TOPEKA (AP) —State capitols across the nation stepped up security this week, deploying National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers while several legislatures convened amid heightened safety concerns following last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.

The protections came as the FBI issued a bulletin warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration.

Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee activated hundreds of National Guard troops to help state police keep order at the state Capitol. At least two people were arrested, including a man who tried to walk past authorities as lawmakers were to begin their session and shouted: “I have every right to witness this.”

At the Georgia Capitol, a state patrol SWAT team walked the perimeter wearing fatigues and carrying rifles while lawmakers gathered inside for the start of a two-year term. State troopers were stationed throughout the Iowa Capitol for opening day as more than 200 people opposing coronavirus mask mandates chanted “freedom” during a peaceful rally.

Legislatures convened in more than a half dozen states. By week’s end, three-fourths of all state legislatures will have opened their sessions. Because of concerns about the coronavirus, many state capitols had already adopted procedures to curb the potential for large crowds, including arranging for lawmakers to meet remotely. Those steps greatly reduced the number of people who are actually working in capitol buildings.

After insurrectionists backing President Donald Trump overran the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, some governors and lawmakers began ramping up security because of online threats suggesting that more mobs could target state capitols.

In Michigan, a state commission voted Monday to ban the open carrying of weapons in the Capitol building.

In Idaho, doors to the House and Senate chambers were locked Monday morning, and two state troopers were stationed at each entrance. In past years, the doors were propped open while an unarmed statehouse staff member controlled access.

During a special session last August, a group that included anti-government activist Ammon Bundy forced its way past overwhelmed troopers and filled the Idaho House gallery despite COVID-19 restrictions limiting the number of people allowed in. The group called People’s Rights was founded by Bundy and opposes the restrictions. Its leaders were urging members to show up Monday at the Capitol.

Glen Thorne wore a handgun in a holster on his right hip Monday at the Capitol. Openly carrying weapons in the building is legal. Thorne said he wanted to make sure Republican Gov. Brad Little “knows that we’re here.”

“We want to end the state of emergency for Idaho. It’s ridiculous. We all want to go back to a normal state of living,” Thorne said. He did not think the group would cause trouble.

“This is Idaho. We’re all gun-carrying, respectful Republicans,” said Thorne, who lives in Buhl, Idaho, about a two-hour drive to the southeast of Boise.

Republican Idaho Rep. Chad Christensen said he brought a bulletproof vest.

“If I feel things are going to get heightened up, I may put it on,” said Christensen, who also carried a .45-caliber handgun on his belt, which is standard procedure for him.

In Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and other officials approved construction of a fence around the Capitol last year after racial injustice protests. Kemp has kept a group of National Guard soldiers on active duty to protect state properties since last summer, when protesters smashed windows and set a fire at state public safety headquarters in Atlanta.

Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, another Republican, said he had “full confidence” that authorities would be “ready to do whatever needs to be done to to protect the members, staff, the public, the media, and all the people that have to be here.”

A memo issued late last month by the FBI office in Minneapolis and confirmed by The Associated Press warned of credible threats for this Sunday at the state capitols in Minnesota and Michigan. The memo said followers of the right-wing Boogaloo movement had done reconnaissance at the Capitol in St. Paul, including scouting police sniper locations that would need to be destroyed if a gunbattle broke out.

Inslee, a Democrat, activated 750 members of the National Guard. On the same day as the deadly riot in Washington, D.C., a group of armed people broke down a gate outside the governor’s mansion in Olympia, Washington, and made it to the porch and front yard before being convinced to leave by police.

On Monday, lawmakers had to drive through an area gated off and guarded by the National Guard to park outside the Capitol. A small group of protesters gathered in the morning, shouting that they should be let inside the building to observe lawmakers.

“It’s a sad day for our country, isn’t it, where you have to have that kind of security around the people who were elected to represent you,” Democratic Sen. Patty Kuderer said. “Unfortunately, we live in troubling times, and I do believe we’re going to get through it, but it’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of effort.”

In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s inauguration proceeded Monday without incident. Concrete barriers and extra police — both typical inaugural precautions — surrounded the Capitol grounds where fewer than 2,000 people gathered. Parson told reporters later that security precautions also will be taken at potential upcoming demonstrations, though he was not specific.

Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Republican, said he was worried about protests at state capitols planned for this coming weekend and asked for extra security from the Kansas Highway Patrol.

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

Oregon state police will conduct building security training for those who work at the state Capitol, including journalists, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Michigan, where armed demonstrators against coronavirus restrictions entered the Capitol last year, there was little discussion as the open-weapons ban was approved. Michigan lawmakers are to return to session Wednesday.

Some of the anti-government extremists accused in a plot to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had attended the earlier lockdown protests. Prosecutors say the accused ringleader initially talked of recruiting 200 men to storm the building, take hostages and “execute tyrants.”

Authorities are aware of recent online posts promoting statehouses marches and would make “both seen and unseen” security enhancements at the Capitol for the next couple weeks, Michigan state police spokeswoman Shanon Banner said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610553562200.png" alt="National Guard soldiers at the U.S. Capitol early Wednesday- photo courtesy Rep. Peter Welch" />
 <figcaption>National Guard soldiers at the U.S. Capitol early Wednesday- photo courtesy Rep. Peter Welch</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA (AP) —State capitols across the nation stepped up security this week, deploying National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers while several legislatures convened amid heightened safety concerns following last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.The protections came as the FBI issued a bulletin warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1609967102759.png" alt="Dozens of Trump’s supporters entered the Kansas Statehouse peacefully on Jan. 6, 2021- photo courtesy WIBW-TV" />
 <figcaption>Dozens of Trump’s supporters entered the Kansas Statehouse peacefully on Jan. 6, 2021- photo courtesy WIBW-TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee activated hundreds of National Guard troops to help state police keep order at the state Capitol. At least two people were arrested, including a man who tried to walk past authorities as lawmakers were to begin their session and shouted: “I have every right to witness this.”At the Georgia Capitol, a state patrol SWAT team walked the perimeter wearing fatigues and carrying rifles while lawmakers gathered inside for the start of a two-year term. State troopers were stationed throughout the Iowa Capitol for opening day as more than 200 people opposing coronavirus mask mandates chanted “freedom” during a peaceful rally.Legislatures convened in more than a half dozen states. By week’s end, three-fourths of all state legislatures will have opened their sessions. Because of concerns about the coronavirus, many state capitols had already adopted procedures to curb the potential for large crowds, including arranging for lawmakers to meet remotely. Those steps greatly reduced the number of people who are actually working in capitol buildings.After insurrectionists backing President Donald Trump overran the U.S. Capitol last Wednesday, some governors and lawmakers began ramping up security because of online threats suggesting that more mobs could target state capitols.In Michigan, a state commission voted Monday to ban the open carrying of weapons in the Capitol building.In Idaho, doors to the House and Senate chambers were locked Monday morning, and two state troopers were stationed at each entrance. In past years, the doors were propped open while an unarmed statehouse staff member controlled access.During a special session last August, a group that included anti-government activist Ammon Bundy forced its way past overwhelmed troopers and filled the Idaho House gallery despite COVID-19 restrictions limiting the number of people allowed in. The group called People’s Rights was founded by Bundy and opposes the restrictions. Its leaders were urging members to show up Monday at the Capitol.Glen Thorne wore a handgun in a holster on his right hip Monday at the Capitol. Openly carrying weapons in the building is legal. Thorne said he wanted to make sure Republican Gov. Brad Little “knows that we’re here.”“We want to end the state of emergency for Idaho. It’s ridiculous. We all want to go back to a normal state of living,” Thorne said. He did not think the group would cause trouble.“This is Idaho. We’re all gun-carrying, respectful Republicans,” said Thorne, who lives in Buhl, Idaho, about a two-hour drive to the southeast of Boise.Republican Idaho Rep. Chad Christensen said he brought a bulletproof vest.“If I feel things are going to get heightened up, I may put it on,” said Christensen, who also carried a .45-caliber handgun on his belt, which is standard procedure for him.In Georgia, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and other officials approved construction of a fence around the Capitol last year after racial injustice protests. Kemp has kept a group of National Guard soldiers on active duty to protect state properties since last summer, when protesters smashed windows and set a fire at state public safety headquarters in Atlanta.Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, another Republican, said he had “full confidence” that authorities would be “ready to do whatever needs to be done to to protect the members, staff, the public, the media, and all the people that have to be here.”A memo issued late last month by the FBI office in Minneapolis and confirmed by The Associated Press warned of credible threats for this Sunday at the state capitols in Minnesota and Michigan. The memo said followers of the right-wing Boogaloo movement had done reconnaissance at the Capitol in St. Paul, including scouting police sniper locations that would need to be destroyed if a gunbattle broke out.Inslee, a Democrat, activated 750 members of the National Guard. On the same day as the deadly riot in Washington, D.C., a group of armed people broke down a gate outside the governor’s mansion in Olympia, Washington, and made it to the porch and front yard before being convinced to leave by police.On Monday, lawmakers had to drive through an area gated off and guarded by the National Guard to park outside the Capitol. A small group of protesters gathered in the morning, shouting that they should be let inside the building to observe lawmakers.“It’s a sad day for our country, isn’t it, where you have to have that kind of security around the people who were elected to represent you,” Democratic Sen. Patty Kuderer said. “Unfortunately, we live in troubling times, and I do believe we’re going to get through it, but it’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of effort.”In Missouri, Republican Gov. Mike Parson’s inauguration proceeded Monday without incident. Concrete barriers and extra police — both typical inaugural precautions — surrounded the Capitol grounds where fewer than 2,000 people gathered. Parson told reporters later that security precautions also will be taken at potential upcoming demonstrations, though he was not specific.Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a Republican, said he was worried about protests at state capitols planned for this coming weekend and asked for extra security from the Kansas Highway Patrol.“We’re hopeful that things, people, remain calm and the democratic process can continue,” Ryckman said.Oregon state police will conduct building security training for those who work at the state Capitol, including journalists, on Tuesday and Wednesday.In Michigan, where armed demonstrators against coronavirus restrictions entered the Capitol last year, there was little discussion as the open-weapons ban was approved. Michigan lawmakers are to return to session Wednesday.Some of the anti-government extremists accused in a plot to kidnap Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had attended the earlier lockdown protests. Prosecutors say the accused ringleader initially talked of recruiting 200 men to storm the building, take hostages and “execute tyrants.”Authorities are aware of recent online posts promoting statehouses marches and would make “both seen and unseen” security enhancements at the Capitol for the next couple weeks, Michigan state police spokeswoman Shanon Banner said.___

State capitols step up security following FBI warning

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Preliminary hearings are set for Thursday afternoon for a Hutchinson Correctional Facility employee and three women accused of smuggling contraband into Hutchinson Correctional Facility.&nbsp;

Zachary Wood, 22, Newton faces eight different counts in an effort to smuggle K2 into the facility. Wood faces three counts of conspiracy, three counts of using a communication device to distribute drugs, one count of drug distribution and one count of trafficking contraband into a correctional facility. The three women arrested in the case are Ester Davis, Denisha Starns and Stephanie Thindiu.

According to the complaint, Wood used the three women to bring the synthetic marijuana into the facility over a period of two months. Thursday's hearings are set for 1:30 p.m.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600357864536.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Preliminary hearings are set for Thursday afternoon for a Hutchinson Correctional Facility employee and three women accused of smuggling contraband into Hutchinson Correctional Facility.&nbsp;Zachary Wood, 22, Newton faces eight different counts in an effort to smuggle K2 into the facility. Wood faces three counts of conspiracy, three counts of using a communication device to distribute drugs, one count of drug distribution and one count of trafficking contraband into a correctional facility. The three women arrested in the case are Ester Davis, Denisha Starns and Stephanie Thindiu.According to the complaint, Wood used the three women to bring the synthetic marijuana into the facility over a period of two months. Thursday's hearings are set for 1:30 p.m.&nbsp;

Employee faces charges for smuggling K2 into Kan. prison

A Missouri Farm Bureau spokesman says agricultural interests hope former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will have quite a bit of influence when he resumes his old job under President-elect Joe Biden.

Eric Bohl says it has been interesting to see Biden call on members of the former Obama Administration to join his team, saying Vilsack is a key appointment for agriculture.

“Secretary Vilsack had a little better understanding of rural America than I think a lot of the other people in that (Obama) administration did,” Bohl tells KFEQ Agriculture Director Dione Bertling.

 “He is the former governor of Iowa. He has worked in the ag industry for many years and seems to have a little bit better understanding about what is important for us, especially on the trade front.”

Bohl says trade is vital to agriculture and he hopes the Biden Administration will seek expanded trade opportunities.

Vilsack, the former Iowa governor, served all eight years under President Obama. Biden persuaded Vilsack, who is 70 years old, to leave a lucrative job in the private sector to return as the head of the USDA.

Bohl says it eases the concerns agriculture has about the incoming administration that Biden spent years as a senator before becoming Vice President and then winning the presidency.

“He will have a different approach than someone who is fresh out of governorship or someone who was like President Trump who had never served in government before,” according to Bohl. “Of course, his past experience is going to influence him. Now, exactly what that means, I don’t know if we can predict that. I think we’ll have to wait and see.”

Biden says he hopes the reports are true that Vilsack has a close relationship with Biden.

“He’s someone President-elect Biden really respects and listens to as a voice of rural states and rural reason,” Bohl says. “Unfortunately, there doesn’t look like there’s going to be a lot of other voices, rural state voices, that are in the cabinet.”

By BRENT MARTINSt. Joseph PostA Missouri Farm Bureau spokesman says agricultural interests hope former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will have quite a bit of influence when he resumes his old job under President-elect Joe Biden.Eric Bohl says it has been interesting to see Biden call on members of the former Obama Administration to join his team, saying Vilsack is a key appointment for agriculture.“Secretary Vilsack had a little better understanding of rural America than I think a lot of the other people in that (Obama) administration did,” Bohl tells KFEQ Agriculture Director Dione Bertling. “He is the former governor of Iowa. He has worked in the ag industry for many years and seems to have a little bit better understanding about what is important for us, especially on the trade front.”Bohl says trade is vital to agriculture and he hopes the Biden Administration will seek expanded trade opportunities.Vilsack, the former Iowa governor, served all eight years under President Obama. Biden persuaded Vilsack, who is 70 years old, to leave a lucrative job in the private sector to return as the head of the USDA.Bohl says it eases the concerns agriculture has about the incoming administration that Biden spent years as a senator before becoming Vice President and then winning the presidency.“He will have a different approach than someone who is fresh out of governorship or someone who was like President Trump who had never served in government before,” according to Bohl. “Of course, his past experience is going to influence him. Now, exactly what that means, I don’t know if we can predict that. I think we’ll have to wait and see.”Biden says he hopes the reports are true that Vilsack has a close relationship with Biden.“He’s someone President-elect Biden really respects and listens to as a voice of rural states and rural reason,” Bohl says. “Unfortunately, there doesn’t look like there’s going to be a lot of other voices, rural state voices, that are in the cabinet.”

Choice of Vilsack eases concerns some farmers have about Biden administration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has been impeached by the U.S. House over the violent siege of the Capitol. The vote was 232-197. Five did not vote.&nbsp; 10 republicans voted to impeach.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507879-101/house-session-part-2&amp;live">CLICK Here to watch</a>&nbsp;a replay of the debate and vote

He is the only president to be twice impeached. He faced a single charge “incitement of insurrection” in Wednesday's vote after he encouraged a mob of loyalists to, as he put it, “fight like hell” against election results. The subsequent attack on the U.S. Capitol turned deadly and delayed finalizing Democrat Joe Biden's election victory. 

Security was exceptionally tight at the Capitol for Wednesday's vote, beefed up by armed National Guard troops, with secure perimeters set up and metal-detector screenings required for lawmakers entering the House chamber. A handful of Republicans supported impeachment along with the Democrats.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump was on the verge of being impeached for a second time Wednesday as the House sped to a vote just a week after he encouraged loyalists to “fight like hell” against election results and then a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507879-101/house-session-part-2&amp;live">CLICK Here to watch</a>&nbsp;the impeachment vote

During debate on the articles of impeachment, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked Republicans and Democrats to “search their souls” ahead of the historic afternoon vote. Trump would be the first American president to be impeached twice.

Trump “must go,” Pelosi said. “He is a clear and present danger to the nation we all love.”

Actual removal seems unlikely before the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Republican leader would not agree to bring the chamber back immediately, all be ensuring a Senate trial could not begin at least until Jan. 19.

But momentum for action in the House was unstoppable.

The impeachment proceedings came one week after a violent, pro-Trump mob breached the U.S. Capitol, sending lawmakers into hiding and revealing the fragility of the nation’s history of peaceful transfers of power. The riot has also forced a reckoning among some Republicans, who have stood by Trump throughout his presidency and largely allowed him to spread false attacks against the integrity of the 2020 election.

While Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 brought no Republican votes in the House, at least six House Republicans were breaking with the party to join Democrats this time, saying Trump violated his oath to protect and defend U.S. democracy. Among them was Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House and the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney.

As two Republican lawmakers — Washington Reps. Dan Newhouse and Jaime Herrera Beutler — announced on the floor they would vote to impeach, Trump issued a new statement urging “NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind.” But he has repeatedly declined to take any responsibility for last week’s riots.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said for the first time that Trump does bear responsibility, acknowledging on the House floor before the vote that Biden is the next president and that radical liberal groups were not responsible for the riots, as some conservatives have falsely claimed.

But McCarthy said he opposed impeachment, instead favoring a “fact finding commission” and censure.

As for threats of more trouble from intruders, security was exceptionally tight at the Capitol with shocking images of massed National Guard troops, secure perimeters around the complex and metal-detector screenings required for lawmakers entering the House chamber.

“We are debating this historic measure at a crime scene,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

Though McConnell is declining to hasten an impeachment trial, a Republican strategist told The Associated Press the GOP leader believes Trump committed impeachable offenses and considers the Democrats’ impeachment drive an opportunity to reduce the divisive, chaotic president’s hold on the GOP.

McConnell called major Republican donors last weekend to gauge their thinking about Trump and was told that Trump had clearly crossed a line. McConnell told them he was through with Trump, said the strategist, who demanded anonymity to describe McConnell’s conversations.

The New York Times first reported McConnell’s views on impeachment on Tuesday.

The stunning collapse of Trump’s final days in office, along with warnings of more violence ahead, leaves the nation at an uneasy and unfamiliar juncture before Biden takes office.

Trump faces a single charge of “incitement of insurrection.”

The four-page impeachment resolution relies on Trump’s own incendiary rhetoric and the falsehoods he spread about Biden’s election victory, including at a White House rally on the day of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, in making its case for “high crimes and misdemeanors” as demanded in the Constitution.

Trump took no responsibility for the riot, suggesting it was the drive to oust him rather than his actions around the bloody riot that was dividing the country.

“To continue on this path, I think it’s causing tremendous danger to our country, and it’s causing tremendous anger,” Trump said Tuesday, his first remarks to reporters since last week’s violence.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot and killed a woman during the siege. Three other people died in what authorities said were medical emergencies. Lawmakers scrambled for safety and hid as rioters took control of the Capitol, delaying by hours the tally of Electoral College votes that was the last step in finalizing Biden’s victory.

The six Republican lawmakers, including Cheney, were unswayed by the president’s logic. Their support of impeachment cleaved the Republican leadership, and the party itself.

“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” said Cheney in a statement. “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”

Unlike a year ago, Trump faces impeachment as a weakened leader, having lost his own reelection as well as the Senate Republican majority.

The president was said to be livid with perceived disloyalty from McConnell and Cheney, as calls mounted for her ouster. He was also deeply frustrated that he could not hit back with his shuttered Twitter account, the fear of which has kept most Republicans in line for years, according to White House officials and Republicans close to the West Wing who weren’t authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.

The team around Trump has hollowed out, without any plan for combating the impeachment effort. Trump leaned on Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina to push Republican senators, while chief of staff Mark Meadows called some of his former colleagues on the Hill.

Trump was expected to watch much of Wednesday’s proceedings on TV from the White House residence and his private dining area off the Oval Office.

The House tried first to push Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to intervene, passing a resolution Tuesday night calling on them to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove Trump from office.

Pence made it clear he would not do so, saying in a letter to Pelosi, that it was “time to unite our country as we prepare to inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden.”

It’s far from clear there will be the two-thirds vote in the evenly divided Senate needed to convict Trump, though at least two Republicans have called for him to “go away as soon as possible.”

The FBI warned ominously of potential armed protests by Trump loyalists ahead of Biden’s inauguration. Capitol Police urged lawmakers to be on alert. Charges of sedition are being considered for rioters.

Biden has said it’s important to ensure that the “folks who engaged in sedition and threatening the lives, defacing public property, caused great damage — that they be held accountable.”

Fending off concerns that an impeachment trial would bog down his first days in office, the president-elect is encouraging senators to divide their time between taking taking up his priorities of confirming his nominees and approving COVID-19 relief while also conducting the trial.

The impeachment bill draws from Trump’s own false statements about his election defeat to Biden. Judges across the country, including some nominated by Trump, have repeatedly dismissed cases challenging the election results, and former Attorney General William Barr, a Trump ally, has said there was no sign of widespread fraud.

While some have questioned impeaching the president so close to the end of his term, there is precedent. In 1876, during the Ulysses Grant administration, War Secretary William Belknap was impeached by the House the day he resigned, and the Senate convened a trial months later. He was acquitted.

Trump was impeached in 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine but acquitted by the Senate in 2020.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is on the verge of being impeached for a second time in a fast-moving House vote, just a week after he encouraged loyalists to “fight like hell” against election results and then a mob of supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?507879-101/house-session-part-2&amp;live">CLICK Here to watch</a> the impeachment vote

Security was exceptionally tight Wednesday, shocking images of National Guard troops massed at the iconic Capitol, with secure perimeters around the complex and metal-detector screenings required for lawmakers entering the House chamber.

While Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 brought no Republican votes in the House, a small but significant number of leaders and lawmakers are breaking with the party to join Democrats, saying Trump violated his oath to protect and defend U.S. democracy.

The stunning collapse of Trump’s final days in office, against alarming warnings of more violence ahead by his followers, leaves the nation at an uneasy and unfamiliar juncture before Democrat Joe Biden is inaugurated Jan. 20.

Trump, who would become the only U.S. president twice impeached, faces a single charge of “incitement of insurrection.”

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7347691-Articles-of-impeachment-against-President-Trump.html" target="_blank">four-page impeachment resolution</a>&nbsp;relies on Trump’s own incendiary rhetoric and the falsehoods he spread about Biden’s election victory, including at a White House rally on the day of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, in building its case for high crimes and misdemeanors as demanded in the Constitution.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-us-capitol-riot-no-responsibility-03eccd4b09d7acb6f5cce304a0afdf42">took no responsibility for the riot</a>, suggesting it was the drive to oust him rather than his actions around the bloody riot that was dividing the country.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries suffered in the riot, and police shot and killed a woman during the siege. Three other people died in what authorities said were medical emergencies. Lawmakers had to scramble for safety and hide as rioters took control of the Capitol, delaying by hours the tally of Electoral College votes that was the last step in finalizing Biden’s victory.

The outgoing president offered no condolences for those dead or injured, only saying, “I want no violence.”

At least five Republican lawmakers, including third-ranking House GOP leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming, were unswayed by the president’s logic. The Republicans announced they would vote to impeach Trump, cleaving the Republican leadership, and the party itself.

Cheney’s father was the vice president under President George W. Bush and a Republican leader in the House. “She knows of what she speaks,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the Democratic majority leader.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is said to be angry at Trump, and it’s unclear how a Senate impeachment trial would play out. The New York Times reported that McConnell thinks Trump committed an impeachable offense and is glad Democrats are moving against him. Citing unidentified people familiar with McConnell’s thinking, the Times reported McConnell believes moving against Trump will help the GOP forge a future independent of the divisive, chaotic president.

Yet Trump and his allies believed that the president’s sturdy popularity with the GOP lawmakers’ constituents would prevent most from voting against him. After the riot at the Capitol, most House Republicans did go on that night to vote to overturn the election results.

In the House, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California, a top Trump ally, scrambled to suggest a lighter censure instead, but that option crumbled.

Pence made it clear he would not do so, saying in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, that it was “time to unite our country as we prepare to inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden.”

Debate over the resolution was intense after lawmakers returned the Capitol for the first time since the siege.

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio revived Trump’s false claims about the election results at the heart of the impeachment charge, drawing sharp rebukes from McGovern and others that “big lies” were fueling the nation’s divide.

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., called the swift proceeding a “reckless” impeachment. He said, “This will only bring up the hate and fire more than ever before.”

It’s far from clear there will be the two-thirds vote in the evenly divided Senate needed to convict and remove Trump. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska over the weekend in calling for Trump to “go away as soon as possible.”

With just over a week remaining in Trump’s term, the FBI&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-impeachment-vote-capitol-siege-0a6f2a348a6e43f27d5e1dc486027860" target="_blank">warned ominously of potential armed protests</a>&nbsp;by Trump loyalists ahead of Biden’s inauguration. Capitol Police urged lawmakers to be on alert. Charges of sedition are being considered for rioters.

New security in place, lawmakers were required to pass through metal detectors to enter the House chamber, not far from where Capitol police, guns drawn, had barricaded the door against the rioters. Some Republican lawmakers complained about the screening.

Like the resolution to invoke the 25th Amendment, the impeachment bill also details Trump’s pressure on state officials in Georgia to “find” him more votes and his White House rally rant to “fight like hell” by heading to the Capitol.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to impeach President Donald Trump for his encouragement of supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol, a vote that would make him the first American president to be impeached twice.

<a href="https://www.c-span.org/event/?507879/house-vote-impeach-president-trump&amp;live">CLICK HERE to</a> watch

While the previous three impeachments — those of Presidents Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Trump — took months before a final vote, including investigations and hearings, this time it will have only taken a week. After the rioting at the Capitol, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said “we must take action,” and Democrats — and some Republicans — share her view ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

For now, the Republican-led Senate is not expected to hold a trial and vote on whether to convict Trump before Democrat Joe Biden is sworn in as president Jan. 20. Still, Democrats feel that action by the House would send an important message to the country.

A look at what will happen as the House moves closer to impeaching Trump in his last week in office:

In normal order, there would be an impeachment investigation and the evidence would be sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which would hold hearings, draft articles and send them to the full House. That’s what happened in 2019, when the House&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/d78192d45b176f73ad435ae9fb926ed3">impeached Trump&nbsp;</a>over his dealings with the president of Ukraine. It took three months.

This time, with so few days to act — and a feeling among Democrats that there is little need to investigate what happened, since most members of Congress heard Trump speak to his supporters and were in the Capitol when the mob broke in — impeachment is going straight to the House floor for a vote, which would come as soon as Wednesday.

Once the House votes to impeach, the articles and evidence would be sent to the Senate, where a trial would be held and there would be final votes to convict or acquit. That’s what the Senate did in early February of last year after Trump was impeached the first time.

Democrats will begin debate Wednesday on a single impeachment charge: “incitement of insurrection.”

“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” reads the four-page impeachment article, which was introduced by Democratic Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland.

“He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office,” it reads.

The article says the behavior is consistent with Trump’s prior efforts to “subvert and obstruct” the results of the election and references his recent call with the Georgia secretary of state, in which he said he wanted him to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-georgia-elections-a7b4aa4d8ce3bf52301ddbe620c6bff6">find him more votes</a>&nbsp;after losing the state to Biden.

🎥  History: President Trump impeached a second time

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged child sex crimes.

Just after 2p.m. Tuesday, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Jeremiah B. Shipley, 43, of Topeka following an investigation into multiple sexual crimes, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

The alleged incidents involved in this case occurred between 2014 and 2019 at a residence in southwest Shawnee County.

Shipley was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14 years of age, indecent liberties with a child between 14 and 16 years of age and aggravated incest.

Authorities released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610538960074.png" alt="Shipley photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Shipley photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged child sex crimes.Just after 2p.m. Tuesday, Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Jeremiah B. Shipley, 43, of Topeka following an investigation into multiple sexual crimes, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.The alleged incidents involved in this case occurred between 2014 and 2019 at a residence in southwest Shawnee County.Shipley was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child under 14 years of age, indecent liberties with a child between 14 and 16 years of age and aggravated incest.Authorities released no additional details.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of aggravated incest

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Three suspect&nbsp; arrested in connection with a Wichita double murder made their first court appearance in the case on Monday.

According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney Jacquellynn Arthur, 28; Joshua Halstead, 34, and Michael Wilking, 32, all of Wichita, were charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder, aggravated burglary, and aggravated robbery.&nbsp;

Halstead was also charged with with criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and made a 1st appearance for two counts of violating the offender registration act, according to the district attorney's office.

Just after 8p.m. Dec. 29, officers responded to a shooting in the 3900 Block of W. Fairhaven in Wichita. They found&nbsp;43-year-old Bradley Michael Reece and 22-year-old Kayla Schmidt both of Wichita. Reece died at the scene. EMS transported Schmidt to a local hospital. She died on New Year's Eve,&nbsp;according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.

<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=192023">Wilking&nbsp;</a>and Arthur are being held on&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=192023">$250,000 bonds&nbsp;</a>while Halstead’s bond is $500,000.&nbsp; Their next court appearances are scheduled for January 28, according to the district attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610023320599.png" alt="Halstead has a previous convictions for theft, burglary, aggravated weapons and for drug possession and distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections He was reported as an absconder in August-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Halstead has a previous convictions for theft, burglary, aggravated weapons and for drug possession and distribution, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections He was reported as an absconder in August-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Three suspect&nbsp; arrested in connection with a Wichita double murder made their first court appearance in the case on Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610403967578.png" alt="Wilking-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Wilking-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney Jacquellynn Arthur, 28; Joshua Halstead, 34, and Michael Wilking, 32, all of Wichita, were charged with 1st&nbsp;degree murder, aggravated burglary, and aggravated robbery.&nbsp;Halstead was also charged with with criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and made a 1st appearance for two counts of violating the offender registration act, according to the district attorney's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610023377783.png" alt="Arthur -photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Arthur -photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Just after 8p.m. Dec. 29, officers responded to a shooting in the 3900 Block of W. Fairhaven in Wichita. They found&nbsp;43-year-old Bradley Michael Reece and 22-year-old Kayla Schmidt both of Wichita. Reece died at the scene. EMS transported Schmidt to a local hospital. She died on New Year's Eve,&nbsp;according to Sheriff's Lt. Benjamin Blick.<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=192023">Wilking&nbsp;</a>and Arthur are being held on&nbsp;<a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=192023">$250,000 bonds&nbsp;</a>while Halstead’s bond is $500,000.&nbsp; Their next court appearances are scheduled for January 28, according to the district attorney.----------

Three suspects charged in Kansas double murder

WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;President Donald Trump has released a video condemning the violent insurrection he fomented at the Capitol last week.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDNiNdsPHNA&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a>

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDNiNdsPHNA&amp;feature=youtu.be">The video came </a>out Wednesday after he was impeached by the House for a record second time, this time with Republican votes. Trump also called on his supporters to remain peaceful amid concerns about additional violence in the days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Trump says: “I want to be very clear: I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week.” He says, “Like all of you I was shocked and deeply saddened by the calamity” and “no true supporter” of his “could ever endorse political violence.”

Trump also said that he had directed federal agencies “to use all necessary resources to maintain order in Washington, D.C.” over the next week.”

Trump made no reference to becoming the first president in the nation's history to be impeached twice.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610581369600.png" alt="President Trump released a statement from the Oval Office late Wednesday afternoon following the impeachment vote-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>President Trump released a statement from the Oval Office late Wednesday afternoon following the impeachment vote-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —&nbsp;President Donald Trump has released a video condemning the violent insurrection he fomented at the Capitol last week.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDNiNdsPHNA&amp;feature=youtu.be">Click here to watch</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDNiNdsPHNA&amp;feature=youtu.be">The video came </a>out Wednesday after he was impeached by the House for a record second time, this time with Republican votes. Trump also called on his supporters to remain peaceful amid concerns about additional violence in the days before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.Trump says: “I want to be very clear: I unequivocally condemn the violence that we saw last week.” He says, “Like all of you I was shocked and deeply saddened by the calamity” and “no true supporter” of his “could ever endorse political violence.”Trump also said that he had directed federal agencies “to use all necessary resources to maintain order in Washington, D.C.” over the next week.”Trump made no reference to becoming the first president in the nation's history to be impeached twice.___

🎥  Pres. Trump condemns deadly riot at the Capitol

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Officials on Wednesday announced an easing of coronavirus restrictions that will allow Kansas City-area bars and restaurants to remain open later, but they cautioned that the move doesn't mean the virus poses less of a threat in and around Missouri's largest city.

Bars and restaurants in the city can stay open until midnight starting Wednesday, Mayor Quinton Lucas said during a news conference. The previous curfew aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 was 10 p.m. and was implemented in November.

Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. said establishments can serve food and alcohol until midnight starting Thursday. He cautioned that the move was aimed at creating consistency with neighboring counties that have lesser restrictions, rather than an acknowledgement that the region hard-hit by the virus has turned the corner.

“Let me be clear — our situation has not improved over the past two months... . It is still dangerous to gather in large groups, so I urge residents to remain vigilant in their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus," White said in a statement.

Bridgette Shaffer, who heads the county's health department, also urged people to continue practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Citing the risk of in-person dining at restaurants, she said people should continue to consider options such as curbside pickup or delivery.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Wednesday reported 2,060 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 16 more deaths from the disease, pushing the statewide totals to 429,177 cases and 6,171 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus said it will give COVID-19 tests to all students who will live on campus for the spring semester, which begins Tuesday. University spokeswoman Liz McCune said 2,881 students have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 19, and five required hospitalization. The university is not aware of any student deaths tied to the virus.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/8/1597411835075.png" alt="Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Officials on Wednesday announced an easing of coronavirus restrictions that will allow Kansas City-area bars and restaurants to remain open later, but they cautioned that the move doesn't mean the virus poses less of a threat in and around Missouri's largest city.Bars and restaurants in the city can stay open until midnight starting Wednesday, Mayor Quinton Lucas said during a news conference. The previous curfew aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 was 10 p.m. and was implemented in November.Jackson County Executive Frank White Jr. said establishments can serve food and alcohol until midnight starting Thursday. He cautioned that the move was aimed at creating consistency with neighboring counties that have lesser restrictions, rather than an acknowledgement that the region hard-hit by the virus has turned the corner.“Let me be clear — our situation has not improved over the past two months... . It is still dangerous to gather in large groups, so I urge residents to remain vigilant in their efforts to prevent the spread of the virus," White said in a statement.Bridgette Shaffer, who heads the county's health department, also urged people to continue practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Citing the risk of in-person dining at restaurants, she said people should continue to consider options such as curbside pickup or delivery.The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services on Wednesday reported 2,060 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 16 more deaths from the disease, pushing the statewide totals to 429,177 cases and 6,171 deaths since the start of the pandemic.Meanwhile, the University of Missouri’s Columbia campus said it will give COVID-19 tests to all students who will live on campus for the spring semester, which begins Tuesday. University spokeswoman Liz McCune said 2,881 students have tested positive for COVID-19 since Aug. 19, and five required hospitalization. The university is not aware of any student deaths tied to the virus.

Kansas City area will ease COVID dining restrictions

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged drug distribution after a chase.

Just after 3p.m. Monday a sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a 2007 Nissan Infiniti for a traffic infraction near 222nd and K. Road in western Jackson County, according to sheriff Tim Morse.

The driver allegedly fled west then south. The deputy then lost sight of the vehicle. 

A deputy in an unmarked vehicle located the Nissan once again near 190th and H. Road and continued to follow it.

Deputies were able to get the Nissan stopped at 198th and E. Road at approximately 3:27 p.m. when the driver, Joseph Douglas Keehn, 26, of Havensville, was arrested on requested charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, distribution of marijuana, no drug tax stamp and felony interference, according to Morse.

Keehn is being held in the Jackson County Jail.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610545485000.png" alt="Keehn photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Keehn photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for alleged drug distribution after a chase.Just after 3p.m. Monday a sheriff’s deputy attempted to stop a 2007 Nissan Infiniti for a traffic infraction near 222nd and K. Road in western Jackson County, according to sheriff Tim Morse.The driver allegedly fled west then south. The deputy then lost sight of the vehicle. A deputy in an unmarked vehicle located the Nissan once again near 190th and H. Road and continued to follow it.Deputies were able to get the Nissan stopped at 198th and E. Road at approximately 3:27 p.m. when the driver, Joseph Douglas Keehn, 26, of Havensville, was arrested on requested charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer, distribution of marijuana, no drug tax stamp and felony interference, according to Morse.Keehn is being held in the Jackson County Jail.

Sheriff: Kansas man accused of marijuana distribution

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly held a press conference Wednesday, to give an update regarding COVID-19 information for the state of Kansas. She was also asked about security precautions at the capitol&nbsp;ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. The FBI has warned of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C..

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4539 to a total of 252,041 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3355 an increase of 100

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly held a press conference Wednesday, to give an update regarding COVID-19 information for the state of Kansas. She was also asked about security precautions at the capitol&nbsp;ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. The FBI has warned of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C..<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F428831938311562%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4539 to a total of 252,041 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3355 an increase of 100<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610561531152.png" alt="Wednesday Jan. 13, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Jan. 13, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎥 Gov. on COVID-19, alleged threat against state capitols

KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City Councilman Eric Bunch said Tuesday that Police Chief Rick Smith should resign or be fired because “he is not doing the job we need him to do.”

Bunch is the first councilman to call for Smith to leave office. Civil rights leaders have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fires-police-kansas-city-5e63ce41a12c9c234a21accf13e8ad61">wanted Smith to resign or be fired</a>&nbsp;for years, and the calls gained momentum after social justice demonstrations in Kansas City last summer.

Bunch cited the city's mushrooming gun violence and police officers' use of force against citizens, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article248448510.html">reported</a>.

“How many more people in this community need to die by gun violence before this Board of Police Commissioners decides that we need new leadership?” Bunch said. “I think it’s appalling.”

Smith does not plan to resign, police spokesman Capt. David Jackson said.

The city council does not have authority over the Kansas City police department, which is operated by a Board of Commissioners appointed by the governor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1606271500828.png" alt="Police chief Rick Smith" />
 <figcaption>Police chief Rick Smith</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) — Kansas City Councilman Eric Bunch said Tuesday that Police Chief Rick Smith should resign or be fired because “he is not doing the job we need him to do.”Bunch is the first councilman to call for Smith to leave office. Civil rights leaders have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fires-police-kansas-city-5e63ce41a12c9c234a21accf13e8ad61">wanted Smith to resign or be fired</a>&nbsp;for years, and the calls gained momentum after social justice demonstrations in Kansas City last summer.Bunch cited the city's mushrooming gun violence and police officers' use of force against citizens, The Kansas City Star&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article248448510.html">reported</a>.“How many more people in this community need to die by gun violence before this Board of Police Commissioners decides that we need new leadership?” Bunch said. “I think it’s appalling.”Smith does not plan to resign, police spokesman Capt. David Jackson said.The city council does not have authority over the Kansas City police department, which is operated by a Board of Commissioners appointed by the governor.

Councilman calls for KC Police Chief's resignation

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Pro-life leaders say elections last year that made the Kansas Legislature more conservative showed voters support putting a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the state constitution on the ballot next year.

Pro-life lawmakers introduced separate but identical versions of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">their proposal</a>&nbsp;Tuesday in the House and Senate. It would overturn&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">a Kansas Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;in 2019 that declared access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution.

Abortion opponents failed last year to get the same proposal on the ballot when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a48dc1842047ec21ceb6e71f67886493">a few House Republicans resisted</a>&nbsp;having voters decide its fate in the August primary instead of the November general election. Two-thirds majorities in both chambers must approve constitutional amendment for it to go on the ballot.

Republicans maintained their supermajorities in both chambers in last year’s elections, and the few GOP House members who voted against putting the measure on the primary ballot either retired or were defeated. And voters elected larger number of conservatives.

“Kansans’ voices were heard in this last election” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican.

Julie Burkhart, founder and CEO of the abortion rights group Trust Women, decried the proposal as an attack on women’s personal autonomy.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610564781830.png" alt="Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Kellie Warren-photo courtesy Warren for Kansas" />
 <figcaption>Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Kellie Warren-photo courtesy Warren for Kansas</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Pro-life leaders say elections last year that made the Kansas Legislature more conservative showed voters support putting a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the state constitution on the ballot next year.Pro-life lawmakers introduced separate but identical versions of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2021_22/measures/documents/hcr5003_00_0000.pdf" target="_blank">their proposal</a>&nbsp;Tuesday in the House and Senate. It would overturn&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">a Kansas Supreme Court decision</a>&nbsp;in 2019 that declared access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution.Abortion opponents failed last year to get the same proposal on the ballot when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/a48dc1842047ec21ceb6e71f67886493">a few House Republicans resisted</a>&nbsp;having voters decide its fate in the August primary instead of the November general election. Two-thirds majorities in both chambers must approve constitutional amendment for it to go on the ballot.Republicans maintained their supermajorities in both chambers in last year’s elections, and the few GOP House members who voted against putting the measure on the primary ballot either retired or were defeated. And voters elected larger number of conservatives.“Kansans’ voices were heard in this last election” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Kellie Warren, a Leawood Republican.Julie Burkhart, founder and CEO of the abortion rights group Trust Women, decried the proposal as an attack on women’s personal autonomy.___

Kan. pro-life leaders see mandate from 2020 elections

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4539 to a total of 252,041 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;

TOPEKA— The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Kansas increased by 4539 to a total of 252,041 the state health department reported Wednesday afternoon.&nbsp;Coronavirus deaths were reported at 3355 an increase of 100<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/160/COVID-19-in-Kansas">Click here&nbsp;</a>for additional numbers from the KDHE.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610561531152.png" alt="Wednesday Jan. 13, 2021 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Wednesday Jan. 13, 2021 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>

KDHE: Latest coronavirus numbers in Kansas

SALINA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit and run accident that injured a man in Salina on Tuesday evening.

Just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday, a red pickup was westbound in the 1500 Block of West Crawford Street just east of Choctaw Avenue and struck Gary Brown who was using a handicap walking cart, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.

The driver of the pickup continued westbound without stopping.

Evidence left at the scene indicates the pickup is a 97-03 Ford, according to Forrester noted. Police are looking for surveillance video in the area for additional evidence.

Brown sustained serious, but not life threatening injuries, according to Forrester.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610556616372.png" alt="Location of the hit and run accident-Google image" />
 <figcaption>Location of the hit and run accident-Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINA —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a hit and run accident that injured a man in Salina on Tuesday evening.Just before 6:30p.m. Tuesday, a red pickup was westbound in the 1500 Block of West Crawford Street just east of Choctaw Avenue and struck Gary Brown who was using a handicap walking cart, according to Salina Police Captain Paul Forrester.The driver of the pickup continued westbound without stopping.Evidence left at the scene indicates the pickup is a 97-03 Ford, according to Forrester noted. Police are looking for surveillance video in the area for additional evidence.Brown sustained serious, but not life threatening injuries, according to Forrester.&nbsp;

Police: Kan. man using mobility cart struck by pickup

SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Kansas and Missouri expect to spend most of this week sorting through hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen equipment that was recovered during the weekend.

A tip led Lenexa and Shawnee police to a property in Shawnee on Saturday, where officers found stolen items including trailers, heavy construction equipment, tools and firearms.

On Monday, Kyle Davey 35, of Shawnee was charged with two counts of felony theft and two counts of unlawful possession of controlled substances.

Lenexa police spokesman Danny Chavez said numerous detectives and crime analysts from different agencies are sorting through the property. So far, items have been returned to 11 victims.

Most of the property was stolen in Johnson County, Kansas, and in Jackson County, Missouri.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/1/1610477002992.png" alt="Davey-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Davey-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE, Kan. (AP) — Law enforcement officials in Kansas and Missouri expect to spend most of this week sorting through hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen equipment that was recovered during the weekend.A tip led Lenexa and Shawnee police to a property in Shawnee on Saturday, where officers found stolen items including trailers, heavy construction equipment, tools and firearms.On Monday, Kyle Davey 35, of Shawnee was charged with two counts of felony theft and two counts of unlawful possession of controlled substances.Lenexa police spokesman Danny Chavez said numerous detectives and crime analysts from different agencies are sorting through the property. So far, items have been returned to 11 victims.Most of the property was stolen in Johnson County, Kansas, and in Jackson County, Missouri.