The Kansas Legislature was expected Tuesday to vote on whether to expand an incentive program to help finance a stadium for the Kansas City Royals or Chiefs

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE —&nbsp;On the eve of a vote that could yield $750 million for a new Kansas City Royals baseball stadium in Kansas, a team executive met with several Democratic state lawmakers at a Lawrence steakhouse.

Brooks Sherman, chief operating officer for the Royals, and lobbyists hosted lawmakers at the Six Mile Chop House and Tavern on Monday “to talk about the Royals interest in Kansas,” according to an email from a lobbyist inviting Kansas House and Senate Democrats.

Outside the restaurant, lawmakers told Kansas Reflector they weren’t concerned about the idea of their votes on legislation worth hundreds of millions of dollars being influenced over dinner.

“It happens,” said Sen. Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat. “Most of the discussions in the Legislature go on behind closed doors.”

The meal came the night before lawmakers were expected to vote on whether to expand a state tax incentive program to help finance a new stadium for the Royals or the Kansas City Chiefs to lure the teams from Missouri.&nbsp;

The bill, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/17/chiefs-royals-ask-kansas-for-incentives-to-allow-teams-to-leave-missouri/">discussed in an informational hearing Monday</a>, would enhance the state’s existing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/star-bonds/">Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond</a>&nbsp;program to provide up to 75% of the project’s cost for a professional football or baseball stadium project with a minimum $1 billion investment. STAR Bonds are issued to pay for the construction and repaid by the increased state sales tax revenue at the project site.&nbsp;

Normally, STAR Bonds, which are intended to help pay for tourism and entertainment destinations, are only authorized to finance up to 50% of a project. Debt on a stadium constructed under the expansion wouldn’t have to be repaid for 30 years instead of the normal 20.

The project could also receive a boost from liquor taxes generated in the STAR Bond district and revenues from a fund Kansas created when it legalized sports betting.&nbsp;

The Chiefs shut down a city block near the Capitol in Topeka for a rally at the Celtic Fox restaurant at lunchtime Tuesday.

On her way into the restaurant, Francisco said she wasn’t supporting the current bill but would be interested to know whether the Royals would support a standalone deal. She wasn’t sure what level of impact dinners with lobbyists have on lawmakers’ overall support.&nbsp;

Francisco said she was uncomfortable that revenue information from the project would not be released and that there was not enough public testimony on the legislation.&nbsp;

Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Democrat from Prairie Village, said it was “par for the course” for lawmakers to get lobbied at evening events. He said he has discussed issues with lobbyists and asked for information but that in his eight years in the Legislature he has never been influenced to change his vote on an issue.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a single person in there tonight that is going to be persuaded to vote against their conscience and against their constituents,” he said.

Stogsdill said he imagined he’d vote for the legislation and thought a stadium would be an economic boon to the community around it.

Sen. Ethan Corson, a fellow Prairie Village Democrat, said didn’t see Kansas’ efforts to help finance one or both stadiums as competing with Missouri. He’d be fine if the teams stayed in Kansas City, Missouri, but he said the Missouri Legislature is “beyond dysfunctional.”&nbsp;

“I worry about their ability to do anything, really,” Corson said, “so I think this is a chance to put something on the table so, that way, we can say we made a reasonable effort to keep the teams in the metro.”

Rep. Linda Featherston, an Overland Park Democrat, said Monday she declined to attend the lobbying event.

“I don’t want there to be any questions about undue influence,” she said.

Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Shawnee Democrat, attended Monday’s dinner and recounted the sales pitch in a meeting of House Democrats Tuesday morning.&nbsp;

She said the Royals are looking at three potential sites in Wyandotte County where they could build a 34,500-seat stadium. The team, she said, believes its current home, Kauffman Stadium, is crumbling and that repairs would cost at least $800 million. It also doesn’t have enough office space or room for medical personnel.

Royals executives told attendees that most ticket buyers are from Johnson County, Neighbor said, and that the team is not interested in having conversations about staying where they are.&nbsp;

“The Royals do not feel welcome in Kansas City, Missouri, right now,” Neighbor said.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718733678105.png" alt=" Sen. Ethan Corson, right, arrives at a dinner hosted by the Kansas City Royals at a steakhouse in Lawrence. The dinner meeting came ahead of a vote on whether to expand a tax incentive program for a potential new baseball stadium in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Sen. Ethan Corson, right, arrives at a dinner hosted by the Kansas City Royals at a steakhouse in Lawrence. The dinner meeting came ahead of a vote on whether to expand a tax incentive program for a potential new baseball stadium in Kansas. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The Kansas Legislature was expected Tuesday to vote on whether to expand an incentive program to help finance a stadium for the Kansas City Royals or Chiefs</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>&nbsp;-&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE —&nbsp;On the eve of a vote that could yield $750 million for a new Kansas City Royals baseball stadium in Kansas, a team executive met with several Democratic state lawmakers at a Lawrence steakhouse.Brooks Sherman, chief operating officer for the Royals, and lobbyists hosted lawmakers at the Six Mile Chop House and Tavern on Monday “to talk about the Royals interest in Kansas,” according to an email from a lobbyist inviting Kansas House and Senate Democrats.Outside the restaurant, lawmakers told Kansas Reflector they weren’t concerned about the idea of their votes on legislation worth hundreds of millions of dollars being influenced over dinner.“It happens,” said Sen. Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat. “Most of the discussions in the Legislature go on behind closed doors.”The meal came the night before lawmakers were expected to vote on whether to expand a state tax incentive program to help finance a new stadium for the Royals or the Kansas City Chiefs to lure the teams from Missouri.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718733738537.png" alt="Sen. Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat, arrives at a dinner hosted by lobbyists for the Kansas City Royals on the eve of a vote that could yield millions of dollars for a new baseball stadium. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Marci Francisco, a Lawrence Democrat, arrives at a dinner hosted by lobbyists for the Kansas City Royals on the eve of a vote that could yield millions of dollars for a new baseball stadium. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The bill, which was&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/17/chiefs-royals-ask-kansas-for-incentives-to-allow-teams-to-leave-missouri/">discussed in an informational hearing Monday</a>, would enhance the state’s existing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/star-bonds/">Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond</a>&nbsp;program to provide up to 75% of the project’s cost for a professional football or baseball stadium project with a minimum $1 billion investment. STAR Bonds are issued to pay for the construction and repaid by the increased state sales tax revenue at the project site.&nbsp;Normally, STAR Bonds, which are intended to help pay for tourism and entertainment destinations, are only authorized to finance up to 50% of a project. Debt on a stadium constructed under the expansion wouldn’t have to be repaid for 30 years instead of the normal 20.The project could also receive a boost from liquor taxes generated in the STAR Bond district and revenues from a fund Kansas created when it legalized sports betting.&nbsp;The Chiefs shut down a city block near the Capitol in Topeka for a rally at the Celtic Fox restaurant at lunchtime Tuesday.On her way into the restaurant, Francisco said she wasn’t supporting the current bill but would be interested to know whether the Royals would support a standalone deal. She wasn’t sure what level of impact dinners with lobbyists have on lawmakers’ overall support.&nbsp;Francisco said she was uncomfortable that revenue information from the project would not be released and that there was not enough public testimony on the legislation.&nbsp;Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, a Democrat from Prairie Village, said it was “par for the course” for lawmakers to get lobbied at evening events. He said he has discussed issues with lobbyists and asked for information but that in his eight years in the Legislature he has never been influenced to change his vote on an issue.“I don’t think there’s going to be a single person in there tonight that is going to be persuaded to vote against their conscience and against their constituents,” he said.Stogsdill said he imagined he’d vote for the legislation and thought a stadium would be an economic boon to the community around it.Sen. Ethan Corson, a fellow Prairie Village Democrat, said didn’t see Kansas’ efforts to help finance one or both stadiums as competing with Missouri. He’d be fine if the teams stayed in Kansas City, Missouri, but he said the Missouri Legislature is “beyond dysfunctional.”&nbsp;“I worry about their ability to do anything, really,” Corson said, “so I think this is a chance to put something on the table so, that way, we can say we made a reasonable effort to keep the teams in the metro.”Rep. Linda Featherston, an Overland Park Democrat, said Monday she declined to attend the lobbying event.“I don’t want there to be any questions about undue influence,” she said.Rep. Cindy Neighbor, a Shawnee Democrat, attended Monday’s dinner and recounted the sales pitch in a meeting of House Democrats Tuesday morning.&nbsp;She said the Royals are looking at three potential sites in Wyandotte County where they could build a 34,500-seat stadium. The team, she said, believes its current home, Kauffman Stadium, is crumbling and that repairs would cost at least $800 million. It also doesn’t have enough office space or room for medical personnel.Royals executives told attendees that most ticket buyers are from Johnson County, Neighbor said, and that the team is not interested in having conversations about staying where they are.&nbsp;“The Royals do not feel welcome in Kansas City, Missouri, right now,” Neighbor said.&nbsp;The Royals declined to comment.

Kan. Democratic lawmakers dined with Kansas City Royals on eve of stadium vote

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators cleared the way Tuesday for a debate on trying to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-new-stadium-d33d64672c1cfb8d015d29b03ccf9b4f">lure the Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;from Missouri by approving broad tax cuts that many lawmakers said they needed to see before considering a plan to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2024-score-chiefs-49ers-49b5dca51c05ab0f259cef0d7da76c2d">the Super Bowl champions</a>&nbsp;finance a new stadium.

The Legislature took up the stadium proposal during a special session that convened Tuesday amid heavy lobbying for the plan. The measure would allow the state to issue bonds to help the Chiefs and Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals finance new stadiums on the Kansas side of their metropolitan area, which is split by the border with Missouri.

But top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature promised that the stadium proposal wouldn't be debated until the Legislature approved a plan that would cut income and property taxes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-kansas-special-legislative-session-b79d213f1a904dfd7604648ea9d2c454">a total of $1.23 billion</a>&nbsp;over the next three years. Many lawmakers argued that voters would be angry if the state helped finance new stadiums without cutting taxes.

“We definitely need to demonstrate that we’re getting relief to our citizens,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican who backed the stadium-financing plan.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called the special session to have lawmakers consider reducing taxes after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-budget-tax-cuts-veto-9ebddf96cd35b614d8e96f2d8b8939c2">vetoed three tax-cutting plans</a>&nbsp;before legislators adjourned their regular annual session May 1. The plan lawmakers approved was a compromise between her and Republican leaders.

Legislators made no changes in the plan before passing it, 34-4 in the Senate and 121-2 in the House. Kelly pledged to sign the measure into law.

Once legislators convened the special session, Kelly couldn't control what they considered, and that created an opening to consider the stadium-financing plan. That measure would use revenues from sports betting, the state lottery and new taxes raised from the area around each new stadium to pay off the state's bonds over 30 years.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-royals-new-stadiums-kansas-dd5a0b8509738ed5ad53e2c3da9cf730">The first version</a>&nbsp;of the stadium-financing plan emerged in late April, but lawmakers didn't vote on it before adjourning. It would have allowed state bonds to finance all stadium construction costs, but the version to be considered by lawmakers Tuesday would cap the amount at 70% and require legislative leaders and the governor to sign off on any bonding plan.

House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Kansas City-area Republican, said the Chiefs are likely to spend between $500 million and $700 million in private funds on a new stadium.

“There are no blank checks,” Tarwater told GOP colleagues during a briefing on the plan before the House began debating it.

A new nonprofit group,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-new-stadium-proposal-49fbfcc162dfbcf3790aa14c2763fd97">Scoop and Score,</a>&nbsp;formed last month to push for bringing the Chiefs to Kansas, and that group and the Royals together hired more than 30 lobbyists for the special session. But the national free-market, small-government group Americans for Prosperity and the Kansas Policy Institute, a free-market think tank, oppose the measure, and both have been influential with conservative Republicans.

Free-market conservatives have long opposed state and local subsidies for specific businesses or projects. And economists who’ve studied pro sports teams have concluded in dozens of studies over decades that subsidizing their stadiums&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-stadiums-public-funding-nfl-mlb-a81d825286530bb95f227efc99f2e9d3">isn’t worth the cost.</a>

“Most of the money that gets spent on the Chiefs is money that would otherwise be spent on other entertainment projects,” said Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in central Massachusetts who has written multiple books about sports.

Kansas legislators consider the Chiefs and Royals in play because in April, voters on the Missouri side of the metro area&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">refused to continue</a>&nbsp;a local sales tax for the upkeep of the complex with their side-by-side stadiums. Missouri officials have said they'll do whatever it takes to keep the teams but haven't outlined any proposals.

The two teams' lease on their stadium complex runs through January 2031, but Korb Maxwell, an attorney for the Chiefs who lives on the Kansas side, said renovations on the team's Arrowhead Stadium should be planned seven or eight years in advance.

“There is an urgency to this,” added David Frantz, the Royals’ general counsel.

Supporters of the stadium plan argued that economists' past research doesn't apply to the Chiefs and Royals. They said the bonds will be paid off with tax revenues that aren't being generated now and would never be without the stadiums or the development around them. Masterson said it's wrong to call the bonds a subsidy.

And Maxwell said: “For a town to be major league, they need major league teams.”

But economists who've studied pro sports said similar arguments have been a staple of past debates over paying for new stadiums. Development around a new stadium lessens development elsewhere, where the tax dollars generated would go to fund services or schools, they said.

“It could still help Kansas and maybe hurt Missouri by the same amount,” Zimbalist said. "It’s a zero-sum game.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718739574390.jpeg" alt="Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, left, R-Wichita, confers with House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, R-Stillwell, ahead of a meeting of GOP lawmakers on a proposal to help the Kansas City Chiefs build a new stadium in Kansas, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The plan would allow the state to issue bonds to help pay for a new stadium for the Chiefs and professional baseball's Kansas City Royals. (AP Photo/John Hanna)" />
 <figcaption>Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, left, R-Wichita, confers with House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, R-Stillwell, ahead of a meeting of GOP lawmakers on a proposal to help the Kansas City Chiefs build a new stadium in Kansas, Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. The plan would allow the state to issue bonds to help pay for a new stadium for the Chiefs and professional baseball's Kansas City Royals. (AP Photo/John Hanna)</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators cleared the way Tuesday for a debate on trying to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-new-stadium-d33d64672c1cfb8d015d29b03ccf9b4f">lure the Kansas City Chiefs</a>&nbsp;from Missouri by approving broad tax cuts that many lawmakers said they needed to see before considering a plan to help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/super-bowl-2024-score-chiefs-49ers-49b5dca51c05ab0f259cef0d7da76c2d">the Super Bowl champions</a>&nbsp;finance a new stadium.The Legislature took up the stadium proposal during a special session that convened Tuesday amid heavy lobbying for the plan. The measure would allow the state to issue bonds to help the Chiefs and Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals finance new stadiums on the Kansas side of their metropolitan area, which is split by the border with Missouri.But top Republicans in the GOP-controlled Legislature promised that the stadium proposal wouldn't be debated until the Legislature approved a plan that would cut income and property taxes by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tax-cuts-kansas-special-legislative-session-b79d213f1a904dfd7604648ea9d2c454">a total of $1.23 billion</a>&nbsp;over the next three years. Many lawmakers argued that voters would be angry if the state helped finance new stadiums without cutting taxes.“We definitely need to demonstrate that we’re getting relief to our citizens,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican who backed the stadium-financing plan.Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly called the special session to have lawmakers consider reducing taxes after she&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-budget-tax-cuts-veto-9ebddf96cd35b614d8e96f2d8b8939c2">vetoed three tax-cutting plans</a>&nbsp;before legislators adjourned their regular annual session May 1. The plan lawmakers approved was a compromise between her and Republican leaders.Legislators made no changes in the plan before passing it, 34-4 in the Senate and 121-2 in the House. Kelly pledged to sign the measure into law.Once legislators convened the special session, Kelly couldn't control what they considered, and that created an opening to consider the stadium-financing plan. That measure would use revenues from sports betting, the state lottery and new taxes raised from the area around each new stadium to pay off the state's bonds over 30 years.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-royals-new-stadiums-kansas-dd5a0b8509738ed5ad53e2c3da9cf730">The first version</a>&nbsp;of the stadium-financing plan emerged in late April, but lawmakers didn't vote on it before adjourning. It would have allowed state bonds to finance all stadium construction costs, but the version to be considered by lawmakers Tuesday would cap the amount at 70% and require legislative leaders and the governor to sign off on any bonding plan.House Commerce Committee Chair Sean Tarwater, a Kansas City-area Republican, said the Chiefs are likely to spend between $500 million and $700 million in private funds on a new stadium.“There are no blank checks,” Tarwater told GOP colleagues during a briefing on the plan before the House began debating it.A new nonprofit group,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-city-chiefs-new-stadium-proposal-49fbfcc162dfbcf3790aa14c2763fd97">Scoop and Score,</a>&nbsp;formed last month to push for bringing the Chiefs to Kansas, and that group and the Royals together hired more than 30 lobbyists for the special session. But the national free-market, small-government group Americans for Prosperity and the Kansas Policy Institute, a free-market think tank, oppose the measure, and both have been influential with conservative Republicans.Free-market conservatives have long opposed state and local subsidies for specific businesses or projects. And economists who’ve studied pro sports teams have concluded in dozens of studies over decades that subsidizing their stadiums&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-stadiums-public-funding-nfl-mlb-a81d825286530bb95f227efc99f2e9d3">isn’t worth the cost.</a>“Most of the money that gets spent on the Chiefs is money that would otherwise be spent on other entertainment projects,” said Andrew Zimbalist, an economics professor at Smith College in central Massachusetts who has written multiple books about sports.Kansas legislators consider the Chiefs and Royals in play because in April, voters on the Missouri side of the metro area&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-royals-kansas-city-stadiums-e9605296b85e91699441e4ba10e83212">refused to continue</a>&nbsp;a local sales tax for the upkeep of the complex with their side-by-side stadiums. Missouri officials have said they'll do whatever it takes to keep the teams but haven't outlined any proposals.The two teams' lease on their stadium complex runs through January 2031, but Korb Maxwell, an attorney for the Chiefs who lives on the Kansas side, said renovations on the team's Arrowhead Stadium should be planned seven or eight years in advance.“There is an urgency to this,” added David Frantz, the Royals’ general counsel.Supporters of the stadium plan argued that economists' past research doesn't apply to the Chiefs and Royals. They said the bonds will be paid off with tax revenues that aren't being generated now and would never be without the stadiums or the development around them. Masterson said it's wrong to call the bonds a subsidy.And Maxwell said: “For a town to be major league, they need major league teams.”But economists who've studied pro sports said similar arguments have been a staple of past debates over paying for new stadiums. Development around a new stadium lessens development elsewhere, where the tax dollars generated would go to fund services or schools, they said.“It could still help Kansas and maybe hurt Missouri by the same amount,” Zimbalist said. "It’s a zero-sum game.”

Kansas lawmakers pass tax cuts to clear the way for a plan to lure the Chiefs

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in a deadly gunfight on Father's Day in Wichita is awaiting a court appearance.

Eric Gonzales-Gutierrez, 33, Wichita, is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail in connection with the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Aron Lara, according to jail booking records.

Just after 8:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting incident in the 1900 block of N. Jackson Street in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford.

While working to gather further information, the 911 dispatcher could hear gunfire in the background, prompting an immediate upgraded dispatch of officers to the scene.

First responders discovered Lara suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Sedgwick County EMS provided initial critical care at the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital. Despite efforts, Lara succumbed to his injuries during surgery and was pronounced deceased at 10:26p.m., according to Ford.

Another victim, a 22-year-old Hispanic man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot to the arm and was privately transported to St. Francis Hospital, where he remains in stable condition on Monday morning.

The incident occurred during a neighborhood barbecue in observance of Father's Day. According to preliminary reports, Lara, was involved in a verbal altercation with the assailant earlier in the evening. The suspect later identified as&nbsp;Eric Gonzales-Gutierrez allegedly returned home, retrieved a rifle, and fired upon the victim, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting.

It is believed that two men accompanying Lara returned fire, resulting in injuries to the second victim. The identities of these individuals are currently under investigation as police seek their information on involvement.

The Wichita Police Department arrested Gonzales-Gutierrez on requested charges of first-degree murder, according to Ford.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718711572362.png" alt="Gonzales-Gutierrez- photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Gonzales-Gutierrez- photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A suspect accused in a deadly gunfight on Father's Day in Wichita is awaiting a court appearance.Eric Gonzales-Gutierrez, 33, Wichita, is being held in the Sedgwick County Jail in connection with the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Aron Lara, according to jail booking records.Just after 8:30p.m. Sunday, police responded to a shooting incident in the 1900 block of N. Jackson Street in Wichita, according to Police spokesman Andrew Ford.While working to gather further information, the 911 dispatcher could hear gunfire in the background, prompting an immediate upgraded dispatch of officers to the scene.First responders discovered Lara suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Sedgwick County EMS provided initial critical care at the scene before transporting him to a nearby hospital. Despite efforts, Lara succumbed to his injuries during surgery and was pronounced deceased at 10:26p.m., according to Ford.Another victim, a 22-year-old Hispanic man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot to the arm and was privately transported to St. Francis Hospital, where he remains in stable condition on Monday morning.The incident occurred during a neighborhood barbecue in observance of Father's Day. According to preliminary reports, Lara, was involved in a verbal altercation with the assailant earlier in the evening. The suspect later identified as&nbsp;Eric Gonzales-Gutierrez allegedly returned home, retrieved a rifle, and fired upon the victim, who was unarmed at the time of the shooting.It is believed that two men accompanying Lara returned fire, resulting in injuries to the second victim. The identities of these individuals are currently under investigation as police seek their information on involvement.The Wichita Police Department arrested Gonzales-Gutierrez on requested charges of first-degree murder, according to Ford.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kan. suspect in deadly BBQ gunfight awaits court appearance

FINNEY COUNTY —As the investigation into the Saturday home explosion in Garden City continues,&nbsp; the State Fire Marshal and Garden City Fire Department Investigators have determined that the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak, according to a media release from the fire department.

The gas leak was ignited when the victim turned on the stove. The issue was isolated to the gas line inside the home.

Just after 7p.m. on Saturday, the Garden City Fire Department was dispatched to the report of an explosion at 802 West Fair Street, Garden City.

Upon arrival, fire personnel found one home that had significant damage due to an explosion with a large debris field surrounding the site. One victim was treated and transported by Finney County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to St. Catherine Hospital.&nbsp; 

The victim is now in a Wichita hospital, according to the fire department. Officials did not release any&nbsp; updated information on the condition of the victim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718557400301.png" alt="Home explosion in Garden City -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Home explosion in Garden City -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>FINNEY COUNTY —As the investigation into the Saturday home explosion in Garden City continues,&nbsp; the State Fire Marshal and Garden City Fire Department Investigators have determined that the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak, according to a media release from the fire department.The gas leak was ignited when the victim turned on the stove. The issue was isolated to the gas line inside the home.Just after 7p.m. on Saturday, the Garden City Fire Department was dispatched to the report of an explosion at 802 West Fair Street, Garden City.Upon arrival, fire personnel found one home that had significant damage due to an explosion with a large debris field surrounding the site. One victim was treated and transported by Finney County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to St. Catherine Hospital.&nbsp; The victim is now in a Wichita hospital, according to the fire department. Officials did not release any&nbsp; updated information on the condition of the victim.

Fire Marshal determines cause of SW Kansas home explosion

By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post

History came to life in front of the historic Patee House museum, the original home of the Pony Express, as the historic mail system rode again.   

People from near and far celebrated and sent off three riders to kick off the Pony Express re-ride, recreating the historic journey made from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California.  

The Re-Ride is held every year by the National Pony Express Association, which covers all eight states of the journey.  

Penny Orrick has been taking part in the event for 23 years and says for her it started with her love for horses, but as she learned the history of the Pony Express.  

"I've learned to value the history behind it a lot more, especially now that my kids are old enough to be able to do it with me, it's fun to be able to explain to them why we're doing it besides just to have fun on a horse," Orrick tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.

The journey will consist of 10 days, just like in 1860.  Orrick says if anything the journey is easier now than it was back in 1860.  

"We have better routes, we have escorts, that kind of thing," Orrick explains. "I know a lot of the times when they make the deciding factor on when to do the reenactment it has to do with the moon, to make sure there's enough moonlight during the night ride that kind of thing." 

Orrick says if anything the difficulty is it being a lost art with not as many people riding horses.  

National Pony Express Association president Pam Dixon Simmons says it takes about 700 volunteers to get the event done 

"It takes about 700 riders' horses to get across all eight states in the 10 days, and that's the goal, we want to do it in 10 days just like in 1860," Dixon Simmons says.

The riders making the journey can be tracked by visiting the National Pony Express Association website, which can be found by clicking <a href="https://nationalponyexpress.org/re-ride/follow-the-ride/">HERE</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718665116787.jpeg" alt="Riders depart from in front of the Patee House in St. Joseph as part of the annual Pony Express Re-Ride/ Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Riders depart from in front of the Patee House in St. Joseph as part of the annual Pony Express Re-Ride/ Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>By MATT PIKE&nbsp;St. Joseph Post History came to life in front of the historic Patee House museum, the original home of the Pony Express, as the historic mail system rode again. People from near and far celebrated and sent off three riders to kick off the Pony Express re-ride, recreating the historic journey made from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California. The Re-Ride is held every year by the National Pony Express Association, which covers all eight states of the journey. Penny Orrick has been taking part in the event for 23 years and says for her it started with her love for horses, but as she learned the history of the Pony Express. "I've learned to value the history behind it a lot more, especially now that my kids are old enough to be able to do it with me, it's fun to be able to explain to them why we're doing it besides just to have fun on a horse," Orrick tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718665245888.jpeg" alt="Riders take the oath of the Pony Express before departing on a 10 day journey recreating the journey from St. Joseph to Sacramento, Califronia.JPG" />
 <figcaption>Riders take the oath of the Pony Express before departing on a 10 day journey recreating the journey from St. Joseph to Sacramento, Califronia.JPG</figcaption>
 </figure>The journey will consist of 10 days, just like in 1860. Orrick says if anything the journey is easier now than it was back in 1860. "We have better routes, we have escorts, that kind of thing," Orrick explains. "I know a lot of the times when they make the deciding factor on when to do the reenactment it has to do with the moon, to make sure there's enough moonlight during the night ride that kind of thing." Orrick says if anything the difficulty is it being a lost art with not as many people riding horses. National Pony Express Association president Pam Dixon Simmons says it takes about 700 volunteers to get the event done "It takes about 700 riders' horses to get across all eight states in the 10 days, and that's the goal, we want to do it in 10 days just like in 1860," Dixon Simmons says.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718665282936.jpeg" alt="Photo by Matt Pike" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Matt Pike</figcaption>
 </figure>The riders making the journey can be tracked by visiting the National Pony Express Association website, which can be found by clicking <a href="https://nationalponyexpress.org/re-ride/follow-the-ride/">HERE</a>. <div><iframe src="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/kfeq-news/embed/episodes/Pony-Express-Re-Ride-departs-from-St--Joseph-e2l0cjc" height="102px" width="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div>

History comes to life as the Pony Express rides again from St. Joseph

BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/josh-boak">JOSH BOAK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/fatima-hussein">FATIMA HUSSEIN</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/internal-revenue-service">IRS</a>&nbsp;plans to end a major tax loophole for wealthy taxpayers that could raise more than $50 billion in revenue over the next decade, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-the-treasury">U.S. Treasury Department</a>&nbsp;says.

The proposed rule and guidance announced Monday includes plans to essentially stop “partnership basis shifting” — a process by which a business or person can move assets among a series of related parties to avoid paying taxes.

Biden administration officials said after evaluating the practice that there are no economic grounds for these transactions, with Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo calling it “really just a shell game.” The officials said the additional IRS funding provided through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-89706a04bc727d3e58ab6bb4b2efa995">2022 Inflation Reduction Act</a>&nbsp;had enabled increased oversight and greater awareness of the practice.

“These tax shelters allow wealthy taxpayers to avoid paying what they owe,” IRS commissioner Danny Werfel said.

Due to previous years of underfunding, the IRS had cut back on the auditing of wealthy individuals and the shifting of assets among partnerships and companies became common.

The IRS says filings for large pass-through businesses used for the type of tax avoidance in the guidance increased 70% from 174,100 in 2010 to 297,400 in 2019. However, audit rates for these businesses fell from 3.8% to 0.1% in the same time frame.

Treasury said in a statement announcing the new guidance that there is an estimated $160 billion gap between what the top 1% of earners likely owe in taxes and what they pay.

Miles Johnson, a senior attorney adviser and partnership tax specialist at the Tax Law Center at NYU Law, said “these transactions effectively make income disappear from the tax system by creating depreciation deductions or other tax reductions that don’t reflect any true economic cost.”

He said the proposed rule and guidance shows that the IRS wants to stop these sorts of transactions “by eliminating their tax benefits and better identifying them to the IRS as without substance.”

Monday’s announcement is part of the IRS’s ongoing effort to zero in on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-season-audit-back-taxes-77c891313f5233366fbe4f6fb5d896e8">high-wealth tax cheats</a>&nbsp;who manipulate the tax code or don’t pay their taxes at all.

Initiatives announced in the past year have included pursuing people and businesses that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-audit-private-jet-treasury-business-1e5c0652ab125273c7598d031b66808f">improperly deduct personal flights on corporate jets</a>&nbsp;and collecting back taxes from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-millionaires-back-taxes-2624282ac20388311bd03ee76ae36f70">delinquent millionaires</a>.

The IRS plans to raise audit rates on companies with assets above $250 million to 22.6% in 2026, from an 8.8% rate in the tax year 2019. It also plans to increase audit rates by tenfold on large complex partnerships with assets over $10 million.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1690229574211.png" alt="&nbsp;The exterior of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington&nbsp; (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The exterior of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington&nbsp; (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/josh-boak">JOSH BOAK</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/fatima-hussein">FATIMA HUSSEIN</a>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/internal-revenue-service">IRS</a>&nbsp;plans to end a major tax loophole for wealthy taxpayers that could raise more than $50 billion in revenue over the next decade, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-department-of-the-treasury">U.S. Treasury Department</a>&nbsp;says.The proposed rule and guidance announced Monday includes plans to essentially stop “partnership basis shifting” — a process by which a business or person can move assets among a series of related parties to avoid paying taxes.Biden administration officials said after evaluating the practice that there are no economic grounds for these transactions, with Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo calling it “really just a shell game.” The officials said the additional IRS funding provided through the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-prices-government-and-politics-89706a04bc727d3e58ab6bb4b2efa995">2022 Inflation Reduction Act</a>&nbsp;had enabled increased oversight and greater awareness of the practice.“These tax shelters allow wealthy taxpayers to avoid paying what they owe,” IRS commissioner Danny Werfel said.Due to previous years of underfunding, the IRS had cut back on the auditing of wealthy individuals and the shifting of assets among partnerships and companies became common.The IRS says filings for large pass-through businesses used for the type of tax avoidance in the guidance increased 70% from 174,100 in 2010 to 297,400 in 2019. However, audit rates for these businesses fell from 3.8% to 0.1% in the same time frame.Treasury said in a statement announcing the new guidance that there is an estimated $160 billion gap between what the top 1% of earners likely owe in taxes and what they pay.Miles Johnson, a senior attorney adviser and partnership tax specialist at the Tax Law Center at NYU Law, said “these transactions effectively make income disappear from the tax system by creating depreciation deductions or other tax reductions that don’t reflect any true economic cost.”He said the proposed rule and guidance shows that the IRS wants to stop these sorts of transactions “by eliminating their tax benefits and better identifying them to the IRS as without substance.”Monday’s announcement is part of the IRS’s ongoing effort to zero in on&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-season-audit-back-taxes-77c891313f5233366fbe4f6fb5d896e8">high-wealth tax cheats</a>&nbsp;who manipulate the tax code or don’t pay their taxes at all.Initiatives announced in the past year have included pursuing people and businesses that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-tax-audit-private-jet-treasury-business-1e5c0652ab125273c7598d031b66808f">improperly deduct personal flights on corporate jets</a>&nbsp;and collecting back taxes from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/irs-millionaires-back-taxes-2624282ac20388311bd03ee76ae36f70">delinquent millionaires</a>.The IRS plans to raise audit rates on companies with assets above $250 million to 22.6% in 2026, from an 8.8% rate in the tax year 2019. It also plans to increase audit rates by tenfold on large complex partnerships with assets over $10 million.

IRS plans to raise $50 billion over 10 years by closing one loophole 

COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman on multiple allegations after a standoff at a Kansas home.

Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 700 Block of East 13th Avenue in Winfield after a report of a gunshot, according to Winfield Police.

While in route to the above location officers were notified that an individual had fired one round and possibly shot a dog in the residence.

During the initial investigation officers were told by witnesses that a woman&nbsp; had threatened to shoot them if they didn’t leave her residence. 

Three individuals left the residence and reported hearing what they described as a gunshot from inside the residence.&nbsp; Officers attempted to make contact with the woman by phone but were unable to get her to comply and exit the residence.

The Southern Kansas Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) responded to assist in this incident. Officers from the Winfield Police Department obtained a search warrant for the residence, and members of the SWAT team tried for several hours to get the woman to surrender peacefully.

Just before 7:30a.m. members of the SWAT team made entry into the residence and took the woman identified as 45-year-old Jessee S. Simmons into custody unharmed. 

She was evaluated at the scene by Winfield Fire/EMS and transported to the Cowley County Jail.&nbsp; She is being held in the Cowley County Jail on the requested&nbsp; charges of Criminal Threat, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, and Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.

At the conclusion of the initial report it was determined that no animals had been harmed.

The Winfield Police Department was assisted by the Cowley County Sheriff's Office, Winfield Fire/EMS and the Southern Kansas Special Weapons and Tactics Team.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718646960605.png" alt="Simmons-photo Cowley Co." />
 <figcaption>Simmons-photo Cowley Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>COWLEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a woman on multiple allegations after a standoff at a Kansas home.Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the 700 Block of East 13th Avenue in Winfield after a report of a gunshot, according to Winfield Police.While in route to the above location officers were notified that an individual had fired one round and possibly shot a dog in the residence.During the initial investigation officers were told by witnesses that a woman&nbsp; had threatened to shoot them if they didn’t leave her residence. Three individuals left the residence and reported hearing what they described as a gunshot from inside the residence.&nbsp; Officers attempted to make contact with the woman by phone but were unable to get her to comply and exit the residence.The Southern Kansas Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) responded to assist in this incident. Officers from the Winfield Police Department obtained a search warrant for the residence, and members of the SWAT team tried for several hours to get the woman to surrender peacefully.Just before 7:30a.m. members of the SWAT team made entry into the residence and took the woman identified as 45-year-old Jessee S. Simmons into custody unharmed. She was evaluated at the scene by Winfield Fire/EMS and transported to the Cowley County Jail.&nbsp; She is being held in the Cowley County Jail on the requested&nbsp; charges of Criminal Threat, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, and Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer.At the conclusion of the initial report it was determined that no animals had been harmed.The Winfield Police Department was assisted by the Cowley County Sheriff's Office, Winfield Fire/EMS and the Southern Kansas Special Weapons and Tactics Team.

Report of dog shot led to standoff at Kansas home

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed against Pride month along with President Biden’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas last month.

Now the school's president&nbsp;Stephen D. Minnis published an Op-Ed in USA Today to explain why the college did not say more in the midst of the&nbsp; debate on Butker's comments.

(Click below to watch Butker's commencement address)

Stephen Minnis comments and a link to the Op-Ed are below:

Thank you to everyone who has reached out since the commencement speech on our campus by Harrison Butker, the high scorer for the Kansas City Chiefs in the last two Super Bowls.

This morning&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;published my Op-Ed about this year’s keynote commencement speech and the aftermath.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benedictine.edu/wp-content/uploads/files/external/benedictine-usatoday-oped-june-2024.pdf">Click here to read the Op-ed</a>.

“Community is the answer to the cancel culture; faith is the answer to the culture of unbelief; and scholarship is the answer to the culture of relativism.”

Also, please do not miss the full story of our amazing 2024 commencement:

Our hope is that we can make the most of the new attention being paid to Benedictine College to help people know more about what makes this place special. Our alumni and friends who support our mission have made our college what it is, and we could not do what we do without you.

KANSAS CITY—Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker railed against Pride month along with President Biden’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and his stance on abortion during a commencement address at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas last month.Now the school's president&nbsp;Stephen D. Minnis published an Op-Ed in USA Today to explain why the college did not say more in the midst of the&nbsp; debate on Butker's comments.(Click below to watch Butker's commencement address)<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JS7RIKSaCc?si=RNpBICNdkwwgUG5w" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Stephen Minnis comments and a link to the Op-Ed are below:Thank you to everyone who has reached out since the commencement speech on our campus by Harrison Butker, the high scorer for the Kansas City Chiefs in the last two Super Bowls.This morning&nbsp;USA Today&nbsp;published my Op-Ed about this year’s keynote commencement speech and the aftermath.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benedictine.edu/wp-content/uploads/files/external/benedictine-usatoday-oped-june-2024.pdf">Click here to read the Op-ed</a>.<ul>
 <li>The article explains why the college did not make a statement about the speech.</li><li>More importantly, it allows us to introduce Benedictine College and our strategic vision to Transform Culture in America through our mission of community, faith and scholarship. As the article puts it:</li>
 </ul>“Community is the answer to the cancel culture; faith is the answer to the culture of unbelief; and scholarship is the answer to the culture of relativism.”<ul>
 <li>It also shares the news about our new classically designed library on campus and the proposed new medical school we are considering.</li>
 </ul>Also, please do not miss the full story of our amazing 2024 commencement:<ul>
 <li>Our alum Lt. Gen. Arthur Greg, the first living American to have an Army base named for him, received an honorary degree at commencement.&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/XlSkqHE4ry4?si=vbCyzMS-ancwKsHm">Watch his remarks here</a>.</li><li>Our valedictorians delivered beautiful remarks about their experiences at the college.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRh2vI_7OvE&amp;t=591s">Watch those here</a>.</li><li>After the commencement, we have been releasing videos to introduce the general public to the college’s story. Watch our videos “<a href="https://youtu.be/yh7k86dNMK8?si=Eq8EUyTZBcXLw9Gl">We Are Benedictine College</a>” and “<a href="https://youtu.be/hMR9NR3PJHM?si=X8vDH0tfVCUd2f6K">Designed for Excellence: Benedictine College Engineering</a>” on YouTube.</li>
 </ul>Our hope is that we can make the most of the new attention being paid to Benedictine College to help people know more about what makes this place special. Our alumni and friends who support our mission have made our college what it is, and we could not do what we do without you.

Read Benedictine College president's op-ed following Harrison Butker speech

BUTLER COUNTY—The search for a missing 3-year-old ended in tragedy Sunday morning in Butler County. Now a family member has established a fundraiser to assist with burial costs for the boy.

<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-michaels-funeral-and-charlies-needs?lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link">Click here to view</a> the online fundraiser.

Just before 7p.m. Saturday, deputies with the Butler County Sheriff's office responded to the 12000 Block of SW. Prairie Creek Road just outside of Andover after a report of a missing 3-year-old boy, according to Undersheriff Damion Cundiff.

First responders found the property to be large with a combination&nbsp; of timber and waterways. Multiple agencies responded to help with the search including water rescue from the August Department of Public Safety.

The initial report indicated the boy was playing outside the residence while an adult was present and doing yard work. The child wandered off but was still believed to be on the property. A search of the area included the water, drones, divers and K9s continued until just after 3a.m. Sunday.

Just after 7:30a.m. Sunday, shortly after the search began again, the body of the boy was found in a waterway not far from the residence on the property.

Authorities believe this is an accidental drowning.&nbsp; An autopsy will&nbsp; determine the specific cause of death, according to Cundiff. There is no suspicion of foul play.&nbsp; The child is a family member of the residents but not their child.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718671558095.png" alt="Photo GoFundMe" />
 <figcaption>Photo GoFundMe</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY—The search for a missing 3-year-old ended in tragedy Sunday morning in Butler County. Now a family member has established a fundraiser to assist with burial costs for the boy.<a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-michaels-funeral-and-charlies-needs?lang=en_US&amp;utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link">Click here to view</a> the online fundraiser.Just before 7p.m. Saturday, deputies with the Butler County Sheriff's office responded to the 12000 Block of SW. Prairie Creek Road just outside of Andover after a report of a missing 3-year-old boy, according to Undersheriff Damion Cundiff.First responders found the property to be large with a combination&nbsp; of timber and waterways. Multiple agencies responded to help with the search including water rescue from the August Department of Public Safety.The initial report indicated the boy was playing outside the residence while an adult was present and doing yard work. The child wandered off but was still believed to be on the property. A search of the area included the water, drones, divers and K9s continued until just after 3a.m. Sunday.Just after 7:30a.m. Sunday, shortly after the search began again, the body of the boy was found in a waterway not far from the residence on the property.Authorities believe this is an accidental drowning.&nbsp; An autopsy will&nbsp; determine the specific cause of death, according to Cundiff. There is no suspicion of foul play.&nbsp; The child is a family member of the residents but not their child.&nbsp;

Online fundraiser to help after 3-year-old drowns in Kan. creek

The legislation would expand a tax incentive program to help bankroll new stadiums for the teams

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

Representatives of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals urged Kansas lawmakers Monday to expand a tax incentive program to provide the teams millions of dollars to leave Missouri and set up shop in new stadiums across the state line.

“If we want to be major league we’ve got to have major league teams,” Korb Maxwell, an attorney who represents the Chiefs, told lawmakers during an informational hearing at the Kansas Statehouse. “This is the greatest opportunity we’ve had in any generation, and it’s here before us right now.”

Other proponents of the plan were more blunt: If Kansas doesn’t act, a group hoping to lure the teams to Kansas argued, the Kansas City region is at risk of losing its professional football and baseball teams.

“The risk that the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals — our Chiefs, our Royals — could be lured away by other states is not a risk that Kansans want to take,” said Dan Murray, a lobbyist for Scoop and Score Inc., a nonprofit hoping to bring the Chiefs to Kansas.

On the table Monday was a plan to expand the state’s tax incentive program meant to help finance tourism and entertainment destinations.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/16/kansas-bill-offers-bonding-to-cover-75-of-cost-to-build-chiefs-royals-stadiums-in-kansas/">Under the legislation, the teams could receive</a>&nbsp;more than $750 million to help finance stadium projects.

The informational hearing came ahead of a special legislative session that starts Tuesday. Lawmakers can’t take action on the bill until the formal start of the special session.

The legislation would enhance the state’s existing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/star-bonds/">Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond</a>&nbsp;program to provide up to 75% of the project’s costs by issuing bonds that would be repaid with the increased sales state tax collections at the project site. Other projects can use STAR Bonds to finance up to 50% of a project.

The bill requires a minimum $1 billion capital investment and limits the eligibility to National Football League or Major League Baseball teams currently located near Kansas. The financing mechanism could be used for both stadiums and training facilities.&nbsp;

Debt on a stadium constructed under the expansion wouldn’t have to be repaid for 30 years instead of the normal 20.&nbsp;

Gov. Laura Kelly, who has championed enormous economic development projects in Kansas, didn’t commit to supporting the legislation on Monday.

“I’m impressed by the full-court press that has been made to get these teams to consider moving across the river,” she told reporters. “It’s not something I’m going to invest a lot of energy in. I think this is something for the legislature to work through.”&nbsp;

Kelly’s chief of staff, Will Lawrence, told the joint committee the governor’s office had no concerns with the current version of the bill that would keep her from signing it.&nbsp;

STAR Bonds have been&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/31/legislative-audit-places-kansas-lonely-reliance-on-star-bonds-under-harsh-spotlight/">criticized by some legislators as ineffective</a>, and an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslpa.org/audit-report-library/star-bonds-financing-program/">audit found</a>&nbsp;that less than one-quarter of the attractions funded through the program met the state’s goal of increasing tourism. There may be some cases, the audit says, where certain projects kept Kansans spending money in Kansas rather than going to Missouri.&nbsp;

“But we think it’s more often that local visitors simply move existing economic activity from one part of Kansas to another,” the audit says.

Kansas lawmakers launched an effort to lure the Chiefs or Royals — or both — after Jackson County, Missouri, voters in April rejected a proposed extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a new stadium for the Royals and upgrades at Arrowhead Stadium.

Maxwell said the organization had been asked why the legislation needed to be passed in special session rather than when lawmakers reconvene for their normal session in January.&nbsp;

Because with only a few years left in the Chiefs’ lease at Arrowhead, “time is of the essence,” he said.&nbsp;

“The time is now,” Maxwell said. “Missouri spoke, Jackson County spoke. They had their opportunity, but now there’s a moment for Kansas to step up.”

The effort to reauthorize the sales tax in Missouri was driven primarily by the Royals, whose executives unveiled plans to move to the Crossroads Arts District in downtown Kansas City in February —&nbsp;less than two months before the vote. It failed with 58% of voters rejecting the proposal.

Earlier this month, Scoop and Score Inc. launched to advocate for moving Chiefs — the reigning Super Bowl champions —&nbsp;to Kansas. The organization’s website implores visitors to sign a petition to “tell legislators to keep the Chiefs in KC!”

The organization has hired 30 lobbyists, including Murray. The Royals have eight lobbyists, and the Chiefs employ former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. and his former aide, Paje Resner, as lobbyists.

Ryckman said Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt could be open to moving the team outside of the Kansas City region.&nbsp;

“We’re aware of numerous cities that would love to be the home of the Chiefs or the Royals,” Ryckman said.&nbsp;

Murray urged lawmakers to support the legislation, arguing it has “guardrails, guardrails guardrails” to keep the state and local governments from being on the hook for the bonds.

While an attorney for the Chiefs acknowledged the franchise hasn’t come up with a design or plan for a stadium in Kansas, Murray urged lawmakers to move forward with creating a program. Vetting the details, he said, will be up to the Kansas Department of Commerce with final approval by the Legislative Coordinating Council, an eight-member committee of House and Senate lawmakers that can adopt legislation when the Legislature is not in session.

But a draft of the bill says any agreement between the state and a team would be confidential until after it has been executed.&nbsp;

The bill was panned by libertarian groups as a handout for corporations that would do little to increase economic activity in Kansas. Dave Trabert, CEO of the Kansas Policy Institute, told the committee there was no way to verify the claims that the stadiums would boost the economy.&nbsp;

“We asked Scoop and Score to provide their math. ‘Show us how you arrived at a billion dollars of economic activity,’’ Trabert said. “Nothing was forthcoming.”

In an interview, Trabert called the proposal “absurd.”

“This isn’t about economic development,” he said. “It’s about politics. It’s so people can say, ‘Look what I did. Vote for me.’ ”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718677528921.png" alt=" Former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. speaks to reporters at The Statehouse. Ryckman is lobbying on behalf of the Kansas City Chiefs on a bill aimed at moving the team from Missouri. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. speaks to reporters at The Statehouse. Ryckman is lobbying on behalf of the Kansas City Chiefs on a bill aimed at moving the team from Missouri. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The legislation would expand a tax incentive program to help bankroll new stadiums for the teams</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/allison-kite/">ALLISON KITE</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>Representatives of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals urged Kansas lawmakers Monday to expand a tax incentive program to provide the teams millions of dollars to leave Missouri and set up shop in new stadiums across the state line.“If we want to be major league we’ve got to have major league teams,” Korb Maxwell, an attorney who represents the Chiefs, told lawmakers during an informational hearing at the Kansas Statehouse. “This is the greatest opportunity we’ve had in any generation, and it’s here before us right now.”Other proponents of the plan were more blunt: If Kansas doesn’t act, a group hoping to lure the teams to Kansas argued, the Kansas City region is at risk of losing its professional football and baseball teams.“The risk that the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals — our Chiefs, our Royals — could be lured away by other states is not a risk that Kansans want to take,” said Dan Murray, a lobbyist for Scoop and Score Inc., a nonprofit hoping to bring the Chiefs to Kansas.On the table Monday was a plan to expand the state’s tax incentive program meant to help finance tourism and entertainment destinations.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/06/16/kansas-bill-offers-bonding-to-cover-75-of-cost-to-build-chiefs-royals-stadiums-in-kansas/">Under the legislation, the teams could receive</a>&nbsp;more than $750 million to help finance stadium projects.The informational hearing came ahead of a special legislative session that starts Tuesday. Lawmakers can’t take action on the bill until the formal start of the special session.The legislation would enhance the state’s existing&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascommerce.gov/program/community-programs/star-bonds/">Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) Bond</a>&nbsp;program to provide up to 75% of the project’s costs by issuing bonds that would be repaid with the increased sales state tax collections at the project site. Other projects can use STAR Bonds to finance up to 50% of a project.The bill requires a minimum $1 billion capital investment and limits the eligibility to National Football League or Major League Baseball teams currently located near Kansas. The financing mechanism could be used for both stadiums and training facilities.&nbsp;Debt on a stadium constructed under the expansion wouldn’t have to be repaid for 30 years instead of the normal 20.&nbsp;The project could also receive a boost from liquor taxes generated in the STAR Bond district and revenues from a fund Kansas created when it legalized sports betting.&nbsp;Gov. Laura Kelly, who has championed enormous economic development projects in Kansas, didn’t commit to supporting the legislation on Monday.“I’m impressed by the full-court press that has been made to get these teams to consider moving across the river,” she told reporters. “It’s not something I’m going to invest a lot of energy in. I think this is something for the legislature to work through.”&nbsp;Kelly’s chief of staff, Will Lawrence, told the joint committee the governor’s office had no concerns with the current version of the bill that would keep her from signing it.&nbsp;STAR Bonds have been&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/08/31/legislative-audit-places-kansas-lonely-reliance-on-star-bonds-under-harsh-spotlight/">criticized by some legislators as ineffective</a>, and an&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.kslpa.org/audit-report-library/star-bonds-financing-program/">audit found</a>&nbsp;that less than one-quarter of the attractions funded through the program met the state’s goal of increasing tourism. There may be some cases, the audit says, where certain projects kept Kansans spending money in Kansas rather than going to Missouri.&nbsp;“But we think it’s more often that local visitors simply move existing economic activity from one part of Kansas to another,” the audit says.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718677486719.png" alt="Representing the Kansas City Chiefs, Korb Maxwell urges the Kansas Legislature to expand an economic incentive program to lure the team from Missouri. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Representing the Kansas City Chiefs, Korb Maxwell urges the Kansas Legislature to expand an economic incentive program to lure the team from Missouri. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Moving the teams</h2>Kansas lawmakers launched an effort to lure the Chiefs or Royals — or both — after Jackson County, Missouri, voters in April rejected a proposed extension of a 3/8-cent sales tax to help finance a new stadium for the Royals and upgrades at Arrowhead Stadium.Maxwell said the organization had been asked why the legislation needed to be passed in special session rather than when lawmakers reconvene for their normal session in January.&nbsp;Because with only a few years left in the Chiefs’ lease at Arrowhead, “time is of the essence,” he said.&nbsp;“The time is now,” Maxwell said. “Missouri spoke, Jackson County spoke. They had their opportunity, but now there’s a moment for Kansas to step up.”The effort to reauthorize the sales tax in Missouri was driven primarily by the Royals, whose executives unveiled plans to move to the Crossroads Arts District in downtown Kansas City in February —&nbsp;less than two months before the vote. It failed with 58% of voters rejecting the proposal.Earlier this month, Scoop and Score Inc. launched to advocate for moving Chiefs — the reigning Super Bowl champions —&nbsp;to Kansas. The organization’s website implores visitors to sign a petition to “tell legislators to keep the Chiefs in KC!”The organization has hired 30 lobbyists, including Murray. The Royals have eight lobbyists, and the Chiefs employ former Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. and his former aide, Paje Resner, as lobbyists.Ryckman said Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt could be open to moving the team outside of the Kansas City region.&nbsp;“We’re aware of numerous cities that would love to be the home of the Chiefs or the Royals,” Ryckman said.&nbsp;Murray urged lawmakers to support the legislation, arguing it has “guardrails, guardrails guardrails” to keep the state and local governments from being on the hook for the bonds.While an attorney for the Chiefs acknowledged the franchise hasn’t come up with a design or plan for a stadium in Kansas, Murray urged lawmakers to move forward with creating a program. Vetting the details, he said, will be up to the Kansas Department of Commerce with final approval by the Legislative Coordinating Council, an eight-member committee of House and Senate lawmakers that can adopt legislation when the Legislature is not in session.But a draft of the bill says any agreement between the state and a team would be confidential until after it has been executed.&nbsp;The bill was panned by libertarian groups as a handout for corporations that would do little to increase economic activity in Kansas. Dave Trabert, CEO of the Kansas Policy Institute, told the committee there was no way to verify the claims that the stadiums would boost the economy.&nbsp;“We asked Scoop and Score to provide their math. ‘Show us how you arrived at a billion dollars of economic activity,’’ Trabert said. “Nothing was forthcoming.”In an interview, Trabert called the proposal “absurd.”“This isn’t about economic development,” he said. “It’s about politics. It’s so people can say, ‘Look what I did. Vote for me.’ ”

Chiefs, Royals ask Kansas for incentives to allow teams to leave Missouri

The City of Wichita announced Monday that progress continues to be made in recovering systems following the recent cyber event.

All other resident-facing systems are now back in service.

The City’s Information Technology team continues to remediate remaining system issues both externally and internally. We appreciate your patience as there may be intermittent service interruptions over the coming days and weeks as the full recovery is in process.

<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/1199/Alert">Click here </a>for the latest updates, FAQs and contact information on any other systems of interest.

The City of Wichita announced Monday that progress continues to be made in recovering systems following the recent cyber event.Progress as of Monday, June 17, 2024:<ul>
 <li>Library:&nbsp;Self-check in of materials and credit card processing systems at the Advanced Learning Library are still offline, but all other resident-facing library systems are back in service;</li><li>Airport:&nbsp;Flight information screens are back online at Eisenhower National Airport;</li><li>Municipal Court:&nbsp;The walk-in docket has resumed with normal sign-up times from 7:00 am to 7:30am. Find more information at www.wichita.gov/alert.</li>
 </ul>All other resident-facing systems are now back in service.The City’s Information Technology team continues to remediate remaining system issues both externally and internally. We appreciate your patience as there may be intermittent service interruptions over the coming days and weeks as the full recovery is in process.<a href="https://www.wichita.gov/1199/Alert">Click here </a>for the latest updates, FAQs and contact information on any other systems of interest.

City of Wichita restoring more services following cyberattack

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged animal cruelty.

Just after 8a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies responded to a home in the 9800 Block of SE Croco Road in rural Shawnee County after multiple reports of unknown people and vehicles on the property, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Deputies found illegal paraphernalia associated with cock fighting.&nbsp; Deputies then arrested 66-year-old Clinton E. Dick and booked him into the Shawnee County jail on requested charges of felony animal cruelty, unlawful conduct related to cockfighting and unlawful possession of cockfighting paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718571385119.png" alt="Dick-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Dick-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect for alleged animal cruelty.Just after 8a.m. Saturday, sheriff's deputies responded to a home in the 9800 Block of SE Croco Road in rural Shawnee County after multiple reports of unknown people and vehicles on the property, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.Deputies found illegal paraphernalia associated with cock fighting.&nbsp; Deputies then arrested 66-year-old Clinton E. Dick and booked him into the Shawnee County jail on requested charges of felony animal cruelty, unlawful conduct related to cockfighting and unlawful possession of cockfighting paraphernalia.

Deputies discover cockfighting ring in Kansas

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accidental shooting that sent a man to a Wichita hospital.

On Sunday, patrol officers responded to a shooting incident in the 1100 block of N. Market in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.

Police learned a man was cleaning a firearm inside his home when it accidentally discharged, striking him in the right lower jaw.

Sedgwick County EMS transported the man to an area hospital with critical injuries. He was expected to survive, according to Ford.

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an accidental shooting that sent a man to a Wichita hospital.On Sunday, patrol officers responded to a shooting incident in the 1100 block of N. Market in Wichita, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.Police learned a man was cleaning a firearm inside his home when it accidentally discharged, striking him in the right lower jaw.Sedgwick County EMS transported the man to an area hospital with critical injuries. He was expected to survive, according to Ford.

Police: Kansas man shot in the face while cleaning firearm

The U.S. surgeon general has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their effects on young people's lives, similar to those now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cigarette-graphic-pictures-warning-labels-cancer-bb9395a53f3e414decafc9efd0df52ab">mandatory on cigarette boxes</a>.

In a Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html">opinion piece</a>&nbsp;in the The New York Times, Dr. Vivek Murthy said that social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people.

“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe,” Murthy said. “Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior.”

Murthy said that the use of just a warning label wouldn't make social media safe for young people, but would be a part of the steps needed.

Social media use is prevalent among young people, with up to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">95% of youth</a>&nbsp;ages 13 to 17 saying that they use a social media platform, and more than a third saying that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center.

“Social media today is like tobacco decades ago: It’s a product whose business model depends on addicting kids. And as with cigarettes, a surgeon general’s warning label is a critical step toward mitigating the threat to children," Josh Golin, executive director at Fairplay, an organization that is dedicated to ending marketing to children, said in a statement.

Actually getting the labels on social media platforms would take congressional action — and it's not clear how quickly that might happen, even with apparent bipartisan unity around child safety online. Lawmakers have held multiple congressional hearings on child online safety and there's legislation in the works. Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.

“I am hoping that would be combined with a lot of other work that Congress has been trying to do to improve the safety and design and privacy of social media products,” said Dr. Jenny Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the University of Michigan and leader at the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Those those two things would have to go hand in hand, because there’s so much that Congress can do to follow the steps of the United Kingdom and the European Union in passing laws that take into account what kids need when they’re interacting with digital products.”

Even with Congressional approval, warning labels would likely be challenged in the courts by tech companies.

“Putting a warning label on online speech isn’t just scientifically unsound, it’s at odds with the constitutional right to free speech,” said Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “It’s surprising to see the U.S. Surgeon General attacking social media when teens themselves say it provides an important outlet for social connection.”

Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-kids-social-media-teens-tiktok-instagram-443530d9baa3f91386bf9fbfb313bbaf">Murthy</a>&nbsp;warned that there wasn't enough evidence to show that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf">social media</a>&nbsp;is safe for children and teens. He said at the time that policymakers needed to address the harms of social media the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use.

To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up for their platforms — but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents’ consent.

Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children’s mental health can also be easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok introduced a default&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-minors-social-media-china-time-limit-f735bd496ea3513abfc6480e5637abd8">60-minute time limit</a>&nbsp;for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching.

Murthy believes the impact of social media on young people should be a more pressing concern.

"Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability,” he wrote.

In January the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the Senate Judiciary Committee to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-tiktok-snap-discord-zuckerberg-testify-senate-00754a6bea92aaad62585ed55f219932">testify</a>&nbsp;as parents worry that they're not doing enough to protect young people. The executives touted existing safety tools on their platforms and the work they’ve done with nonprofits and law enforcement to protect minors.

Murthy said Monday that Congress needs to implement legislation that will protect young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content.

“The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use,” Murthy wrote.

Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal supported Murthy's message Monday.

“We are pleased that the Surgeon General — America’s top doctor — continues to bring attention to the harmful impact that social media has on our children,” the senators said in a prepared statement.

The surgeon general is also recommending that companies be required to share all their data on health effects with independent scientists and the public, which they currently don't do, and allow independent safety audits.

Murthy said schools and parents also need to participate in providing phone-free times and that doctors, nurses and other clinicians should help guide families toward safer practices.

While Murthy pushes for more to be done about social media in the United States, the European Union enacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-police-social-media-reform-52744e1d0f5b93a426f966138f2ccb52">groundbreaking new digital rules</a>&nbsp;last year. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-artificial-intelligence-europe-regulation-94e2b38703b38fdbfabc9580f845ef9a">tech-focused regulations</a>&nbsp;crafted by the 27-nation bloc — long a global leader in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-chatgpt-europe-rules-906fc89d2561b200fa6eb40a06b946a5">cracking down on tech giants</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718626581644.png" alt="U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in a photo from his social media page" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy in a photo from his social media page</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718641231541.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) —The U.S. surgeon general has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms and their effects on young people's lives, similar to those now&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/cigarette-graphic-pictures-warning-labels-cancer-bb9395a53f3e414decafc9efd0df52ab">mandatory on cigarette boxes</a>.In a Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/opinion/social-media-health-warning.html">opinion piece</a>&nbsp;in the The New York Times, Dr. Vivek Murthy said that social media is a contributing factor in the mental health crisis among young people.“It is time to require a surgeon general’s warning label on social media platforms, stating that social media is associated with significant mental health harms for adolescents. A surgeon general’s warning label, which requires congressional action, would regularly remind parents and adolescents that social media has not been proved safe,” Murthy said. “Evidence from tobacco studies show that warning labels can increase awareness and change behavior.”Murthy said that the use of just a warning label wouldn't make social media safe for young people, but would be a part of the steps needed.Social media use is prevalent among young people, with up to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2022/08/10/teens-social-media-and-technology-2022/">95% of youth</a>&nbsp;ages 13 to 17 saying that they use a social media platform, and more than a third saying that they use social media “almost constantly,” according to 2022 data from the Pew Research Center.“Social media today is like tobacco decades ago: It’s a product whose business model depends on addicting kids. And as with cigarettes, a surgeon general’s warning label is a critical step toward mitigating the threat to children," Josh Golin, executive director at Fairplay, an organization that is dedicated to ending marketing to children, said in a statement.Actually getting the labels on social media platforms would take congressional action — and it's not clear how quickly that might happen, even with apparent bipartisan unity around child safety online. Lawmakers have held multiple congressional hearings on child online safety and there's legislation in the works. Still, the last federal law aimed at protecting children online was enacted in 1998, six years before Facebook’s founding.“I am hoping that would be combined with a lot of other work that Congress has been trying to do to improve the safety and design and privacy of social media products,” said Dr. Jenny Radesky, a developmental behavioral pediatrician at the University of Michigan and leader at the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Those those two things would have to go hand in hand, because there’s so much that Congress can do to follow the steps of the United Kingdom and the European Union in passing laws that take into account what kids need when they’re interacting with digital products.”Even with Congressional approval, warning labels would likely be challenged in the courts by tech companies.“Putting a warning label on online speech isn’t just scientifically unsound, it’s at odds with the constitutional right to free speech,” said Adam Kovacevich, CEO of the tech industry policy group Chamber of Progress. “It’s surprising to see the U.S. Surgeon General attacking social media when teens themselves say it provides an important outlet for social connection.”Last year,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/surgeon-general-kids-social-media-teens-tiktok-instagram-443530d9baa3f91386bf9fbfb313bbaf">Murthy</a>&nbsp;warned that there wasn't enough evidence to show that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf">social media</a>&nbsp;is safe for children and teens. He said at the time that policymakers needed to address the harms of social media the same way they regulate things like car seats, baby formula, medication and other products children use.To comply with federal regulation, social media companies already ban kids under 13 from signing up for their platforms — but children have been shown to easily get around the bans, both with and without their parents’ consent.Other measures social platforms have taken to address concerns about children’s mental health can also be easily circumvented. For instance, TikTok introduced a default&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-minors-social-media-china-time-limit-f735bd496ea3513abfc6480e5637abd8">60-minute time limit</a>&nbsp;for users under 18. But once the limit is reached, minors can simply enter a passcode to keep watching.Murthy believes the impact of social media on young people should be a more pressing concern."Why is it that we have failed to respond to the harms of social media when they are no less urgent or widespread than those posed by unsafe cars, planes or food? These harms are not a failure of willpower and parenting; they are the consequence of unleashing powerful technology without adequate safety measures, transparency or accountability,” he wrote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/1/1578090484280.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>In January the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media companies went before the Senate Judiciary Committee to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/meta-tiktok-snap-discord-zuckerberg-testify-senate-00754a6bea92aaad62585ed55f219932">testify</a>&nbsp;as parents worry that they're not doing enough to protect young people. The executives touted existing safety tools on their platforms and the work they’ve done with nonprofits and law enforcement to protect minors.Murthy said Monday that Congress needs to implement legislation that will protect young people from online harassment, abuse and exploitation and from exposure to extreme violence and sexual content.“The measures should prevent platforms from collecting sensitive data from children and should restrict the use of features like push notifications, autoplay and infinite scroll, which prey on developing brains and contribute to excessive use,” Murthy wrote.Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal supported Murthy's message Monday.“We are pleased that the Surgeon General — America’s top doctor — continues to bring attention to the harmful impact that social media has on our children,” the senators said in a prepared statement.The surgeon general is also recommending that companies be required to share all their data on health effects with independent scientists and the public, which they currently don't do, and allow independent safety audits.Murthy said schools and parents also need to participate in providing phone-free times and that doctors, nurses and other clinicians should help guide families toward safer practices.While Murthy pushes for more to be done about social media in the United States, the European Union enacted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-police-social-media-reform-52744e1d0f5b93a426f966138f2ccb52">groundbreaking new digital rules</a>&nbsp;last year. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ai-act-artificial-intelligence-europe-regulation-94e2b38703b38fdbfabc9580f845ef9a">tech-focused regulations</a>&nbsp;crafted by the 27-nation bloc — long a global leader in&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-chatgpt-europe-rules-906fc89d2561b200fa6eb40a06b946a5">cracking down on tech giants</a>.The DSA is designed to keep users safe online and make it&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/twitter-russia-china-elon-musk-ukraine-2eedeabf7d555dc1d0a68b3724cfdd55">much harder to spread content</a>&nbsp;that’s either illegal, like hate speech or child sexual abuse, or violates a platform’s terms of service. It also looks to protect citizens' fundamental rights such as privacy and free speech.Officials have warned tech companies that violations could bring fines worth up to 6% of their global revenue — which could amount to billions — or even a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-openai-artificial-intelligence-rules-europe-1a249ab94593356940d8f56d15e8a019">ban from the EU</a>.Murthy's focus is on teens and social media, but Radesky noted that adults could use a warning label too.“What we’ve heard from teens is that they want their parents to be on social media less and on their devices less,” she said. “That's another behavior change we hope that parents will reflect on and think about — ‘where could I cut down or create some boundaries to create more family time or sleep time?’ — and not only hyper-focusing on what teens are doing, but really what all of us as a society are doing in terms of healthy relationships with technology."