Latest Kansas state government News

South Carolina group to ask Supreme Court to rename landmark school desegregation case

May. 28, 2023 15:55 PM EDT

SUMMERTON, S.C. (AP) — Civil rights leaders in South Carolina plan to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to rename the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision that outlawed segregation of public schools across the country. Over the next three months, a group representing past...

Today in History: May 25, death of George Floyd

May. 25, 2023 00:12 AM EDT

Today in History Today is Thursday, May 25, the 145th day of 2023. There are 220 days left in the year. Today’s Highlight in History: On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed when a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on...

Meet the influential new player on transgender health bills

May. 20, 2023 18:08 PM EDT

Do No Harm, a nonprofit that launched last year to oppose diversity initiatives in medicine, has evolved into a significant leader in statehouses seeking to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youths, producing model legislation that an Associated Press analysis found has been used in at...

Payback? Project funds axed after Kansas lawmaker defies governor on abortion, trans rights

May. 15, 2023 19:59 PM EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor vetoed state funding on Monday for a project long advocated by a Democratic lawmaker who broke ranks to override the governor's vetoes and give Republicans crucial support for laws restricting abortion and rolling back transgender rights. ...

Kansas governor vetoes measures to aid anti-abortion centers, limit health officials' power

May. 12, 2023 17:51 PM EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor on Friday vetoed Republican legislation that would have provided a financial boost to anti-abortion pregnancy centers and prevented officials fighting outbreaks of contagious diseases from prohibiting public gatherings or ordering infected people to...

In latest abortion law chapter: Bill signings, court rulings

May. 04, 2023 17:13 PM EDT

Courts this week blocked abortion restrictions from taking effect in two states, while lawmakers in a third are forging ahead with a plan for a new ban that's less stringent than most. Those are some of the latest developments in an abortion landscape that is being crafted by...

GOP split dooms scaled-back Kansas 'school choice' plan

Apr. 29, 2023 00:11 AM EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kansas who say parents need alternatives to public schools couldn't pass even a scaled-back version of the “school choice” plans enacted in other states with GOP-controlled Legislatures. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly strongly opposed...

2 abortion bans failed, 1 passed in US statehouses this week

Apr. 28, 2023 17:02 PM EDT

Ten months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade and a nationwide right to abortion, states are pushing in opposite directions on the issue. This week, one state adopted a ban, two states tried to but didn't get support from enough lawmakers and three states advanced...

Railroads warned about the problems long trains can cause

Apr. 27, 2023 20:10 PM EDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Federal regulators are warning railroads that the long trains they favor can cause all kinds of problems and contribute to derailments, so they want the railroads to ensure their training and operating procedures account for that. The Federal Railroad...

Kansas governor nixes abortion, anti-diversity budget items

Apr. 21, 2023 17:50 PM EDT

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed anti-diversity and anti-abortion provisions in Kansas' next state budget Friday, intensifying a conflict with the Republican-controlled Legislature over culture war issues that could see her scotch a dozen or more conservative initiatives. ...