KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas man who was falsely accused of being among the shooters who opened fire at a rally celebrating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730">Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory</a>&nbsp;last year has died, his attorney said.

Denton Loudermill Jr., of Olathe, was briefly handcuffed but was never charged in the chaos that followed the deadly shooting. He later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-e7fe8d9910c0a9518155c71ff2e7d558">filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against three Republican Missouri state senators and a Tennessee congressman who shared social media posts that falsely implicated him.

Those cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-417e1c19a86c7983e3e36246c9f70e90">were all dismissed,</a>&nbsp;largely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-congressman-lawsuit-aa35b46b43f502ed1da51c9659bb18c6">jurisdictional issues.</a>

Attorney LaRonna Lassiter Saunders confirmed Loudermill’s death&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=636412692729347&amp;id=100090818664168&amp;rdid=2xtrNZmyrf3QQl4B#">in a statement Friday</a>&nbsp;but gave no details on the circumstances. Loudermill was 49.

“More details will be provided in time, but for now, we ask that you honor the family’s need for privacy as they come together to grieve this tremendous loss,” she wrote.

The Feb. 14, 2024, shooting outside Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, killed a well-known DJ and injured more than 20 others, many of them children.

Loudermill’s lawsuits said he froze when the gunfire erupted, standing in the middle of the chaos so long that police had put up crime scene tape by the time he finally started to walked away. As he tried to leave, officers stopped him and told him he was moving “too slow.” They handcuffed him and put him on a curb, where people began taking pictures and posting them on social media, the lawsuits said.

Loudermill ultimately was led away and told he was free to go. But soon posts began appearing on X that included a picture of Loudermill, a car wash employee who was born and raised in the U.S. The posts called him an “illegal alien” and a “shooter,” even though he had no involvement, the lawsuits said.

Three men were ultimately charged with murder, and several other people faced other charges stemming from the shootings, which authorities said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-charge-ac4527e5290fccb3d20d9d7f69233040">stemmed from a dispute</a>&nbsp;between two groups of people.

Lassiter Saunders said she would continue fighting to clear Loudermill's name.

“While the family takes this time to mourn, we want to make it clear that this is not over. Mr. Loudermill should not have spent his final days burdened with stress and chasing down a lie that went viral due to the careless and heartless actions of a Congressman, Missouri senators, and social media influencers, who couldn’t be bothered to verify the truth before destroying a man’s life.

"If you thought we were determined before, you haven’t seen anything yet!” she concluded.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/2/1708018861457.jpeg" alt="Police clear the area following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)." />
 <figcaption>Police clear the area following a shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs NFL football Super Bowl celebration in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. Multiple people were injured, a fire official said.(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann).</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas man who was falsely accused of being among the shooters who opened fire at a rally celebrating the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-parade-shooting-kansas-city-d9f4466b69cbb2dfe0f007414aebe730">Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory</a>&nbsp;last year has died, his attorney said.Denton Loudermill Jr., of Olathe, was briefly handcuffed but was never charged in the chaos that followed the deadly shooting. He later&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-e7fe8d9910c0a9518155c71ff2e7d558">filed lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against three Republican Missouri state senators and a Tennessee congressman who shared social media posts that falsely implicated him.Those cases&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-lawmakers-lawsuit-417e1c19a86c7983e3e36246c9f70e90">were all dismissed,</a>&nbsp;largely on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-congressman-lawsuit-aa35b46b43f502ed1da51c9659bb18c6">jurisdictional issues.</a>Attorney LaRonna Lassiter Saunders confirmed Loudermill’s death&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=636412692729347&amp;id=100090818664168&amp;rdid=2xtrNZmyrf3QQl4B#">in a statement Friday</a>&nbsp;but gave no details on the circumstances. Loudermill was 49.“More details will be provided in time, but for now, we ask that you honor the family’s need for privacy as they come together to grieve this tremendous loss,” she wrote.The Feb. 14, 2024, shooting outside Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, killed a well-known DJ and injured more than 20 others, many of them children.Loudermill’s lawsuits said he froze when the gunfire erupted, standing in the middle of the chaos so long that police had put up crime scene tape by the time he finally started to walked away. As he tried to leave, officers stopped him and told him he was moving “too slow.” They handcuffed him and put him on a curb, where people began taking pictures and posting them on social media, the lawsuits said.Loudermill ultimately was led away and told he was free to go. But soon posts began appearing on X that included a picture of Loudermill, a car wash employee who was born and raised in the U.S. The posts called him an “illegal alien” and a “shooter,” even though he had no involvement, the lawsuits said.Three men were ultimately charged with murder, and several other people faced other charges stemming from the shootings, which authorities said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-parade-shooting-charge-ac4527e5290fccb3d20d9d7f69233040">stemmed from a dispute</a>&nbsp;between two groups of people.Lassiter Saunders said she would continue fighting to clear Loudermill's name.“While the family takes this time to mourn, we want to make it clear that this is not over. Mr. Loudermill should not have spent his final days burdened with stress and chasing down a lie that went viral due to the careless and heartless actions of a Congressman, Missouri senators, and social media influencers, who couldn’t be bothered to verify the truth before destroying a man’s life."If you thought we were determined before, you haven’t seen anything yet!” she concluded.

Kan. man falsely accused of being a shooter at Chiefs Super Bowl rally has died

KANSAS CITY —A woman who was identified by SAVE KC as high-risk for violence, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for her involvement in a double homicide that took place in south Kansas City last year, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2566/LINDA-ATER-PLEA-AGREEMENT">Linda Ater, 18,&nbsp; pled guilty</a>&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. She received 18 years for 2nd Degree Murder and 15 years for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, which will be served at the same time. She also received a three-year sentence for Armed Criminal Action, which will run consecutively, for a total of 21 years.&nbsp;

SAVE KC is a focused deterrence strategy involving the Prosecutor’s Office, the Kansas City Police Department, the City, and service providers, targeting those at-risk of violence. The identified clients are invited to a call-in where they are warned about enhanced enforcement and consequences if they continue engaging in criminal activity. Clients are offered services including housing support, job placement, mental health counseling, and more.&nbsp;

While the defendant was on the SAVE KC target list and was invited to a call-in, she did not attend.

“SAVE KC’s message is clear: give up crime, accept help, or face the full weight of prosecution. There are some, including the defendant, who do not heed our warnings and reject help. As a result, this young woman will spend the rest of her young years in prison,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “As we explain to SAVE KC clients, we care about your future, but violence will never be tolerated.”

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2567/LINDA-ATER-PCREDACTED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to the 6000 block of Blue Hills Road on Dec. 9 and located a man&nbsp; in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Sentra and a woman on the ground near the vehicle both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Both victims were confirmed deceased.&nbsp;

Video surveillance shows the Nissan pulling into the apartment complex parking lot and park in front of the building. An individual, later identified as Ater, exits the Nissan holding a firearm with an extended magazine. Just a minute later, the defendant fires in the direction of the victim in the driver’s seat and then retreats into another vehicle, which flees the scene.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744318371060.png" alt="Ater photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Ater photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A woman who was identified by SAVE KC as high-risk for violence, has been sentenced to 21 years in prison for her involvement in a double homicide that took place in south Kansas City last year, according to&nbsp;Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2566/LINDA-ATER-PLEA-AGREEMENT">Linda Ater, 18,&nbsp; pled guilty</a>&nbsp;to 2nd Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. She received 18 years for 2nd Degree Murder and 15 years for Unlawful Use of a Weapon, which will be served at the same time. She also received a three-year sentence for Armed Criminal Action, which will run consecutively, for a total of 21 years.&nbsp;SAVE KC is a focused deterrence strategy involving the Prosecutor’s Office, the Kansas City Police Department, the City, and service providers, targeting those at-risk of violence. The identified clients are invited to a call-in where they are warned about enhanced enforcement and consequences if they continue engaging in criminal activity. Clients are offered services including housing support, job placement, mental health counseling, and more.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/12/1733792910134.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>While the defendant was on the SAVE KC target list and was invited to a call-in, she did not attend.“SAVE KC’s message is clear: give up crime, accept help, or face the full weight of prosecution. There are some, including the defendant, who do not heed our warnings and reject help. As a result, this young woman will spend the rest of her young years in prison,”&nbsp;said Prosecutor Johnson. “As we explain to SAVE KC clients, we care about your future, but violence will never be tolerated.”<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2567/LINDA-ATER-PCREDACTED">According to court records</a>, Kansas City police were dispatched to the 6000 block of Blue Hills Road on Dec. 9 and located a man&nbsp; in the driver’s seat of a Nissan Sentra and a woman on the ground near the vehicle both suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Both victims were confirmed deceased.&nbsp;Video surveillance shows the Nissan pulling into the apartment complex parking lot and park in front of the building. An individual, later identified as Ater, exits the Nissan holding a firearm with an extended magazine. Just a minute later, the defendant fires in the direction of the victim in the driver’s seat and then retreats into another vehicle, which flees the scene.&nbsp;

 Security camera showed KC teen commit murder

SCOTT COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 10a.m. Saturday in Scott County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Subaru Tribeca driven by Sye Micheal Voth, 31, Scott City, was southbound on Eagle Road at Road 160 approximately one mile north of Kansas 96.

The driver failed to yield right way to an eastbound 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by Kenneth Lloyd Lee&nbsp;Crow, 39, Scott City.&nbsp; &nbsp;The pickup collided with the SUV.&nbsp; After impact both vehicles came to a rest in a field south of Road 160.

Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to&nbsp;Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

SCOTT COUNTY —Two people died in an accident just before 10a.m. Saturday in Scott County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Subaru Tribeca driven by Sye Micheal Voth, 31, Scott City, was southbound on Eagle Road at Road 160 approximately one mile north of Kansas 96.The driver failed to yield right way to an eastbound 2007 Dodge Ram 1500 driven by Kenneth Lloyd Lee&nbsp;Crow, 39, Scott City.&nbsp; &nbsp;The pickup collided with the SUV.&nbsp; After impact both vehicles came to a rest in a field south of Road 160.Both drivers were pronounced dead at the scene and were transported to&nbsp;Price &amp; Sons Funeral Home. They were not wearing seat belts, according to the KHP.

Two Kansas men dead after pickup, SUV crash

KANSAS CITY (AP) —The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. declined for the third week in a row, another positive move for prospective homebuyers during what’s traditionally the housing market’s busy season.

The rate fell to 6.62% from 6.64% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.88%.

The average rate has mostly trended lower since reaching just over 7% in mid-January. When mortgage rates decline, they boost homebuyers’ purchasing power.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, were unchanged from last week. The average rate remained at 5.82%, but is down 6.16% a year ago, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including global demand for U.S. Treasurys, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions and bond market investors’ expectations for future inflation.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage loosely follows moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The yield, which has mostly fallen this year after climbing to around 4.8% in mid-January, has been volatile of late as bond investors reacted to the Trump administration’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-timeline-trade-war-trump-canada-mexico-china-a9d714eea677488ef9397547d838dbd0">escalate U.S. tariffs on goods imported from nations around the world.</a>

After sliding to just 4.01% at the end of last week, the 10-year Treasury yield climbed to nearly 4.5% Wednesday morning. It was at 4.36% in afternoon trading Thursday following the White House’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">temporarily pause the new tariffs</a>&nbsp;on most nations, even while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">increasing import taxes on China.</a>

The latest drop in mortgage rates partially reflects the bond market’s uncertainty over the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again tariff policy, which is likely to keep mortgage rates volatile, said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS.

“All of the uncertainty in the economy and in the mortgage market is making it difficult for prospective homebuyers to know what to do,” she said. “Should they buy now or wait until later this year and hope that rates will come down further?”

Recent forecasts by housing economists generally called for the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain around 6.5% this year.

The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">lowest level in nearly 30 years</a>.

Easing mortgage rates and more homes on the market nationally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-6b0a5692ad279ee25f106fde04656713">helped drive sales higher in February from the previous month</a>, though they were down year-over-year.

Still, home shoppers who can afford to buy at current mortgage rates may benefit from more buyer-friendly trends this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/real-estate-housing-mortgage-rates-home-prices-c845172a7bcb8b5866dc4802361caf9e">spring homebuying season</a>, including a sharp increase in home listings and lower asking prices in some metro areas.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/7/1659001075252.jpeg" alt="File AP photo" />
 <figcaption>File AP photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALEX VEIGAKANSAS CITY (AP) —The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. declined for the third week in a row, another positive move for prospective homebuyers during what’s traditionally the housing market’s busy season.The rate fell to 6.62% from 6.64% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.88%.The average rate has mostly trended lower since reaching just over 7% in mid-January. When mortgage rates decline, they boost homebuyers’ purchasing power.Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, were unchanged from last week. The average rate remained at 5.82%, but is down 6.16% a year ago, Freddie Mac said.Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including global demand for U.S. Treasurys, the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions and bond market investors’ expectations for future inflation.The average rate on a 30-year mortgage loosely follows moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.The yield, which has mostly fallen this year after climbing to around 4.8% in mid-January, has been volatile of late as bond investors reacted to the Trump administration’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-timeline-trade-war-trump-canada-mexico-china-a9d714eea677488ef9397547d838dbd0">escalate U.S. tariffs on goods imported from nations around the world.</a>After sliding to just 4.01% at the end of last week, the 10-year Treasury yield climbed to nearly 4.5% Wednesday morning. It was at 4.36% in afternoon trading Thursday following the White House’s decision to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-stock-market-china-recession-deals-e8e54a68397e6829e1d27552a1d7bfb9">temporarily pause the new tariffs</a>&nbsp;on most nations, even while&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-response-us-tariffs-104-d40d497f6e07ee4163d88443cb75ab3f">increasing import taxes on China.</a>The latest drop in mortgage rates partially reflects the bond market’s uncertainty over the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again tariff policy, which is likely to keep mortgage rates volatile, said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist at Bright MLS.“All of the uncertainty in the economy and in the mortgage market is making it difficult for prospective homebuyers to know what to do,” she said. “Should they buy now or wait until later this year and hope that rates will come down further?”Recent forecasts by housing economists generally called for the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain around 6.5% this year.The U.S. housing market has been in a sales slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to their&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-b7645724538b7a860c1d739e8b05380d">lowest level in nearly 30 years</a>.Easing mortgage rates and more homes on the market nationally&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/housing-home-sales-real-estate-home-prices-6b0a5692ad279ee25f106fde04656713">helped drive sales higher in February from the previous month</a>, though they were down year-over-year.Still, home shoppers who can afford to buy at current mortgage rates may benefit from more buyer-friendly trends this&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/real-estate-housing-mortgage-rates-home-prices-c845172a7bcb8b5866dc4802361caf9e">spring homebuying season</a>, including a sharp increase in home listings and lower asking prices in some metro areas.

Average rate on a 30-year mortgage is down for 3rd consecutive week

ATLANTA (AP) — The U.S. House on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-save-act-citizenship-voting-elections-a37c139461d11eb5f82086680b67ffe7">approved legislation</a>&nbsp;requiring documentary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-congress-citizenship-voter-id-republicans-88342cf09d01b0555851aa3d64c45432">proof of U.S. citizenship</a>&nbsp;for anyone registering to vote, something voting rights group have warned could disenfranchise millions of Americans.

The requirement has been a top election-related&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-elections-trump-executive-order-4e9edb53f47e61e241a43ceef8164022">priority for President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and House Republicans, who argue it’s needed to eliminate instances of noncitizen voting, which is already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">rare</a>&nbsp;and, as numerous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizen-voting-republicans-prosecutions-2024-election-ohio-ae9dafeeb47ea8941bf82f5988b269ef">state cases</a>&nbsp;have shown, is typically a mistake rather than part of a coordinated attempt to subvert an election. It’s already illegal under federal law for people who are not U.S. citizens to cast ballots and can lead to felony charges and deportation.

The bill, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-citizenship-voter-id-republicans-17c6e7877b7ba63a08b68a771c92da92">the SAVE Act</a>, now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain because Republicans don’t have a large enough majority to avoid a filibuster.

Here’s a look at key issues in the debate over a proof of citizenship requirement for voting:

Who would be affected if the bill becomes law?

If it eventually becomes the law, the SAVE Act would take effect immediately and apply to all voter registration applications.

“This has no impact on individuals that are currently registered to vote,” said Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who has been advocating for the bill.

Voting rights groups say there is more to the story. The law would affect voters who already are registered if they move, change their name or otherwise need to update their registration. That was acknowledged to some extent by the bill’s author, Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, during a recent hearing on the legislation.

“The idea here is that for individuals to be able to continue to vote if they are registered,” Roy said. “If they have an intervening event or if the states want to clean the rolls, people would come forward to register to demonstrate their citizenship so we could convert our system over some reasonable time to a citizenship-based registration system.”

What documents would be required to register?

The SAVE Act compels states to reject any voter registration application in which the applicant has not presented “documentary proof of United States citizenship.”

Among the acceptable documents for demonstrating proof of citizenship are:

— A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license that “indicates the applicant is a citizen.”

— A military ID card with a military record of service that lists the applicant’s birthplace as in the U.S.

— A valid government-issued photo ID that shows the applicant’s birthplace was in the U.S.

— A valid government-issued photo ID presented with a document such as a certified birth certificate that shows the birthplace was in the U.S.

What if my driver’s license doesn’t list my birthplace or indicate I’m a US citizen?

In general, driver’s licenses do not list a birthplace or indicate that the card holder is a citizen – even many that are REAL ID-compliant.

REAL ID was passed by Congress in 2005 to set minimum standards for IDs such as driver’s licenses and requires applicants to provide a Social Security number and demonstrate lawful status either as a citizen or legal resident.

After years of delays, any driver’s license used for identification to pass through airport security will have to be REAL ID-compliant beginning May 7. U.S. passports will still be acceptable.

Although states designate REAL ID compliance on driver’s licenses with a marking such as a gold or black star, that alone would not indicate U.S. citizenship. People who are legal residents but not citizens also can obtain a REAL ID.

States are currently not required to label IDs with a “citizen” mark, although a handful of states (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington) offer a citizen-only REAL ID alternative that might meet SAVE Act requirements. Republicans say they hope more states will move in the direction of IDs that indicate citizenship.

“The structure is put in place now to -- I think there’s at least five states that do have the citizenship status as part of the REAL ID -- encourage more states to do so,” Roy said. “That would be part of the goal here.”

Adoption of REAL ID has been slow. As of January 2024, about 56% of driver’s licenses and IDs in the U.S. were REAL ID-compliant, according to data collected by the Department of Homeland Security.

What about people who can’t access birth or marriage certificates?

Voting rights group say the list of documents doesn’t consider the realities facing millions of Americans who do not have easy access to their birth certificates and the roughly half who do not have a U.S. passport.

They also worry about additional hurdles for women whose birth certificates don’t match their current IDs because they changed their name after getting married. There were examples of this during local elections last month in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/save-act-voting-proof-citizenship-new-hampshire-5105986c3fc354d3d61ec3480b49c788">New Hampshire</a>, which recently implemented a proof of citizenship requirement for voting.

Republicans say there is a provision in the SAVE Act that directs states to develop a process for accepting supplemental documents such as a marriage certificate, which could establish the connection between a birth certificate and a government-issued ID.

They argue the process is similar to obtaining a U.S. passport or REAL ID-compliant driver’s license.

“We have mechanisms giving the state fairly significant deference to make determinations as to how to structure the situation where an individual does have a name change,” Roy said. “The process is specifically contemplated in this legislation.”

Democrats counter that the bill should have specified how this was to be done, rather than creating the potential to have 50 different rules.

The legislation says applicants who submit the federal voter registration form by mail must present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person to their local election office under a deadline set by their state.

Voting rights groups have noted this would be a huge barrier for people who live in more rural parts of the country, where the nearest election office might be hours away by car.

The SAVE Act directs states, in consultation with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, to ensure that “reasonable accommodations” are made to allow individuals with disabilities who submit the form to provide proof of citizenship to their election official.

The legislation also considers that some states permit same-day voter registration and says, in those cases, voters must present proof of citizenship at their polling location “not later than the date of the election.”

That would mean that people who do not have such proof with them would have to return with their documents before polls close to be registered and have their ballot counted.

It’s less clear what this means for those states that have online voter registration systems or automatic voter registration set up through their state’s motor vehicle agency. Democratic state election officials have raised concerns that the legislation means these processes would no longer be operational under the proposal.

The legislation says anyone registering through a state motor vehicle agency also is required to provide proof of citizenship. It directs the Election Assistance Commission to issue guidance to state election officials about implementing the law’s requirements.

Republicans say any instance of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">voting by noncitizens</a>, no matter how rare, is unacceptable and undermines confidence in U.S. elections.

Democrats respond by saying that voting by noncitizens is already illegal in federal elections —those for president and Congress — and penalties can result in fines and deportation. They say Congress should be more focused on helping states improve their ability to identify and remove any noncitizens who might end up on voter lists instead of forcing everyone to prove citizenship beforehand.

A recent review in Michigan identified 15 people who appear to be noncitizens who voted in the 2024 general election, out of more than 5.7 million ballots cast in the state. Of those, 13 were referred to the attorney general for potential criminal charges. One involved a voter who has since died, and the final case remains under investigation.

“Our careful review confirms what we already knew – that this illegal activity is very rare,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. “While we take all violations of election law very seriously, this tiny fraction of potential cases in Michigan and at the national level do not justify recent efforts to pass laws we know would block tens of thousands of Michigan citizens from voting in future elections.”

ATLANTA (AP) — The U.S. House on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-save-act-citizenship-voting-elections-a37c139461d11eb5f82086680b67ffe7">approved legislation</a>&nbsp;requiring documentary&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-congress-citizenship-voter-id-republicans-88342cf09d01b0555851aa3d64c45432">proof of U.S. citizenship</a>&nbsp;for anyone registering to vote, something voting rights group have warned could disenfranchise millions of Americans.The requirement has been a top election-related&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-elections-trump-executive-order-4e9edb53f47e61e241a43ceef8164022">priority for President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;and House Republicans, who argue it’s needed to eliminate instances of noncitizen voting, which is already&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">rare</a>&nbsp;and, as numerous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizen-voting-republicans-prosecutions-2024-election-ohio-ae9dafeeb47ea8941bf82f5988b269ef">state cases</a>&nbsp;have shown, is typically a mistake rather than part of a coordinated attempt to subvert an election. It’s already illegal under federal law for people who are not U.S. citizens to cast ballots and can lead to felony charges and deportation.The bill, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-elections-citizenship-voter-id-republicans-17c6e7877b7ba63a08b68a771c92da92">the SAVE Act</a>, now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain because Republicans don’t have a large enough majority to avoid a filibuster.Here’s a look at key issues in the debate over a proof of citizenship requirement for voting:<h2>Who would be affected if the bill becomes law?</h2>If it eventually becomes the law, the SAVE Act would take effect immediately and apply to all voter registration applications.“This has no impact on individuals that are currently registered to vote,” said Rep. Bryan Steil, a Wisconsin Republican who has been advocating for the bill.Voting rights groups say there is more to the story. The law would affect voters who already are registered if they move, change their name or otherwise need to update their registration. That was acknowledged to some extent by the bill’s author, Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, during a recent hearing on the legislation.“The idea here is that for individuals to be able to continue to vote if they are registered,” Roy said. “If they have an intervening event or if the states want to clean the rolls, people would come forward to register to demonstrate their citizenship so we could convert our system over some reasonable time to a citizenship-based registration system.”<h2>What documents would be required to register?</h2>The SAVE Act compels states to reject any voter registration application in which the applicant has not presented “documentary proof of United States citizenship.”Among the acceptable documents for demonstrating proof of citizenship are:— A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license that “indicates the applicant is a citizen.”— A valid U.S. passport.— A military ID card with a military record of service that lists the applicant’s birthplace as in the U.S.— A valid government-issued photo ID that shows the applicant’s birthplace was in the U.S.— A valid government-issued photo ID presented with a document such as a certified birth certificate that shows the birthplace was in the U.S.<h2>What if my driver’s license doesn’t list my birthplace or indicate I’m a US citizen?</h2>In general, driver’s licenses do not list a birthplace or indicate that the card holder is a citizen – even many that are REAL ID-compliant.REAL ID was passed by Congress in 2005 to set minimum standards for IDs such as driver’s licenses and requires applicants to provide a Social Security number and demonstrate lawful status either as a citizen or legal resident.After years of delays, any driver’s license used for identification to pass through airport security will have to be REAL ID-compliant beginning May 7. U.S. passports will still be acceptable.Although states designate REAL ID compliance on driver’s licenses with a marking such as a gold or black star, that alone would not indicate U.S. citizenship. People who are legal residents but not citizens also can obtain a REAL ID.States are currently not required to label IDs with a “citizen” mark, although a handful of states (Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington) offer a citizen-only REAL ID alternative that might meet SAVE Act requirements. Republicans say they hope more states will move in the direction of IDs that indicate citizenship.“The structure is put in place now to -- I think there’s at least five states that do have the citizenship status as part of the REAL ID -- encourage more states to do so,” Roy said. “That would be part of the goal here.”Adoption of REAL ID has been slow. As of January 2024, about 56% of driver’s licenses and IDs in the U.S. were REAL ID-compliant, according to data collected by the Department of Homeland Security.<h2>What about people who can’t access birth or marriage certificates?</h2>Voting rights group say the list of documents doesn’t consider the realities facing millions of Americans who do not have easy access to their birth certificates and the roughly half who do not have a U.S. passport.They also worry about additional hurdles for women whose birth certificates don’t match their current IDs because they changed their name after getting married. There were examples of this during local elections last month in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/save-act-voting-proof-citizenship-new-hampshire-5105986c3fc354d3d61ec3480b49c788">New Hampshire</a>, which recently implemented a proof of citizenship requirement for voting.Republicans say there is a provision in the SAVE Act that directs states to develop a process for accepting supplemental documents such as a marriage certificate, which could establish the connection between a birth certificate and a government-issued ID.They argue the process is similar to obtaining a U.S. passport or REAL ID-compliant driver’s license.“We have mechanisms giving the state fairly significant deference to make determinations as to how to structure the situation where an individual does have a name change,” Roy said. “The process is specifically contemplated in this legislation.”Democrats counter that the bill should have specified how this was to be done, rather than creating the potential to have 50 different rules.<h2>How do people submit their documents?</h2>The legislation says applicants who submit the federal voter registration form by mail must present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in person to their local election office under a deadline set by their state.Voting rights groups have noted this would be a huge barrier for people who live in more rural parts of the country, where the nearest election office might be hours away by car.The SAVE Act directs states, in consultation with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, to ensure that “reasonable accommodations” are made to allow individuals with disabilities who submit the form to provide proof of citizenship to their election official.The legislation also considers that some states permit same-day voter registration and says, in those cases, voters must present proof of citizenship at their polling location “not later than the date of the election.”That would mean that people who do not have such proof with them would have to return with their documents before polls close to be registered and have their ballot counted.It’s less clear what this means for those states that have online voter registration systems or automatic voter registration set up through their state’s motor vehicle agency. Democratic state election officials have raised concerns that the legislation means these processes would no longer be operational under the proposal.The legislation says anyone registering through a state motor vehicle agency also is required to provide proof of citizenship. It directs the Election Assistance Commission to issue guidance to state election officials about implementing the law’s requirements.<h2>Why did Republicans bring this up?</h2>Republicans say any instance of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/noncitizens-voting-republicans-election-2024-immigration-09b86e6768f755fd875f3c51b0e8ea70">voting by noncitizens</a>, no matter how rare, is unacceptable and undermines confidence in U.S. elections.Democrats respond by saying that voting by noncitizens is already illegal in federal elections —those for president and Congress — and penalties can result in fines and deportation. They say Congress should be more focused on helping states improve their ability to identify and remove any noncitizens who might end up on voter lists instead of forcing everyone to prove citizenship beforehand.A recent review in Michigan identified 15 people who appear to be noncitizens who voted in the 2024 general election, out of more than 5.7 million ballots cast in the state. Of those, 13 were referred to the attorney general for potential criminal charges. One involved a voter who has since died, and the final case remains under investigation.“Our careful review confirms what we already knew – that this illegal activity is very rare,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said in a statement. “While we take all violations of election law very seriously, this tiny fraction of potential cases in Michigan and at the national level do not justify recent efforts to pass laws we know would block tens of thousands of Michigan citizens from voting in future elections.”

What House requirement to prove US citizenship to vote includes

SEDGWICK COUNTY –The Wichita Police Department has arrested a 50-year-old woman for Aggravated Child Endangerment, stemming from the shooting investigation of a 4-year-old girl.

Just before 2p.m. Friday, police responded to the 2500 block of E. Harry in Wichita following reports of a shooting, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.

First responders a 4-year-old girl who had sustained a single gunshot wound to her lower torso. She was immediately transported to a local hospital and was still in critical condition early Saturday, according to Gupilan.

After preliminary investigation, it was found that the child's guardian, identified in Sedgwick County booking records as Ana Rosa Sorto, left a firearm unsecured, allowing the child to access it, resulting in the child unintentionally shooting themselves.

 This remains an active investigation. The case will be presented to the District Attorney for formal charges.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744469792810.png" alt="Sorto photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Sorto photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY –The Wichita Police Department has arrested a 50-year-old woman for Aggravated Child Endangerment, stemming from the shooting investigation of a 4-year-old girl.Just before 2p.m. Friday, police responded to the 2500 block of E. Harry in Wichita following reports of a shooting, according to Officer Kris Gupilan.First responders a 4-year-old girl who had sustained a single gunshot wound to her lower torso. She was immediately transported to a local hospital and was still in critical condition early Saturday, according to Gupilan.After preliminary investigation, it was found that the child's guardian, identified in Sedgwick County booking records as Ana Rosa Sorto, left a firearm unsecured, allowing the child to access it, resulting in the child unintentionally shooting themselves. This remains an active investigation. The case will be presented to the District Attorney for formal charges.

Police make arrest in accidental shooting of 4-year-old Kan. girl

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/will-weissert">WILL WEISSERT</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/fatima-hussein">FATIMA HUSSEIN</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has moved to classify more than 6,000 living immigrants as dead, canceling their Social Security numbers and effectively wiping out their ability to work or receive benefits in an effort to get them to leave the country, according to two people familiar with the situation.

The move will make it much harder for those affected to use banks or other basic services where Social Security numbers are required. It’s part of a broader effort by President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-crackdown-trump-everify-8776045494550675c02736152d7c3992">crack down on immigrants</a>&nbsp;who were allowed to enter and remain temporarily in the United States under programs instituted by his predecessor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.

The Trump administration is moving the immigrants’ names and legally obtained Social Security numbers to a database that federal officials normally use to track the deceased, according to the two people familiar with the moves and their ramifications. They spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday night because the plans had not yet been publicly detailed.

The officials said stripping the immigrants of their Social Security numbers will cut them off from many financial services and encourage them to “self-deport” and abandon the U.S. for their birth countries.

It wasn’t immediately clear how the 6,000-plus immigrants were chosen. But the Trump White House has targeted people in the country temporarily under Biden-era programs, including more than 900,000 immigrants who entered the U.S. using that administration’s CBP One app.

On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the legal status of the immigrants who used that app. They had generally been allowed to remain in the U.S. for two years with work authorization under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-humanitarian-parole-chnv-trump-biden-deportation-bdb62fd4883252b81b4cb3122dc57301">presidential parole</a>&nbsp;authority during the Biden era, but are now expected to self-deport.

Meanwhile, a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-venezuelans-tps-federal-judge-d4044f1fc7cb69985add060aeaae8731">said Thursday that she was stopping</a>&nbsp;the Trump administration from ordering hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-humanitarian-parole-china-haiti-nicaragua-venezuela-c10f422939934cf8d1cf8a6f4dfc4610">thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans</a>&nbsp;with temporary legal status to leave the country later this month.

A representative from the Social Security Administration did not respond to a request for comment on the news that living immigrants were being classified as dead. The agency maintains the most complete federal database of individuals who have died, and the file contains more than 142 million records, which go back to 1899.

The Privacy Act allows the Social Security Administration to disclose information to law enforcement in limited circumstances, which includes when a violent crime has been committed or other criminal activity.

DHS and the Treasury Deprartment signed a deal this week that would allow the IRS to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S. The agreement will allow ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.

The acting IRS commissioner, Melanie Krause, who had served in that capacity since February,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-ice-immigration-enforcement-trump-d2ac6f7ac0a1f60e907cd3b52d0db34d">stepped down over that deal</a>.

In March, meanwhile, a federal judge temporarily blocked a team charged with cutting federal jobs and shrinking the government led by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-b21b74f56f30012a6450a629e7232a1a">Social Security</a>&nbsp;systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans, calling their work there a “fishing expedition.”

Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, an advocacy group that has challenged various Trump administration efforts in court, said her organization would likely sue over the Social Security numbers as well, once more details become available.

“This President continues to engage in lawless behavior, violating the law and abusing our systems of checks and balances,” Perryman said.

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/will-weissert">WILL WEISSERT</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/fatima-hussein">FATIMA HUSSEIN</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has moved to classify more than 6,000 living immigrants as dead, canceling their Social Security numbers and effectively wiping out their ability to work or receive benefits in an effort to get them to leave the country, according to two people familiar with the situation.The move will make it much harder for those affected to use banks or other basic services where Social Security numbers are required. It’s part of a broader effort by President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-crackdown-trump-everify-8776045494550675c02736152d7c3992">crack down on immigrants</a>&nbsp;who were allowed to enter and remain temporarily in the United States under programs instituted by his predecessor,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>.The Trump administration is moving the immigrants’ names and legally obtained Social Security numbers to a database that federal officials normally use to track the deceased, according to the two people familiar with the moves and their ramifications. They spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday night because the plans had not yet been publicly detailed.The officials said stripping the immigrants of their Social Security numbers will cut them off from many financial services and encourage them to “self-deport” and abandon the U.S. for their birth countries.It wasn’t immediately clear how the 6,000-plus immigrants were chosen. But the Trump White House has targeted people in the country temporarily under Biden-era programs, including more than 900,000 immigrants who entered the U.S. using that administration’s CBP One app.On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security revoked the legal status of the immigrants who used that app. They had generally been allowed to remain in the U.S. for two years with work authorization under&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-humanitarian-parole-chnv-trump-biden-deportation-bdb62fd4883252b81b4cb3122dc57301">presidential parole</a>&nbsp;authority during the Biden era, but are now expected to self-deport.Meanwhile, a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-administration-venezuelans-tps-federal-judge-d4044f1fc7cb69985add060aeaae8731">said Thursday that she was stopping</a>&nbsp;the Trump administration from ordering hundreds of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-humanitarian-parole-china-haiti-nicaragua-venezuela-c10f422939934cf8d1cf8a6f4dfc4610">thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans</a>&nbsp;with temporary legal status to leave the country later this month.A representative from the Social Security Administration did not respond to a request for comment on the news that living immigrants were being classified as dead. The agency maintains the most complete federal database of individuals who have died, and the file contains more than 142 million records, which go back to 1899.The Privacy Act allows the Social Security Administration to disclose information to law enforcement in limited circumstances, which includes when a violent crime has been committed or other criminal activity.DHS and the Treasury Deprartment signed a deal this week that would allow the IRS to share immigrants’ tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S. The agreement will allow ICE to submit names and addresses of immigrants inside the U.S. illegally to the IRS for cross-verification against tax records.The acting IRS commissioner, Melanie Krause, who had served in that capacity since February,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-ice-immigration-enforcement-trump-d2ac6f7ac0a1f60e907cd3b52d0db34d">stepped down over that deal</a>.In March, meanwhile, a federal judge temporarily blocked a team charged with cutting federal jobs and shrinking the government led by billionaire&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a>&nbsp;from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elon-musk-donald-trump-doge-b21b74f56f30012a6450a629e7232a1a">Social Security</a>&nbsp;systems that hold personal data on millions of Americans, calling their work there a “fishing expedition.”Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, an advocacy group that has challenged various Trump administration efforts in court, said her organization would likely sue over the Social Security numbers as well, once more details become available.“This President continues to engage in lawless behavior, violating the law and abusing our systems of checks and balances,” Perryman said.

Social Security lists thousands of living immigrants as dead to prompt them to leave

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The House and Senate moved forward this week to create a new Kansas Office of Early Childhood, merging three departments that govern child care in the state, while loosening regulations for child care providers and providing an opt-out for required child vaccinations.

Both chambers passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2045/" target="_blank">House Bill 2045</a>, sending the legislation on to Gov. Laura Kelly for her approval.

“This bipartisan legislation is a win for businesses, child care providers and most importantly, Kansas children and families,” Kelly said in a statement. “Now, our early childhood system will no longer be bogged down by inefficiencies and bureaucratic red tape. I look forward to signing House Bill 2045 as we streamline access to high-quality early childhood services and make Kansas the premier place to raise a family.”

The bill’s passage came over objections from several lawmakers about the lack of a fiscal note and opportunity to debate.

Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Eudora Republican, said the bill was the result of three years’ worth of work to put governance of private child care under one umbrella.

“We had licensing under the Department of Education, we had funding under DCF, we had the Children’s Cabinet,” she said. “So the idea was to create the Office of Early Childhood and have a director in that office, overseeing three subdivisions.”

The bill also looks at child care regulations, making changes to allow fewer education requirements for some workers in a child care facility and changing ratios of the number of adults to children, Gossage said.

The bill also changes vaccination requirements, allowing a child’s guardian to avoid the immunization requirements if they provide a signed written statement that immunizations violate sincerely held religious beliefs.

Several legislators raised concerns that such a significant change as adding a new department was coming before the Legislature in a conference committee report, which is negotiated by representatives from both the House and Senate and can’t be amended by either chamber. Sen. Doug Shane, a Louisburg Republican, said he thinks the 63-page bill should be debated in front of the Senate.

“I really appreciate and agree with a lot of changes that are brought forth in the bill, including trying to decouple child care from burdensome regulations, but I’m concerned without thoroughly vetting this and with the creation of a new agency that we set ourselves up for long-term challenges,” he said. “Echoing the famous words of Ronald Reagan, &nbsp;it feels a little bit like we’re from the government and we’re here to help, which is probably what created our child care crisis to begin with.”

In the House, Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Hays Republican, raised concerns about the bill’s fiscal note, or lack thereof.

“It starts a whole new agency, which means more full-time employees, which means more money to the Children’s Cabinet. It means starting a whole new preschool area involved with child care in the school district,” she said. “I think this is a good bill with some bad changes.”

Rep. Susan Ruiz, D-Shawnee, assured the House that consolidating departments under the new banner of an Early Childhood Office doesn’t necessarily mean new costs, but some representatives remained unconvinced.

“I just cannot support something where we don’t know how it is going to affect us financially,” said Rep. Carrie Barth, R-Baldwin City.

Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, argued that the changes to child care regulations are much needed.

“I had a lot of the same concerns that you all do, but over time we worked through it and we think this is a good bill,” he said. “It’s going to open up thousands of slots for day care. One of the No. 1 reasons people are not in the workforce is because they can’t find day care for their children. This goes a long way in solving that problem.”

The bill passed the Senate 30-10 and the House 99-23.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744460954796.png" alt=" Sen. Beverly Gossage spoke this week about the importance of creating a new department, the Kansas Early Childhood Office, to get all child-care governance under one umbrella. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Sen. Beverly Gossage spoke this week about the importance of creating a new department, the Kansas Early Childhood Office, to get all child-care governance under one umbrella. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The House and Senate moved forward this week to create a new Kansas Office of Early Childhood, merging three departments that govern child care in the state, while loosening regulations for child care providers and providing an opt-out for required child vaccinations.Both chambers passed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2045/" target="_blank">House Bill 2045</a>, sending the legislation on to Gov. Laura Kelly for her approval.“This bipartisan legislation is a win for businesses, child care providers and most importantly, Kansas children and families,” Kelly said in a statement. “Now, our early childhood system will no longer be bogged down by inefficiencies and bureaucratic red tape. I look forward to signing House Bill 2045 as we streamline access to high-quality early childhood services and make Kansas the premier place to raise a family.”The bill’s passage came over objections from several lawmakers about the lack of a fiscal note and opportunity to debate.Sen. Beverly Gossage, a Eudora Republican, said the bill was the result of three years’ worth of work to put governance of private child care under one umbrella.“We had licensing under the Department of Education, we had funding under DCF, we had the Children’s Cabinet,” she said. “So the idea was to create the Office of Early Childhood and have a director in that office, overseeing three subdivisions.”The bill also looks at child care regulations, making changes to allow fewer education requirements for some workers in a child care facility and changing ratios of the number of adults to children, Gossage said.The bill also changes vaccination requirements, allowing a child’s guardian to avoid the immunization requirements if they provide a signed written statement that immunizations violate sincerely held religious beliefs.Several legislators raised concerns that such a significant change as adding a new department was coming before the Legislature in a conference committee report, which is negotiated by representatives from both the House and Senate and can’t be amended by either chamber. Sen. Doug Shane, a Louisburg Republican, said he thinks the 63-page bill should be debated in front of the Senate.“I really appreciate and agree with a lot of changes that are brought forth in the bill, including trying to decouple child care from burdensome regulations, but I’m concerned without thoroughly vetting this and with the creation of a new agency that we set ourselves up for long-term challenges,” he said. “Echoing the famous words of Ronald Reagan, &nbsp;it feels a little bit like we’re from the government and we’re here to help, which is probably what created our child care crisis to begin with.”In the House, Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Hays Republican, raised concerns about the bill’s fiscal note, or lack thereof.“It starts a whole new agency, which means more full-time employees, which means more money to the Children’s Cabinet. It means starting a whole new preschool area involved with child care in the school district,” she said. “I think this is a good bill with some bad changes.”Rep. Susan Ruiz, D-Shawnee, assured the House that consolidating departments under the new banner of an Early Childhood Office doesn’t necessarily mean new costs, but some representatives remained unconvinced.“I just cannot support something where we don’t know how it is going to affect us financially,” said Rep. Carrie Barth, R-Baldwin City.Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, argued that the changes to child care regulations are much needed.“I had a lot of the same concerns that you all do, but over time we worked through it and we think this is a good bill,” he said. “It’s going to open up thousands of slots for day care. One of the No. 1 reasons people are not in the workforce is because they can’t find day care for their children. This goes a long way in solving that problem.”The bill passed the Senate 30-10 and the House 99-23.

Kansas lawmakers approve creation of new child care department, change regulations

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after he broke into a home in a Kansas City suburb.

Just after 11p.m. April 9, police responded to a burglary in progress at a residence near SE Ranson Road and SE 11th Street in Lee's Summit, according to a media release. As officers were arriving on scene the caller reported that they had located a prowler inside the home in a child’s bedroom and were physically detaining him. 

 Officers on scene quickly entered the home and took the man into custody without incident.  Investigation on scene would reveal that the suspect,&nbsp; later identified as&nbsp;42-year-old Robert M McDowell III &nbsp;had entered the home by breaking in a back door prior to being found in the child’s bedroom.

&nbsp;There were no injuries reported by the homeowner, the suspect reported minor injuries and was treated and released at a local hospital into police custody.&nbsp; Based on spontaneous statements by McDowell on scene, investigators obtained a search warrant for McDowell’s cell phone. 

 Investigators were also attempting to determine if the defendant was intoxicated or impaired during the incident. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged McDowell with Burglary 1st Degree and two counts of Possession of Child Pornography 1st Degree, with an $80,000.00 bond. The Lee’s Summit Police Department is working with providers to offer assistance resources to the victims.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744459997697.png" alt="McDowell photo Lee's Summit Police" />
 <figcaption>McDowell photo Lee's Summit Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after he broke into a home in a Kansas City suburb.Just after 11p.m. April 9, police responded to a burglary in progress at a residence near SE Ranson Road and SE 11th Street in Lee's Summit, according to a media release. As officers were arriving on scene the caller reported that they had located a prowler inside the home in a child’s bedroom and were physically detaining him. Officers on scene quickly entered the home and took the man into custody without incident. Investigation on scene would reveal that the suspect,&nbsp; later identified as&nbsp;42-year-old Robert M McDowell III &nbsp;had entered the home by breaking in a back door prior to being found in the child’s bedroom.&nbsp;There were no injuries reported by the homeowner, the suspect reported minor injuries and was treated and released at a local hospital into police custody.&nbsp; Based on spontaneous statements by McDowell on scene, investigators obtained a search warrant for McDowell’s cell phone. Investigators were also attempting to determine if the defendant was intoxicated or impaired during the incident. The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office charged McDowell with Burglary 1st Degree and two counts of Possession of Child Pornography 1st Degree, with an $80,000.00 bond. The Lee’s Summit Police Department is working with providers to offer assistance resources to the victims.

Burglary suspect caught in child's bedroom in KC suburb

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday urged Congress to "push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day" in his latest dig at the semiannual changing of clocks.

Trump, in a post on his Truth Social media network, said it would be "Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!"

The Republican president's position calling for more daylight would push the schedule forward, keeping the country on daylight saving time. His post came a day after a Senate panel heard testimony examining whether to set one time all year instead of shifting.

There has been growing interest in states to standardize daylight saving time in recent years.

But daylight saving time, when clocks are set from spring to fall one hour ahead of standard time, is still recognized in most parts of the country. It was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942.

Trump last year called for the Republican Party to eliminate daylight saving time, saying it was "inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation."

But he backed off that call last month, with another post on social media calling it a "50-50 issue."

The president said some people would like more light later in the day but some want more light early so they don't have to take their kids to school in the dark.

"When something's a 50-50 issue, it's hard to get excited about it," he said.

The Senate in 2022 unanimously approved a measure that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States, but it did not advance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744399764237.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By MICHELLE L. PRICE&nbsp;WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday urged Congress to "push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day" in his latest dig at the semiannual changing of clocks.Trump, in a post on his Truth Social media network, said it would be "Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!"The Republican president's position calling for more daylight would push the schedule forward, keeping the country on daylight saving time. His post came a day after a Senate panel heard testimony examining whether to set one time all year instead of shifting.There has been growing interest in states to standardize daylight saving time in recent years.But daylight saving time, when clocks are set from spring to fall one hour ahead of standard time, is still recognized in most parts of the country. It was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942.Trump last year called for the Republican Party to eliminate daylight saving time, saying it was "inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation."But he backed off that call last month, with another post on social media calling it a "50-50 issue."The president said some people would like more light later in the day but some want more light early so they don't have to take their kids to school in the dark."When something's a 50-50 issue, it's hard to get excited about it," he said.The Senate in 2022 unanimously approved a measure that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States, but it did not advance.

Trump wants Congress to stop the semiannual changing of clocks

WASHINGTON (AP) —Trump says he believes his physical went “well” but that the resulting medical report won’t be released until Sunday.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the weekend, Trump said he underwent “every test you can imagine.”

“I was there for a long time,” said Trump, who spent close to five hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington before the flight.

The president noted that doctors gave him “a little bit” of advice on changing his habits to improve his health. He also said he took a cognitive test and that he “got every answer right.”

“Overall, I felt I was in very good shape,” Trump said. “A good heart, a good soul, a very good soul.”

WASHINGTON (AP) —Trump says he believes his physical went “well” but that the resulting medical report won’t be released until Sunday.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on his annual physical at Walter Reed: &quot;I think I did well... I felt I was in very good shape — good heart, a good soul... I wanted to be a little different than Biden. I took a cognitive test, and I don&#39;t know what to tell you other than I got every answer right.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/GYJisB1xxV">pic.twitter.com/GYJisB1xxV</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1910859248520606014?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Florida for the weekend, Trump said he underwent “every test you can imagine.”“I was there for a long time,” said Trump, who spent close to five hours at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington before the flight.The president noted that doctors gave him “a little bit” of advice on changing his habits to improve his health. He also said he took a cognitive test and that he “got every answer right.”“Overall, I felt I was in very good shape,” Trump said. “A good heart, a good soul, a very good soul.”

🎥President Trump says his annual physical went well

SHAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man is in custody following a stolen vehicle investigation in Shawnee County.

On Thursday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division received information regarding someone attempting to sell a stolen vehicle on Facebook Marketplace, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The Sheriff’s Proactive Operational Response Ream (S.P.O.R.T.) was activated immediately.&nbsp; They determined a location for the seller and vehicle.

Just before 1 p.m. near NW Lower Silver Lake Road and NW Brickyard Road, deputies located a red Chevrolet Corvette that was reported stolen out of Olathe, Kansas. Deputies also found a stolen firearm out of Johnson County.

Cooper E. Rash, 19, of Lecompton, Kan., was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Possession of stolen property: firearm with value less than $25,000; Possession of stolen property; value $25,000 to $100,000.

Rash also had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest out of Shawnee County.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744374212055.png" alt="Rash photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Rash photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man is in custody following a stolen vehicle investigation in Shawnee County.On Thursday, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division received information regarding someone attempting to sell a stolen vehicle on Facebook Marketplace, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. The Sheriff’s Proactive Operational Response Ream (S.P.O.R.T.) was activated immediately.&nbsp; They determined a location for the seller and vehicle.Just before 1 p.m. near NW Lower Silver Lake Road and NW Brickyard Road, deputies located a red Chevrolet Corvette that was reported stolen out of Olathe, Kansas. Deputies also found a stolen firearm out of Johnson County.Cooper E. Rash, 19, of Lecompton, Kan., was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges Possession of stolen property: firearm with value less than $25,000; Possession of stolen property; value $25,000 to $100,000.Rash also had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest out of Shawnee County.

Sheriff: Kan. teen tried to sell stolen car on Facebook Marketplace

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A firing squad on Friday executed a South Carolina man who killed an off-duty police officer, the second time the rare execution method has been used by the state in the past five weeks.

Mikal Mahdi gave no final statement and did not look to his right toward the nine witnesses in the room behind bulletproof glass and bars once the curtain opened.

He cried out as the shots hit him, and his arms flexed. A white target with the red bull’s-eye over Mahdi’s heart was pushed into the wound in his chest.

He groaned two more times about 45 seconds after that. His breaths continued for about 80 seconds before he appeared to take one final gasp.

A doctor checked him for a little over a minute before declaring him dead at 6:05 p.m. He died less than four minutes after the shots were fired.

Mahdi, 42, chose to die by three bullets to the heart instead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-south-carolina-lethal-injection-418b9f5ef6e5e4257458fab60b2df3c5">lethal injection</a>&nbsp;or the electric chair. On March 7,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-sigmond-c998f11ecd3fcbf117d55b682ce3604a">Brad Sigmon</a>&nbsp;was executed in the first U.S. firing squad death in 15 years and only the fourth since 1976. The others all occurred in Utah.

The firing squad is an execution method with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-death-penalty-south-carolina-sigmon-05000e874b12bb67c00832c2230f42c8">long and violent history</a>&nbsp;around the world. It has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.

But South Carolina lawmakers saw it as the quickest and most humane way to kill an inmate, especially with the uncertainty in obtaining lethal injection drugs. Three volunteers fired the bullets that killed Mahdi.

Mahdi is the fifth inmate executed by South Carolina in less than eight months as the state makes its way through prisoners who ran out of appeals during an unintended 13-year pause on executions in the state.

Mahdi's is the 12th execution in the U.S. this year. Twenty-five prisoners in nine states were killed in all of 2024.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-execution-demetrius-frazier-nitrogen-gas-e1b391e1e157f2815be1baa248737778">Alabama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-louisiana-nitrogen-eb5e7e61ff0875dc7b68664b42b6e980">Louisiana</a>&nbsp;have killed inmates by nitrogen gas.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michael-tanzi-execution-janet-acosta-miami-herald-1a7dc19703a57df9a48b1e5ebd391ecb">Florida</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-execution-lethal-injection-wendell-grissom-8dc3a6b8e0fc412dbb4d610e15020dc0">Oklahoma</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://e415c25a244be5a82ce0ee586990244e/">Arizona</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ed88e415f3f6e786ecc62639f1036ef6/">Texas</a>&nbsp;have executed men by lethal injection, while South Carolina has used both the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-sigmond-c998f11ecd3fcbf117d55b682ce3604a">firing squad</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-marion-bowman-lethal-injection-6ea9748c15f815e01249b6d706b0fb7e">lethal injection</a>.

Mahdi admitted he killed Orangeburg Public Safety officer James Myers in 2004, shooting him at least eight times before burning his body. Myers’ wife found him in the couple's Calhoun County shed, which had been the backdrop to their wedding 15 months earlier.

Myers’ shed was a short distance through the woods from a gas station where Mahdi tried but failed to buy gas with a stolen credit card and left behind a vehicle he had carjacked in Columbia. Mahdi was arrested in Florida while driving Myers’ unmarked police pickup truck.

Mahdi also admitted to the killing three days earlier of Christopher Boggs, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, convenience store clerk who was shot twice in the head as he checked Mahdi’s ID. Mahdi was sentenced to life in prison for that killing.

Mahdi's final appeal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-firing-squad-execution-mikal-mahdi-2c470315f60ccef35bc702f9551d2b29">was rejected</a>&nbsp;this week by both the U.S. and South Carolina Supreme Courts. His lawyers said Mahdi's original attorneys put on a shallow case trying to spare his life that didn’t call on relatives, teachers or others who knew him and ignored the impact of months spent in solitary confinement in prison as a teen.

The defense’s case to spare Mahdi’s life before a judge lasted only about 30 minutes. It “didn’t even span the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-mikal-mahdi-b53aa588397b4664a63ba09d44cea5e4">length of a Law &amp; Order episode</a>, and was just as superficial,” Mahdi’s lawyers wrote.

Mahdi's earliest memory was his father slamming his mother through a glass table and later lying to his son and saying his mother was dead. Mahdi's father pulled him out of school in fifth grade when officials suggested he needed behavioral help, defense lawyers said.

Prosecutors said Mahdi constantly used brutality to solve his problems. As a death row prisoner, he stabbed a guard and hit another worker with a concrete block. Mahdi was caught three times with tools he could have used to escape, including a piece of sharpened metal that could be used as a knife, according to prison records.

“The nature of the man is violence,” prosecutors wrote.

Mahdi's death is the end of a busy time in South Carolina's death chamber. He is the fifth inmate killed since September after the state had not had any executions since 2011. No other inmates are out of appeals but several are close.

The state was able to restart executions after lawmakers allowed the firing squad and passed a bill allowing suppliers of the pentobarbital to remain secret, along with the exact procedures used to kill inmates and the names of prison employees on execution teams, including the firing squad shooters.

Along with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-sigmond-c998f11ecd3fcbf117d55b682ce3604a">Sigmon's firing squad</a>&nbsp;death last month, three other South Carolina prisoners have been executed via lethal injection since September.

South Carolina now has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doc.sc.gov/sites/doc/files/Documents/news/death-row-report.pdf">28 inmates</a>&nbsp;on its death row. Just one man has been sentenced to death in the past decade.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744411159926.png" alt="Mahdi photo South Carolina Dept. of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Mahdi photo South Carolina Dept. of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A firing squad on Friday executed a South Carolina man who killed an off-duty police officer, the second time the rare execution method has been used by the state in the past five weeks.Mikal Mahdi gave no final statement and did not look to his right toward the nine witnesses in the room behind bulletproof glass and bars once the curtain opened.He cried out as the shots hit him, and his arms flexed. A white target with the red bull’s-eye over Mahdi’s heart was pushed into the wound in his chest.He groaned two more times about 45 seconds after that. His breaths continued for about 80 seconds before he appeared to take one final gasp.A doctor checked him for a little over a minute before declaring him dead at 6:05 p.m. He died less than four minutes after the shots were fired.Mahdi, 42, chose to die by three bullets to the heart instead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/death-penalty-south-carolina-lethal-injection-418b9f5ef6e5e4257458fab60b2df3c5">lethal injection</a>&nbsp;or the electric chair. On March 7,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-sigmond-c998f11ecd3fcbf117d55b682ce3604a">Brad Sigmon</a>&nbsp;was executed in the first U.S. firing squad death in 15 years and only the fourth since 1976. The others all occurred in Utah.The firing squad is an execution method with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-death-penalty-south-carolina-sigmon-05000e874b12bb67c00832c2230f42c8">long and violent history</a>&nbsp;around the world. It has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.But South Carolina lawmakers saw it as the quickest and most humane way to kill an inmate, especially with the uncertainty in obtaining lethal injection drugs. Three volunteers fired the bullets that killed Mahdi.Mahdi is the fifth inmate executed by South Carolina in less than eight months as the state makes its way through prisoners who ran out of appeals during an unintended 13-year pause on executions in the state.Mahdi's is the 12th execution in the U.S. this year. Twenty-five prisoners in nine states were killed in all of 2024.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alabama-execution-demetrius-frazier-nitrogen-gas-e1b391e1e157f2815be1baa248737778">Alabama</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/execution-louisiana-nitrogen-eb5e7e61ff0875dc7b68664b42b6e980">Louisiana</a>&nbsp;have killed inmates by nitrogen gas.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/michael-tanzi-execution-janet-acosta-miami-herald-1a7dc19703a57df9a48b1e5ebd391ecb">Florida</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-execution-lethal-injection-wendell-grissom-8dc3a6b8e0fc412dbb4d610e15020dc0">Oklahoma</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://e415c25a244be5a82ce0ee586990244e/">Arizona</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://ed88e415f3f6e786ecc62639f1036ef6/">Texas</a>&nbsp;have executed men by lethal injection, while South Carolina has used both the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-sigmond-c998f11ecd3fcbf117d55b682ce3604a">firing squad</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-marion-bowman-lethal-injection-6ea9748c15f815e01249b6d706b0fb7e">lethal injection</a>.<h2>The crime</h2>Mahdi admitted he killed Orangeburg Public Safety officer James Myers in 2004, shooting him at least eight times before burning his body. Myers’ wife found him in the couple's Calhoun County shed, which had been the backdrop to their wedding 15 months earlier.Myers’ shed was a short distance through the woods from a gas station where Mahdi tried but failed to buy gas with a stolen credit card and left behind a vehicle he had carjacked in Columbia. Mahdi was arrested in Florida while driving Myers’ unmarked police pickup truck.Mahdi also admitted to the killing three days earlier of Christopher Boggs, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, convenience store clerk who was shot twice in the head as he checked Mahdi’s ID. Mahdi was sentenced to life in prison for that killing.<h2>Final appeal</h2>Mahdi's final appeal&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-firing-squad-execution-mikal-mahdi-2c470315f60ccef35bc702f9551d2b29">was rejected</a>&nbsp;this week by both the U.S. and South Carolina Supreme Courts. His lawyers said Mahdi's original attorneys put on a shallow case trying to spare his life that didn’t call on relatives, teachers or others who knew him and ignored the impact of months spent in solitary confinement in prison as a teen.The defense’s case to spare Mahdi’s life before a judge lasted only about 30 minutes. It “didn’t even span the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/south-carolina-execution-mikal-mahdi-b53aa588397b4664a63ba09d44cea5e4">length of a Law &amp; Order episode</a>, and was just as superficial,” Mahdi’s lawyers wrote.Mahdi's earliest memory was his father slamming his mother through a glass table and later lying to his son and saying his mother was dead. Mahdi's father pulled him out of school in fifth grade when officials suggested he needed behavioral help, defense lawyers said.Prosecutors said Mahdi constantly used brutality to solve his problems. As a death row prisoner, he stabbed a guard and hit another worker with a concrete block. Mahdi was caught three times with tools he could have used to escape, including a piece of sharpened metal that could be used as a knife, according to prison records.“The nature of the man is violence,” prosecutors wrote.<h2>Busy death chamber</h2>Mahdi's death is the end of a busy time in South Carolina's death chamber. He is the fifth inmate killed since September after the state had not had any executions since 2011. No other inmates are out of appeals but several are close.The state was able to restart executions after lawmakers allowed the firing squad and passed a bill allowing suppliers of the pentobarbital to remain secret, along with the exact procedures used to kill inmates and the names of prison employees on execution teams, including the firing squad shooters.Along with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/firing-squad-execution-south-carolina-sigmond-c998f11ecd3fcbf117d55b682ce3604a">Sigmon's firing squad</a>&nbsp;death last month, three other South Carolina prisoners have been executed via lethal injection since September.South Carolina now has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.doc.sc.gov/sites/doc/files/Documents/news/death-row-report.pdf">28 inmates</a>&nbsp;on its death row. Just one man has been sentenced to death in the past decade.

State executes killer of off-duty police officer by firing squad 

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Outcome preserves half budget veto overrides sought by Kansas Senate

TOPEKA — Three Republicans and three Democrats in the House dropped their opposition Friday to overriding Gov. Laura Kelly on 15 budget vetoes to meet the Senate halfway toward restoration of spending earmarks on the verge of being deleted from the appropriations bill.

Kelly got the ball rolling by making more than 30 line-item vetoes in Senate Bill 125 — the mega-budget bill that would keep state government running through the next fiscal year and featured a Christmas-tree assortment of expenditures sought by lobbyists and special-interest organizations. The Senate voted to reject all of Kelly’s budget vetoes, while the House pulled together a list of 15 priority vetoes it would consider overriding.

In a stunner Thursday, the GOP-led House rejected the scaled-down package and opened the door to sustaining each of the governor’s budget vetoes.

Rep. Charlette Esau, an Olathe Republican, was among GOP lawmakers who initially voted with Democrats to prevent the House from securing the two-thirds majority necessary to override the governor’s budget vetoes. She returned to the Capitol on Friday convinced she had made a mistake, and offered a motion to reconsider the House’s rejection of the 15-item list.

The House responded by voting 88-34 to accept the override package. The two-thirds majority in the House was reached after six lawmakers flipped their votes. Those changing positions were Democrats Barbara Ballard of Lawrence, Sydney Carlin of Manhattan and KC Ohaebosim of Wichita along with Republicans Brian Bergkamp of Wichita, Steve Huebert of Valley Center and Esau.

Rep. Brandon Woodard, the Democratic leader in the House, said he appreciated the bipartisan coalition that voted 82-42 on Thursday to block the budget overrides. He said he was disappointed advocates and lobbyists were able to convince lawmakers to change their votes.

“I am disappointed, though not surprised, by the overnight decision change to reconsider the motion to override the governor’s budget line-item vetoes,” Woodard said. “It is fiscally irresponsible to bundle these line items together and push them through under pressure from GOP leadership and outside special interests. The voices of Kansans — and the judgment of their elected representatives —should never be overshadowed by external political agendas.”

Rep. Brett Fairchild, a Republican from St. John, refused to change his vote against the 15-piece veto bundle in the House. He said there were individual vetoes that he’d enthusiastically vote to reverse, but he rejected the bundling of veto overrides. Traditionally, the House and Senate voted on vetoes one at a time.

“It sends a message to the governor that we don’t even want her to find waste and fraud in the budgets,” Fairchild said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1744402156155.jpeg" alt=" Lawrence Democratic Rep. Barbara Ballard, center in red, and Manhattan Democratic Rep. Sydney Carlin, seated left, were among House members who changed their "no" vote to "yes" on a package of 15 overrides of budget vetoes issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. On Friday, Ballard and Carlin joined four other House members in support of overrides requiring a two-thirds majority vote. The House agreed to override half the budget vetoes sought by the Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Lawrence Democratic Rep. Barbara Ballard, center in red, and Manhattan Democratic Rep. Sydney Carlin, seated left, were among House members who changed their "no" vote to "yes" on a package of 15 overrides of budget vetoes issued by Gov. Laura Kelly. On Friday, Ballard and Carlin joined four other House members in support of overrides requiring a two-thirds majority vote. The House agreed to override half the budget vetoes sought by the Senate. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a><h2>Outcome preserves half budget veto overrides sought by Kansas Senate</h2>TOPEKA — Three Republicans and three Democrats in the House dropped their opposition Friday to overriding Gov. Laura Kelly on 15 budget vetoes to meet the Senate halfway toward restoration of spending earmarks on the verge of being deleted from the appropriations bill.Kelly got the ball rolling by making more than 30 line-item vetoes in Senate Bill 125 — the mega-budget bill that would keep state government running through the next fiscal year and featured a Christmas-tree assortment of expenditures sought by lobbyists and special-interest organizations. The Senate voted to reject all of Kelly’s budget vetoes, while the House pulled together a list of 15 priority vetoes it would consider overriding.In a stunner Thursday, the GOP-led House rejected the scaled-down package and opened the door to sustaining each of the governor’s budget vetoes.Rep. Charlette Esau, an Olathe Republican, was among GOP lawmakers who initially voted with Democrats to prevent the House from securing the two-thirds majority necessary to override the governor’s budget vetoes. She returned to the Capitol on Friday convinced she had made a mistake, and offered a motion to reconsider the House’s rejection of the 15-item list.The House responded by voting 88-34 to accept the override package. The two-thirds majority in the House was reached after six lawmakers flipped their votes. Those changing positions were Democrats Barbara Ballard of Lawrence, Sydney Carlin of Manhattan and KC Ohaebosim of Wichita along with Republicans Brian Bergkamp of Wichita, Steve Huebert of Valley Center and Esau.Rep. Brandon Woodard, the Democratic leader in the House, said he appreciated the bipartisan coalition that voted 82-42 on Thursday to block the budget overrides. He said he was disappointed advocates and lobbyists were able to convince lawmakers to change their votes.“I am disappointed, though not surprised, by the overnight decision change to reconsider the motion to override the governor’s budget line-item vetoes,” Woodard said. “It is fiscally irresponsible to bundle these line items together and push them through under pressure from GOP leadership and outside special interests. The voices of Kansans — and the judgment of their elected representatives —should never be overshadowed by external political agendas.”Rep. Brett Fairchild, a Republican from St. John, refused to change his vote against the 15-piece veto bundle in the House. He said there were individual vetoes that he’d enthusiastically vote to reverse, but he rejected the bundling of veto overrides. Traditionally, the House and Senate voted on vetoes one at a time.“It sends a message to the governor that we don’t even want her to find waste and fraud in the budgets,” Fairchild said.<h2>Show me the money</h2>Esau said she was most concerned about loss of a $1 million earmarked for O’Connell Children’s Shelter in Lawrence, which works with children dealing with trauma and might be a risk to themselves or others. She said funding for the shelter could help children in the foster care system not ready to be placed with a family in a home.“They (families) don’t have the ability to handle kids that need to be in a specific location getting treatment,” Esau said.Kelly said she vetoed the appropriation because language in the bill allocating tax dollars to O’Connell created a no-bid contract that circumvented the state’s regular grant review process necessary to ensure “services provided are the bet quality at the best price.”The reversal of fortune in the House saved a $3 million appropriation to the “pregnancy compassion awareness program” advocated by Kansans for Life and other organizations opposed to abortion. The program, housed in the office of the state treasurer and previously referred to as the “pregnancy crisis” program, was authorized as an alternative to traditional health clinics or family-planning centers. The governor’s veto message said she viewed the Legislature’s decision to place the program in the office of the state treasurer as “inappropriate and simply politically motivated.”“There is no guarantee this funding is going to be directed to expenditures for moms and babies. It more or less has no strings attached,” said Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, D-Lenexa.The Legislature’s work on veto overrides preserved bonding authority for construction of a $130 million veterinary diagnostic laboratory on the campus of Kansas State University. It restored $500,000 for unmanned aircraft research at Wichita State University and $500,000 for aviation research at the Salina campus of Kansas State.The package retained a mandate championed by Sen. Virgil Peck, R-Havana, to assess a monthly rental fee of $1 per square foot for office space used by journalists in the Capitol. The Kansas Reflector wasn’t assigned office space at the statehouse, but rents private office space in Topeka. Kelly had vetoed the rental fee and recommended the Legislature “look for ways to make the lawmaking process more transparent.”<h2>‘Highly inefficient’</h2>The Legislature overrode Kelly’s veto of a provision that forbid the Kansas Lottery from negotiating on contract renewals with casinos operating sports gambling in Kansas. Veto action of legislators allocated $1.5 million to a new program in the state treasurer’s office to attract talented workers to the state. The maneuver defunded a comparable Kansas Department of Commerce program known as “Love, Kansas,” touted by Lt. Gov. David Toland.“It is highly inefficient to create a new, unvetted program with no guardrails in an agency that has nothing to do with workforce development or talent attraction,” Kelly said.In addition, the override included a requirement the Kansas Arts Commission dedicate 60% of grants to counties with a population of less than 85,000 people.Work of the Legislature retained a double-appropriation to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment of $250,000 and $96,000 for prevention of tuberculosis. Lawmakers held onto allocation of $263,000 to various Kansas health facilities for cerebral palsy research. Also, the votes reversed Kelly’s veto of $375,000 for interpreter services for individuals who were deaf or had hearing challenges.The voting resulted in preservation of a provision that directed the Kansas Highway Patrol to collaborate with a third-party entity to build an aviation hangar in Wichita that would be leased to KHP. Originally, KPH requested funding to buy a hangar. Kelly said she vetoed it because a lease would cost the state more in the long run.Voting by the House and Senate kept in place an estimated $2 million that would be spent to purchase software that would diagram school buildings in preparation for emergency calls to law enforcement officers. The governor said she vetoed the expenditure because the state’s 911 agency didn’t request the funding and reported that it didn’t have the personnel capacity to enact the program.Rep. John Carmichael, a Wichita Democrat who serves on the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council, said the earmark was the result of a lobbyist working to please clients that marketed the mapping software. He said the state was engaged in a pilot project to examine possible use of mapping technology, but that assessment wasn’t completed.“If you want to know how taxpayer money gets wasted and how budgets get inflated, here’s a prime example,” Carmichael said.