GENEVA (AP) — U.S. and Chinese officials said Monday they had reached a deal to roll back most of their recent tariffs and call a 90-day truce in their trade war for more talks on resolving their trade disputes.

Stock markets rose sharply as the globe's two major economic powers took a step back from a clash that has unsettled the global economy.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the U.S. agreed to drop its 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods by 115 percentage points to 30%, while China agreed to lower its rate on U.S. goods by the same amount to 10%.

Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the tariff reductions at a news conference in Geneva.

The two officials struck a positive tone as they said the two sides had set up consultations to continue discussing their trade issues. Bessent said at the news briefing after two days of talks that the high tariff levels would have amounted to a complete blockage of each sides goods, an outcome neither side wants.

“The consensus from both delegations this weekend is neither side wants a decoupling,” Bessent said. “And what had occurred with these very high tariff ... was an embargo, the equivalent of an embargo. And neither side wants that. We do want trade."

"We want more balanced trade. And I think that both sides are committed to achieving that."

The delegations, escorted around town and guarded by scores of Swiss police, met for at least a dozen hours on both days of the weekend at sun-baked 17th-century villa that serves as the official residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.

At times, the delegation leaders broke away from their staffs and settled into sofas on the villa’s patios overlooking Lake Geneva, helping deepen personal ties in the effort to reach a much-sought deal.

China’s Commerce Ministry said the two sides agreed to cancel 91% in tariffs on each other’s goods and suspend another 24% in tariffs for 90 days, bringing the total reduction to 115 percentage points.

The ministry called the agreement an important step for the resolution of the two countries’ differences and said it lays the foundation for further cooperation.

“This initiative aligns with the expectations of producers and consumers in both countries and serves the interests of both nations as well as the common interests of the world,” a ministry statement said.

China hopes the U.S will stop “the erroneous practice of unilateral tariff hikes” and work with China to safeguard the development of their economic and trade relations, injecting more certainty and stability into the global economy, the ministry said.

The joint statement issued by the two countries said China also agreed to suspend or remove other measures it has taken since April 2 in response to the U.S. tariffs.

China has increased export controls on rare earths including some critical to the defense industry and added more American companies to its export control and unreliable entity lists, restricting their business with and in China.

The full impact on the complicated tariffs and other trade penalties enacted by Washington and Beijing remains unclear. And much depends on whether they will find ways to bridge longstanding differences during the 90-day suspension.

But investors rejoiced as trade envoys from the world’s two biggest economies blinked, finding ways to pull back from potentially massive disruptions to world trade and their own markets.

Futures for the S&amp;P 500 jumped 2.6% and for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2%. Oil prices surged more than $1.60 a barrel and the U.S. dollar gained against the euro and the Japanese yen.

“This is a substantial de-escalation,” said Mark Williams, chief Asia economist at Capital Economics. But he warned “there is no guarantee that the 90-day truce will give way to a lasting ceasefire.”

Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, welcomed the news but expressed caution. The tariffs only were suspended for 90 days and there is great uncertainty over what lies ahead, he said in a statement.

“Businesses need predictability to maintain normal operations and make investment decisions. The chamber therefore hopes to see both sides continue to engage in dialogue to resolve differences, and avoid taking measures that will disrupt global trade and result in collateral damage for those caught in the cross-fire," Eskelund said.

Trump last month raised U.S. tariffs on China&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trade-taxes-trump-china-bessent-treasury-66668fa26957ece530a250fa8ea19faa">to a combined 145%</a>&nbsp;and China retaliated by hitting American imports with a 125% levy. Tariffs that high essentially amount to the two countries boycotting each other’s products, disrupting trade that last year topped $660 billion.

The announcement by the U.S. and China sent shares surging, with U.S. futures jumping more than 2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged nearly 3% and benchmarks in Germany and France were both up 0.7%

The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on countries worldwide, but its fight with China has been the most intense. Trump’s import taxes on goods from China include a 20% charge meant to pressure Beijing into doing more to stop the flow of the synthetic opioid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-fentanyl-tariffs-trump-f77abc5dc8cba277a07c0f2cddb9a9e9">fentanyl</a>&nbsp;into the United States.

McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany, Kurtenbach from Mito, Japan, and Moritsugu from Beijing.

GENEVA (AP) — U.S. and Chinese officials said Monday they had reached a deal to roll back most of their recent tariffs and call a 90-day truce in their trade war for more talks on resolving their trade disputes.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecScottBessent?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecScottBessent</a>: &quot;We have reached an agreement on a 90-day pause and substantially moved down the tariff levels — both sides, on the reciprocal tariffs, will move their tariffs down 115%.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Jxdd11U83s">pic.twitter.com/Jxdd11U83s</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1921866107452846100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Stock markets rose sharply as the globe's two major economic powers took a step back from a clash that has unsettled the global economy.U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the U.S. agreed to drop its 145% tariff rate on Chinese goods by 115 percentage points to 30%, while China agreed to lower its rate on U.S. goods by the same amount to 10%.Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced the tariff reductions at a news conference in Geneva.The two officials struck a positive tone as they said the two sides had set up consultations to continue discussing their trade issues. Bessent said at the news briefing after two days of talks that the high tariff levels would have amounted to a complete blockage of each sides goods, an outcome neither side wants.“The consensus from both delegations this weekend is neither side wants a decoupling,” Bessent said. “And what had occurred with these very high tariff ... was an embargo, the equivalent of an embargo. And neither side wants that. We do want trade.""We want more balanced trade. And I think that both sides are committed to achieving that."The delegations, escorted around town and guarded by scores of Swiss police, met for at least a dozen hours on both days of the weekend at sun-baked 17th-century villa that serves as the official residence of the Swiss ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva.At times, the delegation leaders broke away from their staffs and settled into sofas on the villa’s patios overlooking Lake Geneva, helping deepen personal ties in the effort to reach a much-sought deal.China’s Commerce Ministry said the two sides agreed to cancel 91% in tariffs on each other’s goods and suspend another 24% in tariffs for 90 days, bringing the total reduction to 115 percentage points.The ministry called the agreement an important step for the resolution of the two countries’ differences and said it lays the foundation for further cooperation.“This initiative aligns with the expectations of producers and consumers in both countries and serves the interests of both nations as well as the common interests of the world,” a ministry statement said.China hopes the U.S will stop “the erroneous practice of unilateral tariff hikes” and work with China to safeguard the development of their economic and trade relations, injecting more certainty and stability into the global economy, the ministry said.The joint statement issued by the two countries said China also agreed to suspend or remove other measures it has taken since April 2 in response to the U.S. tariffs.China has increased export controls on rare earths including some critical to the defense industry and added more American companies to its export control and unreliable entity lists, restricting their business with and in China.The full impact on the complicated tariffs and other trade penalties enacted by Washington and Beijing remains unclear. And much depends on whether they will find ways to bridge longstanding differences during the 90-day suspension.But investors rejoiced as trade envoys from the world’s two biggest economies blinked, finding ways to pull back from potentially massive disruptions to world trade and their own markets.Futures for the S&amp;P 500 jumped 2.6% and for the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 2%. Oil prices surged more than $1.60 a barrel and the U.S. dollar gained against the euro and the Japanese yen.“This is a substantial de-escalation,” said Mark Williams, chief Asia economist at Capital Economics. But he warned “there is no guarantee that the 90-day truce will give way to a lasting ceasefire.”Jens Eskelund, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, welcomed the news but expressed caution. The tariffs only were suspended for 90 days and there is great uncertainty over what lies ahead, he said in a statement.“Businesses need predictability to maintain normal operations and make investment decisions. The chamber therefore hopes to see both sides continue to engage in dialogue to resolve differences, and avoid taking measures that will disrupt global trade and result in collateral damage for those caught in the cross-fire," Eskelund said.Trump last month raised U.S. tariffs on China&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tariffs-trade-taxes-trump-china-bessent-treasury-66668fa26957ece530a250fa8ea19faa">to a combined 145%</a>&nbsp;and China retaliated by hitting American imports with a 125% levy. Tariffs that high essentially amount to the two countries boycotting each other’s products, disrupting trade that last year topped $660 billion.The announcement by the U.S. and China sent shares surging, with U.S. futures jumping more than 2%. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index surged nearly 3% and benchmarks in Germany and France were both up 0.7%The Trump administration has imposed tariffs on countries worldwide, but its fight with China has been the most intense. Trump’s import taxes on goods from China include a 20% charge meant to pressure Beijing into doing more to stop the flow of the synthetic opioid&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-fentanyl-tariffs-trump-f77abc5dc8cba277a07c0f2cddb9a9e9">fentanyl</a>&nbsp;into the United States.___McHugh contributed from Frankfurt, Germany, Kurtenbach from Mito, Japan, and Moritsugu from Beijing.

🎥 Breakthrough: U.S. and China announce deal to pause trade war

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement continue their investigation of a car crash into a business in Topeka.

Just before 3p.m. May 9, policeresponded to reports of a passenger car that crashed into the front of the Wheel Barrel, 925 N. Kansas Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka Police LT Kerry Connell.

American Medical Response transported one person to a local area hospital for minor injuries. One person was treated for minor injuries on scene and released.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1747015477418.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement continue their investigation of a car crash into a business in Topeka.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthewheelbarrel%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0u9hT6fYwrHBLBjs7rU6V6Fi3dAr5bXwuCFR29m2JTfeNqfd95Qy74T14q9tfhd5zl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="690" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Just before 3p.m. May 9, policeresponded to reports of a passenger car that crashed into the front of the Wheel Barrel, 925 N. Kansas Avenue in Topeka, according to Topeka Police LT Kerry Connell.American Medical Response transported one person to a local area hospital for minor injuries. One person was treated for minor injuries on scene and released.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One person hospitalized after crash into Kansas restaurant

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement continue to investigating several suspect in connection with multiple alleged crimes in the Kansas City Westport entertainment district.

On Friday night, officers were attempting to arrest an ATV driver who was breaking the law when a suspect(s) in a vehicle pointed a weapon at them, according to a statement from Kansas City Police. These suspects tried to flee, but could not. Officers arrested all four people in the vehicle, including juveniles.

Police recovered three guns. Felony charges are pending.

The officers involved were added to the KCPD Entertainment District Plan, which the department activated&nbsp; earlier than previous years. Extra officers will continue to be present in that district.

In total, Friday night into Saturday, KCPD arrested six criminals, towed two vehicles, seized five firearms, issued nine citations, issued four summons, and seized drugs.

According to Mayor Quinton Lucas, the KCPD&nbsp;Entertainment District Plan is bringing enforcement and consequences, including felony charges and seized vehicles, drugs and firearms, to those causing harm in the core of the city. An earlier launch than usual ensuring all know more arrests and seizures are coming

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746914941139.jpeg" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement continue to investigating several suspect in connection with multiple alleged crimes in the Kansas City Westport entertainment district.On Friday night, officers were attempting to arrest an ATV driver who was breaking the law when a suspect(s) in a vehicle pointed a weapon at them, according to a statement from Kansas City Police. These suspects tried to flee, but could not. Officers arrested all four people in the vehicle, including juveniles.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746915042607.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Police recovered three guns. Felony charges are pending.The officers involved were added to the KCPD Entertainment District Plan, which the department activated&nbsp; earlier than previous years. Extra officers will continue to be present in that district.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746915068272.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In total, Friday night into Saturday, KCPD arrested six criminals, towed two vehicles, seized five firearms, issued nine citations, issued four summons, and seized drugs.According to Mayor Quinton Lucas, the KCPD&nbsp;Entertainment District Plan is bringing enforcement and consequences, including felony charges and seized vehicles, drugs and firearms, to those causing harm in the core of the city. An earlier launch than usual ensuring all know more arrests and seizures are coming

Police make multiple arrests in KC entertainment district

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.

Just after 8p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 9300 block of Cleveland on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

As officers arrived they were directed to an apartment building.&nbsp; There they located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing lifesaving measures until KCFD EMS arrived. Medics took over and transported the victim to a local hospital where he died a short time later. 

This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody at this point. Preliminary information revealed an argument occurred in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck. Police released no additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement are investigating another homicide in Kansas City, Missouri.Just after 8p.m. Saturday, patrol officers were dispatched to the 9300 block of Cleveland on a reported shooting, according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.As officers arrived they were directed to an apartment building.&nbsp; There they located a man suffering from gunshot wounds. Officers began performing lifesaving measures until KCFD EMS arrived. Medics took over and transported the victim to a local hospital where he died a short time later. This is being investigated as a homicide and no one is in custody at this point. Preliminary information revealed an argument occurred in the parking lot that led to shots being fired and the victim being struck. Police released no additional details.

KCPD: Apartment parking lot argument led to fatal shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll sign an executive order on Monday that, if implemented, could bring down the costs of some medications — reviving a failed effort from his first term on an issue he’s talked up since even before becoming president.

The order Trump is promising will direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to tie what Medicare pays for medications administrated in a doctor’s office to the lowest price paid by other countries.

“I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World,” the president posted Sunday on his social media site, pledging to sign the order on Monday morning at the White House.

“Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before,” Trump added.

His proposal would likely only impact certain drugs covered by Medicare and given in an office — think infusions that treat cancer, and other injectables. But it could potentially bring significant savings to the government, although the “TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS” Trump boasted about in his post may be an exaggeration.

Medicare provides health insurance for roughly 70 million older Americans. Complaints about U.S. drug prices being notoriously high, even when compared with other large and wealthy countries, have long drawn the ire of both parties, but a lasting fix has never cleared Congress.

Under the planned order, the federal government would tie what it pays pharmaceutical companies for those drugs to the price paid by a group of other, economically advanced countries — the so-called “most favored nation” approach.

The proposal will face fierce opposition from the pharmaceutical industry.

It was a rule that Trump tried to adopt during his first term, but could never get through. He signed a similar executive order in the final weeks of his presidency, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-medicaid-medicare-courts-b3ddb5c7856f7a11fd569b303b63eb6b">court order</a>&nbsp;later blocked the rule from going into effect under the Biden administration.

The pharmaceutical industry argued that Trump’s 2020 attempt would give foreign governments the “upper hand” in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S.. The industry has long argued that forcing lower prices will hurt profits, and ultimately affect innovation and its efforts to develop new medicines.

Only drugs on Medicare Part B — the insurance for doctor’s office visits — are likely to be covered under the plan. Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for picking up some of the costs to get those medications during doctor’s visits, and for traditional Medicare enrollees there is no annual out-of-pocket cap on what they pay.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files//197401/Part-B%20Drugs-International-Issue-Brief.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration during its first term found that the U.S. spends twice as much as some other countries in covering those drugs. Medicare Part B drug spending topped $33 billion in 2021.

More common prescription drugs filled at a pharmacy would probably not be covered by the new order.

Trump’s post formally previewing the action came after he teased a “very big announcement” last week. He gave no details, except to note that it wasn’t related to trade or the tariffs he has announced imposing on much of the world.

“We’re going to have a very, very big announcement to make — like as big as it gets,” Trump said last week.

He came into his first term accusing pharmaceutical companies of “getting away with murder” and complaining that other countries whose governments set drug prices were taking advantage of Americans.

On Sunday, Trump took aim at the industry again, writing that the “Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the ‘suckers’ of America, ALONE.”

Referring to drug companies’ powerful lobbying efforts, he said that campaign contributions “can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party.”

“We are going to do the right thing,” he wrote.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’ll sign an executive order on Monday that, if implemented, could bring down the costs of some medications — reviving a failed effort from his first term on an issue he’s talked up since even before becoming president.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">JUST IN: PRESIDENT TRUMP&#39;S &quot;MOST IMPORTANT AND IMPACTFUL&quot; TRUTH EVER ISSUED ⬇️ &quot;I am pleased to announce that Tomorrow morning, in the White House, at 9:00 A.M., I will be signing one of the most consequential Executive Orders in our Country’s history....&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YfyKzked0S">pic.twitter.com/YfyKzked0S</a>&mdash; The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1921695676032856313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The order Trump is promising will direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to tie what Medicare pays for medications administrated in a doctor’s office to the lowest price paid by other countries.“I will be instituting a MOST FAVORED NATION’S POLICY whereby the United States will pay the same price as the Nation that pays the lowest price anywhere in the World,” the president posted Sunday on his social media site, pledging to sign the order on Monday morning at the White House.“Our Country will finally be treated fairly, and our citizens Healthcare Costs will be reduced by numbers never even thought of before,” Trump added.His proposal would likely only impact certain drugs covered by Medicare and given in an office — think infusions that treat cancer, and other injectables. But it could potentially bring significant savings to the government, although the “TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS” Trump boasted about in his post may be an exaggeration.Medicare provides health insurance for roughly 70 million older Americans. Complaints about U.S. drug prices being notoriously high, even when compared with other large and wealthy countries, have long drawn the ire of both parties, but a lasting fix has never cleared Congress.Under the planned order, the federal government would tie what it pays pharmaceutical companies for those drugs to the price paid by a group of other, economically advanced countries — the so-called “most favored nation” approach.The proposal will face fierce opposition from the pharmaceutical industry.It was a rule that Trump tried to adopt during his first term, but could never get through. He signed a similar executive order in the final weeks of his presidency, but a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-medicaid-medicare-courts-b3ddb5c7856f7a11fd569b303b63eb6b">court order</a>&nbsp;later blocked the rule from going into effect under the Biden administration.The pharmaceutical industry argued that Trump’s 2020 attempt would give foreign governments the “upper hand” in deciding the value of medicines in the U.S.. The industry has long argued that forcing lower prices will hurt profits, and ultimately affect innovation and its efforts to develop new medicines.Only drugs on Medicare Part B — the insurance for doctor’s office visits — are likely to be covered under the plan. Medicare beneficiaries are responsible for picking up some of the costs to get those medications during doctor’s visits, and for traditional Medicare enrollees there is no annual out-of-pocket cap on what they pay.A&nbsp;<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_legacy_files//197401/Part-B%20Drugs-International-Issue-Brief.pdf" target="_blank">report</a>&nbsp;by the Trump administration during its first term found that the U.S. spends twice as much as some other countries in covering those drugs. Medicare Part B drug spending topped $33 billion in 2021.More common prescription drugs filled at a pharmacy would probably not be covered by the new order.Trump’s post formally previewing the action came after he teased a “very big announcement” last week. He gave no details, except to note that it wasn’t related to trade or the tariffs he has announced imposing on much of the world.“We’re going to have a very, very big announcement to make — like as big as it gets,” Trump said last week.He came into his first term accusing pharmaceutical companies of “getting away with murder” and complaining that other countries whose governments set drug prices were taking advantage of Americans.On Sunday, Trump took aim at the industry again, writing that the “Pharmaceutical/Drug Companies would say, for years, that it was Research and Development Costs, and that all of these costs were, and would be, for no reason whatsoever, borne by the ‘suckers’ of America, ALONE.”Referring to drug companies’ powerful lobbying efforts, he said that campaign contributions “can do wonders, but not with me, and not with the Republican Party.”“We are going to do the right thing,” he wrote.

Read Trump's historic statement on cutting prescription drugs costs

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a hit-and-run incident and asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.

Just before 5p.m Saturday, police responded to an injury accident at 16th and Santa Fe in the City of Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. 

An eight year old boy was ridding his bicycle east on Santa Fe when a southbound vehicle on 16th Street failed to stop at the stop sign at 16th and Santa Fe and struck the bicycle in the intersection.

 The vehicle then fled the area without stopping. A private vehicle transported the eight-year old bicyclist to Amberwell Hospital where he was treated for injuries and released. Police continue to search for the driver of the vehicle which has been described as a smaller gray SUV, according to Wilson.

ATCHISON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a hit-and-run incident and asking the public for help to locate a vehicle.Just before 5p.m Saturday, police responded to an injury accident at 16th and Santa Fe in the City of Atchison, according to Police Chief Mike Wilson. An eight year old boy was ridding his bicycle east on Santa Fe when a southbound vehicle on 16th Street failed to stop at the stop sign at 16th and Santa Fe and struck the bicycle in the intersection. The vehicle then fled the area without stopping. A private vehicle transported the eight-year old bicyclist to Amberwell Hospital where he was treated for injuries and released. Police continue to search for the driver of the vehicle which has been described as a smaller gray SUV, according to Wilson.

8-year-old bicyclist injured after Kan. hit-and-run incident

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man has been charged in connection with a shooting that injured three teens.

Pharaoh Brown, 19 of Wichita, is charged with four counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

Just after 2a.m. May 3, police investigating an unrelated incident in the 400 block of W. Central Avenue in Wichita. around 2 a.m. when they heard gunshots nearby, according to a statement from Wichita Police.

First responders found an 18-year-old woman with a gunshot wound lying in a parking lot at an apartment complex in the 500 block of W. Central Avenue.&nbsp; Police also found a 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl at the scene with minor injuries from the gunfire, according to police.

EMS transported the 18-year-old to a local hospital in critical condition. The other two girls were treated at the scene.

Officers later located Brown in a nearby apartment with a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was treated at a hospital and then&nbsp;booked into jail&nbsp; May 5, according to online records.&nbsp; Brown is due back in court May 19. He is being held on a $1 million bond, according to the district attorney.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746800293613.png" alt="Brown photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Brown photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man has been charged in connection with a shooting that injured three teens.Pharaoh Brown, 19 of Wichita, is charged with four counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated assault, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.Just after 2a.m. May 3, police investigating an unrelated incident in the 400 block of W. Central Avenue in Wichita. around 2 a.m. when they heard gunshots nearby, according to a statement from Wichita Police.First responders found an 18-year-old woman with a gunshot wound lying in a parking lot at an apartment complex in the 500 block of W. Central Avenue.&nbsp; Police also found a 17-year-old girl and a 16-year-old girl at the scene with minor injuries from the gunfire, according to police.EMS transported the 18-year-old to a local hospital in critical condition. The other two girls were treated at the scene.Officers later located Brown in a nearby apartment with a gunshot wound to his lower body. He was treated at a hospital and then&nbsp;booked into jail&nbsp; May 5, according to online records.&nbsp; Brown is due back in court May 19. He is being held on a $1 million bond, according to the district attorney.

Kan. man, wounded in shooting that injured 3 girls, faces a judge 

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jonel-aleccia">JONEL ALECCIA</a> Associated Press

U.S. regulators said Friday that they would allow three new color additives made from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-synthetic-food-dyes-natural-fda-sensient-ad9611b1235f2097469508e711e71094">natural sources</a>&nbsp;to be used in the nation’s food supply.

It comes after health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-artificial-food-dyes-kennedy-6f6c1aa08aafdae1925718804f360c0b">pledged a sweeping phase-out</a>&nbsp;of petroleum-based dyes widely used in foods from cereals to sports drinks to boost health — though action is still pending.

The Food and Drug Administration said it is granting petitions to allow galdieria extract blue, a blue color derived from algae; calcium phosphate, a white color derived from a naturally occurring mineral; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color made from dried flower petals.

The colors will be approved for use in a range of foods from fruit drinks and yogurt to pretzels, ready-to-eat chicken and candies. The move “will expand the palette of available colors from natural sources for manufacturers to safely use in food,” FDA officials said in a statement.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-senate-confirmation-vaccines-trump-health-f000bbb5c5f2c800299a7ff8e64fee0b">Health advocates</a>&nbsp;have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating the dyes can cause neurobehavioral problems for some children, including hyperactivity and attention issues. The FDA has maintained for decades that the approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.”

The new color approvals include a 2021 petition from the French company Fermentalg to allow galdieria extract blue; a 2023 petition from Innophos Inc. of Cranbury, New Jersey, to allow calcium phosphate; and a 2024 petition from Sensient Colors LLC of St. Louis, Missouri, to allow butterfly pea flower extract.

The approvals are set to be published in the federal register on May 12 and would take effect in June.

In April, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that they would take steps to eliminate synthetic food dyes in the U.S. food supply by the end of 2026, largely through voluntary efforts from the food industry. The officials also said they would revoke authorization for two little-used artificial dyes, Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, and accelerate the timeline to remove Red 3, a food color&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-red-dye-no-3-ban-94c3e418584fb1e91ca3b0cbeb3d5a60">banned in January</a>&nbsp;because of a link to cancer in laboratory rats.

The FDA plans to initiate the process to revoke those colors “within the coming months,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said.

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/jonel-aleccia">JONEL ALECCIA</a> Associated PressU.S. regulators said Friday that they would allow three new color additives made from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-synthetic-food-dyes-natural-fda-sensient-ad9611b1235f2097469508e711e71094">natural sources</a>&nbsp;to be used in the nation’s food supply.It comes after health officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-artificial-food-dyes-kennedy-6f6c1aa08aafdae1925718804f360c0b">pledged a sweeping phase-out</a>&nbsp;of petroleum-based dyes widely used in foods from cereals to sports drinks to boost health — though action is still pending.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The FDA just approved three food colors – from natural sources – to use in foods and drinks. This means food manufacturers will have more options to safely add color to their products. Just as parents already do, FDA is putting the health of kids first. Stay tuned for more on… <a href="https://t.co/zLErASZYwc">pic.twitter.com/zLErASZYwc</a>&mdash; Dr. Martin Makary (@DrMakaryFDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrMakaryFDA/status/1920925831464886636?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, FDA announced it was granting three new color additive petitions that will expand the palette of available colors from natural sources for manufacturers to safely use in food. <a href="https://t.co/kJtZzPIRtP">https://t.co/kJtZzPIRtP</a> <a href="https://t.co/kqQ2dwOcG9">pic.twitter.com/kqQ2dwOcG9</a>&mdash; U.S. FDA (@US_FDA) <a href="https://twitter.com/US_FDA/status/1920863201249345711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Food and Drug Administration said it is granting petitions to allow galdieria extract blue, a blue color derived from algae; calcium phosphate, a white color derived from a naturally occurring mineral; and butterfly pea flower extract, a blue color made from dried flower petals.The colors will be approved for use in a range of foods from fruit drinks and yogurt to pretzels, ready-to-eat chicken and candies. The move “will expand the palette of available colors from natural sources for manufacturers to safely use in food,” FDA officials said in a statement.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-senate-confirmation-vaccines-trump-health-f000bbb5c5f2c800299a7ff8e64fee0b">Health advocates</a>&nbsp;have long called for the removal of artificial dyes from foods, citing mixed studies indicating the dyes can cause neurobehavioral problems for some children, including hyperactivity and attention issues. The FDA has maintained for decades that the approved dyes are safe and that “the totality of scientific evidence shows that most children have no adverse effects when consuming foods containing color additives.”The new color approvals include a 2021 petition from the French company Fermentalg to allow galdieria extract blue; a 2023 petition from Innophos Inc. of Cranbury, New Jersey, to allow calcium phosphate; and a 2024 petition from Sensient Colors LLC of St. Louis, Missouri, to allow butterfly pea flower extract.The approvals are set to be published in the federal register on May 12 and would take effect in June.In April, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and FDA Commissioner Marty Makary announced that they would take steps to eliminate synthetic food dyes in the U.S. food supply by the end of 2026, largely through voluntary efforts from the food industry. The officials also said they would revoke authorization for two little-used artificial dyes, Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, and accelerate the timeline to remove Red 3, a food color&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fda-red-dye-no-3-ban-94c3e418584fb1e91ca3b0cbeb3d5a60">banned in January</a>&nbsp;because of a link to cancer in laboratory rats.The FDA plans to initiate the process to revoke those colors “within the coming months,” a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said.___

FDA will allow 3 new color additives made from minerals, algae and flower petals

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House deputy chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-miller">Stephen Miller</a>&nbsp;says President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is looking for ways to expand its legal power to deport migrants who are in the United States illegally. To achieve that, he says the administration is “actively looking at” suspending&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/habeas_corpus">habeas corpus</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763">constitutional right</a>&nbsp;for people to legally challenge their detention by the government.

Such a move would be aimed at migrants as part of the Republican president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-enforcement-deportation-public-polling-df7d0d35dfa031e1444bfa9e9e0b13bd">broader crackdown</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“The Constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” Miller told reporters outside the White House on Friday.

“So, I would say that’s an option we’re actively looking at," Miller said. “Look, a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”

The Latin term means “that you have the body." Federal courts use a writ of habeas corpus to bring a prisoner before a neutral judge to determine if imprisonment is legal.

Habeas corpus was included in the Constitution as an import from English common law. Parliament enacted the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, which was meant to ensure that the king released prisoners when the law did not justify confining them.

The Constitution's&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C2-1/ALDE_00001087/">Suspension Clause</a>, the second clause of Section 9 of Article I, states that habeas corpus “shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.”

Yes. The United States has suspended habeas corpus under four distinct circumstances during its history. Those usually involved authorization from Congress, something that would be nearly impossible today — even at Trump's urging — given the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate.

President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus multiple times amid the Civil War, beginning in 1861 to detain suspected spies and Confederate sympathizers. He ignored a ruling from Roger Taney, who was the Supreme Court chief justice but was acting in the case as a circuit judge. Congress then authorized suspending it in 1863, which allowed Lincoln to do so again.

Congress acted similarly under President Ulysses S. Grant, suspending habeas corpus in parts of South Carolina under the Civil Rights Act of 1871. Also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, it was meant to counter violence and intimidation of groups opposing Reconstruction in the South.

Habeas corpus was suspended in two provinces of the Philippines in 1905, when it was a U.S. territory and authorities were worried about the threat of an insurrection, and in Hawaii after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, but before it became a state in 1959.

Writing before becoming a Supreme Court justice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/amy-coney-barrett">Amy Coney Barrett</a>&nbsp;co-authored&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763">a piece</a>&nbsp;stating that the Suspension Clause “does not specify which branch of government has the authority to suspend the privilege of the writ, but most agree that only Congress can do it.”

It can try. Miller suggested that the U.S. is facing “an invasion” of migrants. That term was used deliberately, though any effort to suspend habeas corpus would spark legal challenges questioning whether the country was facing an invasion, let alone presenting extraordinary threats to public safety.

Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration's past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.

Trump argued in March that the U.S. was facing an “invasion” of Venezuelan gang members and evoked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">Alien Enemies Act of 1798</a>, a wartime authority he has tried to use to speed up mass deportations.

His administration acted to swiftly deport alleged members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-gabbard-d818cc58962ba90cd2c94ca1b494d4fd">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;to a notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">prison in El Salvador</a>, leading to a series of legal fights.

Federal courts around the country, including in New York, Colorado, Texas and Pennsylvania, have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-judge-ruling-f1988c63140c95f8228b42368caed96b">blocked the administration's uses</a>&nbsp;of the Alien Enemies Act for many reasons, including amid questions about whether the country is truly facing an invasion.

If courts are already skeptical, how could habeas corpus be suspended?

Miller, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-courts-judges-rule-of-law-85058a5ffcef105d4ea2ce0ef078f084">fiercely critical</a>&nbsp;of judges ruling against the administration, advanced the argument that the judicial branch may not get to decide.

“Congress passed a body of law known as the Immigration Nationality Act which stripped Article III courts, that’s the judicial branch, of jurisdiction over immigration cases,” he said Friday.

That statute was approved by Congress in 1952 and there were important amendments in 1996 and 2005. Legal scholars note that it does contain language that could funnel certain cases to immigration courts, which are overseen by the executive branch.

Still, most appeals in those cases would largely be handled by the judicial branch, and they could run into the same issues as Trump's attempts to use the Alien Enemies Act.

Technically not since Pearl Harbor, though habeas corpus has been at the center of some major legal challenges more recently than that.

Republican President George W. Bush did not move to suspend habeas corpus after the Sept. 11 attacks, but his administration subsequently sent detainees to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, drawing lawsuits from advocates who argued the administration was violating it and other legal constitutional protections.

The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that Guantanamo detainees had a constitutional right to habeas corpus, allowing them to challenge their detention before a judge. That led to some detainees being released from U.S. custody.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House deputy chief of staff&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/stephen-miller">Stephen Miller</a>&nbsp;says President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;is looking for ways to expand its legal power to deport migrants who are in the United States illegally. To achieve that, he says the administration is “actively looking at” suspending&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/habeas_corpus">habeas corpus</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763">constitutional right</a>&nbsp;for people to legally challenge their detention by the government.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">Stephen Miller says the White House is looking into suspending habeas corpus, which protects people from unlawful detentions: &quot;A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/AZLhFy79oZ">pic.twitter.com/AZLhFy79oZ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1920911944866808017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Such a move would be aimed at migrants as part of the Republican president's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-immigration-enforcement-deportation-public-polling-df7d0d35dfa031e1444bfa9e9e0b13bd">broader crackdown</a>&nbsp;at the U.S.-Mexico border.“The Constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion,” Miller told reporters outside the White House on Friday.“So, I would say that’s an option we’re actively looking at," Miller said. “Look, a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”<h2>What is habeas corpus?</h2>The Latin term means “that you have the body." Federal courts use a writ of habeas corpus to bring a prisoner before a neutral judge to determine if imprisonment is legal.Habeas corpus was included in the Constitution as an import from English common law. Parliament enacted the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, which was meant to ensure that the king released prisoners when the law did not justify confining them.The Constitution's&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S9-C2-1/ALDE_00001087/">Suspension Clause</a>, the second clause of Section 9 of Article I, states that habeas corpus “shall not be suspended, unless when, in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it.”<h2>Has it been suspended previously?</h2>Yes. The United States has suspended habeas corpus under four distinct circumstances during its history. Those usually involved authorization from Congress, something that would be nearly impossible today — even at Trump's urging — given the narrow Republican majorities in the House and Senate.President Abraham Lincoln suspended habeas corpus multiple times amid the Civil War, beginning in 1861 to detain suspected spies and Confederate sympathizers. He ignored a ruling from Roger Taney, who was the Supreme Court chief justice but was acting in the case as a circuit judge. Congress then authorized suspending it in 1863, which allowed Lincoln to do so again.Congress acted similarly under President Ulysses S. Grant, suspending habeas corpus in parts of South Carolina under the Civil Rights Act of 1871. Also known as the Ku Klux Klan Act, it was meant to counter violence and intimidation of groups opposing Reconstruction in the South.Habeas corpus was suspended in two provinces of the Philippines in 1905, when it was a U.S. territory and authorities were worried about the threat of an insurrection, and in Hawaii after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor, but before it became a state in 1959.Writing before becoming a Supreme Court justice,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/amy-coney-barrett">Amy Coney Barrett</a>&nbsp;co-authored&nbsp;<a href="https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/articles/article-i/clauses/763">a piece</a>&nbsp;stating that the Suspension Clause “does not specify which branch of government has the authority to suspend the privilege of the writ, but most agree that only Congress can do it.”<h2>Could the Trump administration do it?</h2>It can try. Miller suggested that the U.S. is facing “an invasion” of migrants. That term was used deliberately, though any effort to suspend habeas corpus would spark legal challenges questioning whether the country was facing an invasion, let alone presenting extraordinary threats to public safety.Federal judges have so far been skeptical of the Trump administration's past efforts to use extraordinary powers to make deportations easier, and that could make suspending habeas corpus even tougher.Trump argued in March that the U.S. was facing an “invasion” of Venezuelan gang members and evoked the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alien-enemies-trump-immigration-deportations-21a62ede23b8c493b60d00a9c125722f">Alien Enemies Act of 1798</a>, a wartime authority he has tried to use to speed up mass deportations.His administration acted to swiftly deport alleged members of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-venezuela-tren-de-aragua-gabbard-d818cc58962ba90cd2c94ca1b494d4fd">Tren de Aragua</a>&nbsp;to a notorious&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/el-salvador-trump-prison-immigrants-4ab3fc3c0474efb308084604b61f8a37">prison in El Salvador</a>, leading to a series of legal fights.Federal courts around the country, including in New York, Colorado, Texas and Pennsylvania, have since&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-alien-enemies-act-judge-ruling-f1988c63140c95f8228b42368caed96b">blocked the administration's uses</a>&nbsp;of the Alien Enemies Act for many reasons, including amid questions about whether the country is truly facing an invasion.<h2>If courts are already skeptical, how could habeas corpus be suspended?</h2>Miller, who has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-courts-judges-rule-of-law-85058a5ffcef105d4ea2ce0ef078f084">fiercely critical</a>&nbsp;of judges ruling against the administration, advanced the argument that the judicial branch may not get to decide.“Congress passed a body of law known as the Immigration Nationality Act which stripped Article III courts, that’s the judicial branch, of jurisdiction over immigration cases,” he said Friday.That statute was approved by Congress in 1952 and there were important amendments in 1996 and 2005. Legal scholars note that it does contain language that could funnel certain cases to immigration courts, which are overseen by the executive branch.Still, most appeals in those cases would largely be handled by the judicial branch, and they could run into the same issues as Trump's attempts to use the Alien Enemies Act.<h2>Have other administrations tried this?</h2>Technically not since Pearl Harbor, though habeas corpus has been at the center of some major legal challenges more recently than that.Republican President George W. Bush did not move to suspend habeas corpus after the Sept. 11 attacks, but his administration subsequently sent detainees to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, drawing lawsuits from advocates who argued the administration was violating it and other legal constitutional protections.The Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that Guantanamo detainees had a constitutional right to habeas corpus, allowing them to challenge their detention before a judge. That led to some detainees being released from U.S. custody.___

🎥Could Trump suspend right of habeas corpus to speed deportations?

LARNED, Kansas. –&nbsp;Larned State Correctional Facility (LSCF) resident Jason W. Cott, 45, died Saturday, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 Cott was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday night. Staff began life-saving measures immediately and continued after emergency medical services arrived and transported him to a local hospital where he later died. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.

Cott was serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole for two convictions of first degree murder in Johnson County, Kansas.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.

The Larned State Correctional Facility serves only adult males and consists of a 310-capacity medium-security unit and a 304-capacity minimum-security unit.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746983582900.png" alt="Cott photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Cott photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>LARNED, Kansas. –&nbsp;Larned State Correctional Facility (LSCF) resident Jason W. Cott, 45, died Saturday, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections. Cott was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday night. Staff began life-saving measures immediately and continued after emergency medical services arrived and transported him to a local hospital where he later died. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.Cott was serving two life sentences without the possibility of parole for two convictions of first degree murder in Johnson County, Kansas.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the KDOC, the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.The Larned State Correctional Facility serves only adult males and consists of a 310-capacity medium-security unit and a 304-capacity minimum-security unit.

Kan. inmate serving time for murder found dead in his cell

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a>

Fearing a financial ‘death spiral,’ transit providers say they need more support.

Compared with major American cities, the ridership on public buses in Minot, North Dakota, can seem relatively minuscule.

But the 82,000 rides taken each year allow people without cars to get to work, help those with disabilities get around and connect patients with crucial health care.

“The value of those rides is unmeasurable, because the people that are using our system need our system,” said Brian Horinka, the city’s transit superintendent.

Like in many cities — from sprawling metropolitan areas to smaller and rural communities — the financial future of public transit is questionable in Minot, population 48,000. While increasing, ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. Federal funding and state budgets remain uncertain, while inflation is pinching transit services.

For example, Horinka said he’s looking to buy a new 30-foot heavy-duty bus. He expects it will cost up to $700,000 because of inflation. Just five years ago, a similar model could be had for about $400,000, he said.

“We’re in dire straits, from a financial standpoint,” he said.

North Dakota’s four largest cities, including Minot, asked lawmakers for millions in extra grant dollars this year to keep transit buses rolling. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-1109-05000.pdf" target="_blank">enacted a new law</a>&nbsp;awarding $2 million in grants — a welcome reprieve, but far less than the $15 million initially requested.

Republican state Rep. Dan Ruby, a sponsor of the legislation, said cities will likely need to increase local funding for bus systems.

“I don’t think it’s enough,” he said. “I think it is going to just be somewhat of a stopgap for some of them to be able to function.”

The law also calls for a study to develop a proposed funding formula for fixed-route bus systems. Ruby said he would prefer a permanent funding model that doesn’t require cities to continually rely on legislative grants.

“We also want to make sure that they’re not sitting on funds or running inefficiently just because they have the funding,” he said. “That’s the key to get support from most of the legislators, to show that they really do have a need and there’s no way to find any more cuts in their operations without affecting the people that need the rides.”

It’s indicative of discussions occurring in state capitals across the country as public transit faces existential funding challenges.

Public transit systems in major cities including Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco face the potential of deep service cuts without more funding. But the problems also extend to smaller systems that connect people in rural America and smaller cities.

In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said the transit financial crisis affects residents in all 67 of the commonwealth’s counties.

“Let me just say, we face a dire situation for mass transit agencies all across Pennsylvania, from Pittsburgh to Philly and rural communities in between,”&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/shapiro-says-pa-mass-transit-agencies-face-dire-situation-and-criticizes-trump-tariffs/" target="_blank">Shapiro said at a news conference in April.</a>

Transit funding has been stuck in a partisan battle in Harrisburg.

In November, to stave off cuts, Shapiro&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/transportation-infrastructure/shapiro-directs-153m-in-federal-highway-funds-to-stop-septa-death-spiral/" target="_blank">ordered the transfer of more than $150 million</a>&nbsp;in federal highway funds to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, known as SEPTA, which serves the greater Philadelphia area with bus and regional rail lines. He’s also backed legislation to increase transit funding, which has found support in the Democratic-controlled state House but so far has not advanced in the GOP-controlled state Senate.

Late last month, House Republican Leader Jesse Topper proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reptopper.com/News/36086/Press-Releases/Amid-Chronic-Budget-Issues--Topper-to-Introduce-Legislation-to-Privatize-Part-of-SEPTA-s-Operations" target="_blank">partially privatizing the Philadelphia-area transit agency&nbsp;</a>rather than increasing funding, which he said in a statement would “only serve to patch over the problems of a system chronically in crisis.”

“The same old, same old is clearly not working,” he said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2025-05-01/transit-agencies-prt-septa-privatize-topper" target="_blank">a report by public radio station WESA.</a>

The transit agency has said it already operates one of the most efficient systems in the nation. On&nbsp;<a href="https://wwww.septa.org/fundingcrisis/" target="_blank">a special website&nbsp;</a>it created to call attention to its $213 million budget deficit, SEPTA said there’s “nothing left to cut from the budget but service.”

The authority has said it may be forced to cut services by 45% and raise fares by 20% without help from the state.

Democratic state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who represents a portion of North Philadelphia, said that would be “catastrophic” for the region.

“It makes this not only a less appealing place to live for people who are considering moving here,” he said, “but it also makes it difficult to live for folks who call this area home.”

Kenyatta, who dismissed the idea of privatization, said the state has a moral and economic obligation to ensure sustainable funding for public transportation.

“We’ve done patches here and there,” he said. “And that patchwork approach is not one that inspires the type of confidence and allows our transit agencies to do the type of long-term planning that they need to do.”

Mass transit saw some of the most immediate impacts of COVID-19 as people worked from home and avoided public spaces.

The federal government provided nearly $70 billion in pandemic aid to transit programs, which saw revenues drop sharply because of reduced fare collections.

But with the rise of remote and hybrid work, ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels even as costs for labor and equipment skyrocket. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-04-29/us-mass-transit-funding-crisis-threatens-commuters-travel?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0NjE0OTczMiwiZXhwIjoxNzQ2NzU0NTMyLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTVkhaT0FUMEcxS1cwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI4QUQ0NTg2QkE2MTk0RkRGOEQyMkU3RDM5NzUyOUNCOCJ9.w3o4OPJC1dN3Bg7rJfaraes4Xb63p43Kk7j3XZrJ6VY&amp;leadSource=uverify%20wall" target="_blank">Bloomberg News analysis</a>&nbsp;estimates the nation’s largest transit systems are facing a $6 billion shortfall — only heightening fears of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/1212879398/public-transit-ridership-down-covid-pandemic-death-spiral" target="_blank">so-called death spiral</a>&nbsp;in which a combination of service cuts and fare increases cause further erosion of riders and revenue.

In Oregon, Democratic lawmakers have proposed increasing the state’s dedicated transit payroll tax. Billed as “a starting point,” the plan would increase the tax from 0.1% to 0.18% — estimated to raise $269 million over each two-year budget cycle.

“That’s appreciated, but it’s nowhere near what it needs to be,” said Brian Vitulli, general manager of the Tillamook County Transportation District in western Oregon. “There could be some service reductions in the near future if we don’t get more funding.”

Aside from rising costs, Vitulli faces major hiring challenges: The district has 19 drivers but could use eight to 10 more. With too few drivers, bus service has been cut to six days a week.

For some riders, the transit services provide a lifeline. After last year’s closure of Tillamook’s only dialysis center, for example, the agency began offering rides to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.northcoastcitizen.com/news/tctd-steps-up-for-dialysis-patients/article_6fbac02e-766f-5c3e-a86b-ed9293b8d6be.html" target="_blank">other dialysis clinics well outside its service area.</a>

That has driven up costs and tied up drivers, making services such as the on-demand Dial-A-Ride less available for other residents.

“We’re kind of the only option for these dialysis patients,” he said. “And we’re kind of prioritizing those trips rather than somebody who just wants to go to the Elks Club for lunch or something.”

Vitulli also serves on the board of the Oregon Transit Association, which is lobbying instead for&nbsp;<a href="https://oregontransit.com/news/13489020" target="_blank">a 0.4% increase in the transit payroll tax phased in over eight years</a>. The association said the current 0.08% proposal could force transit providers across the state to cut services by as much as 25% in the next few years as inflation and decreased fare collections push many into deficits.

TriMet, which operates rail, bus and paratransit services across 533 square miles of the Portland region,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.trimet.org/2025/04/trimet-warns-of-cuts-to-transit-service-without-an-increase-in-transit-funding-in-2025-oregon-transportation-package/" target="_blank">said it would still need to cut services</a>&nbsp;even if the lawmakers’ proposed 0.08% funding increase were approved. The agency faces a deficit of nearly $75 million for the upcoming fiscal year.

Oregon lawmakers are broadly concerned about federal spending cuts, which could turn the state’s modest budget surplus into a gaping deficit,<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/03/19/oregon-lawmakers-share-38-billion-budget-framework-amid-federal-uncertainty/" target="_blank">&nbsp;the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported.&nbsp;</a>Nearly a third of the state’s budget comes from federal money.

Democratic state Rep. Susan McLain said budget uncertainty has heightened scrutiny of all state spending this session. She is one of the authors of&nbsp;<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/04/03/oregon-democrats-unveil-1-9-billion-transportation-funding-plan/" target="_blank">the state’s transportation proposal</a>, crafted after nearly two years of meetings across the state. Aside from increasing the transit payroll tax, it calls for boosting the gas tax and hiking vehicle registration costs to help pay for road improvements.

McLain, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, said budget negotiations are ongoing, with aims of having hearings later this month.

While the state wants to do more to ensure everyone can access medical care, schools and jobs, McLain noted that belt-tightening is imperative for all manner of agencies, including transit.

“We’re really trying to dig in and find ways to do more with less,” she said, “but also to make sure that we’ve got sufficient, adequate types of investment in areas that we value.”

Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746784865461.png" alt=" Driver Jeremy Bellante assists Martin Boge into a Tillamook County Transportation District van before an out-of-town trip last month to dialysis treatment. The western Oregon transit service is warning of potential service cuts if the state does not provide more funding. (Courtesy of Tillamook County Transportation District)" />
 <figcaption> Driver Jeremy Bellante assists Martin Boge into a Tillamook County Transportation District van before an out-of-town trip last month to dialysis treatment. The western Oregon transit service is warning of potential service cuts if the state does not provide more funding. (Courtesy of Tillamook County Transportation District)</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/khardy/">Kevin Hardy</a><h2>Fearing a financial ‘death spiral,’ transit providers say they need more support.</h2>Compared with major American cities, the ridership on public buses in Minot, North Dakota, can seem relatively minuscule.But the 82,000 rides taken each year allow people without cars to get to work, help those with disabilities get around and connect patients with crucial health care.“The value of those rides is unmeasurable, because the people that are using our system need our system,” said Brian Horinka, the city’s transit superintendent.Like in many cities — from sprawling metropolitan areas to smaller and rural communities — the financial future of public transit is questionable in Minot, population 48,000. While increasing, ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels. Federal funding and state budgets remain uncertain, while inflation is pinching transit services.For example, Horinka said he’s looking to buy a new 30-foot heavy-duty bus. He expects it will cost up to $700,000 because of inflation. Just five years ago, a similar model could be had for about $400,000, he said.“We’re in dire straits, from a financial standpoint,” he said.North Dakota’s four largest cities, including Minot, asked lawmakers for millions in extra grant dollars this year to keep transit buses rolling. The state&nbsp;<a href="https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/69-2025/regular/documents/25-1109-05000.pdf" target="_blank">enacted a new law</a>&nbsp;awarding $2 million in grants — a welcome reprieve, but far less than the $15 million initially requested.Republican state Rep. Dan Ruby, a sponsor of the legislation, said cities will likely need to increase local funding for bus systems.“I don’t think it’s enough,” he said. “I think it is going to just be somewhat of a stopgap for some of them to be able to function.”The law also calls for a study to develop a proposed funding formula for fixed-route bus systems. Ruby said he would prefer a permanent funding model that doesn’t require cities to continually rely on legislative grants.“We also want to make sure that they’re not sitting on funds or running inefficiently just because they have the funding,” he said. “That’s the key to get support from most of the legislators, to show that they really do have a need and there’s no way to find any more cuts in their operations without affecting the people that need the rides.”It’s indicative of discussions occurring in state capitals across the country as public transit faces existential funding challenges.Public transit systems in major cities including Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco face the potential of deep service cuts without more funding. But the problems also extend to smaller systems that connect people in rural America and smaller cities.<h2>Partisan debates over transit funding</h2>In Pennsylvania, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said the transit financial crisis affects residents in all 67 of the commonwealth’s counties.“Let me just say, we face a dire situation for mass transit agencies all across Pennsylvania, from Pittsburgh to Philly and rural communities in between,”&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/government-politics/shapiro-says-pa-mass-transit-agencies-face-dire-situation-and-criticizes-trump-tariffs/" target="_blank">Shapiro said at a news conference in April.</a>Transit funding has been stuck in a partisan battle in Harrisburg.In November, to stave off cuts, Shapiro&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/transportation-infrastructure/shapiro-directs-153m-in-federal-highway-funds-to-stop-septa-death-spiral/" target="_blank">ordered the transfer of more than $150 million</a>&nbsp;in federal highway funds to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, known as SEPTA, which serves the greater Philadelphia area with bus and regional rail lines. He’s also backed legislation to increase transit funding, which has found support in the Democratic-controlled state House but so far has not advanced in the GOP-controlled state Senate.Late last month, House Republican Leader Jesse Topper proposed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reptopper.com/News/36086/Press-Releases/Amid-Chronic-Budget-Issues--Topper-to-Introduce-Legislation-to-Privatize-Part-of-SEPTA-s-Operations" target="_blank">partially privatizing the Philadelphia-area transit agency&nbsp;</a>rather than increasing funding, which he said in a statement would “only serve to patch over the problems of a system chronically in crisis.”“The same old, same old is clearly not working,” he said, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2025-05-01/transit-agencies-prt-septa-privatize-topper" target="_blank">a report by public radio station WESA.</a>The transit agency has said it already operates one of the most efficient systems in the nation. On&nbsp;<a href="https://wwww.septa.org/fundingcrisis/" target="_blank">a special website&nbsp;</a>it created to call attention to its $213 million budget deficit, SEPTA said there’s “nothing left to cut from the budget but service.”The authority has said it may be forced to cut services by 45% and raise fares by 20% without help from the state.Democratic state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, who represents a portion of North Philadelphia, said that would be “catastrophic” for the region.“It makes this not only a less appealing place to live for people who are considering moving here,” he said, “but it also makes it difficult to live for folks who call this area home.”Kenyatta, who dismissed the idea of privatization, said the state has a moral and economic obligation to ensure sustainable funding for public transportation.“We’ve done patches here and there,” he said. “And that patchwork approach is not one that inspires the type of confidence and allows our transit agencies to do the type of long-term planning that they need to do.”<h2>Transit’s pandemic ‘death spiral’</h2>Mass transit saw some of the most immediate impacts of COVID-19 as people worked from home and avoided public spaces.The federal government provided nearly $70 billion in pandemic aid to transit programs, which saw revenues drop sharply because of reduced fare collections.But with the rise of remote and hybrid work, ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels even as costs for labor and equipment skyrocket. A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2025-04-29/us-mass-transit-funding-crisis-threatens-commuters-travel?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0NjE0OTczMiwiZXhwIjoxNzQ2NzU0NTMyLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTVkhaT0FUMEcxS1cwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI4QUQ0NTg2QkE2MTk0RkRGOEQyMkU3RDM5NzUyOUNCOCJ9.w3o4OPJC1dN3Bg7rJfaraes4Xb63p43Kk7j3XZrJ6VY&amp;leadSource=uverify%20wall" target="_blank">Bloomberg News analysis</a>&nbsp;estimates the nation’s largest transit systems are facing a $6 billion shortfall — only heightening fears of a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/11/15/1212879398/public-transit-ridership-down-covid-pandemic-death-spiral" target="_blank">so-called death spiral</a>&nbsp;in which a combination of service cuts and fare increases cause further erosion of riders and revenue.In Oregon, Democratic lawmakers have proposed increasing the state’s dedicated transit payroll tax. Billed as “a starting point,” the plan would increase the tax from 0.1% to 0.18% — estimated to raise $269 million over each two-year budget cycle.“That’s appreciated, but it’s nowhere near what it needs to be,” said Brian Vitulli, general manager of the Tillamook County Transportation District in western Oregon. “There could be some service reductions in the near future if we don’t get more funding.”Aside from rising costs, Vitulli faces major hiring challenges: The district has 19 drivers but could use eight to 10 more. With too few drivers, bus service has been cut to six days a week.For some riders, the transit services provide a lifeline. After last year’s closure of Tillamook’s only dialysis center, for example, the agency began offering rides to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.northcoastcitizen.com/news/tctd-steps-up-for-dialysis-patients/article_6fbac02e-766f-5c3e-a86b-ed9293b8d6be.html" target="_blank">other dialysis clinics well outside its service area.</a>That has driven up costs and tied up drivers, making services such as the on-demand Dial-A-Ride less available for other residents.“We’re kind of the only option for these dialysis patients,” he said. “And we’re kind of prioritizing those trips rather than somebody who just wants to go to the Elks Club for lunch or something.”Vitulli also serves on the board of the Oregon Transit Association, which is lobbying instead for&nbsp;<a href="https://oregontransit.com/news/13489020" target="_blank">a 0.4% increase in the transit payroll tax phased in over eight years</a>. The association said the current 0.08% proposal could force transit providers across the state to cut services by as much as 25% in the next few years as inflation and decreased fare collections push many into deficits.TriMet, which operates rail, bus and paratransit services across 533 square miles of the Portland region,&nbsp;<a href="https://news.trimet.org/2025/04/trimet-warns-of-cuts-to-transit-service-without-an-increase-in-transit-funding-in-2025-oregon-transportation-package/" target="_blank">said it would still need to cut services</a>&nbsp;even if the lawmakers’ proposed 0.08% funding increase were approved. The agency faces a deficit of nearly $75 million for the upcoming fiscal year.Oregon lawmakers are broadly concerned about federal spending cuts, which could turn the state’s modest budget surplus into a gaping deficit,<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/03/19/oregon-lawmakers-share-38-billion-budget-framework-amid-federal-uncertainty/" target="_blank">&nbsp;the Oregon Capital Chronicle reported.&nbsp;</a>Nearly a third of the state’s budget comes from federal money.Democratic state Rep. Susan McLain said budget uncertainty has heightened scrutiny of all state spending this session. She is one of the authors of&nbsp;<a href="https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/04/03/oregon-democrats-unveil-1-9-billion-transportation-funding-plan/" target="_blank">the state’s transportation proposal</a>, crafted after nearly two years of meetings across the state. Aside from increasing the transit payroll tax, it calls for boosting the gas tax and hiking vehicle registration costs to help pay for road improvements.McLain, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, said budget negotiations are ongoing, with aims of having hearings later this month.While the state wants to do more to ensure everyone can access medical care, schools and jobs, McLain noted that belt-tightening is imperative for all manner of agencies, including transit.“We’re really trying to dig in and find ways to do more with less,” she said, “but also to make sure that we’ve got sufficient, adequate types of investment in areas that we value.”Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:khardy@stateline.org">khardy@stateline.org</a>.&nbsp;

Deep cuts to bus and rail services loom across big cities, small towns

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

TOPEKA — The COVID-19 pandemic, staff turnover and surges in filings created a backlog of cases at the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, challenging the organization’s ability to meet statutory requirements for timely rulings.

County appraisers have seen increased delays in resolving some tax appeals, and although they don’t blame BOTA employees who are working to clear delays, they are concerned about the effects on taxpayers.

“Given that high property taxes are a major concern for Kansans, this remains a highly sensitive matter for all parties involved,” said Douglas County appraiser Brad Eldridge. “Providing timely due process in property tax cases is essential, yet it requires additional funding, creating the difficult reality that ensuring fairness and efficiency comes at the cost of more taxpayer dollars.”

In January 2025 budget testimony to the Legislature, BOTA chair Kristen Wheeler said in Fiscal Year 2024, the board saw an increase of about 700 cases in its Regular Division, as well as an additional 300 cases in its exemption tax appeals and 300 cases in its property tax appeals.

The BOTA comprises the Regular Division, in which cases are heard by an appointed, three-member board, and the Small Claims and Expedited Claims Division, which offers informal, faster processes.

More than 11 different kinds of tax appeals are heard by BOTA’s board or staff, from property tax exemption requests to homeowners upset about their property taxes and unable to resolve the issue at the county level.

Jonathan Roberts, BOTA executive director, said they receive as many as 50 or 60 requests for tax exemption appeals every day.

“It takes at the minimum a half-hour to hear each of those requests,” he said. “When you start to compound those, it creates a monumental task to get through every one. It’s just a matter of the requests coming in exceed the time available to hear them.”

During the legislative budget process, the state board requested and received $30,000 to hire contract employees to help get caught up. BOTA also asked for $25,000 to increase attorney salaries because they currently are below what their peers receive for similar work. A long-term vacant position contributed to delays.

“The Board is currently recruiting to fill a vacant staff attorney position; the Board would note that position has been posted since the fall and to date, despite active advertising, the Board has yet to have a single applicant,” the budget request said. “The Board notes the starting salary for that position is below other starting-level attorney positions advertised for other state entities.”

Roberts said a new information technology system being installed is expected to help with processing.&nbsp;

“We’re engaging in some things within the office to help with workflow and things like that, but given the sheer number of some of the cases that we have in front of us, it’s not going to clear them all up right away,” Roberts said.

Depending on the cases, the board faces statutory requirements regarding the time to hear and decide cases. In small claims, cases must be heard within 60 days of filing and decided within 30 days after that. So far, BOTA staff have been able to meet that deadline, Roberts said. In the Regular Division, the board must render a decision after a hearing within 14 days, although requirements vary depending on the case.

In testimony, BOTA reported the percent of 14-day summary decisions issued timely in the Regular Division, with a goal of 100%. After three years of missing that goal, the organization is moving back on track.

In FY2019 and FY2020, BOTA issued decisions within 14 days 100% of the time. In FY2021, they dropped to 93%, and in subsequent years 91%, 90% and 99%. BOTA reports 100% for FY2025 so far.

Lucky DeFries, a Topeka tax attorney who has been trying cases in front of the board since the late 1970s, said his clients haven’t faced significant delays. He and opposing counsel often reach agreement in the case, so it moves through the system quickly.

DeFries remembers when there were 58 employees at BOTA. Today, there are 16 when they’re fully staffed, he said, noting the retirement of a longtime attorney and another staff member on medical leave.

“We’ve seen across the country steady increases in the valuation of residential property. That’s where a lot of the appeals come from,” DeFries said. “The numbers of employees have gone down precipitously and the case load has either increased or stayed pretty static.”

The delay in hearing tax appeals affects county operations statewide. Eldridge said the slow process consumes time and financial resources. The challenges began during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

“Schedule delays were a result of hearing cancellations in 2020,” Eldridge said. “In 2020-2021, there was turnover in BOTA positions, and they went several months without having a full board to hold hearings. BOTA essentially did not hold any Regular Division hearings for about one year.”

If BOTA finds in favor of the individual, organization or business in a tax appeal, the county must refund any taxes that were paid, based on that appeal. Eldridge said interest is paid on refunds, with the percentage varying depending on the year the appeal was filed.

In Crawford County, Jan Meredith, office supervisor, handles tax exemptions. Like Eldridge, she understands the issues that have been delaying tax appeals and is sympathetic. Still, she doesn’t recall delays as long as they have been in the past two to three years.

Tax appeals filed in 2023 have recently come through the system and been cleared, she said, and that puts her small county near to caught up. Meredith tells taxpayers filing an appeal that it likely will take four to six months until they receive decisions from BOTA, so any appeals filed in the past six months she doesn’t consider delayed.

Larger counties tend to see a more significant impact. In its budget report, BOTA said most of its small claims appeals in FY2024 were received from Johnson County (576), Morris County (345), Sedgwick County (448) and Wyandotte County (608).&nbsp;

“Douglas County has matters before the Regular Division of BOTA going back to 2021 that are scheduled to be heard this year,” Eldridge said.

In Johnson County, spokeswoman Anne Christiansen-Bullers said appeals go back more than seven years.&nbsp;

“The Kansas Board of Tax Appeals has approximately 1,500-1,600 pending appeals involving property in Johnson County for tax years 2018-2024,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/5/1746737689897.png" alt="Kristen Wheeler, chairwoman of the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, tells the Kansas House General Government Budget Committee about the need for additional funding to manage increased tax appeals and to alleviate staff shortages. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature video)" />
 <figcaption>Kristen Wheeler, chairwoman of the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, tells the Kansas House General Government Budget Committee about the need for additional funding to manage increased tax appeals and to alleviate staff shortages. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from Kansas Legislature video)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">MORGAN CHILSON</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — The COVID-19 pandemic, staff turnover and surges in filings created a backlog of cases at the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, challenging the organization’s ability to meet statutory requirements for timely rulings.County appraisers have seen increased delays in resolving some tax appeals, and although they don’t blame BOTA employees who are working to clear delays, they are concerned about the effects on taxpayers.“Given that high property taxes are a major concern for Kansans, this remains a highly sensitive matter for all parties involved,” said Douglas County appraiser Brad Eldridge. “Providing timely due process in property tax cases is essential, yet it requires additional funding, creating the difficult reality that ensuring fairness and efficiency comes at the cost of more taxpayer dollars.”In January 2025 budget testimony to the Legislature, BOTA chair Kristen Wheeler said in Fiscal Year 2024, the board saw an increase of about 700 cases in its Regular Division, as well as an additional 300 cases in its exemption tax appeals and 300 cases in its property tax appeals.The BOTA comprises the Regular Division, in which cases are heard by an appointed, three-member board, and the Small Claims and Expedited Claims Division, which offers informal, faster processes.More than 11 different kinds of tax appeals are heard by BOTA’s board or staff, from property tax exemption requests to homeowners upset about their property taxes and unable to resolve the issue at the county level.Jonathan Roberts, BOTA executive director, said they receive as many as 50 or 60 requests for tax exemption appeals every day.“It takes at the minimum a half-hour to hear each of those requests,” he said. “When you start to compound those, it creates a monumental task to get through every one. It’s just a matter of the requests coming in exceed the time available to hear them.”<h2>Adding resources</h2>During the legislative budget process, the state board requested and received $30,000 to hire contract employees to help get caught up. BOTA also asked for $25,000 to increase attorney salaries because they currently are below what their peers receive for similar work. A long-term vacant position contributed to delays.“The Board is currently recruiting to fill a vacant staff attorney position; the Board would note that position has been posted since the fall and to date, despite active advertising, the Board has yet to have a single applicant,” the budget request said. “The Board notes the starting salary for that position is below other starting-level attorney positions advertised for other state entities.”Roberts said a new information technology system being installed is expected to help with processing.&nbsp;“We’re engaging in some things within the office to help with workflow and things like that, but given the sheer number of some of the cases that we have in front of us, it’s not going to clear them all up right away,” Roberts said.Depending on the cases, the board faces statutory requirements regarding the time to hear and decide cases. In small claims, cases must be heard within 60 days of filing and decided within 30 days after that. So far, BOTA staff have been able to meet that deadline, Roberts said. In the Regular Division, the board must render a decision after a hearing within 14 days, although requirements vary depending on the case.In testimony, BOTA reported the percent of 14-day summary decisions issued timely in the Regular Division, with a goal of 100%. After three years of missing that goal, the organization is moving back on track.In FY2019 and FY2020, BOTA issued decisions within 14 days 100% of the time. In FY2021, they dropped to 93%, and in subsequent years 91%, 90% and 99%. BOTA reports 100% for FY2025 so far.Lucky DeFries, a Topeka tax attorney who has been trying cases in front of the board since the late 1970s, said his clients haven’t faced significant delays. He and opposing counsel often reach agreement in the case, so it moves through the system quickly.DeFries remembers when there were 58 employees at BOTA. Today, there are 16 when they’re fully staffed, he said, noting the retirement of a longtime attorney and another staff member on medical leave.“We’ve seen across the country steady increases in the valuation of residential property. That’s where a lot of the appeals come from,” DeFries said. “The numbers of employees have gone down precipitously and the case load has either increased or stayed pretty static.”<h2>County impact</h2>The delay in hearing tax appeals affects county operations statewide. Eldridge said the slow process consumes time and financial resources. The challenges began during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;“Schedule delays were a result of hearing cancellations in 2020,” Eldridge said. “In 2020-2021, there was turnover in BOTA positions, and they went several months without having a full board to hold hearings. BOTA essentially did not hold any Regular Division hearings for about one year.”If BOTA finds in favor of the individual, organization or business in a tax appeal, the county must refund any taxes that were paid, based on that appeal. Eldridge said interest is paid on refunds, with the percentage varying depending on the year the appeal was filed.In Crawford County, Jan Meredith, office supervisor, handles tax exemptions. Like Eldridge, she understands the issues that have been delaying tax appeals and is sympathetic. Still, she doesn’t recall delays as long as they have been in the past two to three years.Tax appeals filed in 2023 have recently come through the system and been cleared, she said, and that puts her small county near to caught up. Meredith tells taxpayers filing an appeal that it likely will take four to six months until they receive decisions from BOTA, so any appeals filed in the past six months she doesn’t consider delayed.Larger counties tend to see a more significant impact. In its budget report, BOTA said most of its small claims appeals in FY2024 were received from Johnson County (576), Morris County (345), Sedgwick County (448) and Wyandotte County (608).&nbsp;“Douglas County has matters before the Regular Division of BOTA going back to 2021 that are scheduled to be heard this year,” Eldridge said.In Johnson County, spokeswoman Anne Christiansen-Bullers said appeals go back more than seven years.&nbsp;“The Kansas Board of Tax Appeals has approximately 1,500-1,600 pending appeals involving property in Johnson County for tax years 2018-2024,” she said.<h2>Tough to determine</h2>It’s difficult to determine exactly how far behind tax appeals are, said Terri Yamashita, BOTA board secretary. More complex cases, which are often appeals over large tax amounts owed or commercial cases, sometimes have multiple attorneys involved and many filings.For instance, in the regular hearing division where cases go before the BOTA, commercial business owners often want to get their own appraisals done, she said. That can cause delays. BOTA staff normally try to schedule a hearing within at least five months of the filing, but it could be seven to eight months, depending on the case.Some cases lingering in the system are delayed because parties don’t get the proper information submitted or for reasons out of BOTA’s control, Yamashita said. Each type of tax appeal has different statutory requirements to meet.The number of appeals asking for tax exemptions is one of the more challenging areas, although those don’t have to go to a full board hearing, she said. Exemptions and the majority of tax grievances don’t go to full hearings but are managed in the small claims division.Grievances include cases that are about clerical errors or penalties that have been assessed on someone who didn’t file taxes on time, she said.Those issues absorb staff time. BOTA recently contracted with an additional staff person to help clear exemption cases. In testimony, the BOTA board said that its hearings of Regular Division cases suffer when they receive influxes of small claims cases because staff attorneys shift to do that work.“Not only do these staff attorneys have less time and resources available to work on other matters, but they are unavailable or difficult to schedule to assist with Regular Division hearings,” the testimony said. “Undoubtedly these factors all contribute to greater than necessary resolution times for matters in the Regular Division.”