By COLE REIF Great Bend Post

The Great Bend City Council had their first public discussion about a city-wide surveillance camera system and license plate readers the police department is considering. Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark told the governing body at this week’s work session the project is designed to enhance policing capabilities. The license plate readers, located throughout town, would allow for alerts for stolen vehicles or vehicles driven by people suspected of being involved in criminal activities. "For example, it can search for a tag, all California state tags or all white trucks," said Haulmark. "It also notices vehicles with damage. If there was an accident, you can look for vehicles with damage. If it has driven through that camera area, you'd have it." The plate readers could be placed in police patrol cars or as static devices throughout the city. Haulmark said more than 10,000 vehicles travel across 10th Street, or Highway 56, each day. Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis said there are probably a lot of criminals that pass through the city every day. "We had a recent burglary case that was resolved, in large part, due to license plate readers from other states," said Francis. "They were able to track it through license plate readers." The city also discussed smart cameras positioned around town that would include face and vehicle recognition capabilities to help deter, track and solve crime. To get the project started, the city considered putting $50,000 towards the purchase and looking for grants and private funding. The city council was in consensus that the surveillance had value but to prioritize other city projects at the moment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654794040627.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By COLE REIF Great Bend PostThe Great Bend City Council had their first public discussion about a city-wide surveillance camera system and license plate readers the police department is considering. Great Bend Police Chief Steve Haulmark told the governing body at this week’s work session the project is designed to enhance policing capabilities. The license plate readers, located throughout town, would allow for alerts for stolen vehicles or vehicles driven by people suspected of being involved in criminal activities. "For example, it can search for a tag, all California state tags or all white trucks," said Haulmark. "It also notices vehicles with damage. If there was an accident, you can look for vehicles with damage. If it has driven through that camera area, you'd have it." The plate readers could be placed in police patrol cars or as static devices throughout the city. Haulmark said more than 10,000 vehicles travel across 10th Street, or Highway 56, each day. Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis said there are probably a lot of criminals that pass through the city every day. "We had a recent burglary case that was resolved, in large part, due to license plate readers from other states," said Francis. "They were able to track it through license plate readers." The city also discussed smart cameras positioned around town that would include face and vehicle recognition capabilities to help deter, track and solve crime. To get the project started, the city considered putting $50,000 towards the purchase and looking for grants and private funding. The city council was in consensus that the surveillance had value but to prioritize other city projects at the moment.

Great Bend discusses city-wide surveillance cameras

&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges in connection with the June 1, 2022, fatal shooting of Charles Bradham during a reported robbery, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.&nbsp;

Andrew Keyvon Young, 28, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Assault 1st Degree, Attempted Robbery, three counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

According to court records, Kansas City police were dispatched on June 1, to the 4500 block of Colonial Terrace in Kansas City on a reported shooting. 

Police located in the kitchen two beer bottles, one in the trash and one on a table. The living victim told police that the deceased victim was talking to someone about purchasing a vehicle. 

As a result, a man came to the residence and got himself a bottle of beer from the fridge, drank it and threw it in the trash. At one point the victim got out his wallet and the defendant pulled a gun from his waistband and said, "Give me the money." 

He fired shots, hitting both victims, then fled. A police analyst used social media from the victim's phone to show he was potentially purchasing a vehicle from the defendant. Police also established that DNA from the defendant was found on one of the beer bottles at the victim's residence. Prosecutors requested a $250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654981541372.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation photo courtesy Fox4Kansas City</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony charges in connection with the June 1, 2022, fatal shooting of Charles Bradham during a reported robbery, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.&nbsp;Andrew Keyvon Young, 28, faces Murder 2nd Degree, Assault 1st Degree, Attempted Robbery, three counts of Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmAccording to court records, Kansas City police were dispatched on June 1, to the 4500 block of Colonial Terrace in Kansas City on a reported shooting. Police located in the kitchen two beer bottles, one in the trash and one on a table. The living victim told police that the deceased victim was talking to someone about purchasing a vehicle. As a result, a man came to the residence and got himself a bottle of beer from the fridge, drank it and threw it in the trash. At one point the victim got out his wallet and the defendant pulled a gun from his waistband and said, "Give me the money." He fired shots, hitting both victims, then fled. A police analyst used social media from the victim's phone to show he was potentially purchasing a vehicle from the defendant. Police also established that DNA from the defendant was found on one of the beer bottles at the victim's residence. Prosecutors requested a $250,000 bond.

DNA from beer bottle led to charges in Kansas City killing

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man known for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHp6W2zR2k">his podcasts</a> on leadership who was arrested for alleged child sex crimes made his first court appearance on Friday

Richard Rierson, 53, Andale, is&nbsp;charged with 14 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.

Following an investigation by the Wichita Exploited and Missing Children's unit, officers arrested Rierson during a traffic stop on May 27, according to the Sedgwick Booking records.

According to Apple Podcasts, Rierson has recorded 535 episodes of the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-leadership-with-richard-rierson/id595566999">Doses of Leadership</a> podcast. He was no longer in custody on Saturday after meeting the terms of the $150,000 bond, according to jail records.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653759926991.png" alt=" Rierson-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption> Rierson-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas man known for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QHp6W2zR2k">his podcasts</a> on leadership who was arrested for alleged child sex crimes made his first court appearance on FridayRichard Rierson, 53, Andale, is&nbsp;charged with 14 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, according to the Sedgwick County District attorney's office.Following an investigation by the Wichita Exploited and Missing Children's unit, officers arrested Rierson during a traffic stop on May 27, according to the Sedgwick Booking records.According to Apple Podcasts, Rierson has recorded 535 episodes of the <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dose-of-leadership-with-richard-rierson/id595566999">Doses of Leadership</a> podcast. He was no longer in custody on Saturday after meeting the terms of the $150,000 bond, according to jail records.

Kan. host of leadership podcast charged with child sex crimes

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations after a traffic stop.

Just&nbsp; after 11pm Thursday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a gray 2010Chevrolet Malibu with an expired registration in the 3900 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

 During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located. The driver, Faith C. Johnson (31) of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Johnson was jailed on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended, operating a vehicle without registration and no vehicle liability insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654891048384.png" alt="Johnson-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Johnson-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations after a traffic stop.Just&nbsp; after 11pm Thursday, a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a gray 2010Chevrolet Malibu with an expired registration in the 3900 block of SW Topeka Boulevard, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located. The driver, Faith C. Johnson (31) of Topeka, was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections. Johnson was jailed on requested charges that include possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended, operating a vehicle without registration and no vehicle liability insurance.

Kansas woman jailed on felony drug allegations

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It's now been over three months since the Cottonwood Complex fire and Reno County VOAD is continuing to come alongside those who are recovering from the damage to their lives.

"Myself and Megan at the Salvation Army, the two of us are visiting with people every day," said Amy Bretz with the United Way of Reno County. "They are calling, asking questions, the biggest thing that we are doing right now is helping people with getting their water hooked back up if they are moving back out there, getting electric lines back in. There are foundations that still need to come out. Since March, there have been many people involved in this process."

The VOAD couldn't have helped nearly as fast as they have without numerous local volunteers and organizations like Mennonite Disaster Services and Interfaith Housing and the overall support of Hutchinson and the surrounding community.

Bretz said that for most people, the property they have is still home, even though they need to rebuild.

"Some have moved out of that area, they were insured and were able to purchase another home and go somewhere else," Bretz said. "For the most part, most of the people who live there who have lost everything, they want to be back on their properties. They have some beautiful spaces out there. It's private. There are beautiful trees. They are out in the country and that's where they want to be, so we want to be sensitive to what their needs are and what their desires are, and help them move in that direction."

There's also the emotional toll that the memory of that day's events continues to take. Bretz has to use her training in social work to help people to cope.

"This is a really traumatic thing that happened," Bretz said. "Those who were present that day, in that fire, trying to grab a pet, grab a loved one, get out of there, race through the smoke. The stories that we've heard, of course, are things that I have never dealt with. I don't know what that felt like, and to listen to them...I want people to talk about that. You need to tell that story. Some of my clients are very willing to talk about that. We discuss it and I ask questions about, you know, you wonder, how do you sleep at night when you wonder, could a fire come and get me again? That's real."

Over 40 properties were damaged in some way, but Bretz notes that the people out there are both resilient and giving, even as they pick up their own pieces.

"I have to give a shout out to the Cottonwood Fire survivors," Bretz said. "The kindness from these people has been amazing. The gratitude that they have shown all of us who are working with them has really been pretty awesome. They have consistently said, help my neighbor, help my neighbor. I'm going to be okay. Please make sure my neighbor is okay."

If you want to give and help, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedwayofrenocounty.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=11">United Way is still taking donations</a>&nbsp;and 100% of the money will go to help victims. They are not taking any administrative overhead on this project.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654951436825.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — It's now been over three months since the Cottonwood Complex fire and Reno County VOAD is continuing to come alongside those who are recovering from the damage to their lives."Myself and Megan at the Salvation Army, the two of us are visiting with people every day," said Amy Bretz with the United Way of Reno County. "They are calling, asking questions, the biggest thing that we are doing right now is helping people with getting their water hooked back up if they are moving back out there, getting electric lines back in. There are foundations that still need to come out. Since March, there have been many people involved in this process."The VOAD couldn't have helped nearly as fast as they have without numerous local volunteers and organizations like Mennonite Disaster Services and Interfaith Housing and the overall support of Hutchinson and the surrounding community.Bretz said that for most people, the property they have is still home, even though they need to rebuild."Some have moved out of that area, they were insured and were able to purchase another home and go somewhere else," Bretz said. "For the most part, most of the people who live there who have lost everything, they want to be back on their properties. They have some beautiful spaces out there. It's private. There are beautiful trees. They are out in the country and that's where they want to be, so we want to be sensitive to what their needs are and what their desires are, and help them move in that direction."There's also the emotional toll that the memory of that day's events continues to take. Bretz has to use her training in social work to help people to cope."This is a really traumatic thing that happened," Bretz said. "Those who were present that day, in that fire, trying to grab a pet, grab a loved one, get out of there, race through the smoke. The stories that we've heard, of course, are things that I have never dealt with. I don't know what that felt like, and to listen to them...I want people to talk about that. You need to tell that story. Some of my clients are very willing to talk about that. We discuss it and I ask questions about, you know, you wonder, how do you sleep at night when you wonder, could a fire come and get me again? That's real."Over 40 properties were damaged in some way, but Bretz notes that the people out there are both resilient and giving, even as they pick up their own pieces."I have to give a shout out to the Cottonwood Fire survivors," Bretz said. "The kindness from these people has been amazing. The gratitude that they have shown all of us who are working with them has really been pretty awesome. They have consistently said, help my neighbor, help my neighbor. I'm going to be okay. Please make sure my neighbor is okay."If you want to give and help, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unitedwayofrenocounty.org/civicrm/contribute/transact?reset=1&amp;id=11">United Way is still taking donations</a>&nbsp;and 100% of the money will go to help victims. They are not taking any administrative overhead on this project.

Reno County fire recover effort continues

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate bargainers announced a bipartisan framework Sunday responding to last month’s mass shootings, a modest breakthrough offering measured gun curbs and bolstered efforts to improve school safety and mental health programs.

The proposal falls far short of tougher steps long sought by President Joe Biden and many Democrats. Even so, if the accord leads to the enactment of legislation, it would signal a turn from years of gun massacres that have yielded little but stalemate in Congress.

Leaders hope to push any agreement into law quickly — they hope this month — before the political momentum fades that has been stirred by the recent mass shootings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-442c6d97a073f39f99d006dbba40f64b">Buffalo, New York</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">Uvalde, Texas</a>.

In a significant development, 20 senators, including 10 Republicans, released a statement calling for passage. That is potentially crucial because the biggest obstacle to enacting the measure is probably in the 50-50 Senate, where at least 10 GOP votes will be needed to attain the usual 60-vote threshold for approval.

“Families are scared, and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security in their communities,” the lawmakers said.

The compromise would make the juvenile records of gun buyers under age 21 available when they undergo background checks. The suspects who killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo and 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde were both 18, and many of the attackers who have committed mass shootings in recent years have been young.

The agreement would offer money to states to implement “red flag” laws that make it easier to temporarily take guns from people considered potentially violent, and to bolster school safety and mental health programs.

And it would take other steps, including requiring more people who sell guns obtain federal dealers’ licenses, which means they would have to conduct background checks of purchasers.

Biden said in a statement that the framework “does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction, and would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.”

Given the bipartisan support, “there are no excuses for delay, and no reason why it should not quickly move through the Senate and the House,” he said.

The announcement underscored the election-year pressure both parties have felt since 10 Black people were killed at a grocery store in Buffalo and 19 students and two teachers were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde. Those massacres prompted two weeks of closed door talks among groups of senators led by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Krysten Sinema, D-Ariz.

The agreement represents a lowest common denominator compromise on gun violence, not a complete sea change in Congress. It comes with lawmakers determined to show they are responding to voters’ revulsion over Buffalo and Uvalde, but with Republicans still blocking more sweeping steps Democrats want.

These include banning assault-style firearms such as the AR-15 style rifles used in Buffalo and Uvalde, or raising the legal age for buying them. AR-15s are popular and powerful semi-automatic weapons that can fire high-capacity magazines and have been used in many of the nation’s highest-profile slaughters in recent years. One of them, the killing of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, occurred six years ago Sunday.

Democrats have also wanted to ban high capacity magazines and to expand required background checks to far more gun purchases. None of those proposals has a chance in Congress.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652568426409.png" alt="Investigators at the scene of the mass shooting in Buffalo last month. -photo courtesy WKBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Investigators at the scene of the mass shooting in Buffalo last month. -photo courtesy WKBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate bargainers announced a bipartisan framework Sunday responding to last month’s mass shootings, a modest breakthrough offering measured gun curbs and bolstered efforts to improve school safety and mental health programs.The proposal falls far short of tougher steps long sought by President Joe Biden and many Democrats. Even so, if the accord leads to the enactment of legislation, it would signal a turn from years of gun massacres that have yielded little but stalemate in Congress.Leaders hope to push any agreement into law quickly — they hope this month — before the political momentum fades that has been stirred by the recent mass shootings in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-442c6d97a073f39f99d006dbba40f64b">Buffalo, New York</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/school-shootings">Uvalde, Texas</a>.In a significant development, 20 senators, including 10 Republicans, released a statement calling for passage. That is potentially crucial because the biggest obstacle to enacting the measure is probably in the 50-50 Senate, where at least 10 GOP votes will be needed to attain the usual 60-vote threshold for approval.“Families are scared, and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security in their communities,” the lawmakers said.The compromise would make the juvenile records of gun buyers under age 21 available when they undergo background checks. The suspects who killed 10 people at a grocery store in Buffalo and 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde were both 18, and many of the attackers who have committed mass shootings in recent years have been young.The agreement would offer money to states to implement “red flag” laws that make it easier to temporarily take guns from people considered potentially violent, and to bolster school safety and mental health programs.And it would take other steps, including requiring more people who sell guns obtain federal dealers’ licenses, which means they would have to conduct background checks of purchasers.Biden said in a statement that the framework “does not do everything that I think is needed, but it reflects important steps in the right direction, and would be the most significant gun safety legislation to pass Congress in decades.”Given the bipartisan support, “there are no excuses for delay, and no reason why it should not quickly move through the Senate and the House,” he said.The announcement underscored the election-year pressure both parties have felt since 10 Black people were killed at a grocery store in Buffalo and 19 students and two teachers were killed at an elementary school in Uvalde. Those massacres prompted two weeks of closed door talks among groups of senators led by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., John Cornyn, R-Texas, Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Krysten Sinema, D-Ariz.The agreement represents a lowest common denominator compromise on gun violence, not a complete sea change in Congress. It comes with lawmakers determined to show they are responding to voters’ revulsion over Buffalo and Uvalde, but with Republicans still blocking more sweeping steps Democrats want.These include banning assault-style firearms such as the AR-15 style rifles used in Buffalo and Uvalde, or raising the legal age for buying them. AR-15s are popular and powerful semi-automatic weapons that can fire high-capacity magazines and have been used in many of the nation’s highest-profile slaughters in recent years. One of them, the killing of 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, occurred six years ago Sunday.Democrats have also wanted to ban high capacity magazines and to expand required background checks to far more gun purchases. None of those proposals has a chance in Congress.

Senate bargainers announce outline of gun violence agreement

By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-06-07/kobachs-political-rebound-as-kansas-attorney-general-faces-another-fight-over-electability">Kansas News Service</a>

LAWRENCE — The candidates running against Kris Kobach 
in the August primary for attorney general argue that it’s the 
Republicans’ race to lose — and that only he could lose it.

Yet 
the former Kansas secretary of state and cable news show regular comes 
to the race as perhaps the best-known conservative in the state, riding a
 reputation that energizes Republican die-hards and leaves no mystery 
about what he’d do in office: battle Democrats on voter fraud, on 
immigration and on anything else that President Joe Biden touches.

The
 primary tests whether a state senator backed by the party’s 
conservative establishment, Kelie Warren, or a former federal prosecutor
 with decades of experience, Tony Mattivi, can overcome the 
well-established Kobach brand.

That trademark style includes a relentless focus on hot-button national issues and the federal government as nemesis.

Kobach
 said during a recent debate in Pittsburg, Kansas, that he plans to 
continue that approach if he’s elected by repeatedly suing President Joe
 Biden for federal overreach.

He’s already sued Biden’s administration twice as a private attorney on behalf of groups challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

“I’ll
 wake up every morning having my breakfast thinking about what our next 
lawsuit against Joe Biden is going to be,” Kobach said.

But Warren
 and Mattivi argue that Kobach’s recent election losses suggest he’s too
 much of a lightning rod to hold the seat for Republicans. (Attorney 
General Derek Schmidt is running for governor). After all, he lost the 
2018 governor’s race to Democrat Laura Kelly.

Warren has the 
backing of the Kansas Republican establishment who mostly share Kobach’s
 ideology — she’s arguably every bit as conservative, just as fed up 
with woke liberals, as he is — who fear his political baggage makes him 
vulnerable to handing over the job to a Democrat for the first time 
since 2011.

Warren attacks Kobach for flubbing the defense of the 
state’s voter ID law in court in 2018. That cost Kansas almost $2 
million in court fees and a federal judge ordered Kobach to take 
remedial law classes.

After losing to Kelly, Kobach lost the 2020 
U.S. Senate primary partly because of the arguments he faces this year —
 that his name has become Republican doom on the general election 
ballot. Warren hasn’t taken a shot at statewide office before, but she’s
 never lost an election.

“I have been tested, and I win,” Warren said recently. “And the other candidate: conservative Republican but doesn’t win.”

Mattivi, meanwhile, says he wants to be an attorney general focused on doing the job to protect Kansans, not a politician.

Mattivi
 has never run for election before. Instead, he’s been a prosecutor at 
every level for the last 30 years, including serving the state in the 
attorney general’s office about 24 years ago.

“If you insist that 
your chief law enforcement official actually be a law enforcement 
official, I’m the only candidate in the race with those qualifications,”
 Mattivi said.

The winner will face Democrat Chris Mann, a former police officer, in the November general election.

Kobach’s been close to former President Donald Trump. He led Trump’s 
short-lived hunt for voter fraud and consulted him on immigration law. 
He was also briefly considered for a spot in the Trump cabinet.

His
 focus on national issues resonates with many Kansans. Marisel Walston, 
chair for the Johnson County Republican Party, said Kobach’s stance on 
issues is very well known.

“I know in Johnson County he has a pretty large following and people like what they hear from him,” she said.

Kobach said he will continue to pursue voter fraud, despite <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/12/01/940819896/barr-says-no-election-fraud-has-been-found-by-federal-authorities" target="_blank">little evidence</a> supporting its existence. But this time he would be doing it as the top lawyer for the state.

That
 kind of approach to government and politics built Kobach’s national 
profile. The lawsuits also allowed Kobach to make money on the side 
while elevating his political brand, even when he was in office.

Michael
 Smith, a political scientist at Emporia State University, said Kobach 
operated that way while serving as the Kansas secretary of state. He 
says Kobach will do that again as attorney general.

“It would be a
 lot of hot-button issues, a lot of high-profile issues,” Smith said. 
“And the man would keep himself in the news a lot.”

Although she’s likely the best chance to win over Kobach, Warren presents herself much in the same image as Kobach.

She
 said she, too, would sue the Democratic president for federal 
overreach. She considers Biden part of the far left that pushes the 
party’s agenda on immigration and things like critical race theory.

“It’s
 all very difficult for Kansans, and not our conservative American 
values,” Warren said. “I’ve been standing up fighting against the left 
since I first ran (for office) in 2018.”

Warren also has 25 years 
of experience as an attorney. But she began her political career in the 
Kansas Legislature because her Johnson County district was represented 
by someone she called a “woke” Republican. Two years later she ran for 
the Kansas Senate, again defeating a Republican incumbent.

In the Senate, Warren currently chairs the judiciary committee.

That
 put her in a key spot to push for an amendment to the Kansas 
Constitution — voters will decide the issue in the same Aug. 2 primary —
 stripping out protections of abortion rights..

She has been 
endorsed for attorney general by the Kansas Senate’s entire Republican 
leadership, and she has received financial contributions from big 
conservative donors, such as the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.

“We 
have to have a conservative Republican like me, who wins tough 
elections,” Warren said, “and then wins on conservative policies once 
elected.”

Mattivi has 30 years as a prosecutor under his belt. He’s served as a
 prosecutor on the county, state and federal levels, leading cases from 
speeding tickets to domestic and international terrorism.

But he has practically no political brand to speak of, and he appears set on keeping it that way.

He
 said he wants to be an effective prosecutor who supports law 
enforcement in Kansas to fight rising crime rates. And he says Democrats
 want to defund the police.

While he said he will also fight 
federal overreach, he attacks both Kobach and Warren as politicians more
 concerned about personal ambition than public service. Warren, he 
notes, is running for office before finishing her first term in the 
Kansas Senate.

“I don’t believe (attorney general should be) a 
political springboard,” Mattivi said. “I will be on the job, every day, 
in the office and the courtroom managing our litigation.”

The
 state’s political consensus holds that the Republican candidate will 
win the position this fall. But Warren and Mattivi contend only Kobach 
could lose the general election to a Democrat, which he has done before.

However, Warren and Mattivi could ultimately split the opposition vote, handing the race to Kobach.

Smith
 said the race is a possible repeat of the 2018 Republican primary for 
governor when Kobach barely won over incumbent Republican Gov. Jeff 
Colyer, who was hurt by some votes going to two other candidates.

“That (third) candidate right now appears to be set up to be a potential spoiler that could allow Kobach to win,” Smith said.

Dylan
 Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow 
him on Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654635323929.png" alt="State Sen. Kellie Warren and former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi will try to overcome Kris Kobach's national brand to earn Republican bid for Kansas Attorney General. Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption>State Sen. Kellie Warren and former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi will try to overcome Kris Kobach's national brand to earn Republican bid for Kansas Attorney General. Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-06-07/kobachs-political-rebound-as-kansas-attorney-general-faces-another-fight-over-electability">Kansas News Service</a>LAWRENCE — The candidates running against Kris Kobach 
in the August primary for attorney general argue that it’s the 
Republicans’ race to lose — and that only he could lose it.Yet 
the former Kansas secretary of state and cable news show regular comes 
to the race as perhaps the best-known conservative in the state, riding a
 reputation that energizes Republican die-hards and leaves no mystery 
about what he’d do in office: battle Democrats on voter fraud, on 
immigration and on anything else that President Joe Biden touches.The
 primary tests whether a state senator backed by the party’s 
conservative establishment, Kelie Warren, or a former federal prosecutor
 with decades of experience, Tony Mattivi, can overcome the 
well-established Kobach brand.That trademark style includes a relentless focus on hot-button national issues and the federal government as nemesis.Kobach
 said during a recent debate in Pittsburg, Kansas, that he plans to 
continue that approach if he’s elected by repeatedly suing President Joe
 Biden for federal overreach.He’s already sued Biden’s administration twice as a private attorney on behalf of groups challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates.“I’ll
 wake up every morning having my breakfast thinking about what our next 
lawsuit against Joe Biden is going to be,” Kobach said.But Warren
 and Mattivi argue that Kobach’s recent election losses suggest he’s too
 much of a lightning rod to hold the seat for Republicans. (Attorney 
General Derek Schmidt is running for governor). After all, he lost the 
2018 governor’s race to Democrat Laura Kelly.Warren has the 
backing of the Kansas Republican establishment who mostly share Kobach’s
 ideology — she’s arguably every bit as conservative, just as fed up 
with woke liberals, as he is — who fear his political baggage makes him 
vulnerable to handing over the job to a Democrat for the first time 
since 2011.Warren attacks Kobach for flubbing the defense of the 
state’s voter ID law in court in 2018. That cost Kansas almost $2 
million in court fees and a federal judge ordered Kobach to take 
remedial law classes.After losing to Kelly, Kobach lost the 2020 
U.S. Senate primary partly because of the arguments he faces this year —
 that his name has become Republican doom on the general election 
ballot. Warren hasn’t taken a shot at statewide office before, but she’s
 never lost an election.“I have been tested, and I win,” Warren said recently. “And the other candidate: conservative Republican but doesn’t win.”Mattivi, meanwhile, says he wants to be an attorney general focused on doing the job to protect Kansans, not a politician.Mattivi
 has never run for election before. Instead, he’s been a prosecutor at 
every level for the last 30 years, including serving the state in the 
attorney general’s office about 24 years ago.“If you insist that 
your chief law enforcement official actually be a law enforcement 
official, I’m the only candidate in the race with those qualifications,”
 Mattivi said.The winner will face Democrat Chris Mann, a former police officer, in the November general election.<h2>Kris Kobach</h2>Kobach’s been close to former President Donald Trump. He led Trump’s 
short-lived hunt for voter fraud and consulted him on immigration law. 
He was also briefly considered for a spot in the Trump cabinet.His
 focus on national issues resonates with many Kansans. Marisel Walston, 
chair for the Johnson County Republican Party, said Kobach’s stance on 
issues is very well known.“I know in Johnson County he has a pretty large following and people like what they hear from him,” she said.Kobach said he will continue to pursue voter fraud, despite <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/12/01/940819896/barr-says-no-election-fraud-has-been-found-by-federal-authorities" target="_blank">little evidence</a> supporting its existence. But this time he would be doing it as the top lawyer for the state.That
 kind of approach to government and politics built Kobach’s national 
profile. The lawsuits also allowed Kobach to make money on the side 
while elevating his political brand, even when he was in office.Michael
 Smith, a political scientist at Emporia State University, said Kobach 
operated that way while serving as the Kansas secretary of state. He 
says Kobach will do that again as attorney general.“It would be a
 lot of hot-button issues, a lot of high-profile issues,” Smith said. 
“And the man would keep himself in the news a lot.”<h2>Kellie Warren</h2>Although she’s likely the best chance to win over Kobach, Warren presents herself much in the same image as Kobach.She
 said she, too, would sue the Democratic president for federal 
overreach. She considers Biden part of the far left that pushes the 
party’s agenda on immigration and things like critical race theory.“It’s
 all very difficult for Kansans, and not our conservative American 
values,” Warren said. “I’ve been standing up fighting against the left 
since I first ran (for office) in 2018.”Warren also has 25 years 
of experience as an attorney. But she began her political career in the 
Kansas Legislature because her Johnson County district was represented 
by someone she called a “woke” Republican. Two years later she ran for 
the Kansas Senate, again defeating a Republican incumbent.In the Senate, Warren currently chairs the judiciary committee.That
 put her in a key spot to push for an amendment to the Kansas 
Constitution — voters will decide the issue in the same Aug. 2 primary —
 stripping out protections of abortion rights..She has been 
endorsed for attorney general by the Kansas Senate’s entire Republican 
leadership, and she has received financial contributions from big 
conservative donors, such as the Kansas Chamber of Commerce.“We 
have to have a conservative Republican like me, who wins tough 
elections,” Warren said, “and then wins on conservative policies once 
elected.”<h2>Tony Mattivi</h2>Mattivi has 30 years as a prosecutor under his belt. He’s served as a
 prosecutor on the county, state and federal levels, leading cases from 
speeding tickets to domestic and international terrorism.But he has practically no political brand to speak of, and he appears set on keeping it that way.He
 said he wants to be an effective prosecutor who supports law 
enforcement in Kansas to fight rising crime rates. And he says Democrats
 want to defund the police.While he said he will also fight 
federal overreach, he attacks both Kobach and Warren as politicians more
 concerned about personal ambition than public service. Warren, he 
notes, is running for office before finishing her first term in the 
Kansas Senate.“I don’t believe (attorney general should be) a 
political springboard,” Mattivi said. “I will be on the job, every day, 
in the office and the courtroom managing our litigation.” <h2>Splitting the votes</h2>The
 state’s political consensus holds that the Republican candidate will 
win the position this fall. But Warren and Mattivi contend only Kobach 
could lose the general election to a Democrat, which he has done before.However, Warren and Mattivi could ultimately split the opposition vote, handing the race to Kobach.Smith
 said the race is a possible repeat of the 2018 Republican primary for 
governor when Kobach barely won over incumbent Republican Gov. Jeff 
Colyer, who was hurt by some votes going to two other candidates.“That (third) candidate right now appears to be set up to be a potential spoiler that could allow Kobach to win,” Smith said.Dylan
 Lysen reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow 
him on Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

Kobach's political rebound as Kan. AG faces fight over electability

By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-09/kansas-abortion-amendment-how-all-registered-voters-can-cast-a-ballot-in-augusts-primary-election">Kansas News Service</a>

The August Kansas primary election this year includes a constitutional <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-26/with-roe-doomed-the-kansas-fight-over-abortion-takes-on-a-new-urgency" target="_blank">amendment on abortion rights</a>, and that’s attracting attention from people who normally don’t vote in primaries.

That
 may have caused confusion for voters who aren’t used to casting a 
primary ballot or are not affiliated with a political party and are 
unsure whether they are eligible to vote.

Kansas Secretary of 
State Scott Schwab, who oversees elections in the state, said all Kansas
 voters are eligible to cast a primary ballot.

Schwab said the 
amendment on the ballot means all registered Kansans can vote during the
 primary, regardless of political affiliation. He encourages all Kansas 
voters to cast a ballot.

“The constitutional amendment will be on 
all ballots regardless of one’s party affiliation,” Schwab said in an 
interview. “Even if you’re an unaffiliated voter, please go vote, 
because it’s your constitution.”

Normally, primary elections are 
used for Republican and Democratic voters to select a candidate for 
political offices — such as the Republican primary for <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-06-07/kobachs-political-rebound-as-kansas-attorney-general-faces-another-fight-over-electability" target="_blank">attorney general</a>
 this year. But the Kansas Legislature upended that process by adding 
the constitutional amendment to the Aug. 2 ballot, opening the primary 
to all Kansas voters.

The amendment vote will determine whether 
the state constitution should include a provision that says it does not 
provide access to abortion. That’s in response to a <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2019-04-26/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortion" target="_blank">2019 court ruling</a> that said the right to abortion is protected by the Kansas Constitution.

The question about unaffiliated voters is relevant to many Kansans because nearly 30% of the state’s registered voters <a href="https://sos.ks.gov/elections/elections-statistics-data.html#voter-registration" target="_blank">are unaffiliated</a>.

There’s still time to register to vote <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/elections.html" target="_blank">before the election</a>.
 The final day for new voters to register for the primary is July 12 and
 the final day to request an advance mail ballot is July 26. There’s an 
earlier deadline for voters who are already registered but want to 
change parties. That must be done by June 10.

New voters may register in person at their <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/county_election_officers.aspx" target="_blank">county election office</a> or <a href="https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg/Default.aspx" target="_blank">online</a>. There are also <a href="https://www.kssos.org/forms/elections/voterregistration.pdf" target="_blank">paper forms</a> that can be filled out and returned to the county election office.

Unaffiliated
 voters will not need to do anything special to make sure they receive a
 ballot with the constitutional amendment question on it. Schwab said <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/county_election_officers.aspx" target="_blank">county election offices</a>
 will know which ballot to give unaffiliated voters. It won’t include 
any of the Democratic and Republican primary races but will include the 
constitutional amendment.

Voters who cast a ballot in person will need to bring a photo ID. 

Schwab
 also encourages any voters who request an advance mail ballot to turn 
the ballot into a ballot drop box, rather than mailing it in. He said 
that will make sure mail ballots won’t get lost by the U.S. Postal 
Service and will arrive on time to be counted.

Dylan Lysen 
reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on 
Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654797549125.png" alt="Kansas voters will decide on Aug. 2 whether to amend the state constitution with a provision that says it doesn’t promise access to abortion. All Kansas voters may cast a ballot on the issue, regardless of party affiliation. Julie Denesha / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Kansas voters will decide on Aug. 2 whether to amend the state constitution with a provision that says it doesn’t promise access to abortion. All Kansas voters may cast a ballot on the issue, regardless of party affiliation. Julie Denesha / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-06-09/kansas-abortion-amendment-how-all-registered-voters-can-cast-a-ballot-in-augusts-primary-election">Kansas News Service</a>The August Kansas primary election this year includes a constitutional <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-05-26/with-roe-doomed-the-kansas-fight-over-abortion-takes-on-a-new-urgency" target="_blank">amendment on abortion rights</a>, and that’s attracting attention from people who normally don’t vote in primaries.That
 may have caused confusion for voters who aren’t used to casting a 
primary ballot or are not affiliated with a political party and are 
unsure whether they are eligible to vote.Kansas Secretary of 
State Scott Schwab, who oversees elections in the state, said all Kansas
 voters are eligible to cast a primary ballot.Schwab said the 
amendment on the ballot means all registered Kansans can vote during the
 primary, regardless of political affiliation. He encourages all Kansas 
voters to cast a ballot.“The constitutional amendment will be on 
all ballots regardless of one’s party affiliation,” Schwab said in an 
interview. “Even if you’re an unaffiliated voter, please go vote, 
because it’s your constitution.”Normally, primary elections are 
used for Republican and Democratic voters to select a candidate for 
political offices — such as the Republican primary for <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2022-06-07/kobachs-political-rebound-as-kansas-attorney-general-faces-another-fight-over-electability" target="_blank">attorney general</a>
 this year. But the Kansas Legislature upended that process by adding 
the constitutional amendment to the Aug. 2 ballot, opening the primary 
to all Kansas voters.The amendment vote will determine whether 
the state constitution should include a provision that says it does not 
provide access to abortion. That’s in response to a <a href="https://www.kcur.org/2019-04-26/kansas-supreme-court-rules-state-constitution-protects-right-to-abortion" target="_blank">2019 court ruling</a> that said the right to abortion is protected by the Kansas Constitution.The question about unaffiliated voters is relevant to many Kansans because nearly 30% of the state’s registered voters <a href="https://sos.ks.gov/elections/elections-statistics-data.html#voter-registration" target="_blank">are unaffiliated</a>.There’s still time to register to vote <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/elections.html" target="_blank">before the election</a>.
 The final day for new voters to register for the primary is July 12 and
 the final day to request an advance mail ballot is July 26. There’s an 
earlier deadline for voters who are already registered but want to 
change parties. That must be done by June 10.New voters may register in person at their <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/county_election_officers.aspx" target="_blank">county election office</a> or <a href="https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/VoterReg/Default.aspx" target="_blank">online</a>. There are also <a href="https://www.kssos.org/forms/elections/voterregistration.pdf" target="_blank">paper forms</a> that can be filled out and returned to the county election office.Unaffiliated
 voters will not need to do anything special to make sure they receive a
 ballot with the constitutional amendment question on it. Schwab said <a href="https://www.sos.ks.gov/elections/county_election_officers.aspx" target="_blank">county election offices</a>
 will know which ballot to give unaffiliated voters. It won’t include 
any of the Democratic and Republican primary races but will include the 
constitutional amendment.Voters who cast a ballot in person will need to bring a photo ID. Schwab
 also encourages any voters who request an advance mail ballot to turn 
the ballot into a ballot drop box, rather than mailing it in. He said 
that will make sure mail ballots won’t get lost by the U.S. Postal 
Service and will arrive on time to be counted.Dylan Lysen 
reports on politics for the Kansas News Service. You can follow him on 
Twitter @DylanLysen or email him at dlysen@kcur.org.

Kan. abortion amendment: How all registered voters can cast primary ballot

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of people rallied on the National Mall and across the United States on Saturday in a renewed push for gun control measures after recent deadly mass shootings from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">Uvalde, Texas</a>, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-442c6d97a073f39f99d006dbba40f64b">Buffalo, New York</a>, that activists say should compel Congress to act.

“Enough is enough,” District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser told the second March for Our Lives rally in her city. “I speak as a mayor, a mom, and I speak for millions of Americans and America’s mayors who are demanding that Congress do its job. And its job is to protect us, to protect our children from gun violence.”

Speaker after speaker in Washington called on senators, who are seen as a major impediment to legislation, to act or face being voted out of office, especially given the shock to the nation’s conscience after 19 children and two teachers were killed May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

“If our government can’t do anything to stop 19 kids from being killed and slaughtered in their own school, and decapitated, it’s time to change who is in government,” said David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 shooting that killed 17 students and staff at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-shootings-shootings-florida-ap-top-news-fl-state-wire-49734418df1e477681cf36b29faca7da">Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida</a>.

A co-founder of the March For Our Lives organization that was created after that shooting and held its first rally in Washington not long afterward, Hogg led the crowd in chants of “Vote them out.”

Another Parkland survivor and group co-founder, X Gonzalez, delivered an impassioned, profanity-laced plea to Congress for change. “We are being murdered,” they screamed and implored Congress to “act your age, not your shoe size.”

Added Yolanda King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr.: “This time is different because this isn’t about politics. It’s about morality. Not right and left, but right and wrong, and that doesn’t just mean thoughts and prayers. That means courage and action.”

Manuel Oliver, whose son, Joaquin, was killed in the Parkland shooting, called on students “to avoid going back to school until our elected leaders stop avoiding the crisis of gun violence in America and start acting to save our lives.”

Hundreds gathered at an amphitheater in Parkland, where Debra Hixon, whose husband, high school athletic director Chris Hixon, died in the shooting, said it is “all too easy” for young men to walk into stores and buy weapons.

“Going home to an empty bed and an empty seat at the table is a constant reminder that he is gone,” said Hixon, who now serves as a school board member. “We weren’t done making memories, sharing dreams and living life together. Gun violence ripped that away from my family.”

In San Antonio, about 85 miles east of Uvalde, marchers chanted “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the NRA has got to go.” A man who said he helped to organize the rally, Frank Ruiz, called for gun reform laws similar to those enacted in Florida after the Parkland shooting that focused on raising the age for purchasing certain firearms and flagging those with mental health issues.

The U.S. House has passed bills to raise the age limit to buy semi-automatic weapons and establish federal “red flag” laws. A bipartisan group of senators had hoped to reach agreement this week on a framework for addressing the issue and held talks Friday, but no deal was announced.

President Joe Biden, who was in California when the Washington rally began, said his message to demonstrators was “keep marching” and added that he is “mildly optimistic” about legislative negotiations to address gun violence. Biden recently delivered an impassioned address to the nation in which he called for several steps, including raising the age limit for buying assault-style weapons.

In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, who campaigned on reining in violence in the nation’s largest city, joined state Attorney General Letitia James,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-york-manhattan-national-rifle-association-gun-a8067cfd9a6bfe03edd3c0f2efa9e3a2">who is suing the National Rifle Association</a>, in leading activists across the Brooklyn Bridge.

“Nothing happens in this country until young people stand up — not politicians,” James said.

Joining the call for change were hundreds of people who rallied in a park outside the courthouse in Portland, Maine, before they marched through the Old Port and gathered outside of City Hall. At one point, they chanted, “Hey, hey, hey, NRA. How many kids did you kill today.”

John Wuesthoff, a retired lawyer in Portland, said he was waving an American flag during the rally as a reminder that gun control is “not un-American.”

“It’s very American to have reasonable regulations to save the lives of our children,” he said.

Hundreds of protesters in Milwaukee marched from the county courthouse to the city’s Deer District, where last month 21 people were injured in shootings on the night of an NBA playoff game. Organizer Tatiana Washington, whose aunt was killed by gun violence in 2017, said this year’s march is particularly significant to Milwaukee residents.

“A lot of us are still very heavily thinking about the mass shooting that occurred after the Bucks game,” Washington said. “We shouldn’t be scared to go watch our team in the playoffs and live in fear that we’re going to be shot at.”

The passion that the issue stirs was clear in Washington when a young man jumped the barricade and tried to rush the stage before being intercepted by security. The incident caused a brief panic as people began to scatter.

Organizers hoped the second March for Our Lives rally would draw as many as 50,000 people to the Washington Monument, though the crowd seemed closer to 30,000. The 2018 event attracted more than 200,000 people, but the focus this time was on smaller marches at an estimated 300 locations.

The youth-led movement created after the Parkland shooting successfully pressured the Republican-dominated Florida state government to enact sweeping gun control changes. The group did not match that at the national level, but has persisted in advocating for gun restrictions since then, as well as participating in voter registration drives.

Survivors of mass shootings and other incidents of gun violence have lobbied legislators and testified on Capitol Hill this week. Among them was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-texas-violence-gun-government-and-politics-4e9fd73d179e2448d80271abbe016fd4">Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old girl who survived the shooting</a>&nbsp;at Robb Elementary. She described for lawmakers how she covered herself with a dead classmate’s blood to avoid being shot.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654991563265.png" alt="Rally at at the National Mall on Saturday photo courtesy March for our Lives" />
 <figcaption>Rally at at the National Mall on Saturday photo courtesy March for our Lives</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of people rallied on the National Mall and across the United States on Saturday in a renewed push for gun control measures after recent deadly mass shootings from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/uvalde-school-shooting">Uvalde, Texas</a>, to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-442c6d97a073f39f99d006dbba40f64b">Buffalo, New York</a>, that activists say should compel Congress to act.“Enough is enough,” District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser told the second March for Our Lives rally in her city. “I speak as a mayor, a mom, and I speak for millions of Americans and America’s mayors who are demanding that Congress do its job. And its job is to protect us, to protect our children from gun violence.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kansas City was out there, making noise and masking a difference. We won’t give up until we get to responsible gun legislation and save our young people’s lives. <a href="https://t.co/S5NQgDvThi">https://t.co/S5NQgDvThi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ghf4sgTnuN">pic.twitter.com/Ghf4sgTnuN</a>&mdash; Mayor Q (@QuintonLucasKC) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuintonLucasKC/status/1535719614482481152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Speaker after speaker in Washington called on senators, who are seen as a major impediment to legislation, to act or face being voted out of office, especially given the shock to the nation’s conscience after 19 children and two teachers were killed May 24 at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.“If our government can’t do anything to stop 19 kids from being killed and slaughtered in their own school, and decapitated, it’s time to change who is in government,” said David Hogg, a survivor of the 2018 shooting that killed 17 students and staff at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/school-shootings-shootings-florida-ap-top-news-fl-state-wire-49734418df1e477681cf36b29faca7da">Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida</a>.A co-founder of the March For Our Lives organization that was created after that shooting and held its first rally in Washington not long afterward, Hogg led the crowd in chants of “Vote them out.”Another Parkland survivor and group co-founder, X Gonzalez, delivered an impassioned, profanity-laced plea to Congress for change. “We are being murdered,” they screamed and implored Congress to “act your age, not your shoe size.”Added Yolanda King, granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr.: “This time is different because this isn’t about politics. It’s about morality. Not right and left, but right and wrong, and that doesn’t just mean thoughts and prayers. That means courage and action.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654991535181.png" alt="Photo courtesy AFT Union" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy AFT Union</figcaption>
 </figure>Manuel Oliver, whose son, Joaquin, was killed in the Parkland shooting, called on students “to avoid going back to school until our elected leaders stop avoiding the crisis of gun violence in America and start acting to save our lives.”Hundreds gathered at an amphitheater in Parkland, where Debra Hixon, whose husband, high school athletic director Chris Hixon, died in the shooting, said it is “all too easy” for young men to walk into stores and buy weapons.“Going home to an empty bed and an empty seat at the table is a constant reminder that he is gone,” said Hixon, who now serves as a school board member. “We weren’t done making memories, sharing dreams and living life together. Gun violence ripped that away from my family.”In San Antonio, about 85 miles east of Uvalde, marchers chanted “Hey, hey, ho, ho, the NRA has got to go.” A man who said he helped to organize the rally, Frank Ruiz, called for gun reform laws similar to those enacted in Florida after the Parkland shooting that focused on raising the age for purchasing certain firearms and flagging those with mental health issues.The U.S. House has passed bills to raise the age limit to buy semi-automatic weapons and establish federal “red flag” laws. A bipartisan group of senators had hoped to reach agreement this week on a framework for addressing the issue and held talks Friday, but no deal was announced.President Joe Biden, who was in California when the Washington rally began, said his message to demonstrators was “keep marching” and added that he is “mildly optimistic” about legislative negotiations to address gun violence. Biden recently delivered an impassioned address to the nation in which he called for several steps, including raising the age limit for buying assault-style weapons.In New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, who campaigned on reining in violence in the nation’s largest city, joined state Attorney General Letitia James,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-york-manhattan-national-rifle-association-gun-a8067cfd9a6bfe03edd3c0f2efa9e3a2">who is suing the National Rifle Association</a>, in leading activists across the Brooklyn Bridge.“Nothing happens in this country until young people stand up — not politicians,” James said.Joining the call for change were hundreds of people who rallied in a park outside the courthouse in Portland, Maine, before they marched through the Old Port and gathered outside of City Hall. At one point, they chanted, “Hey, hey, hey, NRA. How many kids did you kill today.”John Wuesthoff, a retired lawyer in Portland, said he was waving an American flag during the rally as a reminder that gun control is “not un-American.”“It’s very American to have reasonable regulations to save the lives of our children,” he said.Hundreds of protesters in Milwaukee marched from the county courthouse to the city’s Deer District, where last month 21 people were injured in shootings on the night of an NBA playoff game. Organizer Tatiana Washington, whose aunt was killed by gun violence in 2017, said this year’s march is particularly significant to Milwaukee residents.“A lot of us are still very heavily thinking about the mass shooting that occurred after the Bucks game,” Washington said. “We shouldn’t be scared to go watch our team in the playoffs and live in fear that we’re going to be shot at.”The passion that the issue stirs was clear in Washington when a young man jumped the barricade and tried to rush the stage before being intercepted by security. The incident caused a brief panic as people began to scatter.Organizers hoped the second March for Our Lives rally would draw as many as 50,000 people to the Washington Monument, though the crowd seemed closer to 30,000. The 2018 event attracted more than 200,000 people, but the focus this time was on smaller marches at an estimated 300 locations.The youth-led movement created after the Parkland shooting successfully pressured the Republican-dominated Florida state government to enact sweeping gun control changes. The group did not match that at the national level, but has persisted in advocating for gun restrictions since then, as well as participating in voter registration drives.Survivors of mass shootings and other incidents of gun violence have lobbied legislators and testified on Capitol Hill this week. Among them was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-texas-violence-gun-government-and-politics-4e9fd73d179e2448d80271abbe016fd4">Miah Cerrillo, an 11-year-old girl who survived the shooting</a>&nbsp;at Robb Elementary. She described for lawmakers how she covered herself with a dead classmate’s blood to avoid being shot.

Protesters in Kan., across US demand action on gun laws

FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 2a.m. Thursday., police were dispatched to the 2700 block of Chainey Street in Garden City for an aggravated burglary-in-progress, according to a media release.

 The reporting party told officers that an unknown man was inside her apartment, and she had locked herself in her bedroom.

Upon arrival, Officers located the man, identified as&nbsp; 31-year-old Berny Cantu of Garden City with a large dog. 

Cantu was taken into custody without further incident, and Cantu’s dog was taken to the Garden City Animal Shelter.

 Through further investigation, Cantu allegedly broke into the apartment, took dog food from the residence, and fed it to his dog. 

Cantu is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Criminal Damage.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654803497187.png" alt="Cantu-photo Finney Co." />
 <figcaption>Cantu-photo Finney Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.Just before 2a.m. Thursday., police were dispatched to the 2700 block of Chainey Street in Garden City for an aggravated burglary-in-progress, according to a media release. The reporting party told officers that an unknown man was inside her apartment, and she had locked herself in her bedroom.Upon arrival, Officers located the man, identified as&nbsp; 31-year-old Berny Cantu of Garden City with a large dog. Cantu was taken into custody without further incident, and Cantu’s dog was taken to the Garden City Animal Shelter. Through further investigation, Cantu allegedly broke into the apartment, took dog food from the residence, and fed it to his dog. Cantu is being held in the Finney County Jail on requested charges of Aggravated Burglary and Criminal Damage.

Police: SW Kan. man broke into apartment, fed his dog

JOHNSON COUNTY—Authorities are investigating an airplane mishap that occurred just before 2:30p.m. Saturday in Johnson County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported the 1976 Fixed Wing Single-Engine Piper PA-32R-300 piloted by Darin D. Redd, 40, Taylor, Missouri, was approaching Johnson County Executive Airport Runway 18 with its landing gear down. 

The plane was southbound attempting to land about 1/3 the way down the runway. The landing gear malfunctioned and went back up into the plane. The airplane skidded on the runway for approximately a tenth of a mile. Redd and two passengers were not injured. The NTSB will investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654993371595.png" alt="Johnson Co. Executive Airport-Google map" />
 <figcaption>Johnson Co. Executive Airport-Google map</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY—Authorities are investigating an airplane mishap that occurred just before 2:30p.m. Saturday in Johnson County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported the 1976 Fixed Wing Single-Engine Piper PA-32R-300 piloted by Darin D. Redd, 40, Taylor, Missouri, was approaching Johnson County Executive Airport Runway 18 with its landing gear down. The plane was southbound attempting to land about 1/3 the way down the runway. The landing gear malfunctioned and went back up into the plane. The airplane skidded on the runway for approximately a tenth of a mile. Redd and two passengers were not injured. The NTSB will investigate.

Small plane landing gear fails upon arrival at Kan. airport

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a traffic stop.

Just before 9:30p.m.&nbsp; June 7, 2022, a K9 Unit conducted a traffic stop on a spray painted blue 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier with an expired registration near North Kansas Avenue and NE Burgess Avenue, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located. The driver, Ashley N. Dixon, 27, of Topekaand the passenger, Jake R. Ludlum, 28,&nbsp; of Wakarusa, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.

Dixon was being held on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license and operating a vehicle with an expired registration.

Ludlum was booked on charge of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654787327299.png" alt="Ludlum-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ludlum-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects on multiple charges after a traffic stop.Just before 9:30p.m.&nbsp; June 7, 2022, a K9 Unit conducted a traffic stop on a spray painted blue 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier with an expired registration near North Kansas Avenue and NE Burgess Avenue, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.During the investigation, illegal narcotics were located. The driver, Ashley N. Dixon, 27, of Topekaand the passenger, Jake R. Ludlum, 28,&nbsp; of Wakarusa, were arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654787304645.png" alt="Dixon-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Dixon-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Dixon was being held on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, operating a vehicle without a valid driver’s license and operating a vehicle with an expired registration.Ludlum was booked on charge of possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Sheriff: Woman was transporting Kan. felon and meth

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a stabbing at Dillons on June 1, have captured the suspect identified as 41-year-old Jason Bulger.

Just after 2:30p.m. June 1, police were dispatched to the Dillons store at 2010 SE 29th Street in Topeka in reference to a stabbing that had just occurred, according to Police Lt. Michael Hern.

EMS transported the male victim to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;

The possible suspect vehicle was located abandoned in the 2200 block of SW Edgewater Terrace, according to Hern.&nbsp;

On Friday night, officers received reports Bulger was in the area of 28th and Fairlawn, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith. Upon arrival, officers located Bulger and took into custody without incident.

He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;

Attempted Murder in the 2nd DegreeAggravated Battery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Battery, Obstruction and&nbsp;Theft

Bulger has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, theft, driving while suspended and  flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

On June 6, police arrested 37-year-old Amanda Bulger as part of the ongoing investigation, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks. She was arrested on a requested charge of theft and is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a stabbing at Dillons on June 1, continue to search for the suspect identified as 41-year-old Jason Bulger.

The Topeka Police Department is looking to speak with Jason Bulger in connection with the attack. Anyone with information on Bulger is asked to contact police. 

He has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, theft, driving while suspended and  flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654982295698.png" alt="Bulger has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, theft, driving while suspended and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Topeka Police" />
 <figcaption>Bulger has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, theft, driving while suspended and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections-photo Topeka Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a stabbing at Dillons on June 1, have captured the suspect identified as 41-year-old Jason Bulger.Just after 2:30p.m. June 1, police were dispatched to the Dillons store at 2010 SE 29th Street in Topeka in reference to a stabbing that had just occurred, according to Police Lt. Michael Hern.EMS transported the male victim to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;The possible suspect vehicle was located abandoned in the 2200 block of SW Edgewater Terrace, according to Hern.&nbsp;On Friday night, officers received reports Bulger was in the area of 28th and Fairlawn, according to Lt. Jerry Monasmith. Upon arrival, officers located Bulger and took into custody without incident.He is being held on requested charges of&nbsp;Attempted Murder in the 2nd DegreeAggravated Battery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Battery, Obstruction and&nbsp;TheftBulger has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, theft, driving while suspended and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654616756985.png" alt="Bulger -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Bulger -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On June 6, police arrested 37-year-old Amanda Bulger as part of the ongoing investigation, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks. She was arrested on a requested charge of theft and is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.-------SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a stabbing at Dillons on June 1, continue to search for the suspect identified as 41-year-old Jason Bulger.Just after 2:30p.m. June 1, police were dispatched to the Dillons store at 2010 SE 29th Street in Topeka in reference to a stabbing that had just occurred, according to Police Lt. Michael Hern.EMS transported the male victim to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.&nbsp;The possible suspect vehicle was located abandoned in the 2200 block of SW Edgewater Terrace, according to Hern.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654167037449.png" alt="The possible suspect vehicle was located abandoned in the 2200 block of SW Edgewater Terrace-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>The possible suspect vehicle was located abandoned in the 2200 block of SW Edgewater Terrace-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654616756985.png" alt="Bulger -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Bulger -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On June 6, police arrested 37-year-old Amanda Bulger as part of the ongoing investigation, according to Lt. Donna Eubanks. She was arrested on a requested charge of theft and is no longer in custody, according to online jail records.The Topeka Police Department is looking to speak with Jason Bulger in connection with the attack. Anyone with information on Bulger is asked to contact police. He has previous convictions for aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, theft, driving while suspended and flee or attempt to elude police, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.---------------

Police capture Kan. man wanted for stabbing at Dillons

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — As the nation awaits a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding a Mississippi law that calls for banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, LGBTQ advocates are pushing to codify protections for same-sex marriage in states throughout the country.

Since the leak of a draft opinion alluded to the court potentially overturning abortion rights, concerns have grown over whether justices could next move to reverse other decisions that rely on the “right to privacy” that the court outlined in the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide nearly 50 years ago.

The leaked opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority, explicitly says the decision concerns abortion and no other rights.

But legal experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-right-to-privacy-6e1d7ee2a6d26bef09392971fd4948b5">have speculated</a>&nbsp;that similar logic could be used to reverse other decisions, including Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case in which the court ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.

“We need states across this country to say, ‘We see you. You exist. You deserve respect. And you deserve protections, because your relationship is no different than any other,’” said Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark case, who is now a Democratic candidate trying to become an Ohio state lawmaker.

Before the Supreme Court struck down bans and legalized same-sex marriage, 31 states had enacted laws banning same-sex couples from marrying. The laws have not been in effect since courts ruled them unconstitutional, but they remain on the books in most of those states.

For years they were considered defunct and attracted little attention, but the shifting composition of the Supreme Court has led several states to remove them from their statutes and constitutions. Virginia and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/couples-weddings-elections-reno-us-supreme-court-967b5c868e4f3ec91a3a66115eb8e556">Nevada</a>&nbsp;repealed their defunct bans in 2020 and New Jersey codified marriage rights for same-sex couples in 2021.

“We should all be worried about our other fundamental rights that have been obtained through the courts over the last decade or so,” said Utah state Sen. Derek Kitchen, a Democrat and the state’s only LGBTQ lawmaker said on the steps of the statehouse on Tuesday.

Kitchen and New Jersey Assemblyman Don Guardian, a Republican, want more states to remove the same-sex marriage bans from their laws and codify rights for LGBTQ couples to prepare for a worst-case scenario in which the Supreme Court decides to overturn the 2015 same-sex marriage decision.

“I would very concerned for any state that doesn’t take up the same type of legislation now before the court rules (on abortion) so they can protect their LGBTQ+ residents that have gotten married,” said Guardian, who is gay.

Though the New Jersey law passed with bipartisan support, similar moves to codify same-sex marriage rights could face uphill battles in Republican-led legislatures that have begun to revisit LGBTQ issues with newfound zeal.

Some have moved to limit LGBTQ subject matter from school curriculums and regulate healthcare for transgender youth. At least a dozen, including Utah, have passed laws limiting participation in sports for transgender youth.

Kitchen likened the state same-sex marriage bans to “trigger laws” that many Republican-led states have enacted to prepare for a scenario in which Roe v. Wade is overturned and states can resume limiting abortions.

Kitchen hasn’t talked to the Republicans who lead the Utah Legislature, but said he’s optimistic same-sex marriage has been embraced widely enough in Utah that codifying protections for LGBTQ couples will win widespread support.

“Utah is a family friendly state. We support families we know how important it is to provide stable units for children to grow,” he said.

Kitchen added: “We have already decided as a community that marriage equality is a value that we care about. So yes, this is something that does have a chance of passing in Utah.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654779398677.png" alt="Photo courtesy&nbsp;Utah Sen. Derek Kitchen" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy&nbsp;Utah Sen. Derek Kitchen</figcaption>
 </figure>SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — As the nation awaits a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding a Mississippi law that calls for banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, LGBTQ advocates are pushing to codify protections for same-sex marriage in states throughout the country.Since the leak of a draft opinion alluded to the court potentially overturning abortion rights, concerns have grown over whether justices could next move to reverse other decisions that rely on the “right to privacy” that the court outlined in the Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion nationwide nearly 50 years ago.The leaked opinion authored by Justice Samuel Alito, a member of the court’s 6-3 conservative majority, explicitly says the decision concerns abortion and no other rights.But legal experts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-biden-us-supreme-court-right-to-privacy-6e1d7ee2a6d26bef09392971fd4948b5">have speculated</a>&nbsp;that similar logic could be used to reverse other decisions, including Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 case in which the court ruled same-sex marriage bans unconstitutional.“We need states across this country to say, ‘We see you. You exist. You deserve respect. And you deserve protections, because your relationship is no different than any other,’” said Jim Obergefell, the plaintiff in the landmark case, who is now a Democratic candidate trying to become an Ohio state lawmaker.Before the Supreme Court struck down bans and legalized same-sex marriage, 31 states had enacted laws banning same-sex couples from marrying. The laws have not been in effect since courts ruled them unconstitutional, but they remain on the books in most of those states.For years they were considered defunct and attracted little attention, but the shifting composition of the Supreme Court has led several states to remove them from their statutes and constitutions. Virginia and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/couples-weddings-elections-reno-us-supreme-court-967b5c868e4f3ec91a3a66115eb8e556">Nevada</a>&nbsp;repealed their defunct bans in 2020 and New Jersey codified marriage rights for same-sex couples in 2021.“We should all be worried about our other fundamental rights that have been obtained through the courts over the last decade or so,” said Utah state Sen. Derek Kitchen, a Democrat and the state’s only LGBTQ lawmaker said on the steps of the statehouse on Tuesday.Kitchen and New Jersey Assemblyman Don Guardian, a Republican, want more states to remove the same-sex marriage bans from their laws and codify rights for LGBTQ couples to prepare for a worst-case scenario in which the Supreme Court decides to overturn the 2015 same-sex marriage decision.“I would very concerned for any state that doesn’t take up the same type of legislation now before the court rules (on abortion) so they can protect their LGBTQ+ residents that have gotten married,” said Guardian, who is gay.Though the New Jersey law passed with bipartisan support, similar moves to codify same-sex marriage rights could face uphill battles in Republican-led legislatures that have begun to revisit LGBTQ issues with newfound zeal.Some have moved to limit LGBTQ subject matter from school curriculums and regulate healthcare for transgender youth. At least a dozen, including Utah, have passed laws limiting participation in sports for transgender youth.Kitchen likened the state same-sex marriage bans to “trigger laws” that many Republican-led states have enacted to prepare for a scenario in which Roe v. Wade is overturned and states can resume limiting abortions.Kitchen hasn’t talked to the Republicans who lead the Utah Legislature, but said he’s optimistic same-sex marriage has been embraced widely enough in Utah that codifying protections for LGBTQ couples will win widespread support.“Utah is a family friendly state. We support families we know how important it is to provide stable units for children to grow,” he said.Kitchen added: “We have already decided as a community that marriage equality is a value that we care about. So yes, this is something that does have a chance of passing in Utah.”

Same-sex marriage advocates push for post-Roe protections

NORTON COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 12a.m. Saturday in Norton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford Fusion driven by 22-year-old Dustin Norris of Logan was westbound on K9 ten miles west of Logan.

The vehicle traveled into the north ditch, struck a field drive, became airborne, rolled and came to rest on its top in the ditch.

Norris was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Oliff-Boeve. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

NORTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 12a.m. Saturday in Norton County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was westbound on K9 ten miles west of Logan.

The KHP released no addition details early Saturday afternoon. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

NORTON COUNTY—A Kansas man died in an accident just after 12a.m. Saturday in Norton County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2006 Ford Fusion driven by 22-year-old Dustin Norris of Logan was westbound on K9 ten miles west of Logan.The vehicle traveled into the north ditch, struck a field drive, became airborne, rolled and came to rest on its top in the ditch.Norris was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Oliff-Boeve. He was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.--------NORTON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident that occurred just after 12a.m. Saturday in Norton County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a vehicle was westbound on K9 ten miles west of Logan.The vehicle traveled into the north ditch, struck a field drive, became airborne, rolled and came to rest on its top in the ditch.The KHP released no addition details early Saturday afternoon. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

22-year-old dies in NW Kansas rollover crash

By MICHAEL J. KLEIN <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-the-assault-weapons-ban-of-1994-bring-down-mass-shootings-heres-what-the-data-tells-us-184430">The Conversation</a>

By MICHAEL J. KLEIN <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-the-assault-weapons-ban-of-1994-bring-down-mass-shootings-heres-what-the-data-tells-us-184430">The Conversation</a>A spate of high-profile <a href="https://www.theviolenceproject.org/mass-shooter-database/">mass shootings in the U.S.</a> has sparked calls for Congress to look at imposing a <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-make-prime-time-address-calling-gun-reform-legislation-rcna31665">ban on so-called assault weapons</a> – covering the types of guns used in both the recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-mass-shootings-are-happening-at-grocery-stores-13-of-shooters-are-motivated-by-racial-hatred-criminologists-find-183098">Buffalo grocery attack</a> and that on an <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/27/uvalde-texas-school-shooting-timeline/">elementary school in Uvalde, Texas</a>.Such a prohibition has been in place before. As President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/06/02/remarks-by-president-biden-on-gun-violence-in-america/">noted in his June 2, 2022, speech</a>
 addressing gun violence, almost three decades ago bipartisan support in
 Congress helped push through a federal assault weapons ban in 1994, as 
part of the <a href="https://www.ncjrs.gov/txtfiles/billfs.txt">Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act</a>. That ban was limited – it covered only certain categories of 
semi-automatic weapons such as AR-15s and applied to a ban on sales only
 after the act was signed into law, allowing people to keep hold of 
weapons purchased before that date. And it also had in it a so-called “<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/08/13/750656174/the-u-s-once-had-a-ban-on-assault-weapons-why-did-it-expire">sunset provision</a>” that allowed the ban to expire in 2004.Nonetheless, the 10-year life span of that ban – with a clear 
beginning and end date – gives researchers the opportunity to compare 
what happened with mass shooting deaths before, during and after the 
prohibition was in place. Our group of injury epidemiologists and trauma
 surgeons did just that. In 2019, we published a population-based study <a href="https://journals.lww.com/jtrauma/Fulltext/2019/01000/Changes_in_US_mass_shooting_deaths_associated_with.2.aspx">analyzing the data</a> in a bid to evaluate the effect that the federal ban on assault weapons had on mass shootings, <a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R44126.pdf">defined by the FBI</a> as a shooting with four or more fatalities, not including the shooter. Here’s what the data shows:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654967199130.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Before the 1994 ban: From 1981 – the earliest year in our analysis – to the rollout of the
 assault weapons ban in 1994, the proportion of deaths in mass shootings
 in which an assault rifle was used was lower than it is today. Yet in this earlier period, mass shooting deaths were steadily 
rising. Indeed, high-profile mass shootings involving assault rifles – 
such as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/18/us/five-children-killed-as-gunman-attacks-a-california-school.html">killing of five children in Stockton, California, in 1989</a> and a <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/101-california-street-shooting-sparked-change-in-gun-laws">1993 San Francisco office attack</a> that left eight victims dead – <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/04/biden-assault-weapons-ban/">provided the impetus</a> behind a push for a prohibition on some types of gun.During the 1994-2004 ban: In the years after the assault weapons ban went into effect, the 
number of deaths from mass shootings fell, and the increase in the 
annual number of incidents slowed down. Even including 1999’s <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/1990s/columbine-high-school-shootings">Columbine High School massacre</a>
 – the deadliest mass shooting during the period of the ban – the 1994 
to 2004 period saw lower average annual rates of both mass shootings and
 deaths resulting from such incidents than before the ban’s inception.From 2004 onward:The data shows an almost immediate – and steep – rise in mass 
shooting deaths in the years after the assault weapons ban expired in 
2004.Breaking the data into absolute numbers, between 2004 and 2017 – the 
last year of our analysis – the average number of yearly deaths 
attributed to mass shootings was 25, compared with 5.3 during the 
10-year tenure of the ban and 7.2 in the years leading up to the 
prohibition on assault weapons.<h2>Saving hundreds of lives</h2>We calculated that the risk of a person in the U.S. dying in a mass 
shooting was 70% lower during the period in which the assault weapons 
ban was active. The proportion of overall gun homicides resulting from 
mass shootings was also down, with nine fewer mass-shooting-related 
fatalities per 10,000 shooting deaths. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Adding evidence to the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GunViolence?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GunViolence</a> debate. New work presented at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AAST2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AAST2018</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/nyulangone?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyulangone</a> faculty shows that during the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssaultWeapon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AssaultWeapon</a> ban <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MassShooting?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MassShooting</a> related deaths were 70% less likely to occur. <a href="https://t.co/wgYApAFwhm">pic.twitter.com/wgYApAFwhm</a>&mdash; AAST (@traumadoctors) <a href="https://twitter.com/traumadoctors/status/1044981284022484994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Taking population trends into account, a model we created based on 
this data suggests that had the federal assault weapons ban been in 
place throughout the whole period of our study – that is, from 1981 
through 2017 – it may have prevented 314 of the 448 mass shooting deaths
 that occurred during the years in which there was no ban.And this almost certainly underestimates the total number of lives 
that could be saved. For our study, we chose only to include mass 
shooting incidents that were reported and agreed upon by all three of 
our selected data sources: the <a href="https://timelines.latimes.com/deadliest-shooting-rampages/">Los Angeles Times</a>, <a href="https://library.stanford.edu/projects/mass-shootings-america">Stanford University</a>, and <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/12/mass-shootings-mother-jones-full-data/">Mother Jones magazine</a>. Furthermore, for uniformity, we also chose to use the strict federal 
definition of an assault weapon – which may not include the entire 
spectrum of what many people may now consider to be assault weapons. <h2>Cause or correlation?</h2>It is also important to note that our analysis cannot definitively 
say that the assault weapons ban of 1994 caused a decrease in mass 
shootings, nor that its expiration in 2004 resulted in the growth of 
deadly incidents in the years since.Many additional factors may contribute to the shifting frequency of 
these shootings, such as changes in domestic violence rates, political 
extremism, psychiatric illness, firearm availability and a surge in 
sales, and the recent rise in hate groups. Nonetheless, according to our study, President Biden’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/06/02/remarks-by-president-biden-on-gun-violence-in-america/">claim that the rate of mass shootings</a>
 during the period of the assault weapons ban “went down” only for it to
 rise again after the law was allowed to expire in 2004 holds true.As the U.S. looks toward a solution to the country’s epidemic of mass
 shootings, it is difficult to say conclusively that reinstating the 
assault weapons ban would have a profound impact, especially given the 
growth in sales in the 18 years in which Americans have been allowed to 
purchase and stockpile such weapons. But given that many of the 
high-profile mass shooters in recent years purchased their weapons <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/25/uvalde-shooter-bought-gun-legally/">less than one year</a> <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/02/15/florida-shooting-suspect-bought-gun-legally-authorities-say/340606002/">before committing their acts</a>, the evidence suggests that it might.<div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184430/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>Michael J. Klein is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery at New York University.