Briefs

Gov. Laura Kelly's chief counsel is departing for job at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, and his replacement will be attorney working in the Kansas Department of Labor. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Gov. Laura Kelly to replace departing chief counsel with labor lawyer

BY: - November 30, 2021

Gov. Laura Kelly selects state labor department attorney to be the Democratic administration's new chief counsel.

Location, other details released for Kansas redistricting town halls

BY: - November 17, 2021

TOPEKA — Kansas legislative staff released details Wednesday about how to participate in upcoming public meetings on redistricting. Lawmakers are gathering input before redrawing congressional and legislative boundaries in the upcoming session, and plan to listen by live video feeds to public comments from four virtual town halls. GOP leaders previously announced they would hold […]

U.S. House to vote to censure Gosar, strip him of committee assignment

BY: - November 16, 2021

The U.S. House is expected to vote Wednesday on a resolution to censure U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican, and remove him from the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The vote is a rebuke of Gosar for a video he posted to social media last week.  The video manipulated an anime sequence to depict […]

Rep. John Barker, an Abilene Republican and chairman of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee, has taken the lead in the Kansas House on development of a bill legalizing sports gambling in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Boot Hill Casino, DraftKings set groundwork for sports wagering

BY: - November 16, 2021

Boot Hill Casino in Dodge City is working with DraftKings in anticipation the Kansas Legislature could finally approve sports gaming in 2022.

Kansas judge orders autopsy scammer Shawn Parcells, currently serving 69 months in federal prison for fraud, to also complete 12-month sentence in Wabaunsee County Jail for criminal desecration. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Autopsy huckster without Kansas medical credentials guilty of six offenses

BY: - November 5, 2021

Kansan guilty of six criminal offenses tied to illegal autopsies participated in 2014 review of evidence in shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

Anti-masker’s profane outburst targeting Kansas Reflector editor restored to video recording

BY: - November 4, 2021

An anti-masker’s profane outburst targeting Kansas Reflector editor Sherman Smith is now posted online after initially being edited out of a video of a Kansas legislative committee meeting, prompting concerns about the Legislature’s transparency. Justin Spiehs, who referred to himself as a doctor, appeared before the Leigslature’s Special Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact […]

The three Olathe school board candidates endorsed by 1776 Project PAC prevailed Tuesday, based on preliminary vote totals, and overall eight of 10 school board candidates in Kansas backed by the PAC won seats. The PAC sponsored this mailer to influence voters in Olathe. (Kansas Reflector)

Seven of 10 Kansas school board candidates backed by 1776 PAC win

BY: - November 3, 2021

TOPEKA — Seven of 10 local school board candidates in eastern Kansas won election Tuesday after endorsed by a political action committee fearful an academic curriculum referred to as critical race theory could be introduced in the state’s classrooms. Preliminary counts showed candidates backed by the 1776 Project PAC performed well in the Olathe, Lansing […]

Six Kansas House Democrats and the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence seek resignation of Rep. Aaron Coleman, a Democrat from Kansas City, Kansas, charged with domestic battery. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)

House members, domestic violence organization pressure Coleman to resign

BY: - November 2, 2021

State domestic violence organization, six Kansas House members call for resignation of Rep. Aaron Coleman, who was charged with domestic battery.

Gov. Laura Kelly said October state tax revenue more than $100 million above projections is no reason for the Legislature to abandon fiscal restraint. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas’ tax collections in October soar $100 million above projections

BY: - November 1, 2021

Kansas tax revenue from October surges $100 million above the monthly projection, but Gov. Laura Kelly advises fiscal restraint by legislators.

with the computer system in 2019 at a drinking water treatment facility in Ellsworth County. The recommendation is the former employee of the water plant serve one year in jail. (Getty Images)

Former Ellsworth County water plant worker charged with tampering

BY: - October 22, 2021

Federal prosecutors say former Ellsworth County water plant employee who remotely shut down system in 2019 pleaded guilty to computer tampering.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt asked the Kansas Supreme Court to delay work on his appeal a district court's ruling on abortion until after the statewide August vote on a proposed abortion amendment to the Kansas Constitution. (May 2021 photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Attorney general seeks abortion appeal delay until after constitutional amendment vote

BY: - October 21, 2021

Attorney General Derek Schmidt asks Supreme Court to put on hold his appeal in abortion case until Kansans voter on constitutional amendment in August.

A state committee voted to endorse a proposal to install a memorial on the Kansas Capitol grounds in honor of Gold Star families, who have a family member who died as a result of military service. Gov. Laura Kelly said the memorial was requested by the only remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. (Submitted/Kansas Reflector)

Committee endorses installation of Gold Star family memorial at Kansas Capitol

BY: - October 15, 2021

Kansas takes step closer to installing memorial to Gold Star families on Capitol grounds at behest of last surviving WWII Medal of Honor recipient.