WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.

An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. Investigators believe some of the people are members of extremist groups, the officials said. The bulletin was first reported by ABC.

“Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the U.S. Capitol from 17 January through 20 January,” the bulletin said, according to one official. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

The FBI issued at least one other bulletin — they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic — before the riots last week. On Dec. 29, it warned of the potential for armed demonstrators targeting legislatures, the second official said.

“While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners with maintaining public safety in the communities we serve,” the bureau said in a statement. “Our efforts are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity.”

The FBI said it wasn’t focused on peaceful protests but “on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property.”

Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the Guard is also looking at any issues across the country,

“We’re keeping a look across the entire country to make sure that we’re monitoring, and that our Guards in every state are in close coordination with their local law enforcement agencies to provide any support requested,” he said.

The riots followed weeks of online calls for violence in the nation’s capital in the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency. There have been several arrests, and at least two Capitol police officers, one who took a selfie with rioters, and another who put on a Make America Great Again hat, were suspended. At least a dozen more are under investigation, according to lawmakers.

A tweet in which Trump promised that last Wednesday’s event in Washington, D.C., “will be wild” fueled a “month-long frenzy of incitements, strategizing, and embrace of violence against lawmakers,” according to a research group that tracks online extremism activity, In a report issued Saturday, the SITE Intelligence Group also warned that the Capitol attack has emboldened Trump-supporting extremists.

“No matter how all this plays out, its only the beginning,” posted a user on TheDonald message board, according to the report.

Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said authorities in state capitals and other major cities besides Washington should prepare for the possibility of violent protests next week.

“A lot of people were energized by what happened last week,” he said. “State capitals are a natural place where people might want to show up, especially assuming that they think there might be a huge presence of police and military in D.C. because of what happened last week.”

Pitcavage tracks militia, white supremacists and other far-right extremists, but he said the Capitol siege demonstrated the emergence of a new movement of ”Trumpist extremists, so caught up in the cult of personality around Trump that they may be willing to break the law or engage in violence purely in support of Trump and whatever he wants.”

The talk of armed marches next week isn’t limited to “radicalized” Trump supporters. State capital events on Jan. 17 appear to be promoted by supporters of the anti-government, pro-gun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3783a0cdc0e6cc04b43fd28b6069e960">“boogaloo” movement.</a>&nbsp;Boogaloo followers advocate for a second civil war or the collapse of society, and they don’t adhere to a coherent political philosophy.

Posts on social media sites also have promoted a “Million Militia March” on the day of Biden’s inauguration. Pitcavage said the event, apparently organized by a promoter of the pro-Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-town-hall-qanon-explained-b4614edad1aae27a0cbcb9dfe0c0c44c">“QAnon” conspiracy theory,&nbsp;</a>appears unlikely to draw a massive crowd.

Javed Ali, a former FBI senior intelligence officer who teaches courses in counterterrorism at the University of Michigan, said it can be challenging for law enforcement to identify the line between people exercising their constitutionally protected rights to bear arms and free speech and those who pose “a real operational threat.”

“The FBI just can’t passively sit in websites and forums and social media platforms, waiting to see who’s going to present a direct threat versus just someone who is being highly radicalized,” he said. “There has to be an investigative predicate for the FBI to then start even the lowest form of an investigation.”

David Deitch, an attorney who was a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s counterterrorism section from 2003 to 2007, said law enforcement must recognize a “tenuous balance” between protected free speech and speech that intends to incites violence.

“It’s a very fact-based, case-by-case determination,” he said. “There’s no one factor that’s going to determine all of it. It’s certainly going to be a judgment call on the part of law enforcement about whether and when to intervene.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609972156416.png" alt="Security outside the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021 image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Security outside the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, 2021 image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol.An internal FBI bulletin warned, as of Sunday, that the nationwide protests may start later this week and extend through Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, according to two law enforcement officials who read details of the memo to The Associated Press. Investigators believe some of the people are members of extremist groups, the officials said. The bulletin was first reported by ABC.“Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the U.S. Capitol from 17 January through 20 January,” the bulletin said, according to one official. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.The FBI issued at least one other bulletin — they go out to law enforcement nationwide on the topic — before the riots last week. On Dec. 29, it warned of the potential for armed demonstrators targeting legislatures, the second official said.“While our standard practice is to not comment on specific intelligence products, the FBI is supporting our state, local, and federal law enforcement partners with maintaining public safety in the communities we serve,” the bureau said in a statement. “Our efforts are focused on identifying, investigating, and disrupting individuals that are inciting violence and engaging in criminal activity.”The FBI said it wasn’t focused on peaceful protests but “on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property.”Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, told reporters Monday that the Guard is also looking at any issues across the country,“We’re keeping a look across the entire country to make sure that we’re monitoring, and that our Guards in every state are in close coordination with their local law enforcement agencies to provide any support requested,” he said.The riots followed weeks of online calls for violence in the nation’s capital in the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency. There have been several arrests, and at least two Capitol police officers, one who took a selfie with rioters, and another who put on a Make America Great Again hat, were suspended. At least a dozen more are under investigation, according to lawmakers.A tweet in which Trump promised that last Wednesday’s event in Washington, D.C., “will be wild” fueled a “month-long frenzy of incitements, strategizing, and embrace of violence against lawmakers,” according to a research group that tracks online extremism activity, In a report issued Saturday, the SITE Intelligence Group also warned that the Capitol attack has emboldened Trump-supporting extremists.“No matter how all this plays out, its only the beginning,” posted a user on TheDonald message board, according to the report.Mark Pitcavage, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, said authorities in state capitals and other major cities besides Washington should prepare for the possibility of violent protests next week.“A lot of people were energized by what happened last week,” he said. “State capitals are a natural place where people might want to show up, especially assuming that they think there might be a huge presence of police and military in D.C. because of what happened last week.”Pitcavage tracks militia, white supremacists and other far-right extremists, but he said the Capitol siege demonstrated the emergence of a new movement of ”Trumpist extremists, so caught up in the cult of personality around Trump that they may be willing to break the law or engage in violence purely in support of Trump and whatever he wants.”The talk of armed marches next week isn’t limited to “radicalized” Trump supporters. State capital events on Jan. 17 appear to be promoted by supporters of the anti-government, pro-gun&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3783a0cdc0e6cc04b43fd28b6069e960">“boogaloo” movement.</a>&nbsp;Boogaloo followers advocate for a second civil war or the collapse of society, and they don’t adhere to a coherent political philosophy.Posts on social media sites also have promoted a “Million Militia March” on the day of Biden’s inauguration. Pitcavage said the event, apparently organized by a promoter of the pro-Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-town-hall-qanon-explained-b4614edad1aae27a0cbcb9dfe0c0c44c">“QAnon” conspiracy theory,&nbsp;</a>appears unlikely to draw a massive crowd.Javed Ali, a former FBI senior intelligence officer who teaches courses in counterterrorism at the University of Michigan, said it can be challenging for law enforcement to identify the line between people exercising their constitutionally protected rights to bear arms and free speech and those who pose “a real operational threat.”“The FBI just can’t passively sit in websites and forums and social media platforms, waiting to see who’s going to present a direct threat versus just someone who is being highly radicalized,” he said. “There has to be an investigative predicate for the FBI to then start even the lowest form of an investigation.”David Deitch, an attorney who was a prosecutor in the Justice Department’s counterterrorism section from 2003 to 2007, said law enforcement must recognize a “tenuous balance” between protected free speech and speech that intends to incites violence.“It’s a very fact-based, case-by-case determination,” he said. “There’s no one factor that’s going to determine all of it. It’s certainly going to be a judgment call on the part of law enforcement about whether and when to intervene.”___

FBI: Nationwide armed protests possible next week

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with the burglary of police equipment from an off-duty officer's vehicle in rural Saline County and several other burglaries in the county.

Between 8:30 p.m. Dec. 29 and 3:20 a.m. Dec. 30, someone entered the unlocked personal vehicle of the officer in the unincorporated Saline County Community of Kipp, according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.

The suspect took&nbsp; the officers's badge, ballistic vest, a taser, a body camera, a Kenwood portable radio, a Glock 9mm hand gun, flashlight, 52 rounds of 9mm ammunition, OC spray (pepper spray), an ASP expandable baton,&nbsp; emergency tourniquet belt holder,&nbsp;&nbsp;black duty belt, a black and blue knife, a handcuff pouch and a magazine pouch The total loss was estimated at $5,036, according to Soldan.

On Dec. 31, deputies executed a search warrant in the case at 110 Raleigh Street in Salina, according to Soldan.&nbsp;

As the warrant was being executed, Byron Neef, 23, of Salina, attempted to flee and a magazine believed to be from the Glock stolen in Kipp fell out of his pocket, according to the sheriff. When Neef was stopped, the Glock and part of a magazine for the Glock were located in his vehicle.

During the search of the residence, deputies found the officer's badge, radio and mic, part of the vest carrier, the knife, methamphetamine, and marijuana, according to Soldan.

&nbsp;Deputies also found a victim's wallet from a burglary in the 7200 block of East Farrelly Road and checks from two other burglaries.

A suspect in the case, 25-year-old Jeremy Cullen of Salina, who law enforcement hoped to find during the search was not at the residence, according to Soldan.

On Jan. 3, deputies executed another search warrant at 1844 North Fifth Street in Salina. Investigators found part of the officer's vest carrier, a third magazine for the Glock, the taser holster, and a double magazine ammunition holder.

Deputies also found a rifle reported stolen in a burglary in the 6900 block of Thorstenberg Road.

During the search, deputies arrested 52-year-old Richard Blevins who lives at the North Fifth Street address.

On January. 6, police located Cullen at a Wichita motel and arrested him on multiple active warrants out of Saline County, according to Soldan. Cullen was also booked on requested charges&nbsp;burglary, theft, possession of stolen property,&nbsp;&nbsp;theft of a firearm,&nbsp;distribution of a firearm to a felon, Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Attempted unlawful use of a financial card

Salina police arrested Neef on Dec. 31, according to Soldan. He was booked on requested charges that include Possession of a stolen firearm, Possession of stolen property, Felon in possession of a firearm, Possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, Possession of drug paraphernalia, No tax stamp, Unlawful drug proceeds, Interference with a law enforcement officer, Driving while suspended

&nbsp;Blevins was booked on requested of charges of Felon in possession of a firearm, Possession of a stolen firearm, Possession of stolen property, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

SALINE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating the burglary of a vehicle that belonged to a Salina police officer.

Between 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and 3:20 a.m. Wednesday, someone entered the unlocked personal vehicle of a Salina police officer in the unincorporated Saline County Community Kipp, according to Sheriff Roger Solday.

The suspect took a the officers's badge, ballistic vest, a taser, a body camera, a Kenwood portable radio, a Glock 9mm hand gun, flashlight, 52 rounds of 9mm ammunition, OC spray (pepper spray), an ASP expandable baton,&nbsp; emergency tourniquet belt holder,&nbsp;&nbsp;black duty belt, a black and blue knife, a handcuff pouch and a magazine pouch

The total loss was estimated at $5,036, according to Soldan.

"We obviously take the theft of police equipment, to include a department issued handgun, extremely seriously. An Internal Affairs investigation will take place," Salina Police Chief Brad Nelson told Salina Post Wednesday.

Saline County deputies were also busy Wednesday taking two other vehicle burglary reports in Kipp and a third report near there, according to Soldan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609515247267.jpeg" alt="Byron Neef photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Byron Neef photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating three suspects in connection with the burglary of police equipment from an off-duty officer's vehicle in rural Saline County and several other burglaries in the county.Between 8:30 p.m. Dec. 29 and 3:20 a.m. Dec. 30, someone entered the unlocked personal vehicle of the officer in the unincorporated Saline County Community of Kipp, according to Sheriff Roger Soldan.The suspect took&nbsp; the officers's badge, ballistic vest, a taser, a body camera, a Kenwood portable radio, a Glock 9mm hand gun, flashlight, 52 rounds of 9mm ammunition, OC spray (pepper spray), an ASP expandable baton,&nbsp; emergency tourniquet belt holder,&nbsp;&nbsp;black duty belt, a black and blue knife, a handcuff pouch and a magazine pouch The total loss was estimated at $5,036, according to Soldan.On Dec. 31, deputies executed a search warrant in the case at 110 Raleigh Street in Salina, according to Soldan.&nbsp;As the warrant was being executed, Byron Neef, 23, of Salina, attempted to flee and a magazine believed to be from the Glock stolen in Kipp fell out of his pocket, according to the sheriff. When Neef was stopped, the Glock and part of a magazine for the Glock were located in his vehicle.During the search of the residence, deputies found the officer's badge, radio and mic, part of the vest carrier, the knife, methamphetamine, and marijuana, according to Soldan.&nbsp;Deputies also found a victim's wallet from a burglary in the 7200 block of East Farrelly Road and checks from two other burglaries.A suspect in the case, 25-year-old Jeremy Cullen of Salina, who law enforcement hoped to find during the search was not at the residence, according to Soldan.On Jan. 3, deputies executed another search warrant at 1844 North Fifth Street in Salina. Investigators found part of the officer's vest carrier, a third magazine for the Glock, the taser holster, and a double magazine ammunition holder.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609944154195.jpeg" alt="Blevins photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Blevins photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies also found a rifle reported stolen in a burglary in the 6900 block of Thorstenberg Road.During the search, deputies arrested 52-year-old Richard Blevins who lives at the North Fifth Street address.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610473097101.png" alt="Cullen photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Cullen photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>On January. 6, police located Cullen at a Wichita motel and arrested him on multiple active warrants out of Saline County, according to Soldan. Cullen was also booked on requested charges&nbsp;burglary, theft, possession of stolen property,&nbsp;&nbsp;theft of a firearm,&nbsp;distribution of a firearm to a felon, Possession of methamphetamine, Possession of marijuana, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Attempted unlawful use of a financial cardSalina police arrested Neef on Dec. 31, according to Soldan. He was booked on requested charges that include Possession of a stolen firearm, Possession of stolen property, Felon in possession of a firearm, Possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, Possession of drug paraphernalia, No tax stamp, Unlawful drug proceeds, Interference with a law enforcement officer, Driving while suspended&nbsp;Blevins was booked on requested of charges of Felon in possession of a firearm, Possession of a stolen firearm, Possession of stolen property, Possession of marijuana and Possession of drug paraphernalia.--------SALINE COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating the burglary of a vehicle that belonged to a Salina police officer.Between 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and 3:20 a.m. Wednesday, someone entered the unlocked personal vehicle of a Salina police officer in the unincorporated Saline County Community Kipp, according to Sheriff Roger Solday.The suspect took a the officers's badge, ballistic vest, a taser, a body camera, a Kenwood portable radio, a Glock 9mm hand gun, flashlight, 52 rounds of 9mm ammunition, OC spray (pepper spray), an ASP expandable baton,&nbsp; emergency tourniquet belt holder,&nbsp;&nbsp;black duty belt, a black and blue knife, a handcuff pouch and a magazine pouchThe total loss was estimated at $5,036, according to Soldan."We obviously take the theft of police equipment, to include a department issued handgun, extremely seriously. An Internal Affairs investigation will take place," Salina Police Chief Brad Nelson told Salina Post Wednesday.Saline County deputies were also busy Wednesday taking two other vehicle burglary reports in Kipp and a third report near there, according to Soldan.

3 jailed for burglary of police equipment from Kan. officer's car

KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City-area man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to illegally possessing a firearm following a police chase in a stolen pickup truck.

John D. Seger, 28, Independence, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the United State's Attorney.

By pleading guilty,&nbsp; Seger admitted that he was in possession of a Phoenix handgun while driving a stolen pickup truck on Jan. 18, 2017. 

Police officers saw Seger run a red light. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but Seger fled from police and stopped only after the vehicle wrecked and became inoperable. 

Seger fled on foot before being apprehended by police. Officers then found the handgun inside the pickup truck.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Seger has a prior felony conviction for voluntary manslaughter, two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and a prior felony conviction for resisting arrest.

Under federal statutes, Seger is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610213490431.png" alt="Seger-photo MODC" />
 <figcaption>Seger-photo MODC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY – A Kansas City-area man pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to illegally possessing a firearm following a police chase in a stolen pickup truck.John D. Seger, 28, Independence, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the United State's Attorney.By pleading guilty,&nbsp; Seger admitted that he was in possession of a Phoenix handgun while driving a stolen pickup truck on Jan. 18, 2017. Police officers saw Seger run a red light. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but Seger fled from police and stopped only after the vehicle wrecked and became inoperable. Seger fled on foot before being apprehended by police. Officers then found the handgun inside the pickup truck.Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Seger has a prior felony conviction for voluntary manslaughter, two prior felony convictions for burglary, two prior convictions for tampering with a motor vehicle, and a prior felony conviction for resisting arrest.Under federal statutes, Seger is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

KC-area man admits to illegal firearm during chase in stolen truck

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators opened their annual session Monday with new leaders in the Senate, new lawmakers in a quarter of the seats and a top Republican acknowledging that he’s asked for extra security.

The 90-day session began amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in one confirmed or probable case for one in every 12 of the state’s 2.9 million residents and killed 3,255 over the past 10 months. But the GOP-controlled Legislature also started its work for the year under the shadow of last week’s mob violence in Washington in which extremist supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying his election loss.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/575a4070cbef5441d61fb7e4a497f9b7">The FBI warned</a>&nbsp;Monday of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Jan. 20. Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said he has asked for extra security from the Kansas Highway Patrol, which oversees the Kansas Capitol Police.

“We’re hopeful that things, people, remain calm and the democratic process can continue,” Ryckman said.

While the pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington in a failed insurrection that left five people dead,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-kansas-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-1d62ac6c2ee8ea226b8fbbc1cdd20939">about 200 Trump supporters rallied&nbsp;</a>at the Kansas Statehouse. But their event Wednesday in Topeka was peaceful, and when they entered the Statehouse afterward, they came through its security checkpoint. No damage or arrests were reported.

Several legislators said they have confidence in the Capitol Police’s ability to prevent a serious incident at the Statehouse. The Highway Patrol is under the control of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

“Our office is aware of the heightened risks being reported, and we are taking all threats seriously,” said Kelly spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald.

The Legislature’s business Monday included ratifying Republican lawmakers’ selection of the House speaker and speaker pro tem and the Senate president and vice president. Because those positions are mentioned in the Kansas Constitution, the full chamber must vote on them, but by tradition, approval of the majority party’s choice is a formality.

The new Senate president and majority leader are Wichita-area Republicans Ty Masterson and Gene Suellentrop. They replace GOP leaders who did not seek re-election last year.

The new minority leader is Lenexa Democrat Dinah Sykes. She replaces the longest-serving legislator in state history, former Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat who unexpectedly lost his seat last year.

Twenty-eight of the House’s 125 members are new. Fourteen of 40 senators are new, though seven previously served in the House.

But the House’s top leaders all returned from last year. Ryckman became the first speaker in history elected to a third consecutive two-year term.

This year’s 90-day session will be marked by COVID-19 precautions. About half of the House’s 165 members will be seated in its galleries to allow for social distancing, while senators will take over space on the floor of their chamber normally reserved for visitors and reporters.

The Legislature spent $3 million to upgrade its technology for live video and audio streaming of its meetings and so that people could participate remotely.

“We have an added duty this session, a duty to keep each other safe,” Ryckman told his colleagues.

In the Senate, most GOP members were seen without masks throughout the chamber’s session. Democratic senators wore masks throughout.

Masterson didn’t wear a mask during the session, nor did his family seated at the front of the chamber. As a family, he said later, they didn’t need to be socially distanced from each other under federal health guidelines, and he remained 6 feet from others.

The new Senate president had COVID-19 in the fall, one of at least seven lawmakers who were infected, also including Ryckman.

“(To) those who are no longer with us, to those in our very chamber today who have recently lost someone close to them, please know we are thinking about you and praying for you,” Masterson said in a speech to fellow senators.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610403793215.png" alt="Kansas lawmakers at work on Monday afternoon." />
 <figcaption>Kansas lawmakers at work on Monday afternoon.</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators opened their annual session Monday with new leaders in the Senate, new lawmakers in a quarter of the seats and a top Republican acknowledging that he’s asked for extra security.The 90-day session began amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in one confirmed or probable case for one in every 12 of the state’s 2.9 million residents and killed 3,255 over the past 10 months. But the GOP-controlled Legislature also started its work for the year under the shadow of last week’s mob violence in Washington in which extremist supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying his election loss.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/575a4070cbef5441d61fb7e4a497f9b7">The FBI warned</a>&nbsp;Monday of potential armed protests in Washington and many states by Trump loyalists ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Jan. 20. Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said he has asked for extra security from the Kansas Highway Patrol, which oversees the Kansas Capitol Police.“We’re hopeful that things, people, remain calm and the democratic process can continue,” Ryckman said.While the pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington in a failed insurrection that left five people dead,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-donald-trump-kansas-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-1d62ac6c2ee8ea226b8fbbc1cdd20939">about 200 Trump supporters rallied&nbsp;</a>at the Kansas Statehouse. But their event Wednesday in Topeka was peaceful, and when they entered the Statehouse afterward, they came through its security checkpoint. No damage or arrests were reported.Several legislators said they have confidence in the Capitol Police’s ability to prevent a serious incident at the Statehouse. The Highway Patrol is under the control of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.“Our office is aware of the heightened risks being reported, and we are taking all threats seriously,” said Kelly spokesperson Lauren Fitzgerald.The Legislature’s business Monday included ratifying Republican lawmakers’ selection of the House speaker and speaker pro tem and the Senate president and vice president. Because those positions are mentioned in the Kansas Constitution, the full chamber must vote on them, but by tradition, approval of the majority party’s choice is a formality.The new Senate president and majority leader are Wichita-area Republicans Ty Masterson and Gene Suellentrop. They replace GOP leaders who did not seek re-election last year.The new minority leader is Lenexa Democrat Dinah Sykes. She replaces the longest-serving legislator in state history, former Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat who unexpectedly lost his seat last year.Twenty-eight of the House’s 125 members are new. Fourteen of 40 senators are new, though seven previously served in the House.But the House’s top leaders all returned from last year. Ryckman became the first speaker in history elected to a third consecutive two-year term.This year’s 90-day session will be marked by COVID-19 precautions. About half of the House’s 165 members will be seated in its galleries to allow for social distancing, while senators will take over space on the floor of their chamber normally reserved for visitors and reporters.The Legislature spent $3 million to upgrade its technology for live video and audio streaming of its meetings and so that people could participate remotely.“We have an added duty this session, a duty to keep each other safe,” Ryckman told his colleagues.In the Senate, most GOP members were seen without masks throughout the chamber’s session. Democratic senators wore masks throughout.Masterson didn’t wear a mask during the session, nor did his family seated at the front of the chamber. As a family, he said later, they didn’t need to be socially distanced from each other under federal health guidelines, and he remained 6 feet from others.The new Senate president had COVID-19 in the fall, one of at least seven lawmakers who were infected, also including Ryckman.“(To) those who are no longer with us, to those in our very chamber today who have recently lost someone close to them, please know we are thinking about you and praying for you,” Masterson said in a speech to fellow senators.____

Kan. lawmakers open session clouded by COVID, DC violence

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The U.S. government’s plans to carry out its first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades are on hold, and two other executions set for later this week have been halted because the inmates tested positive for COVID-19. 

The executions were to be the last before President-elect Joe Biden, an opponent of the federal death penalty, is sworn-in next week. Lisa Montgomery faced execution Tuesday for killing a pregnant woman and cutting the baby from her womb in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. 

But an appeals court granted a stay of execution Tuesday. That came shortly after another appeals court lifted an Indiana judge’s ruling that found she likely couldn’t comprehend she'd be put to death.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A judge has temporarily stopped the U.S. government’s plans Tuesday to carry out the first federal execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades, finding that the Kansas woman who killed an expectant mother, cut the baby from her womb and tried to pass off the newborn as her own was likely mentally ill and couldn’t comprehend she would be put to death.

When other executions by the Trump administration were similarly stayed in days or even hours before the scheduled execution times last year, the Department of Justice succeeded in getting a higher court to reverse them. Government lawyers also quickly appealed the stay issued Monday for Lisa Montgomery.

Montgomery was convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michael-brown-coronavirus-pandemic-executions-terre-haute-ef212a64d7f6d8da9ff9f0a2ac3e3390">killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett&nbsp;</a>in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own.

A federal judge in southwestern Indiana handed down the order Monday less than 24 hours before the 52-year-old Montgomery, the only female on federal death row, was set to be executed at a federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Any delay of Montgomery’s execution beyond Joe Biden’s inauguration next Tuesday would likely mean she will not be executed since a Biden administration is expected to oppose carrying out of federal death sentences.

One of Montgomery’s lawyers, Kelley Henry, told The Associated Press Tuesday morning that her client arrived at the Terre Haute facility late Monday night from a Texas prison and that, because there are no facilities for female inmates, she was being kept in a cell in the execution-chamber building itself.

“I don’t believe she has any rational comprehension of what’s going on at all,” Henry said.

Montgomery has done needle-point in prison, making gloves, hats and other knitted items as gifts for her lawyers and others, Henry said. She hasn’t been able to continue that hobby or read since her glasses were taken away from her out of concern she could commit suicide.

“All of her coping mechanisms were taken away from her when they locked her down” in October when she was informed she had an execution date, Henry said.

Montgomery’s legal team says she suffered “sexual torture,” including gang rapes, as a child, permanently scarring her emotionally and exacerbating mental-health issues that ran in her family.

At trial, prosecutors accused Montgomery of faking mental illness, noting that her killing of Stinnett was premeditated and included meticulous planning, including online research on how to perform a C-section.

Henry balked at that idea, citing extensive testing and brain scans that supported the diagnosis of mental illness.

“You can’t fake brain scans that show the brain damage,” she said.

Henry said the issue at the core of the legal arguments are not whether she knew the killing was wrong in 2004 but whether she fully grasps why she is slated to be executed now.

In his ruling on a stay, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon in Terre Haute cited defense experts who alleged Montgomery suffered from depression, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Montgomery, the judge wrote, also suffered around the time of the killing from an extremely rare condition called pseudocyesis in which a woman’s false belief she is pregnant triggers hormonal and physical changes as if she was actually pregnant.

Montgomery also experiences delusions and hallucinations, believing God spoke with her through connect-the-dot puzzles, the judge said, citing defense experts.

“The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery’s current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government’s rationale for her execution,” the judge’ said.

The government has acknowledged Montgomery’s mental issues but disputes that she can’t comprehend that she is scheduled for execution for killing another person because of them.

Details of the crime at times left jurors in tears during her trial.

Prosecutors told the jury Montgomery drove about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett. She strangled Stinnett performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.

Prosecutors said Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.

Montgomery was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about the tragedy.

Prosecutors said the motive was that Montgomery’s ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.

The U.S. has executed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-coronavirus-pandemic-executions-736b68c22e821be7c5faa85f1bf0b245">10 people at Terre Haute</a>&nbsp;since the resumption of federal executions after a 17-year pause started on July 14. Anti-death penalty groups said President Donald Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.

The last woman executed by the federal government was Bonnie Brown Heady on Dec. 18, 1953, for the kidnapping and murder of a 6-year-old boy in Missouri.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/47889ad17a0547398f6818c47a33b9a9">last woman executed by a state</a>&nbsp;was Kelly Gissendaner, 47, on Sept. 30, 2015, in Georgia. She was convicted of murder in the 1997 slaying of her husband after she conspired with her lover, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A judge has granted a stay in what was slated to be the U.S. government’s first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades — a Kansas woman who killed an expectant mother in Missouri, cut the baby from her womb and passed off the newborn as her own.

Judge Patrick Hanlon granted the stay late Monday, citing the need to determine Montgomery’s mental competence. Lisa Montgomery faced execution Tuesday at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, just eight days before President-elect Joe Biden, an opponent of the federal death penalty, takes office.

Montgomery drove about 170 miles from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Bobbie Jo Stinnett, a 23-year-old dog breeder. She strangled Stinnett with a rope before performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.

She was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about the tragedy.

“As we walked across the threshold our Amber Alert was scrolling across the TV at that very moment,” recalled Randy Strong, who was part of the northwest Missouri major case squad at the time.

He looked to his right and saw Montgomery holding the newborn and was awash in relief when she handed her over to law enforcement. The preceding hours had been a blur in which he photographed Stinnett’s body and spent a sleepless night looking for clues — unsure of whether the baby was dead or alive and no idea what she looked like.

But then tips began arriving about Montgomery, who had a history of faking pregnancies and suddenly had a baby. Strong, now the sheriff of Nodaway County, where the killing happened, hopped in an unmarked car with another officer. He learned while en route that the email address fischer4kids@hotmail.com that was used to set up the deadly meeting with Stinnett had been sent from a dial-up connection at Montgomery’s home.

“I absolutely knew I was walking into the killer’s home,” recalled Strong, saying rat terriers ran around his feet as he approached her house. Like Stinnett, Montgomery also raised rat terriers.

Bobbie Jo Stinnett’s mother, Becky Harper, sobbed as she told a Missouri dispatcher about stumbling across her daughter in a pool of blood, her womb slashed open and the child she had been carrying missing.

“It’s like she exploded or something,” Harper told the dispatcher on Dec. 16, 2004, during the desperate yet futile attempt to get help for her daughter.

Prosecutors said her motive was that Stinnett’s ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.

Montgomery’s lawyers, though, have argued that sexual abuse during Montgomery’s childhood led to mental illness. Attorney Kelley Henry spoke in favor of Monday’s decision, saying in a statement to the Capital-Journal that “Mrs. Montgomery has brain damage and severe mental illness that was exacerbated by the lifetime of sexual torture she suffered at the hands of caretakers.”

Her stepfather denied the sexual abuse in videotaped testimony and said he didn’t have a good memory when confronted with a transcript of a divorce proceeding in which he admitted some physical abuse. Her mother testified that she never filed a police complaint because he had threatened her and her children.

But the jurors who heard the case, some crying through the gruesome testimony, disregarded the defense in convicting her of kidnapping resulting in death.

Prosecutors argued that Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.

She eventually confessed, and the rope and bloody knife used to kill Stinnett were found in her car. A search of her computer showed she used it to research caesareans and order a birthing kit.

Stinnett’s husband, Zeb, told jurors his world “crashed to an end” when he learned his wife was dead. He said he didn’t return for months to the couple’s home in Skidmore, a small farming community that earlier gained notoriety after the 1981 slaying of town bully Ken Rex McElroy in front of a crowd of people who refused to implicate the killer or killers. That crime was chronicled in a book, “In Broad Daylight,” as well as a TV movie, the film “Without Mercy” and the miniseries “No One Saw a Thing.”

Recently, on Victoria Jo’s birthday, he sent Strong, the sheriff, a message through Facebook Messenger thanking him.

“I just wept,” Strong recalled. “He is going to constantly be reminded of this whether in his nightmares or somebody is going to call and want to interview him. The family doesn’t want to be interviewed. They want to be left alone. The community of Skidmore has had a troubling past and history. They didn’t want this. They didn’t deserve this.”

Montgomery originally was scheduled to be put to death on Dec. 8. But the execution was temporarily blocked after her attorneys contracted the coronavirus visiting her in prison.

The resumption of federal executions after a 17-year pause started on July 14. Anti-death penalty groups said President Donald Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.

U.S. officials have portrayed the executions as bringing long-delayed justice for victims and their families.

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Becky Harper sobbed as she spoke to a Missouri dispatcher after stumbling across her expectant daughter in a pool of blood, her womb slashed open and the child she had been carrying missing.

“It’s like she exploded or something,” Harper told the dispatcher on Dec. 16, 2004, during the desperate yet futile attempt to get help for her daughter, Bobbie Jo Stinnett, who had been eight months pregnant.

Lisa Montgomery, who strangled Stinnett with a rope before performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby, awaits execution Tuesday, just eight days before the presidential inauguration of death penalty opponent Joe Biden. If the lethal injection is carried out as scheduled at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, Montgomery would be the first woman executed by the federal government in about six decades.

Montgomery drove about 170 miles from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett, a 23-year-old dog breeder.

She was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, as her own. She is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about about the tragedy.

Prosecutors said her motive was that her ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.

Montgomery’s lawyers, though, have argued that sexual abuse during Montgomery’s childhood led to mental illness. Her stepfather denied the sexual abuse in videotaped testimony and said he didn’t have a good memory when confronted with a transcript of a divorce proceeding in which he admitted some physical abuse. Her mother testified that she never filed a police complaint because he had threatened her and her children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602895377835.png" alt="Montgomery is being held at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, according to online jail records." />
 <figcaption>Montgomery is being held at the Federal Medical Center, Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas, according to online jail records.</figcaption>
 </figure>TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The U.S. government’s plans to carry out its first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades are on hold, and two other executions set for later this week have been halted because the inmates tested positive for COVID-19. The executions were to be the last before President-elect Joe Biden, an opponent of the federal death penalty, is sworn-in next week. Lisa Montgomery faced execution Tuesday for killing a pregnant woman and cutting the baby from her womb in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. But an appeals court granted a stay of execution Tuesday. That came shortly after another appeals court lifted an Indiana judge’s ruling that found she likely couldn’t comprehend she'd be put to death.------TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — A judge has temporarily stopped the U.S. government’s plans Tuesday to carry out the first federal execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades, finding that the Kansas woman who killed an expectant mother, cut the baby from her womb and tried to pass off the newborn as her own was likely mentally ill and couldn’t comprehend she would be put to death.When other executions by the Trump administration were similarly stayed in days or even hours before the scheduled execution times last year, the Department of Justice succeeded in getting a higher court to reverse them. Government lawyers also quickly appealed the stay issued Monday for Lisa Montgomery.Montgomery was convicted of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-michael-brown-coronavirus-pandemic-executions-terre-haute-ef212a64d7f6d8da9ff9f0a2ac3e3390">killing 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett&nbsp;</a>in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore in 2004. She used a rope to strangle Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant, and then cut the baby girl from the womb with a kitchen knife. Montgomery took the child with her and attempted to pass the girl off as her own.A federal judge in southwestern Indiana handed down the order Monday less than 24 hours before the 52-year-old Montgomery, the only female on federal death row, was set to be executed at a federal prison complex in Terre Haute, Indiana.Any delay of Montgomery’s execution beyond Joe Biden’s inauguration next Tuesday would likely mean she will not be executed since a Biden administration is expected to oppose carrying out of federal death sentences.One of Montgomery’s lawyers, Kelley Henry, told The Associated Press Tuesday morning that her client arrived at the Terre Haute facility late Monday night from a Texas prison and that, because there are no facilities for female inmates, she was being kept in a cell in the execution-chamber building itself.“I don’t believe she has any rational comprehension of what’s going on at all,” Henry said.Montgomery has done needle-point in prison, making gloves, hats and other knitted items as gifts for her lawyers and others, Henry said. She hasn’t been able to continue that hobby or read since her glasses were taken away from her out of concern she could commit suicide.“All of her coping mechanisms were taken away from her when they locked her down” in October when she was informed she had an execution date, Henry said.Montgomery’s legal team says she suffered “sexual torture,” including gang rapes, as a child, permanently scarring her emotionally and exacerbating mental-health issues that ran in her family.At trial, prosecutors accused Montgomery of faking mental illness, noting that her killing of Stinnett was premeditated and included meticulous planning, including online research on how to perform a C-section.Henry balked at that idea, citing extensive testing and brain scans that supported the diagnosis of mental illness.“You can’t fake brain scans that show the brain damage,” she said.Henry said the issue at the core of the legal arguments are not whether she knew the killing was wrong in 2004 but whether she fully grasps why she is slated to be executed now.In his ruling on a stay, U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon in Terre Haute cited defense experts who alleged Montgomery suffered from depression, borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.Montgomery, the judge wrote, also suffered around the time of the killing from an extremely rare condition called pseudocyesis in which a woman’s false belief she is pregnant triggers hormonal and physical changes as if she was actually pregnant.Montgomery also experiences delusions and hallucinations, believing God spoke with her through connect-the-dot puzzles, the judge said, citing defense experts.“The record before the Court contains ample evidence that Ms. Montgomery’s current mental state is so divorced from reality that she cannot rationally understand the government’s rationale for her execution,” the judge’ said.The government has acknowledged Montgomery’s mental issues but disputes that she can’t comprehend that she is scheduled for execution for killing another person because of them.Details of the crime at times left jurors in tears during her trial.Prosecutors told the jury Montgomery drove about 170 miles (274 kilometers) from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett. She strangled Stinnett performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.Prosecutors said Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.Montgomery was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about the tragedy.Prosecutors said the motive was that Montgomery’s ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.The U.S. has executed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-coronavirus-pandemic-executions-736b68c22e821be7c5faa85f1bf0b245">10 people at Terre Haute</a>&nbsp;since the resumption of federal executions after a 17-year pause started on July 14. Anti-death penalty groups said President Donald Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.The last woman executed by the federal government was Bonnie Brown Heady on Dec. 18, 1953, for the kidnapping and murder of a 6-year-old boy in Missouri.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/47889ad17a0547398f6818c47a33b9a9">last woman executed by a state</a>&nbsp;was Kelly Gissendaner, 47, on Sept. 30, 2015, in Georgia. She was convicted of murder in the 1997 slaying of her husband after she conspired with her lover, who stabbed Douglas Gissendaner to death.-------------MISSION, Kan. (AP) — A judge has granted a stay in what was slated to be the U.S. government’s first execution of a female inmate in nearly seven decades — a Kansas woman who killed an expectant mother in Missouri, cut the baby from her womb and passed off the newborn as her own.Judge Patrick Hanlon granted the stay late Monday, citing the need to determine Montgomery’s mental competence. Lisa Montgomery faced execution Tuesday at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, just eight days before President-elect Joe Biden, an opponent of the federal death penalty, takes office.Montgomery drove about 170 miles from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Bobbie Jo Stinnett, a 23-year-old dog breeder. She strangled Stinnett with a rope before performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby.She was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, who is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about the tragedy.“As we walked across the threshold our Amber Alert was scrolling across the TV at that very moment,” recalled Randy Strong, who was part of the northwest Missouri major case squad at the time.He looked to his right and saw Montgomery holding the newborn and was awash in relief when she handed her over to law enforcement. The preceding hours had been a blur in which he photographed Stinnett’s body and spent a sleepless night looking for clues — unsure of whether the baby was dead or alive and no idea what she looked like.But then tips began arriving about Montgomery, who had a history of faking pregnancies and suddenly had a baby. Strong, now the sheriff of Nodaway County, where the killing happened, hopped in an unmarked car with another officer. He learned while en route that the email address fischer4kids@hotmail.com that was used to set up the deadly meeting with Stinnett had been sent from a dial-up connection at Montgomery’s home.“I absolutely knew I was walking into the killer’s home,” recalled Strong, saying rat terriers ran around his feet as he approached her house. Like Stinnett, Montgomery also raised rat terriers.Bobbie Jo Stinnett’s mother, Becky Harper, sobbed as she told a Missouri dispatcher about stumbling across her daughter in a pool of blood, her womb slashed open and the child she had been carrying missing.“It’s like she exploded or something,” Harper told the dispatcher on Dec. 16, 2004, during the desperate yet futile attempt to get help for her daughter.Prosecutors said her motive was that Stinnett’s ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.Montgomery’s lawyers, though, have argued that sexual abuse during Montgomery’s childhood led to mental illness. Attorney Kelley Henry spoke in favor of Monday’s decision, saying in a statement to the Capital-Journal that “Mrs. Montgomery has brain damage and severe mental illness that was exacerbated by the lifetime of sexual torture she suffered at the hands of caretakers.”Her stepfather denied the sexual abuse in videotaped testimony and said he didn’t have a good memory when confronted with a transcript of a divorce proceeding in which he admitted some physical abuse. Her mother testified that she never filed a police complaint because he had threatened her and her children.But the jurors who heard the case, some crying through the gruesome testimony, disregarded the defense in convicting her of kidnapping resulting in death.Prosecutors argued that Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.She eventually confessed, and the rope and bloody knife used to kill Stinnett were found in her car. A search of her computer showed she used it to research caesareans and order a birthing kit.Stinnett’s husband, Zeb, told jurors his world “crashed to an end” when he learned his wife was dead. He said he didn’t return for months to the couple’s home in Skidmore, a small farming community that earlier gained notoriety after the 1981 slaying of town bully Ken Rex McElroy in front of a crowd of people who refused to implicate the killer or killers. That crime was chronicled in a book, “In Broad Daylight,” as well as a TV movie, the film “Without Mercy” and the miniseries “No One Saw a Thing.”Recently, on Victoria Jo’s birthday, he sent Strong, the sheriff, a message through Facebook Messenger thanking him.“I just wept,” Strong recalled. “He is going to constantly be reminded of this whether in his nightmares or somebody is going to call and want to interview him. The family doesn’t want to be interviewed. They want to be left alone. The community of Skidmore has had a troubling past and history. They didn’t want this. They didn’t deserve this.”Montgomery originally was scheduled to be put to death on Dec. 8. But the execution was temporarily blocked after her attorneys contracted the coronavirus visiting her in prison.The resumption of federal executions after a 17-year pause started on July 14. Anti-death penalty groups said President Donald Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.U.S. officials have portrayed the executions as bringing long-delayed justice for victims and their families.-----MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Becky Harper sobbed as she spoke to a Missouri dispatcher after stumbling across her expectant daughter in a pool of blood, her womb slashed open and the child she had been carrying missing.“It’s like she exploded or something,” Harper told the dispatcher on Dec. 16, 2004, during the desperate yet futile attempt to get help for her daughter, Bobbie Jo Stinnett, who had been eight months pregnant.Lisa Montgomery, who strangled Stinnett with a rope before performing a crude cesarean and fleeing with the baby, awaits execution Tuesday, just eight days before the presidential inauguration of death penalty opponent Joe Biden. If the lethal injection is carried out as scheduled at the Federal Correctional Complex in Terre Haute, Indiana, Montgomery would be the first woman executed by the federal government in about six decades.Montgomery drove about 170 miles from her Melvern, Kansas, farmhouse to the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore under the guise of adopting a rat terrier puppy from Stinnett, a 23-year-old dog breeder.She was arrested the next day after showing off the premature infant, Victoria Jo, as her own. She is now 16 years old and hasn’t spoken publicly about about the tragedy.“As we walked across the threshold our Amber Alert was scrolling across the TV at that very moment,” recalled Randy Strong, who was part of the northwest Missouri major case squad at the time.He looked to his right and saw Montgomery holding the newborn and was awash in relief when she handed her over to law enforcement. The preceding hours had been a blur in which he photographed Stinnett’s body and spent a sleepless night looking for clues — unsure of whether the baby was dead or alive and no idea what she looked like.But then tips began arriving about Montgomery, who had a history of faking pregnancies and suddenly had a baby. Strong, now the sheriff of Nodaway County, where the killing happened, hopped in an unmarked car with another officer. He learned while en route that the email address fischer4kids@hotmail.com that was used to set up the deadly meeting with Stinnett had been sent from a dial-up connection at Montgomery’s home.“I absolutely knew I was walking into the killer’s home,” recalled Strong, saying rat terriers ran around his feet as he approached her house. Like Stinnett, Montgomery also raised rat terriers.Prosecutors said her motive was that her ex-husband knew she had undergone a tubal ligation that made her sterile and planned to reveal she was lying about being pregnant in an effort to get custody of two of their four children. Needing a baby before a fast-approaching court date, Montgomery turned her focus on Stinnett, whom she had met at dog shows.Montgomery’s lawyers, though, have argued that sexual abuse during Montgomery’s childhood led to mental illness. Her stepfather denied the sexual abuse in videotaped testimony and said he didn’t have a good memory when confronted with a transcript of a divorce proceeding in which he admitted some physical abuse. Her mother testified that she never filed a police complaint because he had threatened her and her children.But the jurors who heard the case, some crying through the gruesome testimony, disregarded the defense in convicting her of kidnapping resulting in death.Prosecutors argued that Stinnett regained consciousness and tried to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from her womb. Later that day, Montgomery called her husband to pick her up in the parking lot of a Long John Silver’s in Topeka, Kansas, telling him she had delivered the baby earlier in the day at a nearby birthing center.She eventually confessed, and the rope and bloody knife used to kill Stinnett were found in her car. A search of her computer showed she used it to research caesareans and order a birthing kit.Stinnett’s husband, Zeb, told jurors his world “crashed to an end” when he learned his wife was dead. He said he didn’t return for months to the couple’s home in Skidmore, a small farming community that earlier gained notoriety after the 1981 slaying of town bully Ken Rex McElroy in front of a crowd of people who refused to implicate the killer or killers. That crime was chronicled in a book, “In Broad Daylight,” as well as a TV movie, the film “Without Mercy” and the miniseries “No One Saw a Thing.”Recently, on Victoria Jo’s birthday, he sent Strong, the sheriff, a message through Facebook Messenger thanking him.“I just wept,” Strong recalled. “He is going to constantly be reminded of this whether in his nightmares or somebody is going to call and want to interview him. The family doesn’t want to be interviewed. They want to be left alone. The community of Skidmore has had a troubling past and history. They didn’t want this. They didn’t deserve this.”Montgomery originally was scheduled to be put to death on Dec. 8. But the execution was temporarily blocked after her attorneys contracted the coronavirus visiting her in prison.The resumption of federal executions after a 17-year pause started on July 14. Anti-death penalty groups said President Donald Trump was pushing for executions prior to the November election in a cynical bid to burnish a reputation as a law-and-order leader.U.S. officials have portrayed the executions as bringing long-delayed justice for victims and their families.

The Latest: Kansas woman's execution on hold

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack&nbsp; that sent a woman to the hospital.

Just after 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a domestic violence incident in the 14000 block of S. Road south of Mayetta, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

The caller reported that the female victim of the incident was lying on the floor of the residence, while the male suspect later identified as Anthony Deshaun Edwards, 26, Lawrence, was pacing nearby. 

Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and arrested Edwards on requested charges of second degree attempted murder.

EMS transported the victim to an area hospital for medical treatment. Edwards is being held in Jackson County Jail where bond was set at $250,000.00, according to Morse.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610374875409.png" alt="Edwards ph oto Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Edwards ph oto Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a violent attack&nbsp; that sent a woman to the hospital.Just after 2:30 p.m. Sunday, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting a domestic violence incident in the 14000 block of S. Road south of Mayetta, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.The caller reported that the female victim of the incident was lying on the floor of the residence, while the male suspect later identified as Anthony Deshaun Edwards, 26, Lawrence, was pacing nearby. Jackson County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene and arrested Edwards on requested charges of second degree attempted murder.EMS transported the victim to an area hospital for medical treatment. Edwards is being held in Jackson County Jail where bond was set at $250,000.00, according to Morse.

Sheriff: Kan. man jailed for attempted murder of woman

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

Just before 9p.m., Jan. 5 to police responded to Terry’s Place, a pool hall located 121 S. Summit Street in downtown Arkansas City, for a report of theft, according to a media release.

They learned a male suspect had entered the business, allegedly took money from the tip jar and then left. 

It was determined that the suspect had left a bicycle and that type of bicycle was sold at SpokeN-Things, located at 208 N. Summit Street.

Employees at the pool hall provided police with a physical description of the suspect and a possible first name.

 Officers identified a suspect later identified as 25-year-old Alexander Michael Sanchez and proceeded to an address in the 900 block of South Summit Street, where they made contact with him.

Further investigation determined he had allegedly committed a burglary and theft at Spoke-NThings, caused damage to a vehicle and stolen a bicycle at Cowley College, and taken money from Terry’s Place.

At the time of his arrest, Sanchez initially resisted arrest, but eventually was taken safely into custody without further incident.&nbsp;

Sanchez was jailed on requested charges of one felony count each of burglary and theft, two counts of misdemeanor theft, and one misdemeanor count each of criminal damage to property and interference with a law enforcement officer.

Sanchez was booked into the Cowley County Jail in Winfield in lieu of $9,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610385643685.png" alt="Sanchez photo Cowley County" />
 <figcaption>Sanchez photo Cowley County</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a burglary and have a suspect in custody.Just before 9p.m., Jan. 5 to police responded to Terry’s Place, a pool hall located 121 S. Summit Street in downtown Arkansas City, for a report of theft, according to a media release.They learned a male suspect had entered the business, allegedly took money from the tip jar and then left. It was determined that the suspect had left a bicycle and that type of bicycle was sold at SpokeN-Things, located at 208 N. Summit Street.Employees at the pool hall provided police with a physical description of the suspect and a possible first name. Officers identified a suspect later identified as 25-year-old Alexander Michael Sanchez and proceeded to an address in the 900 block of South Summit Street, where they made contact with him.Further investigation determined he had allegedly committed a burglary and theft at Spoke-NThings, caused damage to a vehicle and stolen a bicycle at Cowley College, and taken money from Terry’s Place.At the time of his arrest, Sanchez initially resisted arrest, but eventually was taken safely into custody without further incident.&nbsp;Sanchez was jailed on requested charges of one felony count each of burglary and theft, two counts of misdemeanor theft, and one misdemeanor count each of criminal damage to property and interference with a law enforcement officer.Sanchez was booked into the Cowley County Jail in Winfield in lieu of $9,000 bond.

Kan. man allegedly stole bicycle, money from tip jar

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City has agreed to a $725,000 settlement of an excessive force complaint filed after a police officer allegedly forced his knee onto the neck of a teenager who prosecutors said was not resisting arrest.

The settlement arises from a confrontation in a fast-food restaurant in November 2019. The teenager was in a car that sped away from officers but eventually stopped. The teenager and a man inside got out, put their hands in the air and got on their knees, according to court documents.

Although the teen was not resisting, Police Sgt. Matthew Neal put a knee on his neck, causing him to have difficultly breathing, prosecutors said. He was treated for cuts, bruises and broken teeth. He was not charged with any crime arising from the confrontation.

Neal was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fc4cb62eb753619386c5c0a12f80e08">charged</a>&nbsp;in August with third-degree assault in the case. He has pleaded not guilty. He has been suspended with pay since the charge was filed. Another officer who was on the scene, Dylan Pifer, was not criminally charged and remains on active duty.

The settlement was approved on Nov. 17. The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article248308200.html">reported</a>&nbsp;the amount Friday after filing an open records request.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1603220400802.png" alt="Several of the teen’s teeth were broken and he required stitches. Photo courtesy Jackson Co. Prosecutor's office" />
 <figcaption>Several of the teen’s teeth were broken and he required stitches. Photo courtesy Jackson Co. Prosecutor's office</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City has agreed to a $725,000 settlement of an excessive force complaint filed after a police officer allegedly forced his knee onto the neck of a teenager who prosecutors said was not resisting arrest.The settlement arises from a confrontation in a fast-food restaurant in November 2019. The teenager was in a car that sped away from officers but eventually stopped. The teenager and a man inside got out, put their hands in the air and got on their knees, according to court documents.Although the teen was not resisting, Police Sgt. Matthew Neal put a knee on his neck, causing him to have difficultly breathing, prosecutors said. He was treated for cuts, bruises and broken teeth. He was not charged with any crime arising from the confrontation.Neal was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2fc4cb62eb753619386c5c0a12f80e08">charged</a>&nbsp;in August with third-degree assault in the case. He has pleaded not guilty. He has been suspended with pay since the charge was filed. Another officer who was on the scene, Dylan Pifer, was not criminally charged and remains on active duty.The settlement was approved on Nov. 17. The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article248308200.html">reported</a>&nbsp;the amount Friday after filing an open records request.

Kansas City police pay $725,000 excessive force settlement

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

Just before 10p.m. January 6, a deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop on a silver Dodge Dakota in the 2600 block of NW Rochester Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. 

During the investigation, a K9 unit was deployed and narcotics were located inside the vehicle.&nbsp; 

The deputy arrested Mark A. Anguish, 61, of Topeka was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, no insurance and expired tag.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610137633400.png" alt="Anguish photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Anguish photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man on multiple charges after a traffic stop.Just before 10p.m. January 6, a deputy sheriff conducted a traffic stop on a silver Dodge Dakota in the 2600 block of NW Rochester Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. During the investigation, a K9 unit was deployed and narcotics were located inside the vehicle.&nbsp; The deputy arrested Mark A. Anguish, 61, of Topeka was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended, no insurance and expired tag.

Kan. sheriff's K9 unit assists in arrest during traffic stop

FREMONT, Neb. (AP) -Authorities have arrested a man in the stabbing death of a 4-month-old baby in Nebraska.

Police in Fremont said 19-year-old Alexander Hernandez was taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. Friday after officers were called to a home about an unconscious child. He is jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and committing child abuse intentionally resulting in death. It wasn't immediately known whether he had an attorney.

Police said a witness in the home reported seeing him stab the child several times and then grappled with him over the knife. The child was pronounced dead at a hospital.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610247200753.png" alt="Alexander Hernandez photo Dodge County" />
 <figcaption>Alexander Hernandez photo Dodge County</figcaption>
 </figure>FREMONT, Neb. (AP) -Authorities have arrested a man in the stabbing death of a 4-month-old baby in Nebraska.Police in Fremont said 19-year-old Alexander Hernandez was taken into custody around 9:30 p.m. Friday after officers were called to a home about an unconscious child. He is jailed on suspicion of first-degree murder, use of a weapon to commit a felony and committing child abuse intentionally resulting in death. It wasn't immediately known whether he had an attorney.Police said a witness in the home reported seeing him stab the child several times and then grappled with him over the knife. The child was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Police: Teen arrested in stabbing death of 4-month-old 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The insurrection by supporters of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol this week has prompted governors and lawmakers in several states to heighten security at their own capitol buildings as they gather amid a pandemic for legislative sessions and inaugural ceremonies.

Like the U.S. Capitol, statehouses are regular targets for demonstrations. Many already have armed security personnel and metal detectors that screen visitors.

But if the U.S. Capitol — a shining symbol of democracy with a dedicated police force— can be overrun by a violent mob, could state capitols be next?

This week's events were “a wakeup call for everybody, both in D.C. and in state capitals all across the country,” said Washington state Rep. J.T. Wilcox, the chamber's Republican leader.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-oregon-elections-idaho-688fc8894f44992487bb6ee45e9abd77">series of smaller-scale flare-ups&nbsp;</a>occurred last year at state capitols. Last spring, armed protesters entered the Michigan Capitol to object to pandemic-related lockdowns. Some were blocked by police while demanding entry onto the House floor, while others shouted down from the Senate gallery.

In Ohio, people upset about the death of George Floyd in Minnesota smashed 28 windows at the statehouse.

Protesters in Idaho temporarily derailed a special legislative session last August. And just a few weeks ago, crowds in Oregon forced their way into the Capitol to protest its closure to the public during a special legislative session on coronavirus measures.

On Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced he was activating up to 750 National Guard troops to join state police in patrolling the capitol in Olympia on Monday, when lawmakers return to session. He said an area will be set aside for demonstrators to hold rallies.

“But in light of the most recent insurrection activity, the state cannot tolerate any actions that could result in harm, mayhem or interruption of function of democratic institutions,” he said in a statement. “Any illegal intrusion of the Capitol, state buildings or restricted areas will not be tolerated and strictly enforced.”

A right-wing militia had encouraged its members to occupy the Capitol when lawmakers meet, and that intention was echoed by several people who broke down a gate outside the governor’s mansion on Wednesday, the day Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

An organizer of the planned occupation said in a later Facebook post that the event was canceled, although it's not clear whether others who share right-wing views plan to show up, anyway.

In neighboring Idaho, where lawmakers also are scheduled to meet Monday, State Police Col. Kedrick Wills said there will be an increased presence of uniformed state troopers at the statehouse. Anxieties are high for some lawmakers.

“We are being forced into one of the most dangerous workplaces in the state,” said Democratic House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, noting a lack of COVID-19 protection efforts. “Now, layered onto that, we’re at a point where emotions are at their absolute peak and armed conspiracy theorists are ready to burn it all down.”

The vast majority of state legislatures are convening this month. Though some are allowing remote participation because of coronavirus precautions, others are proceeding with regular in-person committee hearings and floor debates.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said security has been increased around the statehouse in advance of the legislative session that begins next Wednesday. In Massachusetts, which started its legislative session this week, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic legislative leaders issued a joint statement saying they were assessing the Capitol's security in light of events in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.

In Oregon, where Trump supporters burned a life-size puppet of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday, lawmakers have pledged to review Capitol safety rules and potentially increase security for the session that begins Jan. 19.

State police that oversee the New Mexico statehouse have taken steps to coordinate security with local law enforcement agencies in case "gatherings become other than peaceful,” said state police spokesman Lt. Mark Soriano.

Some state officials are rethinking their Capitol gun policies. In Michigan, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said Thursday that he would support a ban on the open carrying of firearms in the Capitol. Minority party Democratic lawmakers want to prohibit all guns in the building.

By contrast, some Texas lawmakers are talking of bringing more guns into the Capitol to protect themselves. Licensed handgun owners already can carry firearms into the Capitol, and some lawmakers have been known to wear guns in the chamber.

“Pretty sure more #txlege members are going to start carrying inside the Capitol,” Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain tweeted Thursday, a day after the Capitol grounds were abruptly shuttered as hundreds of Trump supporters demonstrated outside without any reported incidents.

The Republican Party of Texas was to hold another long-planned rally at the Capitol on Saturday to draw attention to legislative priorities.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is planning for more than a thousand guests to gather Monday on the lawn of the state Capitol for his inaugural ceremony. Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike O'Connell said plans have been in the works for months to provide “extensive security and crowd-control."

As a mob stormed the nation's capitol Wednesday, supporters and opponents of Trump also clashed outside the Ohio statehouse. Video footage showed multiple people in a street fight. Another violent altercation involving several people broke out later on the statehouse grounds, until law enforcement officers moved to separate the groups.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said he could not promise that the statehouse wouldn't be breached like the U.S. Capitol.

“No one can say they’re confident,” DeWine said, adding: “We’re certainly aware that something could happen.”

Some states already had stepped up security before the violence in the nation's capital.

A fence remains at the Minnesota Capitol after being erected last summer amid the unrest over Floyd's killing. It was in place Wednesday when around 500 Trump supporters held what was billed as a “Storm the Capitol” rally — a noisy but peaceful gathering with no arrests. State Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said increased security staffing will continue for the immediate future.

Colorado's Capitol also remains encircled by fencing, with concrete barriers to block vehicles and its ground floor windows boarded up after vandals damaged it following Floyd's death. Officials already planned to install stronger fencing, more security cameras and bullet-resistant glass for windows. Legislative leaders are focusing on any needed additional measures after the events in Washington, said Bella Combest, spokeswoman for the Senate Democratic leadership.

Police at the Mississippi Capitol are moving forward with a previously planned purchase of more security cameras and new machines to scan bags. The New Jersey statehouse is in the midst of a multi-year, $300 million renovation, with security listed as a top reason.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609967102759.png" alt="Dozens of Trump’s supporters entered the Kansas Statehouse peacefully on Wednesday- photo courtesy WIBW-TV" />
 <figcaption>Dozens of Trump’s supporters entered the Kansas Statehouse peacefully on Wednesday- photo courtesy WIBW-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The insurrection by supporters of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol this week has prompted governors and lawmakers in several states to heighten security at their own capitol buildings as they gather amid a pandemic for legislative sessions and inaugural ceremonies.Like the U.S. Capitol, statehouses are regular targets for demonstrations. Many already have armed security personnel and metal detectors that screen visitors.But if the U.S. Capitol — a shining symbol of democracy with a dedicated police force— can be overrun by a violent mob, could state capitols be next?This week's events were “a wakeup call for everybody, both in D.C. and in state capitals all across the country,” said Washington state Rep. J.T. Wilcox, the chamber's Republican leader.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-coronavirus-pandemic-oregon-elections-idaho-688fc8894f44992487bb6ee45e9abd77">series of smaller-scale flare-ups&nbsp;</a>occurred last year at state capitols. Last spring, armed protesters entered the Michigan Capitol to object to pandemic-related lockdowns. Some were blocked by police while demanding entry onto the House floor, while others shouted down from the Senate gallery.In Ohio, people upset about the death of George Floyd in Minnesota smashed 28 windows at the statehouse.Protesters in Idaho temporarily derailed a special legislative session last August. And just a few weeks ago, crowds in Oregon forced their way into the Capitol to protest its closure to the public during a special legislative session on coronavirus measures.On Friday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced he was activating up to 750 National Guard troops to join state police in patrolling the capitol in Olympia on Monday, when lawmakers return to session. He said an area will be set aside for demonstrators to hold rallies.“But in light of the most recent insurrection activity, the state cannot tolerate any actions that could result in harm, mayhem or interruption of function of democratic institutions,” he said in a statement. “Any illegal intrusion of the Capitol, state buildings or restricted areas will not be tolerated and strictly enforced.”A right-wing militia had encouraged its members to occupy the Capitol when lawmakers meet, and that intention was echoed by several people who broke down a gate outside the governor’s mansion on Wednesday, the day Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.An organizer of the planned occupation said in a later Facebook post that the event was canceled, although it's not clear whether others who share right-wing views plan to show up, anyway.In neighboring Idaho, where lawmakers also are scheduled to meet Monday, State Police Col. Kedrick Wills said there will be an increased presence of uniformed state troopers at the statehouse. Anxieties are high for some lawmakers.“We are being forced into one of the most dangerous workplaces in the state,” said Democratic House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, noting a lack of COVID-19 protection efforts. “Now, layered onto that, we’re at a point where emotions are at their absolute peak and armed conspiracy theorists are ready to burn it all down.”The vast majority of state legislatures are convening this month. Though some are allowing remote participation because of coronavirus precautions, others are proceeding with regular in-person committee hearings and floor debates.Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said security has been increased around the statehouse in advance of the legislative session that begins next Wednesday. In Massachusetts, which started its legislative session this week, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic legislative leaders issued a joint statement saying they were assessing the Capitol's security in light of events in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere.In Oregon, where Trump supporters burned a life-size puppet of Democratic Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday, lawmakers have pledged to review Capitol safety rules and potentially increase security for the session that begins Jan. 19.State police that oversee the New Mexico statehouse have taken steps to coordinate security with local law enforcement agencies in case "gatherings become other than peaceful,” said state police spokesman Lt. Mark Soriano.Some state officials are rethinking their Capitol gun policies. In Michigan, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said Thursday that he would support a ban on the open carrying of firearms in the Capitol. Minority party Democratic lawmakers want to prohibit all guns in the building.By contrast, some Texas lawmakers are talking of bringing more guns into the Capitol to protect themselves. Licensed handgun owners already can carry firearms into the Capitol, and some lawmakers have been known to wear guns in the chamber.“Pretty sure more #txlege members are going to start carrying inside the Capitol,” Republican state Rep. Briscoe Cain tweeted Thursday, a day after the Capitol grounds were abruptly shuttered as hundreds of Trump supporters demonstrated outside without any reported incidents.The Republican Party of Texas was to hold another long-planned rally at the Capitol on Saturday to draw attention to legislative priorities.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is planning for more than a thousand guests to gather Monday on the lawn of the state Capitol for his inaugural ceremony. Department of Public Safety spokesman Mike O'Connell said plans have been in the works for months to provide “extensive security and crowd-control."As a mob stormed the nation's capitol Wednesday, supporters and opponents of Trump also clashed outside the Ohio statehouse. Video footage showed multiple people in a street fight. Another violent altercation involving several people broke out later on the statehouse grounds, until law enforcement officers moved to separate the groups.Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, said he could not promise that the statehouse wouldn't be breached like the U.S. Capitol.“No one can say they’re confident,” DeWine said, adding: “We’re certainly aware that something could happen.”Some states already had stepped up security before the violence in the nation's capital.A fence remains at the Minnesota Capitol after being erected last summer amid the unrest over Floyd's killing. It was in place Wednesday when around 500 Trump supporters held what was billed as a “Storm the Capitol” rally — a noisy but peaceful gathering with no arrests. State Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said increased security staffing will continue for the immediate future.Colorado's Capitol also remains encircled by fencing, with concrete barriers to block vehicles and its ground floor windows boarded up after vandals damaged it following Floyd's death. Officials already planned to install stronger fencing, more security cameras and bullet-resistant glass for windows. Legislative leaders are focusing on any needed additional measures after the events in Washington, said Bella Combest, spokeswoman for the Senate Democratic leadership.Police at the Mississippi Capitol are moving forward with a previously planned purchase of more security cameras and new machines to scan bags. The New Jersey statehouse is in the midst of a multi-year, $300 million renovation, with security listed as a top reason.After the U.S. Capitol siege, New Jersey state Assemblyman Jon Bramnick, leader of the chamber's minority Republicans, raised concerns about security in public buildings.“It is very difficult to understand how protestors were able to gain access to the Chamber in the Capitol," Bramnick said in a tweet. “This is a very dangerous scenario that may encourage others to violate the law.”