Tiny Maine community devastated by loss of slain neighbors

Tireless, helpful and deeply religious are some of the ways Patti Eger’s friends remember her in the small Maine town of Lisbon Falls. They mourned Thursday after her body and those of three others … more

By PATRICK WHITTLE | 4/21/23

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly gives her inaugural address at the start of her second term, Monday, Jan. 9, 2023, outside the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The Democratic governor has vetoed anti-abortion and anti-diversity provisions included in the next state budget by Republican lawmakers, intensifying a conflict over culture war issues. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

Kansas governor nixes abortion, anti-diversity budget items

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has vetoed anti-diversity and anti-abortion provisions in Kansas’ next state budget. Her actions Friday intensified a conflict with the Republican-controlled Legislature … more

By JOHN HANNA | 4/21/23