LYON COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Wednesday in Lyon County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Kenworth semi driven by Travis D. Edwards, 46, Marysville, was eastbound on U.S. 50 four miles west of Emporia.&nbsp;

The semi traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2014 Subaru CrossTrek driven by Timothy M.&nbsp;Hoekstra, 67, Chino, California. 

After impact the Subaru rotated counterclockwise into the eastbound lane and struck an eastbound 2021 Kenworth semi driven by Quintia M. Rowe, 32, Norfolk, Virginia.

The 2014 Kenworth semi continued westbound over the center line and struck a westbound and struck a 2019 Jeep Renegade driven by Ryan R. Miller, 29, Independence, Missouri and a 2017 Ford Escape driven by Jacob L.&nbsp;Suenram, 32, Lawrence.

Miller and Suenram were pronounced dead at the scene.

EMS transported Edwards and Hoekstra to Newman Regional Health in Emporia. Rowe was not injured.&nbsp;One juvenile was present in 2017 Ford. Juvenile record is protected data by the KHP. All five drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;U.S. 50 was closed most of the Wednesday night during the accident investigation

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680776186464.png" alt="U.S. 50 was closed most of the Wednesday night during the accident investigation- photo by Tagn Trahoon KVOE courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>U.S. 50 was closed most of the Wednesday night during the accident investigation- photo by Tagn Trahoon KVOE courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Two people died in an accident just before 6:30p.m. Wednesday in Lyon County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2014 Kenworth semi driven by Travis D. Edwards, 46, Marysville, was eastbound on U.S. 50 four miles west of Emporia.&nbsp;The semi traveled left of center and struck a westbound 2014 Subaru CrossTrek driven by Timothy M.&nbsp;Hoekstra, 67, Chino, California. After impact the Subaru rotated counterclockwise into the eastbound lane and struck an eastbound 2021 Kenworth semi driven by Quintia M. Rowe, 32, Norfolk, Virginia.The 2014 Kenworth semi continued westbound over the center line and struck a westbound and struck a 2019 Jeep Renegade driven by Ryan R. Miller, 29, Independence, Missouri and a 2017 Ford Escape driven by Jacob L.&nbsp;Suenram, 32, Lawrence.Miller and Suenram were pronounced dead at the scene.EMS transported Edwards and Hoekstra to Newman Regional Health in Emporia. Rowe was not injured.&nbsp;One juvenile was present in 2017 Ford. Juvenile record is protected data by the KHP. All five drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.&nbsp;U.S. 50 was closed most of the Wednesday night during the accident investigation

2 dead, 2 hospitalized after 5 vehicle crash on Kansas highway

WASHINGTON —The United State's Defense Department announced Tuesday a critical new security assistance for Ukraine, including ammunition for a wide range of weapons valued at up to $500 million, according to a media release from the agency.

The U.S. and allies have been stepping up the production of munitions to keep Ukraine in the fight as the country tries to repel a Russian invasion and reclaim its territory from Russia, the Pentagon official said.

The war is at an important stage. Fighting continues in the east, but there have not been significant recent shifts in territorial control. The front lines are relatively static, with significant exchanges of artillery, but without appreciable ground gains by either side, the official said.&nbsp;

"Our focus is on supporting the Ukrainians to change the dynamic on the ground. We want to help Ukraine advance and hold its positions in what we expect will be a Ukrainian counteroffensive," the official said. &nbsp;

As a percentage of donor nations’ gross domestic product, the United States is roughly in the middle of the top 20 nations donating to Ukraine’s security assistance, the official said.

The department is in constant talks with Ukraine regarding its needs, be it munitions or other materiel, and continual adjustments are made based on conditions on the battlefield, the official said.

Besides munitions, the department has expanded training of Ukraine's forces to focus on combined arms and joint-maneuver operations. Also, maintenance and sustainment support are being provided, the official said.&nbsp;

"The substantial resources the United States has committed to Ukraine reflects the American interests and values that are at stake. Judging from the significant commitments that our allies and partners have made, the stakes for Europe and the larger world are widely recognized, as well," the official said.

The capabilities in this military aid package, valued at up to $500 million, includes:&nbsp;

In addition, DOD will provide Ukraine with $2.1 billion in assistance from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds. Those funds will provide:&nbsp;

Unlike presidential drawdowns, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry rather than delivering equipment that is drawn down from DOD stocks.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680714300536.png" alt="Air Force Senior Airman Cameron Manson, 436th Aerial Port Squadron ramp operation specialist, marshals a K-loader of cargo during a Ukraine security assistance mission at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware" />
 <figcaption>Air Force Senior Airman Cameron Manson, 436th Aerial Port Squadron ramp operation specialist, marshals a K-loader of cargo during a Ukraine security assistance mission at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —The United State's Defense Department announced Tuesday a critical new security assistance for Ukraine, including ammunition for a wide range of weapons valued at up to $500 million, according to a media release from the agency.The U.S. and allies have been stepping up the production of munitions to keep Ukraine in the fight as the country tries to repel a Russian invasion and reclaim its territory from Russia, the Pentagon official said.The war is at an important stage. Fighting continues in the east, but there have not been significant recent shifts in territorial control. The front lines are relatively static, with significant exchanges of artillery, but without appreciable ground gains by either side, the official said.&nbsp;"Our focus is on supporting the Ukrainians to change the dynamic on the ground. We want to help Ukraine advance and hold its positions in what we expect will be a Ukrainian counteroffensive," the official said. &nbsp;As a percentage of donor nations’ gross domestic product, the United States is roughly in the middle of the top 20 nations donating to Ukraine’s security assistance, the official said.The department is in constant talks with Ukraine regarding its needs, be it munitions or other materiel, and continual adjustments are made based on conditions on the battlefield, the official said.Besides munitions, the department has expanded training of Ukraine's forces to focus on combined arms and joint-maneuver operations. Also, maintenance and sustainment support are being provided, the official said.&nbsp;"The substantial resources the United States has committed to Ukraine reflects the American interests and values that are at stake. Judging from the significant commitments that our allies and partners have made, the stakes for Europe and the larger world are widely recognized, as well," the official said.The capabilities in this military aid package, valued at up to $500 million, includes:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Additional munitions for Patriot air defense systems.&nbsp;</li><li>Additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems.&nbsp;</li><li>Artillery rounds: 155 mm and 105 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Mortar rounds: 120 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Tank ammunition: 120 mm and 105 mm.</li><li>Ammunition: 25 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missiles.&nbsp;</li><li>About 400 grenade launchers and 200,000 rounds of ammunition.&nbsp;</li><li>Tactical vehicles to recover equipment: 11.&nbsp;</li><li>Heavy fuel tankers: 61.&nbsp;</li><li>Heavy equipment transport: 10 trucks and 10 trailers.&nbsp;</li><li>Testing and diagnostic equipment to support vehicle maintenance and repair.&nbsp;</li><li>Spare parts and other field equipment.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>In addition, DOD will provide Ukraine with $2.1 billion in assistance from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds. Those funds will provide:&nbsp;<ul>
 <li>Additional munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems.&nbsp;</li><li>Nine counter-unmanned serial system 30 mm gun trucks.&nbsp;</li><li>Mobile counter-unmanned aircraft system, or C-UAS, laser-guided rocket systems: 10.&nbsp;</li><li>Three air surveillance radars.&nbsp;</li><li>Anti-aircraft ammunition: 30 mm and 23 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Artillery rounds: 130 mm and 122 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Grad rockets: 122 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Rocket launchers and ammunition.&nbsp;</li><li>Mortar systems: 120 mm and 81 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Mortar rounds: 120 mm, 81 mm, and 60 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Tank ammunition: 120 mm.&nbsp;</li><li>Javelin anti-armor systems.&nbsp;</li><li>Anti-armor rockets.&nbsp;</li><li>Precision aerial munitions.&nbsp;</li><li>About 3,600 small arms and more than 23,000,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition.&nbsp;</li><li>Seven tactical vehicles to recover equipment.&nbsp;</li><li>Eight heavy fuel tankers and 105 fuel trailers.&nbsp;</li><li>Armored bridging systems.&nbsp;</li><li>Four logistics support vehicles.&nbsp;</li><li>Trucks and 10 trailers to transport heavy equipment.&nbsp;</li><li>Secure communications equipment.&nbsp;</li><li>Satellite communications terminals and services.&nbsp;</li><li>Funding for training, maintenance and sustainment.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>Unlike presidential drawdowns, Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative is an authority under which the United States procures capabilities from industry rather than delivering equipment that is drawn down from DOD stocks.

U.S. sending another $500 million in military aid to Ukraine

KANSAS CITY —A judge&nbsp; sentenced Kansas City-area man to four consecutive life sentences in prison for his convictions in multiple sex crimes, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

John Leland Phelps, 44, was sentenced for&nbsp; convictions of Statutory Rape and Sodomy. The judge also sentenced Phelps to seven years and four years for Incest convictions. A Jackson County jury returned guilty verdicts in February on six felony charges.

According to court records, the sexual assaults occurred in September 2018 in an eastern Jackson County residence.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680452980356.png" alt="Phelps-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Phelps-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A judge&nbsp; sentenced Kansas City-area man to four consecutive life sentences in prison for his convictions in multiple sex crimes, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.John Leland Phelps, 44, was sentenced for&nbsp; convictions of Statutory Rape and Sodomy. The judge also sentenced Phelps to seven years and four years for Incest convictions. A Jackson County jury returned guilty verdicts in February on six felony charges.According to court records, the sexual assaults occurred in September 2018 in an eastern Jackson County residence.

KC-area man given 4 life sentences for child sex crimes

GLEN ALLEN, Mo. (AP) — A large tornado tore through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least five people and causing widespread destruction as a broad swath of the Midwest and South&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-disasters-extreme-weather-why-af8acdcb330cff39d689efc187cd17b7">kept a wary eye out for further storms</a>&nbsp;that could spawn additional twisters and hail.

Wednesday's severe weather was the third in a series of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-arkansas-storm-concert-79fe2da8a6b8bd92970032530b760d20">massive storms</a>&nbsp;over the last two weeks that have spawned dozens of tornadoes, mainly in the South and Midwest, killing at least 63 people. Just last weekend,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-storms-deaths-damage-tennessee-arkansas-1931cb7510deab7ad26890d033fb32e1">confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least eight states</a>&nbsp;laid waste to neighborhoods across a broad swath of the country.

The Missouri tornado touched down around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday and moved through a rural area of Bollinger County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis, said Sgt. Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Trees were uprooted and homes turned into piles of splinters. One building was flipped on its side. Drone footage showed emergency crews peering into the wreckage with flashlights.

More than 20 agencies were part of the search for survivors and victims, with the damage so bad that they sometimes were forced to use chainsaws to cut back trees and brush to reach homes, Parrott said.

“It’s just heartbreaking to see it,” Parrott said.

The damage was concentrated around the small rural communities of Glen Allen and Grassy, which are separated by a hunting area, said Bollinger County Sheriff Casey Graham in a Facebook post announcing the five deaths. He didn't immediately release the victims' names.

Charles Collier, 61, said he saw the coroner’s van drive by with its lights on in Glen Allen, where he owns a storage facility.

“That was a sad, sad sight -- knowing there was bodies in there,” said Collier, who wasn’t entirely relieved when he saw his facility was spared. “I was just numb, thinking about all these other people, what they’re going through."

Josh Wells said that the tornado tore half of the roof off his Glen Allen home and pushed in his bedroom wall. Luckily, he fled beforehand with his son to his sister’s home because it has a basement.

“We all ran down and huddled against the wall and my brother-in-law made it down just seconds before we heard the roaring sound of the wind and debris crashing around us,” he said.

While his sister’s home held up, the area reeked of gas because a propane unit was damaged.

Justin Gibbs, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Paducah, Kentucky, said the tornado remained on the ground for roughly 15 minutes, traveling an estimated 15-20 miles (24-32 kilometers).

Based on early data, the tornado received a preliminary EF-2 rating, packing wind speeds of 130 mph (228 kph).

Gibbs noted that tornadoes are especially dangerous when they touch down late at night or early in the morning, as this one did.

“It’s definitely a nightmare from a warning standpoint,” Gibbs said. “It’s bad anytime, but it’s especially bad at 3:30 in the morning.”

A phone weather alert awakened Bobby Masters, who said debris was slamming his Glen Allen home as he took shelter in his basement with his family. He recalled hearing a roar as the tornado passed.

“I had never heard a tornado before. They say it sounds like a freight train and that is exactly what it sounds like,” he said, adding: “The good Lord spared us, our family and our house.”

Keith Lincoln, 56, who also was awakened by a phone alert, huddled in a bathtub with his wife and 18-year-old daughter and prayed: “Just save us and the house.” He spent the afternoon patching his roof but was thankful his prayer was mostly answered.

Chris Green, 35, found a small black dog dead in the debris. “I can’t just leave it here,” he said as he and his father buried the animal.

The area is rural, with residents mostly farming, cutting timber or working construction jobs, said Larry Welker, Bollinger County's public administrator. The entire county's population only totals around 10,500. The battered communities are tiny, little more than a few scattered homes and businesses.

Gov. Mike Parson said he would join emergency personnel on the ground to assess damage and determine what resources are needed. They planned a news conference in the afternoon.

Missouri's U.S. Sens. Eric Schmitt and Josh Hawley, meanwhile, said they’re in touch with local leaders and ready to help. Schmitt also warned Missouri residents in a statement to stay alert “as there’s more severe weather on the horizon.”

The storms moving through the Midwest and South on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-severe-weather-south-midwest-b6f9db8292e112fa78a9e9ccf462909d">threaten some areas</a>&nbsp;still reeling from the deadly bout of bad weather last weekend. The Storm Prediction Center said up to 40 million people in an area that includes major cities including Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit and Memphis, Tennessee, were at risk from the storms later Wednesday.

Schools in Little Rock, Arkansas, canceled Wednesday classes because the storms were expected to move through the area during the morning rush,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kfvs12.comhttps//www.kfvs12.com">KFVS-TV</a>&nbsp;reported.

In central Illinois, authorities said five people were hurt and about 300 homes were without power due to a tornado that struck in Fulton County on Tuesday evening. Chris Helle, who directs the county’s Emergency Services Disaster Agency, said one of the people injured was in critical condition.

Helle said the damage was concentrated near the town of Bryant, about 200 mile (322 kilometers) southwest of Chicago. Fire departments and other first responders were still cataloguing the damage there, but Helle said numerous homes had been destroyed. He credited people for listening to advance warnings and taking shelter.

Officials said another tornado touched down Tuesday morning in the western Illinois community of Colona. Local news reports showed wind damage to some businesses there.

Winds of up to 90 mph (145 kph) and baseball-sized hail also caused damage in the Quad Cities area of Iowa and Illinois.

Bollinger County, Mo.(AP) — A large tornado tore through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, killing at least five people and causing widespread destruction as a broad swath of the Midwest and South&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-disasters-extreme-weather-why-af8acdcb330cff39d689efc187cd17b7">kept a wary eye out for further storms</a>&nbsp;that could spawn additional twisters and hail.

The tornado touched down around 3:30 a.m. and moved through a rural area of Bollinger County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis, said Sgt. Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

“The damage is pretty widespread. It’s just heartbreaking to see it,” Parrott said.

The twister caused significant destruction in and around the small rural communities of Glen Allen and Grassy, Bollinger County Sheriff Casey A. Graham said in a Facebook post. A hunting area separates the two communities.

At least five people were killed, Graham wrote, noting that he was withholding the names of the dead to make sure their families could be notified first.

“Please understand the scope of this operation," he said. "I know everyone wants updates and news of what happened. As your Sheriff, I am focused on ensuring those who still need help are receiving it, and we account for all our citizens.”

Josh Wells said that the tornado hit his house in Glen Allen, tearing half of his roof off and pushing his bedroom wall in. He added in a text that a propane storage unit in the area got damaged, and gas leaked for about an hour, “making the whole area smell of propane.”

A weather service team was headed to Bollinger County to gather details about the tornado, but Gibbs said it’s clear “it was big. It was a significant tornado.”

He noted that tornadoes are especially dangerous when they touch down late at night or early in the morning, as this one did.

Larry Welker, Bollinger County's public administrator, said the twister traveled along route 34 into Glen Allen, a village of slightly more than 100 people, and that he hasn't been able to inspect the damage firsthand because law enforcement were restricting access to the area.

“I’m getting reports that it was pretty bad,” he said. He described it as a rural area, where residents mostly farmed, cut timber or worked construction jobs.

“There was several trailers there, and I understand that there is still people missing,” Welker said.

The storms moving through the Midwest and South on Wednesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/storms-tornadoes-severe-weather-south-midwest-b6f9db8292e112fa78a9e9ccf462909d">threaten some areas</a>&nbsp;still reeling from a deadly bout of bad weather last weekend. The Storm Prediction Center said up to 40 million people in an area that includes major cities including Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit and Memphis, Tennessee, were at risk from the storms later Wednesday. As of late morning, the the greatest threat appeared to be to an area stretching from lower Michigan into Tennessee and Kentucky.

Fierce storms that started last Friday and continued through the weekend&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-survivors-storm-arkansas-f12fead43d19c0095d42f8a6e61c7a4f">spawned deadly tornadoes</a>&nbsp;in 11 states as the system plodded through Arkansas and into the South, Midwest and Northeast.

The National Weather Service also received reports of semitrailers that had been tipped over by winds in Lee County, about 95 miles (153 km) west of Chicago.

Bollinger Co., Mo.(AP) — A large tornado tore through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction and killing at least five people as a broad swath of the Midwest and South&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornadoes-disasters-extreme-weather-why-af8acdcb330cff39d689efc187cd17b7">kept a wary eye out for further storms</a>&nbsp;that could spawn additional twisters and hail.

Crews from more than 20 agencies were on the scene and clearing debris in search of any others who might have been killed or injured, he said.

The twister caused significant destruction in and around the small rural communities of Glen Allen and Grassy, Bollinger County Sheriff Casey A. Graham said in a Facebook post.

The patrol posted an overhead&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MissouriSEMA/posts/pfbid02cHcgzdrHNArjf7Jia7ySFc9n1N5Tc6vja67ziWfzN4A25LWVS7hcLVjWnPG3tzDol">photo</a>&nbsp;of the damage that showed uprooted trees and damaged and destroyed homes. Drone footage showed that some had been turned into piles of debris and splinters. One area that appeared to be hit especially hard was a narrow stretch between a road and a stream where emergency crews could be seen peering into the wreckage with flashlights.

Parrott said that crews had to use chainsaws to cutback trees and brush to reach some of the homes.

“It’s going to be a slow process but for now it’s an active search and rescue” Parrott said.

Gov. Mike Parson said he would join emergency personnel on the ground to assess damage and determine what resources are needed.

Bollinger County, Mo. (AP) — A tornado that swept through southeastern Missouri before dawn Wednesday killed at least four people and injured an unknown number of others, authorities said.

Sgt. Clark Parrott, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, said the death toll from the early-morning storm might rise as crews sift through the rubble of damaged and destroyed homes in Bollinger County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis.

In addition to the deaths, an unknown number of people were injured by the storm, which is part of a larger system that could spawn further twisters and hail as it moves through the Midwest and South on Wednesday.

Bollinger County, Mo. (AP) —&nbsp;A large tornado tore through southeastern Missouri before dawn on Wednesday, causing widespread destruction and killing multiple people as a broad swath of the Midwest and South braced for further storms that could spawn additional twisters and hail.

The tornado touched down around 3:30 a.m. and moved through a rural area of Bollinger County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of St. Louis, said Sgt. Clark Parrott of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He said it caused “multiple injuries and multiple deaths," but he didn't specify how many or say precisely where they occurred.

He said said a search and rescue operation involving multiple agencies was underway and that crews had to use chainsaws to cutback trees and brush to reach some homes.

The patrol posted an overhead&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MissouriSEMA/posts/pfbid02cHcgzdrHNArjf7Jia7ySFc9n1N5Tc6vja67ziWfzN4A25LWVS7hcLVjWnPG3tzDol">photo</a>&nbsp;of the damage that showed uprooted trees and homes that had been reduced to rubble.

Missouri tornado kills 5 in latest wave of severe weather

HARVEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating human remains in eastern Harvey County on Monday have confirmed the identity as that of 39-year-old&nbsp;Sasha Kosminski, of Newton, according to County Spokesperson Kyle McCaskey.

Her identity was confirmed through the examination of dental records.

Kosminski’s remains were discovered in a hedge row by a man near East First Street and North Rock Road this past Monday. Identifying information was not found on scene. Kosminski had been reported missing by family in December 2020.

The cause of death is still under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680734881074.png" alt="Sasha Kosminski- courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sasha Kosminski- courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating human remains in eastern Harvey County on Monday have confirmed the identity as that of 39-year-old&nbsp;Sasha Kosminski, of Newton, according to County Spokesperson Kyle McCaskey.Her identity was confirmed through the examination of dental records.Kosminski’s remains were discovered in a hedge row by a man near East First Street and North Rock Road this past Monday. Identifying information was not found on scene. Kosminski had been reported missing by family in December 2020.The cause of death is still under investigation.

Human remains identified as missing Newton woman

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

More than 5,000 pills suspected to contain fentanyl, weapons, and more than a half ounce of methamphetamine were among the items seized when a search warrant was served at a south Salina residence Tuesday.

The Salina Police Department reported that its SWAT Team, department detectives, and Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents served a search warrant at 827 Mike Drive regarding a drug investigation involving the distribution of fentanyl pills, according to a media release.

Officers seized, More than 5,000 pills, More than a half ounce of suspected methamphetamine, Two hand guns, 9mm ammunition and Suspected stolen property.

The pills are commonly recognized to be counterfeit oxycodone pills containing suspected fentanyl," the Salina Police Department noted in the news release.

At the conclusion of the search, the following people were arrested on a number of requested charges.

Walburn is being held on requested charges of aggravated endangering a child, Distribution of opiates, Possession of opiates, Two counts of Kansas Tax Stamp Violation, Possession of methamphetamine, Distribution of methamphetamine, Criminal possession of a firearm, and Possession of stolen property

Chelsea Walburn is being held on requested charges of aggravated endangering a child, Distribution of opiates, Possession of opiates, Two counts of Kansas Tax Stamp Violation, Possession of methamphetamine, Distribution of methamphetamine, Criminal possession of a firearm, Bribery and Possession of stolen property.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680728475876.png" alt="-Some of the items seized during the search of a south Salina home on Tuesday.Photo Salina Police Department" />
 <figcaption>-Some of the items seized during the search of a south Salina home on Tuesday.Photo Salina Police Department</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostMore than 5,000 pills suspected to contain fentanyl, weapons, and more than a half ounce of methamphetamine were among the items seized when a search warrant was served at a south Salina residence Tuesday.The Salina Police Department reported that its SWAT Team, department detectives, and Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents served a search warrant at 827 Mike Drive regarding a drug investigation involving the distribution of fentanyl pills, according to a media release.Officers seized, More than 5,000 pills, More than a half ounce of suspected methamphetamine, Two hand guns, 9mm ammunition and Suspected stolen property.The pills are commonly recognized to be counterfeit oxycodone pills containing suspected fentanyl," the Salina Police Department noted in the news release.At the conclusion of the search, the following people were arrested on a number of requested charges.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680728305814.jpeg" alt="Walburn photo Saline Co." />
 <figcaption>Walburn photo Saline Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Walburn is being held on requested charges of aggravated endangering a child, Distribution of opiates, Possession of opiates, Two counts of Kansas Tax Stamp Violation, Possession of methamphetamine, Distribution of methamphetamine, Criminal possession of a firearm, and Possession of stolen property<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680728261443.jpeg" alt="Chelsea Walburn" />
 <figcaption>Chelsea Walburn</figcaption>
 </figure>Chelsea Walburn is being held on requested charges of aggravated endangering a child, Distribution of opiates, Possession of opiates, Two counts of Kansas Tax Stamp Violation, Possession of methamphetamine, Distribution of methamphetamine, Criminal possession of a firearm, Bribery and Possession of stolen property.

5,000 suspected fentanyl pills seized in Salina

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.

Just before 3:30p.m. April 1, police&nbsp;responded to the 1000 block of NE Winfield in Topeka on a report of an Aggravated Assault, according to Police Lt. Kerry Connell.

 During the investigation, police identified as 39-year-old Jessie Lee Forgy as a suspect.

Just after 2a.m. Tuesday, police located him at a local hotel where he was taken into custody without incident.&nbsp; He is being held in the Shawnee County Dept. of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, Recklessly at Occupied Dwelling Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Theft of a Firearm, Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Methamphetamine.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680610855531.png" alt="Forgy has previous convictions for theft, ID theft, forgery, criminal threat, aggravated assault, flee or attempt to elude police, -photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Forgy has previous convictions for theft, ID theft, forgery, criminal threat, aggravated assault, flee or attempt to elude police, -photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas felon on new charges after an arrest.Just before 3:30p.m. April 1, police&nbsp;responded to the 1000 block of NE Winfield in Topeka on a report of an Aggravated Assault, according to Police Lt. Kerry Connell. During the investigation, police identified as 39-year-old Jessie Lee Forgy as a suspect.Just after 2a.m. Tuesday, police located him at a local hotel where he was taken into custody without incident.&nbsp; He is being held in the Shawnee County Dept. of Corrections on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Criminal Discharge of a Firearm, Recklessly at Occupied Dwelling Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Theft of a Firearm, Theft of a Motor Vehicle and Possession of Methamphetamine.

Wanted Kan. man with over a dozen convictions captured at hotel

&nbsp;BARTON COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 3p.m. Tuesday in&nbsp; &nbsp;Barton County.

According to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, a Mazda 3, driven by Holly Crum, 26 of Great Bend, was eastbound on Northeast 30 Road, approaching the intersection at US 281. 

The driver&nbsp; attempted to make a left turn to go northbound on US 281 but did not see a southbound&nbsp; 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by 70-year-old Bernard Kruse of Hoisington. 

The Harley-Davidson struck the front left fender of the Mazda. Kruse was ejected from the motorcycle coming to rest in the west ditch. Kruse was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.

Kruse was transported to the hospital in Great Bend and and later flown to a Wichita area hospital. He died on Wednesday, according to Bellendir. Crum and a passenger were also transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Both were treated and released. 

The accident is still under investigation. Potential charges are awaiting review by the Barton County Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;Crum did not have a valid Kansas driver’s license at the time of the accident.&nbsp;Other traffic was present at the time of the collision and may have obscured Crum’s view, according to Bellendir.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680726361121.jpeg" alt="Photo Barton Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photo Barton Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;BARTON COUNTY —A Kansas man died in an accident just before 3p.m. Tuesday in&nbsp; &nbsp;Barton County.According to Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir, a Mazda 3, driven by Holly Crum, 26 of Great Bend, was eastbound on Northeast 30 Road, approaching the intersection at US 281. The driver&nbsp; attempted to make a left turn to go northbound on US 281 but did not see a southbound&nbsp; 2016 Harley Davidson motorcycle driven by 70-year-old Bernard Kruse of Hoisington. The Harley-Davidson struck the front left fender of the Mazda. Kruse was ejected from the motorcycle coming to rest in the west ditch. Kruse was not wearing a helmet at the time of the collision.Kruse was transported to the hospital in Great Bend and and later flown to a Wichita area hospital. He died on Wednesday, according to Bellendir. Crum and a passenger were also transported to the hospital with minor injuries. Both were treated and released. The accident is still under investigation. Potential charges are awaiting review by the Barton County Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;Crum did not have a valid Kansas driver’s license at the time of the accident.&nbsp;Other traffic was present at the time of the collision and may have obscured Crum’s view, according to Bellendir.

Sheriff: Driver in fatal Kansas crash did not have valid license

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Multiple police officers and suspects were shot Wednesday in a gunbattle during an undercover fentanyl trafficking investigation in Kansas City, Kansas, authorities said. All were expected to survive.

Police Chief Karl Oakman said three officers were wounded along with three or four targets of the sting.

Undercover investigators had previously bought fentanyl from the suspects and were trying to make another purchase Wednesday, according to Oakman. But it fell through, and a shootout erupted between the heavily armed suspects and the agents.

The three officers who were shot had arrived in marked police cars to help their undercover colleagues, Oakman said.

Police believe all the suspects are in custody.

The chief said police have been investigating a fentanyl influx into the city for months, but the operation that resulted in the shootout began a few days ago.

Dr. Sean Kumer, associate chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said the officers were brought to the hospital and all of the shooting patients the facility treated were in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening. They were able to converse with their doctors.

City police asked their counterparts in neighboring Kansas City, Missouri, to investigate the shootings.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting that included three officers wounded, according to a statement from the department.

Just after 5p.m., authorities reported all three officers were reported to have serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

The KCMO Police Department is in charge of the investigation. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680733406803.png" alt="Scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Scene of the shooting investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Multiple police officers and suspects were shot Wednesday in a gunbattle during an undercover fentanyl trafficking investigation in Kansas City, Kansas, authorities said. All were expected to survive.Police Chief Karl Oakman said three officers were wounded along with three or four targets of the sting.Undercover investigators had previously bought fentanyl from the suspects and were trying to make another purchase Wednesday, according to Oakman. But it fell through, and a shootout erupted between the heavily armed suspects and the agents.The three officers who were shot had arrived in marked police cars to help their undercover colleagues, Oakman said.Police believe all the suspects are in custody.The chief said police have been investigating a fentanyl influx into the city for months, but the operation that resulted in the shootout began a few days ago.Dr. Sean Kumer, associate chief medical officer at the University of Kansas Health System, said the officers were brought to the hospital and all of the shooting patients the facility treated were in stable condition with injuries that were not life-threatening. They were able to converse with their doctors.City police asked their counterparts in neighboring Kansas City, Missouri, to investigate the shootings.-----------KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an officer involved shooting that included three officers wounded, according to a statement from the department.Just after 5p.m., authorities reported all three officers were reported to have serious, but non-life threatening injuries.The KCMO Police Department is in charge of the investigation. Check the Post for additional details as they become available.

Police officers, drug suspects wounded in Kansas gun battle

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, the first of several possible new laws restricting the rights of transgender people pushed through by Republican legislators over the wishes of the Democratic governor.

The Legislature on Wednesday overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto in three years</a>&nbsp;of a bill that applies a ban to school teams and club sports, and came a day after lawmaker passed a broad bathroom bill. Nineteen other states have imposed such bans on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">most recently Wyoming.</a>

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The Kansas law</a>&nbsp;takes effect July 1 and is among several hundred proposals that Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued this year to push back on LGBTQ rights. Kansas lawmakers who back the ban are also pursuing proposals to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reynolds-iowa-transgender-ban-bathroom-e1651a8785586274f66819dad28b471e">end gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-schools-bathroom-transgender-lgbtq-6fc56daa21e1ce7f8189248dcc37588b">keep transgender people</a>&nbsp;from using restrooms in line with their gender identities.

The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver’s licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it.

“It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three who coordinates a Gay-Straight Alliance at her 13-year-old trans son’s school in a small town about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Wichita. “We may face the very real threat of having to move, and it’s heartbreaking.

The ban demonstrates the continued clout of religious conservatives nationally, reflected in a statement in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansas.gop/assets/uploads/2022/04/KSGOP-2022-Platform-Adopted-March-12-2022.pdf">the 2022 platform</a>&nbsp;of the Kansas Republican Party: “We believe God created man and woman.” The measures also reflect many Republicans’ beliefs that their constituents don’t like the shift toward acceptance in American culture.

“I wish it was 1960, and, you know, little Johnny’s a boy and Mary’s a girl, and that’s how it is, period,” Republican state Rep. John Eplee, a 70-year-old doctor, said during a committee discussion of a bathroom bill this month. “It’s not that way at all anymore, and it’s getting a little more confusing all the time.”

LGBTQ-rights advocates says its part of a national campaign from rightwing traditionalists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-arkansas-health-8f2edaa40b962e5642e108b83bc14246">to erase</a>&nbsp;transgender, non-binary, gender-queer and gender-fluid people from American society.

Alex Poland, an eighth-grade cross-country runner who hopes to play baseball next year, said he thinks legislators are pursuing “bills against children” who “haven’t done anything to harm anyone” because they don’t know many trans people.

Alex, who went with his mother to lobby for trans rights at the Statehouse last week, said it’s important for trans kids to be allowed to play on teams associated with their gender identities.

“It’s good for their mental health, and usually in my experience, most of the kids don’t care and don’t say anything,” Alex said, adding that it’s mostly adults who “care so much about what the trans kids are doing.”

The first state law on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/301b65cf83f4e958a196a45f43c912c4">in Idaho in 2020,</a>&nbsp;came after conservatives retrenched from the national backlash over a short-lived 2016 bathroom law in North Carolina. In Kansas, conservatives’ biggest obstacle has been Kelly, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">narrowly won reelection</a>&nbsp;last year after pitching herself as a political centrist.

Conservative Republicans in Kansas fell short of the two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers needed to override Kelly’s vetoes of the transgender athlete bills in 2021 and 2022. But this year, the House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230405105243_749284/">voted 84-40</a>&nbsp;to override her veto, exactly what supporters needed. The vote was 28-12 in the Senate, one more than a two-thirds majority.

Last year’s elections were crucial to the result. In the historic western Kansas cowboy town of Dodge City, Jason Goetz, who works for a home construction company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thechristianbros">with a Christian cross in its logo</a>, unseated an incumbent in the GOP primary who voted against overriding Kelly’s veto in 2022.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid02kwkyugSowDwnSJqwVQC3h1cyDWmwvAiPPY4JrGdDRceUSz3Jo5aWY4zbHrz2DyC1l">announcing his candidacy</a>&nbsp;in June 2022, Goetz said his mission was “to bring a biblical worldview” to the Kansas House. Six days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid0ncjoJsYqkxiuRDvcyznWBJpabgTwCP2rRp8sD7YnP2ggW6fL6U8bz56vABiFaQFgl">he posted:</a>&nbsp;“PROTECT GIRLS SPORTS!”

“It was a pretty clear-cut issue in the community,” Goetz said last month after the House initially approved the bill, adding that it’s a priority among his constituents.

Also crucial was a Democratic legislator’s decision not to seek reelection last year. Freshman Rep. Marvin Robinson replaced a fellow Kansas City Democrat who vote against overriding Kelly’s veto last year. Robinson initially voted against the bill last month but voted Wednesday to override Kelly’s veto.

Across the U.S., supporters of such bans argue that they keep competition fair. Track and field last month barred transgender athletes from international competition, adopting the same rules that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-swimmers-new-rules-fina-world-governing-body-c17e99d3121fa964336458b57ae266f7">swimming did last year.</a>

Supporters argue that they’re also making sure cisgendered girls and women don’t lose the scholarships and other opportunities that didn’t exist for them decades ago.

“Over the past 50 years, females have finally been able to celebrate our differences and create a division that enabled us to achieve athletic endeavors similar to our male counterparts,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshof.org/team/caroline-bruce-mcandrew">Caroline Bruce McAndrew,</a>&nbsp;a former Olympic swimmer and member from the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame from Wichita, testified to lawmakers.

LGBTQ-rights advocates acknowledge that arguments about competition resonate outside Republicans’ conservative base because of the longstanding assumption that men and boys are naturally stronger than women and girls.

They’re also frustrated that the debate often focuses on whether transgender athletes have or can win championships.

Hudson Taylor, a three-time All-American collegiate wrestler said youth sports should be about learning discipline and other “healthy habits,” as well as having fun and getting support from friends. He founded and leads the pro-LGBTQ group Athlete Ally.

“There’s been a professionalization of youth sports over the last 40 years,” Taylor said. “So often, the legislators and people who oppose trans-athlete inclusion really go directly to the most elite, top talent, Olympic-hopeful athletes.”

The Kansas measure bans transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ teams starting in kindergarten, even though sports and other extra-curricular activities aren’t overseen by the Kansas State High School Activities Association until the seventh grade.

That’s one reason LGBTQ-rights advocates are skeptical that the true issue is fair competition. Another is the scarcity of transgender female athletes.

The state association said three transgender girls competed in sports in grades 7-12 this year, two of them seniors.

During a recent Zoom news conference, Taylor said transgender athletes in college likely number only between 100 and 500, based on how few children overall keep competing in high school and college. The NCAA says about 219,000 women play collegiate sports.

The international ban from track and field doesn’t actually affect a single transgender female athlete.

Cathryn Oakley, senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, said when a state enacts a law against transgender athletes and there’s no backlash, lawmakers feel they have permission to pursue “even more outrageous” proposals.

Cat Poland, the Kansas mother with a trans son, said: “They just keep taking the next, the next step, the next step, until where are trans people supposed to go? Where can they can exist to be safe and live happy and fulfilling lives?”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas were poised Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, a day after they pushed a broad bathroom bill to passage.

The state House voted 84-40 to override Kelly's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto</a>&nbsp;of a measure on transgender athletes in three years, giving supporters exactly the two-thirds majority they needed. A Senate vote was expected Wednesday afternoon, and the bill initially passed there last month with more than a two-thirds majority.

<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The measure</a>&nbsp;would take effect July 1 and make Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">the 20th state</a>&nbsp;to enact such a ban for either K-12 schools or colleges or both. It's among several hundred proposals aimed at rolling back LGBTQ rights from Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the U.S.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">The measure approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver's licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it.

"It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three, including a 13-year-old trans son, from a small town about 40 miles&nbsp; northwest of Wichita.

The Kansas measure would apply to girl's and women's school and club sports, and supporters pitched it as protecting fair competition and preserving scholarships and other opportunities for cisgendered girls and women that took decades to win.

“This is a victory not for me, but for all young women,” said Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Republican from western Kansas who has pushed the measure for three years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680716990613.png" alt="During Wednesday's debate, Rep. Susan Ruiz, Democrat from Shawnee, said, "The bill was not about support for girls in sports but about outright discrimination against trans girls." -image from Kansas legislature YouTube" />
 <figcaption>During Wednesday's debate, Rep. Susan Ruiz, Democrat from Shawnee, said, "The bill was not about support for girls in sports but about outright discrimination against trans girls." -image from Kansas legislature YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, the first of several possible new laws restricting the rights of transgender people pushed through by Republican legislators over the wishes of the Democratic governor.The Legislature on Wednesday overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto in three years</a>&nbsp;of a bill that applies a ban to school teams and club sports, and came a day after lawmaker passed a broad bathroom bill. Nineteen other states have imposed such bans on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">most recently Wyoming.</a><a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The Kansas law</a>&nbsp;takes effect July 1 and is among several hundred proposals that Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued this year to push back on LGBTQ rights. Kansas lawmakers who back the ban are also pursuing proposals to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/reynolds-iowa-transgender-ban-bathroom-e1651a8785586274f66819dad28b471e">end gender-affirming care</a>&nbsp;for minors and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/huckabee-sanders-schools-bathroom-transgender-lgbtq-6fc56daa21e1ce7f8189248dcc37588b">keep transgender people</a>&nbsp;from using restrooms in line with their gender identities.The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver’s licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it.“It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three who coordinates a Gay-Straight Alliance at her 13-year-old trans son’s school in a small town about 40 miles (65 kilometers) northwest of Wichita. “We may face the very real threat of having to move, and it’s heartbreaking.The ban demonstrates the continued clout of religious conservatives nationally, reflected in a statement in&nbsp;<a href="https://kansas.gop/assets/uploads/2022/04/KSGOP-2022-Platform-Adopted-March-12-2022.pdf">the 2022 platform</a>&nbsp;of the Kansas Republican Party: “We believe God created man and woman.” The measures also reflect many Republicans’ beliefs that their constituents don’t like the shift toward acceptance in American culture.“I wish it was 1960, and, you know, little Johnny’s a boy and Mary’s a girl, and that’s how it is, period,” Republican state Rep. John Eplee, a 70-year-old doctor, said during a committee discussion of a bathroom bill this month. “It’s not that way at all anymore, and it’s getting a little more confusing all the time.”LGBTQ-rights advocates says its part of a national campaign from rightwing traditionalists&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-kansas-state-government-arkansas-health-8f2edaa40b962e5642e108b83bc14246">to erase</a>&nbsp;transgender, non-binary, gender-queer and gender-fluid people from American society.Alex Poland, an eighth-grade cross-country runner who hopes to play baseball next year, said he thinks legislators are pursuing “bills against children” who “haven’t done anything to harm anyone” because they don’t know many trans people.Alex, who went with his mother to lobby for trans rights at the Statehouse last week, said it’s important for trans kids to be allowed to play on teams associated with their gender identities.“It’s good for their mental health, and usually in my experience, most of the kids don’t care and don’t say anything,” Alex said, adding that it’s mostly adults who “care so much about what the trans kids are doing.”The first state law on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/301b65cf83f4e958a196a45f43c912c4">in Idaho in 2020,</a>&nbsp;came after conservatives retrenched from the national backlash over a short-lived 2016 bathroom law in North Carolina. In Kansas, conservatives’ biggest obstacle has been Kelly, who&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-biden-donald-trump-kansas-topeka-39afdff811fd2f30a212036d5ec6e3fa">narrowly won reelection</a>&nbsp;last year after pitching herself as a political centrist.Conservative Republicans in Kansas fell short of the two-thirds majorities in both legislative chambers needed to override Kelly’s vetoes of the transgender athlete bills in 2021 and 2022. But this year, the House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230405105243_749284/">voted 84-40</a>&nbsp;to override her veto, exactly what supporters needed. The vote was 28-12 in the Senate, one more than a two-thirds majority.Last year’s elections were crucial to the result. In the historic western Kansas cowboy town of Dodge City, Jason Goetz, who works for a home construction company&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thechristianbros">with a Christian cross in its logo</a>, unseated an incumbent in the GOP primary who voted against overriding Kelly’s veto in 2022.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid02kwkyugSowDwnSJqwVQC3h1cyDWmwvAiPPY4JrGdDRceUSz3Jo5aWY4zbHrz2DyC1l">announcing his candidacy</a>&nbsp;in June 2022, Goetz said his mission was “to bring a biblical worldview” to the Kansas House. Six days later,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/JasonGoetzforKansas/posts/pfbid0ncjoJsYqkxiuRDvcyznWBJpabgTwCP2rRp8sD7YnP2ggW6fL6U8bz56vABiFaQFgl">he posted:</a>&nbsp;“PROTECT GIRLS SPORTS!”“It was a pretty clear-cut issue in the community,” Goetz said last month after the House initially approved the bill, adding that it’s a priority among his constituents.Also crucial was a Democratic legislator’s decision not to seek reelection last year. Freshman Rep. Marvin Robinson replaced a fellow Kansas City Democrat who vote against overriding Kelly’s veto last year. Robinson initially voted against the bill last month but voted Wednesday to override Kelly’s veto.Across the U.S., supporters of such bans argue that they keep competition fair. Track and field last month barred transgender athletes from international competition, adopting the same rules that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-swimmers-new-rules-fina-world-governing-body-c17e99d3121fa964336458b57ae266f7">swimming did last year.</a>Supporters argue that they’re also making sure cisgendered girls and women don’t lose the scholarships and other opportunities that didn’t exist for them decades ago.“Over the past 50 years, females have finally been able to celebrate our differences and create a division that enabled us to achieve athletic endeavors similar to our male counterparts,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kshof.org/team/caroline-bruce-mcandrew">Caroline Bruce McAndrew,</a>&nbsp;a former Olympic swimmer and member from the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame from Wichita, testified to lawmakers.LGBTQ-rights advocates acknowledge that arguments about competition resonate outside Republicans’ conservative base because of the longstanding assumption that men and boys are naturally stronger than women and girls.They’re also frustrated that the debate often focuses on whether transgender athletes have or can win championships.Hudson Taylor, a three-time All-American collegiate wrestler said youth sports should be about learning discipline and other “healthy habits,” as well as having fun and getting support from friends. He founded and leads the pro-LGBTQ group Athlete Ally.“There’s been a professionalization of youth sports over the last 40 years,” Taylor said. “So often, the legislators and people who oppose trans-athlete inclusion really go directly to the most elite, top talent, Olympic-hopeful athletes.”The Kansas measure bans transgender athletes from women’s and girls’ teams starting in kindergarten, even though sports and other extra-curricular activities aren’t overseen by the Kansas State High School Activities Association until the seventh grade.That’s one reason LGBTQ-rights advocates are skeptical that the true issue is fair competition. Another is the scarcity of transgender female athletes.The state association said three transgender girls competed in sports in grades 7-12 this year, two of them seniors.During a recent Zoom news conference, Taylor said transgender athletes in college likely number only between 100 and 500, based on how few children overall keep competing in high school and college. The NCAA says about 219,000 women play collegiate sports.The international ban from track and field doesn’t actually affect a single transgender female athlete.Cathryn Oakley, senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, said when a state enacts a law against transgender athletes and there’s no backlash, lawmakers feel they have permission to pursue “even more outrageous” proposals.Cat Poland, the Kansas mother with a trans son, said: “They just keep taking the next, the next step, the next step, until where are trans people supposed to go? Where can they can exist to be safe and live happy and fulfilling lives?”-------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas were poised Wednesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a bill that would ban transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports from kindergarten through college, a day after they pushed a broad bathroom bill to passage.The state House voted 84-40 to override Kelly's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto</a>&nbsp;of a measure on transgender athletes in three years, giving supporters exactly the two-thirds majority they needed. A Senate vote was expected Wednesday afternoon, and the bill initially passed there last month with more than a two-thirds majority.<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2238_enrolled.pdf">The measure</a>&nbsp;would take effect July 1 and make Kansas&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">the 20th state</a>&nbsp;to enact such a ban for either K-12 schools or colleges or both. It's among several hundred proposals aimed at rolling back LGBTQ rights from Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the U.S.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">The measure approved by lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;not only would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities but also bar them from changing their name or gender on their driver's licenses. It is among the most sweeping proposals of its kind in the nation, and Kelly is expected to veto it."It’s a scary time to be raising a trans child in Kansas,” said Cat Poland, a lifelong Kansas resident and mother of three, including a 13-year-old trans son, from a small town about 40 miles&nbsp; northwest of Wichita.The Kansas measure would apply to girl's and women's school and club sports, and supporters pitched it as protecting fair competition and preserving scholarships and other opportunities for cisgendered girls and women that took decades to win.“This is a victory not for me, but for all young women,” said Rep. Barb Wasinger, a Republican from western Kansas who has pushed the measure for three years.

Veto override: Kan. bans transgender athletes from girls sports

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former researcher, who was accused of hiding work he did in China while employed at the University of Kansas, has asked a federal judge to reverse a conviction for making a false statement on an employee form.

Feng “Franklin” Tao was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-education-kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-cbbbb2cce47f22631a676e4e21a04beb">convicted</a>&nbsp;in April 2022 of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-kansas-university-of-276087faef2f22c12ad1e5b91aaa3709">threw out</a>&nbsp;the wire fraud convictions in September, but let the false statement conviction stand.

In a motion filed Monday, Tao's attorneys argued his remaining conviction also should be reversed, or go to trial again.

Tao was accused of not properly filling out an institutional responsibilities form for the University of Kansas, by not disclosing that he was traveling to China to work on setting up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University.

Federal prosecutors argued that Tao's activities defrauded the university, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, which had awarded Tao grants for research projects at the school.

In the motion for a reversal, Tao's attorneys said the university did not share the form with the two federal agencies, meaning it did not impact any decisions on research projects. They also argued that Tao's alleged omissions on the form did not violate federal law concerning making false statements.

The motion said the case against Tao was a “breathtaking instance of prosecutorial overreach” that sought to make a human resources issue at the university into a federal crime.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington did not immediately return a request for comment.

The case against Tao was part of the U.S. Justice Department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-china-asia-pacific-u-s-news-espionage-15bb5a431f8bdcdde54c3988b48607d4">China Initiative</a>, which started in 2018 to thwart what the agency said was the transfer of original ideas and intellectual property from U.S. universities to the Chinese government. The department ended the program amid public criticism and several failed prosecutions.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574105486339.png" alt="Feng “Franklin” Tao photo KU" />
 <figcaption>Feng “Franklin” Tao photo KU</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A former researcher, who was accused of hiding work he did in China while employed at the University of Kansas, has asked a federal judge to reverse a conviction for making a false statement on an employee form.Feng “Franklin” Tao was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-education-kansas-lawrence-university-of-kansas-cbbbb2cce47f22631a676e4e21a04beb">convicted</a>&nbsp;in April 2022 of three counts of wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. U.S. District Court Judge Julie Robinson&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-kansas-university-of-276087faef2f22c12ad1e5b91aaa3709">threw out</a>&nbsp;the wire fraud convictions in September, but let the false statement conviction stand.Tao was sentenced to time served.In a motion filed Monday, Tao's attorneys argued his remaining conviction also should be reversed, or go to trial again.Tao was accused of not properly filling out an institutional responsibilities form for the University of Kansas, by not disclosing that he was traveling to China to work on setting up a laboratory and recruit staff for Fuzhou University.Federal prosecutors argued that Tao's activities defrauded the university, as well as the U.S. Department of Energy and National Science Foundation, which had awarded Tao grants for research projects at the school.In the motion for a reversal, Tao's attorneys said the university did not share the form with the two federal agencies, meaning it did not impact any decisions on research projects. They also argued that Tao's alleged omissions on the form did not violate federal law concerning making false statements.The motion said the case against Tao was a “breathtaking instance of prosecutorial overreach” that sought to make a human resources issue at the university into a federal crime.The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington did not immediately return a request for comment.The case against Tao was part of the U.S. Justice Department’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kansas-china-asia-pacific-u-s-news-espionage-15bb5a431f8bdcdde54c3988b48607d4">China Initiative</a>, which started in 2018 to thwart what the agency said was the transfer of original ideas and intellectual property from U.S. universities to the Chinese government. The department ended the program amid public criticism and several failed prosecutions.

Former researcher at KU appeals remaining conviction

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,006&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from March 29, to April 5, for a total of 942,750 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,218 cases the previous week.

On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;19 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on March 22, for a total of 10,154 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.

<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.

Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”

The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of&nbsp;Health reported 1,006&nbsp;<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">&nbsp;new</a> <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">coronavirus cases</a> in Kansas from March 29, to April 5, for a total of 942,750 cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;The state reported 1,218 cases the previous week.On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">the state reported&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;19 additional COVID-19 deaths since the report on March 22, for a total of 10,154 since the state started reporting COVID illness and deaths.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kansasvaccine.gov/158/Data">Click here for Data</a>&nbsp;about the COVID-19 vaccine.<a href="https://www.coronavirus.kdheks.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3097/2023-COVID-19-Summary-and-Historical-Binder-PDF?bidId=">Click here</a>&nbsp;for additional virus numbers from the KDHE.Kansas provides fewer updates of its data about COVID-19 now that Gov. Laura Kelly formally declared that the state is moving toward treating COVID-19 as a disease like the flu that spreads regularly and isn't considered a pandemic.&nbsp;The health department plans to update data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.The state continues to support access to free COVID-19 testing, works to ensure that vulnerable populations can get vaccinated, see that providers serve a broad population and give “comprehensive guidance” about the virus. She called the new phase “endemic normalcy.”The health department updates data about cases and vaccinations each Wednesday.

KDHE: Slight drop in COVID cases, 19 more deaths

This story was first published on April 4, 2023. It was updated on April 5, 2023, to make clear that an abortion-related bill that won final approval in the Kansas Legislature would impose penalties against doctors for failing to provide reasonable care to infants delivered alive during certain types of abortion procedures, not for the abortions themselves.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.

The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures. The bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue.

The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230404113519_012438/">voted 86-36</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/born-alive-abortion-bill-kansas-legislature-89b7276e071fda4808c96d9d3e8cce4e">a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law</a>&nbsp;similar to a proposed law that Montana voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-montana-a99111675c40301d1940addca098d599">rejected in November.</a>&nbsp;The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.

The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230329125930_969124/">31-9</a>&nbsp;for the bill last week, meaning it passed both chambers with more than the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a potential veto from Kelly.

“We can have differing views on abortion and still agree on the need for this legislation as a humanitarian issue,” the Kansas House's three top Republicans said in a joint statement.

Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-lawsuits-kansas-3eb09cbcdfb18e06aee024e557f9814c">prevented Kansas from enforcing</a>&nbsp;a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.

Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">voters decisively rejected</a>&nbsp;a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.

The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're delivered alive during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.

“If the infant is born alive and only has minutes to live, the mother, the father, the family, have the right to ask for palliative care and embrace the infant until it is no longer breathing,” said state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Kansas City-area Democrat.

The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants delivered alive during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.

In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn's parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.

This story was first published on April 4, 2023. It was updated on April 5, 2023, to make clear that an abortion-related bill that won final approval in the Kansas Legislature would impose penalties against doctors for failing to provide reasonable care to infants delivered alive during certain types of abortion procedures, not for the abortions themselves.&nbsp;By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants delivered alive during certain kinds of abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final approval Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures. The bill applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also when doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that is expected to die within minutes or even seconds outside the womb, which often occurs because of a severe medical issue.The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230404113519_012438/">voted 86-36</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/born-alive-abortion-bill-kansas-legislature-89b7276e071fda4808c96d9d3e8cce4e">a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law</a>&nbsp;similar to a proposed law that Montana voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-montana-a99111675c40301d1940addca098d599">rejected in November.</a>&nbsp;The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230329125930_969124/">31-9</a>&nbsp;for the bill last week, meaning it passed both chambers with more than the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a potential veto from Kelly.“We can have differing views on abortion and still agree on the need for this legislation as a humanitarian issue,” the Kansas House's three top Republicans said in a joint statement.Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-lawsuits-kansas-3eb09cbcdfb18e06aee024e557f9814c">prevented Kansas from enforcing</a>&nbsp;a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">voters decisively rejected</a>&nbsp;a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're delivered alive during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.“If the infant is born alive and only has minutes to live, the mother, the father, the family, have the right to ask for palliative care and embrace the infant until it is no longer breathing,” said state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Kansas City-area Democrat.The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants delivered alive during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn's parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.Like most states, Kansas doesn’t collect data on births during induced abortion procedures, or other abortion procedures. The bill would require annual reports to the state.Anti-abortion groups argue that there are likely hundreds of infants delivered alive during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. The argument is based on extrapolating data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births, as well as from data from most Canadian provinces.“One important aspect of the bill is that it would require that reporting on abortion survivors,” said Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.Abortion rights supporters argue that the Kansas measure and laws in other states are designed to paint a misleading picture of abortion care.In Kansas, no abortions after the 21st week have been reported since at least 2016, and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of the more than 600,000 abortions a year occur after the 21st week of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says almost no fetuses are viable before the 23rd week of pregnancy.Critics of the measure also argue that existing laws against homicide are sufficient to deal with what they see as a rare issue. They also argue that passing the measure defies the statewide vote in August affirming abortion rights.“This bill is absolutely unecessary,” Democratic state Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City, said during a debate last week. “This bill will traumatize mothers who desperately want to be mothers, who already are dealing with the heart-breaking moments of loss imaginable.”------------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Doctors accused of not providing enough care to infants born during abortion procedures in Kansas could face lawsuits and criminal charges under a bill that won final passage Tuesday in the state's Republican-controlled Legislature.The legislation faces an uncertain fate in a legal and political climate that's made Kansas an outlier on abortion policy among states with GOP-led legislatures.The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230404113519_012438/">voted 86-36</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/born-alive-abortion-bill-kansas-legislature-89b7276e071fda4808c96d9d3e8cce4e">a proposed “born-alive infants protection” law</a>&nbsp;similar to a proposed law that Montana voters&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-health-business-montana-a99111675c40301d1940addca098d599">rejected in November.</a>&nbsp;The Senate approved the measure last week and it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who vetoed such a bill in 2019.The Senate voted&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230329125930_969124/">31-9</a>&nbsp;for the bill last week, meaning it passed both chambers with more than the two-thirds majorities necessary to override a potential veto from Kelly.“We can have differing views on abortion and still agree on the need for this legislation as a humanitarian issue,” the Kansas House's three top Republicans said in a joint statement.Even if abortion opponents succeed in overriding any veto, the measure could still be challenged in court and not enforced. Lawsuits have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-restrictions-lawsuits-kansas-3eb09cbcdfb18e06aee024e557f9814c">prevented Kansas from enforcing</a>&nbsp;a 2015 ban on a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a 2011 law imposing extra health and safety rules for abortion providers.Kansas abortion opponents haven’t pushed to ban abortion outright despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-supreme-court-decision-854f60302f21c2c35129e58cf8d8a7b0">decision in June 2022</a>&nbsp;that the U.S. Constitution allows it. The Kansas Supreme Court&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/3f479b218a6140719e1694fcfcdb8036">ruled in 2019</a>&nbsp;that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, and in August 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-primary-elections-kansas-abortion-b6d62a852c2ce4617f2c03589fbb523e">voters decisively rejected</a>&nbsp;a proposed change to strip away protections for abortion rights.The “born alive” measure is premised on a claim that abortion providers leave newborns to die if they're born during an abortion procedure. Critics of the bill said the state would be intervening in difficult medical and ethical decisions between doctors and parents. They also said parents could be forced to accept futile and expensive care.“If the infant is born alive and only has minutes to live, the mother, the father, the family, have the right to ask for palliative care and embrace the infant until it is no longer breathing,” said state Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Kansas City-area Democrat.The measure applies not only to “botched” or “unsuccessful” abortions but also to cases in which doctors induce labor to deliver a fetus that won’t survive outside the womb. That can occur because of a severe medical issue, with the expectation that the newborn will die within minutes or even seconds.The Kansas measure is similar to laws in 18 other states requiring infants born during labor and delivery abortions to go to a hospital and imposing criminal penalties for doctors who don’t provide the same care "a reasonably diligent and conscientious” provider would with other live births.In Kansas, failing to provide reasonable care for such a newborn would be a felony, punishable by a year’s probation for a first-time offender. Also, the newborn's parents and the parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions could sue providers.Like most states, Kansas doesn’t collect data on births during induced abortion procedures. The bill would require annual reports to the state.Anti-abortion groups argue that there are likely hundreds of live births during abortion procedures each year in the U.S. The argument is based on extrapolating data from the handful of states requiring reports of such live births, as well as from data from most Canadian provinces.“One important aspect of the bill is that it would require that reporting on abortion survivors,” said Kelsey Pritchard, spokesperson for the national anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.Abortion rights supporters argue that the Kansas measure and laws in other states are designed to paint a misleading picture of abortion care.In Kansas, no abortions after the 21st week have been reported since at least 2016, and, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of the more than 600,000 abortions a year occur after the 21st week of pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says almost no fetuses are viable before the 23rd week of pregnancy.Critics of the measure also argue that existing laws against homicide are sufficient to deal with what they see as a rare issue. They also argue that passing the measure defies the statewide vote in August affirming abortion rights.“This bill is absolutely unecessary,” Democratic state Sen. Pat Pettey, of Kansas City, said during a debate last week. “This bill will traumatize mothers who desperately want to be mothers, who already are dealing with the heart-breaking moments of loss imaginable.”