TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers approved a bill Thursday aimed at helping parents opt their children out of public school lessons with LGBTQ-themed materials, as a Democratic lawmaker whose vote was crucial to banning transgender female athletes from girls' and women's sports faced calls to resign.

GOP conservatives also hadn’t given up on trying to pass a bill aimed at ending gender-affirming care for minors. They were working on a measure late Thursday night.

The Republican-controlled Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230406112108_845512/">voted 76-46</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2236_02_0000.pdf">a “parental rights” measure</a>&nbsp;that would allow a parent to place their child in an alternative to a public K-12 school lesson or activity that “impairs the parent’s sincerely held beliefs, values or principles.” The GOP-dominated Senate approved the measure last week, so it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

“If there is one family who are denied their rights, we need to address it,” said Republican state Rep. Susan Estes, of Wichita.

While the measure covers lessons and materials dealing with race and possibly even evolution, it also is in line with the push by Republicans in statehouses across the U.S. to roll back LGBTQ rights, particularly transgender rights. State Rep. Heather Meyer, a Kansas City-area Democrat, called the measure a “perfect vehicle” for anti-LGBTQ discrimination.

“We can see what’s been done in other states across the country where they have used this as a vehicle to attack the LGBTQ community,” said Meyer, who is bisexual and has a 13-year-old transgender son.

The Legislature on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved a broad bathroom bill</a>&nbsp;and on Wednesday voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-ban-kansas-08604c663518fb2538565f3e1ac3d4ba">override Kelly's veto</a>&nbsp;of the measure on transgender athletes. Kansas is the 20th state to enact such a sports ban, and its law applies to club and school sports from kindergarten through college starting July 1.

GOP lawmakers also hoped to pass&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2138_03_0000.pdf">a bill</a>&nbsp;Thursday that would require Kansas public schools to keep transgender girls from rooming with cisgendered girls and transgender boys, with cisgendered boys, on overnight school trips.

Kelly&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2022/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb58_enrolled.pdf">vetoed a bill last year</a>&nbsp;that would have made it easier for parents to try to remove classroom or library materials. Supporters of this year's bill still were short of the two-thirds majorities in both chambers necessary to override a veto.

“What we heard in committee were parents who not only went to their teacher, they went to their principal and higher up in their school district and did not have their concerns addressed,” Estes said.

Meanwhile, conservative Republicans were able to override Kelly's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto</a>&nbsp;of a bill on transgender athletes in three years because of the “yes” vote from a single Democrat, freshman Rep. Marvin Robinson, of Kansas City.

That Kansas vote came a day before President Joe Biden's administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-athletes-sports-ban-2f6cf412d306e73e68efa2377fb5081a">announced a proposal</a>&nbsp;to bar schools and colleges from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes but allow them to set some limits to preserve fairness.

Robinson represents a heavily Democratic district and replaced a retiring lawmaker who voted against overriding Kelly's veto in 2022. Kansas Young Democrats and the state Democratic Party's LGBTQ+ and Progressive caucuses demanded that he step down after Wednesday's vote.

Robinson also supported the parents' rights measure. Kansas House Democratic Leader Vic Miller said he would be “pleased” if Robinson resigned.

“Right now, he’s voting more with the other party than he is with ours," Miller said. “He ran as a Democrat, but he doesn’t seem to be serving as a Democrat.”

Robinson told a conservative Kansas City radio talk show Thursday morning that he thought he was “on the same page” as Kelly because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-education-legislature-gay-rights-kansas-e32307ef93c0c64056e34f2d8a51efe2">a television commercial</a>&nbsp;she aired during her reelection campaign. In that ad, Kelly looked into the camera and said: “Of course men should not play girls’ sports. OK, we all agree there.”

At the time, Republicans accused Kelly of lying about her record. LGBTQ-rights advocates interpreted her comment as saying men playing girl's sports wasn't an issue because transgender girls and women are female.

Robinson told The Associated Press that no one in the Democratic Party told him last year that he was expected to vote against bills on transgender athletes. He also said a female Democratic colleague that he declined to name “told me I should die.”

He rejected criticism that his vote is "hurting people’s kids.”

“Who could mistreat and look down on anybody?” he said. “You know, everybody is God’s creation.”

He told the radio host that friends told him: “Man, you're up there with a bunch of demons.”

Meyer said “absolutely none" of Robinson's fellow Democrats would have told him after the vote that he should die.

“We care about mental health and we care about our colleagues, even if we disagree,” Meyer said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680815563129.png" alt="Rep. Susan Estes carried a bill that would allow parents to withdraw their students from learning material they objected to. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Susan Estes carried a bill that would allow parents to withdraw their students from learning material they objected to. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers approved a bill Thursday aimed at helping parents opt their children out of public school lessons with LGBTQ-themed materials, as a Democratic lawmaker whose vote was crucial to banning transgender female athletes from girls' and women's sports faced calls to resign.GOP conservatives also hadn’t given up on trying to pass a bill aimed at ending gender-affirming care for minors. They were working on a measure late Thursday night.The Republican-controlled Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230406112108_845512/">voted 76-46</a>&nbsp;to approve&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2236_02_0000.pdf">a “parental rights” measure</a>&nbsp;that would allow a parent to place their child in an alternative to a public K-12 school lesson or activity that “impairs the parent’s sincerely held beliefs, values or principles.” The GOP-dominated Senate approved the measure last week, so it goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.“If there is one family who are denied their rights, we need to address it,” said Republican state Rep. Susan Estes, of Wichita.While the measure covers lessons and materials dealing with race and possibly even evolution, it also is in line with the push by Republicans in statehouses across the U.S. to roll back LGBTQ rights, particularly transgender rights. State Rep. Heather Meyer, a Kansas City-area Democrat, called the measure a “perfect vehicle” for anti-LGBTQ discrimination.“We can see what’s been done in other states across the country where they have used this as a vehicle to attack the LGBTQ community,” said Meyer, who is bisexual and has a 13-year-old transgender son.The Legislature on Tuesday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved a broad bathroom bill</a>&nbsp;and on Wednesday voted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-athletes-ban-kansas-08604c663518fb2538565f3e1ac3d4ba">override Kelly's veto</a>&nbsp;of the measure on transgender athletes. Kansas is the 20th state to enact such a sports ban, and its law applies to club and school sports from kindergarten through college starting July 1.GOP lawmakers also hoped to pass&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2138_03_0000.pdf">a bill</a>&nbsp;Thursday that would require Kansas public schools to keep transgender girls from rooming with cisgendered girls and transgender boys, with cisgendered boys, on overnight school trips.Kelly&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2022/b2021_22/measures/documents/sb58_enrolled.pdf">vetoed a bill last year</a>&nbsp;that would have made it easier for parents to try to remove classroom or library materials. Supporters of this year's bill still were short of the two-thirds majorities in both chambers necessary to override a veto.“What we heard in committee were parents who not only went to their teacher, they went to their principal and higher up in their school district and did not have their concerns addressed,” Estes said.Meanwhile, conservative Republicans were able to override Kelly's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-athletes-ban-kansas-711e121ea0ab00653d61f9dadf9b9c0e">third veto</a>&nbsp;of a bill on transgender athletes in three years because of the “yes” vote from a single Democrat, freshman Rep. Marvin Robinson, of Kansas City.That Kansas vote came a day before President Joe Biden's administration&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trans-athletes-sports-ban-2f6cf412d306e73e68efa2377fb5081a">announced a proposal</a>&nbsp;to bar schools and colleges from enacting outright bans on transgender athletes but allow them to set some limits to preserve fairness.Robinson represents a heavily Democratic district and replaced a retiring lawmaker who voted against overriding Kelly's veto in 2022. Kansas Young Democrats and the state Democratic Party's LGBTQ+ and Progressive caucuses demanded that he step down after Wednesday's vote.Robinson also supported the parents' rights measure. Kansas House Democratic Leader Vic Miller said he would be “pleased” if Robinson resigned.“Right now, he’s voting more with the other party than he is with ours," Miller said. “He ran as a Democrat, but he doesn’t seem to be serving as a Democrat.”Robinson told a conservative Kansas City radio talk show Thursday morning that he thought he was “on the same page” as Kelly because of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-education-legislature-gay-rights-kansas-e32307ef93c0c64056e34f2d8a51efe2">a television commercial</a>&nbsp;she aired during her reelection campaign. In that ad, Kelly looked into the camera and said: “Of course men should not play girls’ sports. OK, we all agree there.”At the time, Republicans accused Kelly of lying about her record. LGBTQ-rights advocates interpreted her comment as saying men playing girl's sports wasn't an issue because transgender girls and women are female.Robinson told The Associated Press that no one in the Democratic Party told him last year that he was expected to vote against bills on transgender athletes. He also said a female Democratic colleague that he declined to name “told me I should die.”He rejected criticism that his vote is "hurting people’s kids.”“Who could mistreat and look down on anybody?” he said. “You know, everybody is God’s creation.”He told the radio host that friends told him: “Man, you're up there with a bunch of demons.”Meyer said “absolutely none" of Robinson's fellow Democrats would have told him after the vote that he should die.“We care about mental health and we care about our colleagues, even if we disagree,” Meyer said.

Kansas OKs bill on opting kids out of LGBTQ-themed lessons

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. review led by the National Security Council of the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan largely lays the blame on former President Donald Trump, saying President Joe Biden was “severely constrained" by the decisions of his predecessor.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-Withdrawal-from-Afghanistan.pdf">CLICK here</a> to read the report

(Click below watch National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on the report.)

The White House on Thursday publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the so-called “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-military-withdrawal-biden-government-review-f64d6ef65b1b892b00f0d830e5c11ddd">hotwash</a>&nbsp;” of U.S. policies around the ending of the nation's longest war, taking little responsibility for its own actions during some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-afghanistan-biden-al-qaida-ayman-zawahri-92a61266ea72b54aeefe14fe2450792b">darkest moments of Biden's presidency</a>.

The administration said most of the after-action reviews, which were transmitted privately to Congress on Thursday, were highly classified and would not be released publicly.

“President Biden’s choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor,” the White House summary states, noting that when Biden entered office, “the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been in since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country.”

The report does fault overly optimistic intelligence community assessments about the Afghan army's willingness to fight, and says Biden followed military commanders' recommendations for the pacing of the drawdown of U.S. forces.

The White House asserts the mistakes of Afghanistan informed its handling of Ukraine, where the Biden administration has been credited for supporting Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The White House says it simulated worst-case scenarios prior to the February 2022 invasion and moved to release intelligence about Moscow’s intentions months beforehand.

“We now prioritize earlier evacuations when faced with a degrading security situation,” the White House said.

In an apparent attempt to defend its national security decision-making, the Biden administration also notes that it released pre-war warnings over “strong objections from senior officials in the Ukrainian government.”

Republicans in Congress have sharply criticized the Afghanistan withdrawal, focusing on the deaths of 13 service members in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport.

Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was badly wounded in the explosion, told a congressional hearing last month that the withdrawal “was a catastrophe” and “there was an inexcusable lack of accountability.”

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby credited U.S. forces for their actions in running the largest airborne evacuation of noncombatants in history during the chaos of Kabul's fall.

“They ended our nation’s longest war," he told reporters. “That was never going to be an easy thing to do. And as the president himself has said, it was never going to be low grade or low risk or low cost.”

Since the U.S. withdrawal, Biden has blamed the February 2020 agreement Trump reached with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, saying it boxed the U.S. into leaving the country. The agreement gave the Taliban significant legitimacy and has been blamed by analysts for undercutting the U.S.-backed government, which would collapse so quickly a year later.

But the agreement also gave the U.S. the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-taliban-doha-e6f48507848aef2ee849154604aa11be">right to withdraw</a>&nbsp;from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed — which they did.

The agreement required the U.S. to remove all forces by May 1, 2021. Biden pushed a full withdrawal to September but declined to delay further, saying it would prolong a war that had long needed to end.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/9/1630691600635.png" alt="U.S. Army soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021. -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Army soldiers with the 82nd Airborne Division escort evacuees to buses at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2021. -photo courtesy U.S. Dept. of Defense</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. review led by the National Security Council of the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan largely lays the blame on former President Donald Trump, saying President Joe Biden was “severely constrained" by the decisions of his predecessor.<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/US-Withdrawal-from-Afghanistan.pdf">CLICK here</a> to read the report(Click below watch National Security Council spokesman John Kirby on the report.)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F1869887000041300%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=466" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The White House on Thursday publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the so-called “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-military-withdrawal-biden-government-review-f64d6ef65b1b892b00f0d830e5c11ddd">hotwash</a>&nbsp;” of U.S. policies around the ending of the nation's longest war, taking little responsibility for its own actions during some of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/inflation-afghanistan-biden-al-qaida-ayman-zawahri-92a61266ea72b54aeefe14fe2450792b">darkest moments of Biden's presidency</a>.The administration said most of the after-action reviews, which were transmitted privately to Congress on Thursday, were highly classified and would not be released publicly.“President Biden’s choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor,” the White House summary states, noting that when Biden entered office, “the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been in since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country.”The report does fault overly optimistic intelligence community assessments about the Afghan army's willingness to fight, and says Biden followed military commanders' recommendations for the pacing of the drawdown of U.S. forces.The White House asserts the mistakes of Afghanistan informed its handling of Ukraine, where the Biden administration has been credited for supporting Kyiv’s defense against Russia’s invasion. The White House says it simulated worst-case scenarios prior to the February 2022 invasion and moved to release intelligence about Moscow’s intentions months beforehand.“We now prioritize earlier evacuations when faced with a degrading security situation,” the White House said.In an apparent attempt to defend its national security decision-making, the Biden administration also notes that it released pre-war warnings over “strong objections from senior officials in the Ukrainian government.”Republicans in Congress have sharply criticized the Afghanistan withdrawal, focusing on the deaths of 13 service members in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport.Former Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who was badly wounded in the explosion, told a congressional hearing last month that the withdrawal “was a catastrophe” and “there was an inexcusable lack of accountability.”National Security Council spokesman John Kirby credited U.S. forces for their actions in running the largest airborne evacuation of noncombatants in history during the chaos of Kabul's fall.“They ended our nation’s longest war," he told reporters. “That was never going to be an easy thing to do. And as the president himself has said, it was never going to be low grade or low risk or low cost.”Since the U.S. withdrawal, Biden has blamed the February 2020 agreement Trump reached with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, saying it boxed the U.S. into leaving the country. The agreement gave the Taliban significant legitimacy and has been blamed by analysts for undercutting the U.S.-backed government, which would collapse so quickly a year later.But the agreement also gave the U.S. the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-middle-east-taliban-doha-e6f48507848aef2ee849154604aa11be">right to withdraw</a>&nbsp;from the accord if Afghan peace talks failed — which they did.The agreement required the U.S. to remove all forces by May 1, 2021. Biden pushed a full withdrawal to September but declined to delay further, saying it would prolong a war that had long needed to end.—

🎥Read Biden's report on Afghan withdrawal that blames Trump

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas approved a plan early Friday to end gender-affirming care for transgender youth, capping a week of intensifying efforts to rolling back LGBTQ rights like other states with GOP-controlled legislatures.

The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230407023107_767743/">voted 70-52</a>&nbsp;to pass&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/ccrb_sb26_02_040623.pdf">a bill</a>&nbsp;requiring the state's medical board to revoke the licenses of doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors, even though many professionals who deal with transgender youth see such care as vital to preserving their mental health and preventing suicides. The Senate then voted 23-12 to approve the measure, sending it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

The governor is expected to veto it, having promised LGBTQ youth during a Statehouse lobbying day last month that she would protect their rights and reject any measure "that aims to harm or discriminate against you.” Supporters were well short of the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a veto.

LGBTQ-rights advocates believe they're seeing a national effort to erase transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and gender fluid people from American society, at least legally. Dr. Beth Oller, a family physician in a small northwestern Kansas town who provides gender-affirming care, saw GOP lawmakers going “in search of a dog whistle” to unite their party.

“This one was a winner because they found it palatable to strip rights from a population that was small and did not affect most of them,” she said in an email Thursday night. “They delude themselves with groupthink so that they can pretend this isn’t about hate but about protection, but we know the truth.”

Thirteen other states have enacted laws against gender-affirming care for minors, though federal judges have blocked enforcement of them in Alabama and Arkansas. Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued several hundred proposals this year pushing back on LGBTQ rights.

Supporters of the Kansas ban argue it’s about protecting children medical care that comes with side effects or cannot be reversed later. They contend that only an adult — and not a minor’s parent — can consent to the treatments.

“We all now children change their minds,” Republican state Rep. Susan Humphries of Wichita said. “How many children know what they want to be when they grow up?”

The care falling under the bill would include puberty-blocking drugs and hormone therapy. While the bill would not keep transgender youth from receiving counseling or psychiatric therapy, the measure applies to acts performed or “causing” acts “to affirm the child’s perception of the child’s sex” if it differs from gender assigned at birth.

“Where I kind of part ways with some of this is with surgical procedures,” said state Rep. Steve Howe, a Republican from central Kansas. “I do agree that all kids have value, and that's why I'm going to support the bill.”

The Kansas vote came after its lawmakers on Thursday passed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-children-kansas-schools-b249b1eb36409931a75eab1fbc80c15d">a “parents’ rights” bill</a>&nbsp;allowing families to pull their children out of lessons and activities involving LGBTQ-themed materials and another measure restricting rooming arrangements for transgender students on school trips.

Republicans on Tuesday approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">a broad bathroom bill</a>&nbsp;that would prevent transgender people from changing the gender on their driver’s licenses. On Wednesday they overrode Kelly’s veto of a bill banning transgender female athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.

“People are finally getting tired of this push toward trying to push our kids in the wrong direction, and I think that this is a pushback from parents, from people who see this as a big problem," said state Sen. Mike Thompson, a conservative, Kansas City-area Republican who backed all of the measures. “For hundreds and hundreds and thousands of years, I think that this has not been a problem. Then all of a sudden it seems like it is."

Humphries suggested “a social contagion” driven by social media is helping increase “confused” young people's desire to transition do a different gender, repeating an idea that's been debunked by multiple studies.

Transgender medical treatments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-mental-ce8f5a9ee53768af03c3c65d5331045b">for children and teens</a>&nbsp;have been available in the U.S. for more than a decade and are endorsed by major medical associations.

“Gender-affirming medicine is lifesaving,” Jordan Smith, a Kansas City-area resident who identifies as gender fluid and is the Kansas chapter leader for Parasol Patrol, a group advocating for LGBTQ youth, said after a transgender-rights rally at the Statehouse last week.

“You know, the kids are trying to understand who they are and they’re supposed to look to the adults to have that guidance," they added, "and the adults are wanting to say, ‘No, you can’t be that way. No, that’s not right. You’re just confused.’"

After last week's transgender rights rally, Ian Benalcazar, a 13-year-old transgender northeastern Kansas boy, said his decision to socially transition to male was “one of the greatest decisions of my life.”

“I feel so much more free and so much more myself, and it’s allowed me to make so many great connections with people and just be authentically me,” he said.

Oller, the northwestern Kansas doctor, said she has patients who are “terrified” they won't be able to access care and she's worried enactment of a law against gender-affirming care could force her to leave her small town.

But she also said she would probably sue the state, “because I'm not going to take this lying down.” ___

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680642960114.png" alt=" Ian Benalcázar delivers a speech March 31, at the Statehouse as part of the March for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Ian Benalcázar delivers a speech March 31, at the Statehouse as part of the March for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN HANNA&nbsp;TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas approved a plan early Friday to end gender-affirming care for transgender youth, capping a week of intensifying efforts to rolling back LGBTQ rights like other states with GOP-controlled legislatures.The Kansas House&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230407023107_767743/">voted 70-52</a>&nbsp;to pass&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/ccrb_sb26_02_040623.pdf">a bill</a>&nbsp;requiring the state's medical board to revoke the licenses of doctors who provide gender-affirming care to minors, even though many professionals who deal with transgender youth see such care as vital to preserving their mental health and preventing suicides. The Senate then voted 23-12 to approve the measure, sending it to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680363628831.png" alt=" A crowd passes March 31, in front of the Kansas Statehouse as part of the National March for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> A crowd passes March 31, in front of the Kansas Statehouse as part of the National March for Queer and Trans Youth Autonomy. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>The governor is expected to veto it, having promised LGBTQ youth during a Statehouse lobbying day last month that she would protect their rights and reject any measure "that aims to harm or discriminate against you.” Supporters were well short of the two-thirds majorities in both chambers needed to override a veto.LGBTQ-rights advocates believe they're seeing a national effort to erase transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and gender fluid people from American society, at least legally. Dr. Beth Oller, a family physician in a small northwestern Kansas town who provides gender-affirming care, saw GOP lawmakers going “in search of a dog whistle” to unite their party.“This one was a winner because they found it palatable to strip rights from a population that was small and did not affect most of them,” she said in an email Thursday night. “They delude themselves with groupthink so that they can pretend this isn’t about hate but about protection, but we know the truth.”Thirteen other states have enacted laws against gender-affirming care for minors, though federal judges have blocked enforcement of them in Alabama and Arkansas. Republican lawmakers across the U.S. have pursued several hundred proposals this year pushing back on LGBTQ rights.Supporters of the Kansas ban argue it’s about protecting children medical care that comes with side effects or cannot be reversed later. They contend that only an adult — and not a minor’s parent — can consent to the treatments.“We all now children change their minds,” Republican state Rep. Susan Humphries of Wichita said. “How many children know what they want to be when they grow up?”The care falling under the bill would include puberty-blocking drugs and hormone therapy. While the bill would not keep transgender youth from receiving counseling or psychiatric therapy, the measure applies to acts performed or “causing” acts “to affirm the child’s perception of the child’s sex” if it differs from gender assigned at birth.“Where I kind of part ways with some of this is with surgical procedures,” said state Rep. Steve Howe, a Republican from central Kansas. “I do agree that all kids have value, and that's why I'm going to support the bill.”The Kansas vote came after its lawmakers on Thursday passed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-children-kansas-schools-b249b1eb36409931a75eab1fbc80c15d">a “parents’ rights” bill</a>&nbsp;allowing families to pull their children out of lessons and activities involving LGBTQ-themed materials and another measure restricting rooming arrangements for transgender students on school trips.Republicans on Tuesday approved&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">a broad bathroom bill</a>&nbsp;that would prevent transgender people from changing the gender on their driver’s licenses. On Wednesday they overrode Kelly’s veto of a bill banning transgender female athletes from girls’ and women’s sports.“People are finally getting tired of this push toward trying to push our kids in the wrong direction, and I think that this is a pushback from parents, from people who see this as a big problem," said state Sen. Mike Thompson, a conservative, Kansas City-area Republican who backed all of the measures. “For hundreds and hundreds and thousands of years, I think that this has not been a problem. Then all of a sudden it seems like it is."Humphries suggested “a social contagion” driven by social media is helping increase “confused” young people's desire to transition do a different gender, repeating an idea that's been debunked by multiple studies.Transgender medical treatments&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-health-mental-ce8f5a9ee53768af03c3c65d5331045b">for children and teens</a>&nbsp;have been available in the U.S. for more than a decade and are endorsed by major medical associations.“Gender-affirming medicine is lifesaving,” Jordan Smith, a Kansas City-area resident who identifies as gender fluid and is the Kansas chapter leader for Parasol Patrol, a group advocating for LGBTQ youth, said after a transgender-rights rally at the Statehouse last week.“You know, the kids are trying to understand who they are and they’re supposed to look to the adults to have that guidance," they added, "and the adults are wanting to say, ‘No, you can’t be that way. No, that’s not right. You’re just confused.’"After last week's transgender rights rally, Ian Benalcazar, a 13-year-old transgender northeastern Kansas boy, said his decision to socially transition to male was “one of the greatest decisions of my life.”“I feel so much more free and so much more myself, and it’s allowed me to make so many great connections with people and just be authentically me,” he said.Oller, the northwestern Kansas doctor, said she has patients who are “terrified” they won't be able to access care and she's worried enactment of a law against gender-affirming care could force her to leave her small town.But she also said she would probably sue the state, “because I'm not going to take this lying down.” ___

Kansas approves bill to end gender-affirming care for minors

HUTCHINSON — As of Thursday, Reno County was one of the final places in Kansas where you could still get gas for under $3 a gallon, and that is likely to not continue for long.

"We've started to see gas prices again on the rise, fueled by a couple of things," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "First of all is robust demand. Demand seems to be rebounding, as is typical. This time of the year, we start seeing more people out driving as the weather improves, but then there's also an unexpected event that happened in the last few days that caused crude oil prices to rise. On Sunday, OPEC and other major oil producers, including Russia, known as OPEC+, announced a voluntary agreement to slash their output by just over 1 million barrels per day, through the end of 2023."

"We've seen oil prices rise about $6 a barrel from where we were a week ago, popping over the $80 mark," Steward said. "That's part of the ongoing equation. Oil prices directly impact the prices we see in gasoline at the pumps."

Over half of the price of a gallon of gas is set by the price of the oil it was made from.

"Traditionally, this is a more high demand season that we're starting to head into," Steward said. " With higher demand, typically, the prices do rise. The summer blend gasoline is coming into the system, which is a little bit more expensive, so adds a few additional cents to the gas price."

The one thing that could lower pump prices is if worldwide demand remains sluggish due to fears of a potential recession.

NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON — As of Thursday, Reno County was one of the final places in Kansas where you could still get gas for under $3 a gallon, and that is likely to not continue for long."We've started to see gas prices again on the rise, fueled by a couple of things," said Shawn Steward with AAA Kansas. "First of all is robust demand. Demand seems to be rebounding, as is typical. This time of the year, we start seeing more people out driving as the weather improves, but then there's also an unexpected event that happened in the last few days that caused crude oil prices to rise. On Sunday, OPEC and other major oil producers, including Russia, known as OPEC+, announced a voluntary agreement to slash their output by just over 1 million barrels per day, through the end of 2023.""We've seen oil prices rise about $6 a barrel from where we were a week ago, popping over the $80 mark," Steward said. "That's part of the ongoing equation. Oil prices directly impact the prices we see in gasoline at the pumps."Over half of the price of a gallon of gas is set by the price of the oil it was made from."Traditionally, this is a more high demand season that we're starting to head into," Steward said. " With higher demand, typically, the prices do rise. The summer blend gasoline is coming into the system, which is a little bit more expensive, so adds a few additional cents to the gas price."The one thing that could lower pump prices is if worldwide demand remains sluggish due to fears of a potential recession.

AAA: Gas prices likely to top $3 and stay there

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces felony charges for the fatal shooting of Carl Stewart on Tuesday night in a hotel room on Hillcrest in south Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Makail L. Rogers, 28, faces Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.

According to court documents filed Wednesday, Kansas City police responded early Tuesday to a reported shooting in a Hillcrest Road hotel. 

Officers made entry into a hotel room and found the male victim. He had been shot multiple times and was confirmed deceased. Officers pursued a suspect in the shooting outside the hotel. He was reportedly armed with a handgun. 

Officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire at E. 87th Street underneath the Interstate 435 bridge overpass. The suspect was taken into custody and officers found a .40 caliber gun and spent shell casings under him. Surveillance video showed the defendant going out and attempting to go back in a window to the hotel room where the victim was found.

 A witness saw the defendant struggling with the victim inside the room when the door was open, then shots were heard.

A separate investigation of an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and police is under investigation. Prosecutors requested a $250,000 bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680725917368.png" alt="Rogers-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Rogers-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces felony charges for the fatal shooting of Carl Stewart on Tuesday night in a hotel room on Hillcrest in south Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Makail L. Rogers, 28, faces Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action charges.According to court documents filed Wednesday, Kansas City police responded early Tuesday to a reported shooting in a Hillcrest Road hotel. Officers made entry into a hotel room and found the male victim. He had been shot multiple times and was confirmed deceased. Officers pursued a suspect in the shooting outside the hotel. He was reportedly armed with a handgun. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680626757214.png" alt="Police on the scene of the gun fire -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the gun fire -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire at E. 87th Street underneath the Interstate 435 bridge overpass. The suspect was taken into custody and officers found a .40 caliber gun and spent shell casings under him. Surveillance video showed the defendant going out and attempting to go back in a window to the hotel room where the victim was found. A witness saw the defendant struggling with the victim inside the room when the door was open, then shots were heard.A separate investigation of an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and police is under investigation. Prosecutors requested a $250,000 bond.

KC man charged for motel murder, gun battle with police

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man after a high-speed chase in a reported stolen car.

Just after 11p.m. April 4, sheriff's deputies were notified of the theft of a 2018 Nissan Sentra from the Casey’s General Store in Hiawatha, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp;

Approximately 25 minutes later Jackson County Deputies located the vehicle inside Jackson County where a pursuit ensued from Holton southbound. 

The pursuit ended stopping near 150th Road where the driver identified as 42-year-old Jeffery Erwin Primeaux of Hutchinson, surrendered to deputies and was taken into custody. 

&nbsp;Primeaux is being held on requested charges of felony flee and eluding law enforcement, according to Morse. Additional charges are also possible.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680794737381.png" alt="Primeaux-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Primeaux-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man after a high-speed chase in a reported stolen car.Just after 11p.m. April 4, sheriff's deputies were notified of the theft of a 2018 Nissan Sentra from the Casey’s General Store in Hiawatha, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.&nbsp;Approximately 25 minutes later Jackson County Deputies located the vehicle inside Jackson County where a pursuit ensued from Holton southbound. The pursuit ended stopping near 150th Road where the driver identified as 42-year-old Jeffery Erwin Primeaux of Hutchinson, surrendered to deputies and was taken into custody. &nbsp;Primeaux is being held on requested charges of felony flee and eluding law enforcement, according to Morse. Additional charges are also possible.

Kansas man caught driving reported stolen car

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday allowed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-west-virginia-patrick-morrisey-education-f8e1afd51c2729f31ce7d59bf1bc5d89">12-year-old transgender girl in West Virginia</a>&nbsp;to continue competing on her middle school’s girls sports teams while a lawsuit over a state ban continues.

The Kansas 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 to ban transgender athletes.

Supreme Court Justices refused to disturb an appeals court order that made it possible for the girl, Becky Pepper-Jackson, to continue playing on her school’s track and cross-country teams, where she regularly finishes near the back of the pack.

Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would have allowed West Virginia to enforce its law against Pepper-Jackson.

Pepper-Jackson is in the middle of the outdoor track season. She had filed a lawsuit challenging the law, the Save Women’s Sports Act, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-legislature-west-virginia-college-sports-bills-2424d3b8aaeabed7840f2d2e25458847">West Virginia lawmakers adopted in 2021</a>. A federal appeals court had allowed her to compete while she appealed a lower court ruling that upheld the West Virginia law.

Two weeks ago, track and field banned transgender athletes from international competitions. West Virginia is among 20 states that ban transgender athletes from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, according to Movement Advancement Project, a pro-LGBTQ rights think tank.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, also recently signed legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors, part of an effort in Republican-led states across the country to curb LGBTQ+ rights this year.

West Virginia’s law on schools sports competition bars transgender athletes from female teams. Signed by Justice, the law defines male and female by looking to the student’s “reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” It applies to middle and high schools, as well as colleges.

Under the law, male athletes can play on male or co-ed teams and female athletes can play on all teams.

Tennis great Martina Navratilova was among dozens of female athletes backing West Virginia at the Supreme Court, along with Republican attorneys general in 21 states.

U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Goodwin initially barred West Virginia from enforcing its law and allowed Pepper-Jackson to compete on the girls’ teams while the case continued.

But Goodwin ultimately found that the law does not violate the Constitution or Title IX, the landmark 1972 gender equity legislation. Goodwin, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, ruled the law could remain in place as appeals continued.

Lawyers for the girl, known in the lawsuit by the initials B.P.J., appealed. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1, without issuing any opinion, to put the law on hold while it considers the case.

The two appeals court judges who voted to put the law on hold were Pamela A. Harris, an appointee of former President Barack Obama’s, and Toby J. Heytens, an appointee of President Joe Biden’s. Judge G. Steven Agee, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, dissented.

The Supreme Court provided no justification for its action Thursday.

In dissent, Alito wrote, "I would grant the State’s application. Among other things, enforcement of the law at issue should not be forbidden by the federal courts without any explanation." Thomas joined the dissent.

In asking the high court to allow the law to take effect while the case plays out, West Virginia told the justices that: “This case implicates a question fraught with emotions and differing perspectives. That is all the more reason to defer to state lawmakers pending appeal. ... The decision was the West Virginia Legislature’s to make. The end of this litigation will confirm that it made a valid one.”

Pepper-Jackson is identified in court documents by her initials because of federal rules that prohibit identifying minors. But Pepper-Jackson and her mother have spoken out repeatedly about the issue.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;on Thursday allowed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-west-virginia-patrick-morrisey-education-f8e1afd51c2729f31ce7d59bf1bc5d89">12-year-old transgender girl in West Virginia</a>&nbsp;to continue competing on her middle school’s girls sports teams while a lawsuit over a state ban continues.The Kansas 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 to ban transgender athletes.Supreme Court Justices refused to disturb an appeals court order that made it possible for the girl, Becky Pepper-Jackson, to continue playing on her school’s track and cross-country teams, where she regularly finishes near the back of the pack.Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would have allowed West Virginia to enforce its law against Pepper-Jackson.Pepper-Jackson is in the middle of the outdoor track season. She had filed a lawsuit challenging the law, the Save Women’s Sports Act, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sports-legislature-west-virginia-college-sports-bills-2424d3b8aaeabed7840f2d2e25458847">West Virginia lawmakers adopted in 2021</a>. A federal appeals court had allowed her to compete while she appealed a lower court ruling that upheld the West Virginia law.Two weeks ago, track and field banned transgender athletes from international competitions. West Virginia is among 20 states that ban transgender athletes from participating in sports consistent with their gender identity, according to Movement Advancement Project, a pro-LGBTQ rights think tank.West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, also recently signed legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors, part of an effort in Republican-led states across the country to curb LGBTQ+ rights this year.West Virginia’s law on schools sports competition bars transgender athletes from female teams. Signed by Justice, the law defines male and female by looking to the student’s “reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” It applies to middle and high schools, as well as colleges.Under the law, male athletes can play on male or co-ed teams and female athletes can play on all teams.Tennis great Martina Navratilova was among dozens of female athletes backing West Virginia at the Supreme Court, along with Republican attorneys general in 21 states.U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Goodwin initially barred West Virginia from enforcing its law and allowed Pepper-Jackson to compete on the girls’ teams while the case continued.But Goodwin ultimately found that the law does not violate the Constitution or Title IX, the landmark 1972 gender equity legislation. Goodwin, an appointee of former President Bill Clinton, ruled the law could remain in place as appeals continued.Lawyers for the girl, known in the lawsuit by the initials B.P.J., appealed. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1, without issuing any opinion, to put the law on hold while it considers the case.The two appeals court judges who voted to put the law on hold were Pamela A. Harris, an appointee of former President Barack Obama’s, and Toby J. Heytens, an appointee of President Joe Biden’s. Judge G. Steven Agee, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, dissented.The Supreme Court provided no justification for its action Thursday.In dissent, Alito wrote, "I would grant the State’s application. Among other things, enforcement of the law at issue should not be forbidden by the federal courts without any explanation." Thomas joined the dissent.In asking the high court to allow the law to take effect while the case plays out, West Virginia told the justices that: “This case implicates a question fraught with emotions and differing perspectives. That is all the more reason to defer to state lawmakers pending appeal. ... The decision was the West Virginia Legislature’s to make. The end of this litigation will confirm that it made a valid one.”Pepper-Jackson is identified in court documents by her initials because of federal rules that prohibit identifying minors. But Pepper-Jackson and her mother have spoken out repeatedly about the issue.

After Kan. vote, Supremes deny request to enforce transgender sports ban 

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Three men were charged Thursday with attempted capital murder after a shootout with Kansas City, Kansas, police officers during an attempted undercover drug buy, officials said.

Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said Cornell Lance Jones Jr.; Samarion Ardel England; and Jaeveon Mitchell-Locke face possible life sentences if they are convicted. They range in age from 18 to 22.

Three officers were shot and two others were wounded by shrapnel in the shootout Wednesday in front of convenience store in Kansas City, Kansas. The three suspects were also shot.

Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Karl Oakman said only one officer remained hospitalized Thursday and he was expected to be released soon. It was not clear if the suspects were hospitalized but their injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Oakman said undercover officers were trying to buy fentanyl from the defendants when the drug buy fell through. The officers who were injured responded to help arrest the men.

The men are also charged with aggravated assault against an officer, aggravated child endangerment and fentanyl distribution, Dupree said. They are in custody on $250,000 bond.

Dupree said three children and other adults were inside the store when the shooting occurred. None of them were injured although bullets did enter the store, he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680812877141.png" alt="Cornell Jones-photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Cornell Jones-photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Three men were charged Thursday with attempted capital murder after a shootout with Kansas City, Kansas, police officers during an attempted undercover drug buy, officials said.Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree said Cornell Lance Jones Jr.; Samarion Ardel England; and Jaeveon Mitchell-Locke face possible life sentences if they are convicted. They range in age from 18 to 22.Three officers were shot and two others were wounded by shrapnel in the shootout Wednesday in front of convenience store in Kansas City, Kansas. The three suspects were also shot.Kansas City, Kansas, Police Chief Karl Oakman said only one officer remained hospitalized Thursday and he was expected to be released soon. It was not clear if the suspects were hospitalized but their injuries were not considered life-threatening.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680733406803.png" alt="Police on the scene of the gun fight investigation -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the gun fight investigation -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>Oakman said undercover officers were trying to buy fentanyl from the defendants when the drug buy fell through. The officers who were injured responded to help arrest the men.The men are also charged with aggravated assault against an officer, aggravated child endangerment and fentanyl distribution, Dupree said. They are in custody on $250,000 bond.Dupree said three children and other adults were inside the store when the shooting occurred. None of them were injured although bullets did enter the store, he said.

1 of 5 Kan. officers injured in fentanyl bust remains hospitalized

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A woman injured in an accident on Wednesday has died. 

Just after 7p.m., a car driven by 51-year-old&nbsp;Christene Traina was northbound&nbsp; on Meridian Avenue at Main Street in Valley Center, acording to Valley Center Director of Public Safety Director/Police Chief Lloyd Newman.

The vehicle crossed the center line and struck a southbound van.&nbsp; EMS transported Traina to a local hospital where she died, according to Newman. Police reported no other injuries.

&nbsp;The case is still under investigation and the cause of death is pending an autopsy and toxicology results, according to Newman.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680802058552.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the crash-photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the crash-photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A woman injured in an accident on Wednesday has died. Just after 7p.m., a car driven by 51-year-old&nbsp;Christene Traina was northbound&nbsp; on Meridian Avenue at Main Street in Valley Center, acording to Valley Center Director of Public Safety Director/Police Chief Lloyd Newman.The vehicle crossed the center line and struck a southbound van.&nbsp; EMS transported Traina to a local hospital where she died, according to Newman. Police reported no other injuries.&nbsp;The case is still under investigation and the cause of death is pending an autopsy and toxicology results, according to Newman.

Police investigate Kansas woman's death in crash

Bollinger County, Mo. (AP) —The five people who were killed when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midwest-south-storms-tornadoes-2783b74e077740b3c253ce30632ff04d">tornado barreled through their Missouri village</a>&nbsp;were inside a mobile home or adjacent camper that were obliterated, authorities said Thursday.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol released the names of the victims. Glenn Burcks, 62, lived in the mobile home. Susan Sullivan, 57, also lived there along with her 37-year-old nephew, James Skaggs. Also killed were Sullivan's 16-year-old granddaughter, Destinee Nicole Koenig of Sikeston, Missouri, and 18-year-old Michael McCoy. Koenig's obituary said McCoy was her boyfriend.

The tornado strafed a 22-mile (35-kilometer) stretch of southeastern Missouri, including Glenallen, starting shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. It came during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-arkansas-storm-concert-79fe2da8a6b8bd92970032530b760d20">a week of violent storms</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-storms-deaths-damage-tennessee-arkansas-1931cb7510deab7ad26890d033fb32e1">tornadoes</a>&nbsp;in the central and southern U.S., including Kentucky, where National Weather Service said Thursday that it was surveying damage from three EF-1 twisters that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-tornado-louisville-storm-damage-db19a3320a1674cf4900026c035c51dc">touched down</a>.

Glenallen, which is home to only about 60 people and sits in a hilly and isolated area of southeastern Missouri, got the worst of Wednesday's tornado, which the weather service characterized as an EF-2, with winds of 130 mph (209 kph). A fire station and church were destroyed, and dozens of homes were damaged, many beyond repair. The mobile home and camper where the five people were smashed beyond recognition.

Highway Patrol Sgt. Clark Parrott said investigators aren't sure if any of the victims were in the camper when the tornado hit.

The mobile home essentially exploded, leaving only scattered debris and a rusted metal chassis. Some shards of metal stuck to tree limbs. Tattered remains of furniture sat in a field. A few old photos, videotapes and even baseball cards dotted the mud near the home's concrete pad.

Koenig was a sophomore at New Madrid High School and loved animals, especially cats and dogs. A message seeking comment from the school district wasn’t immediately returned.

Sullivan worked as a teacher for Head Start for about 15 years, according to her obituary. She had a fondness for her dog, “Baby,” and for pigs.

Skaggs “loved to take pictures, have fun and be the life of the party,” his obituary stated.

Obituaries for Burcks and McCoy had not been posted as of midday Thursday.

In Kentucky, preliminary findings on Thursday indicated that tornadoes struck the Pleasure Ridge Park and Newburg sections of Louisville, meteorologist Brian Neudorff said. The storm toppled trees and power lines and tore the roof off an apartment building.

A separate tornado with maximum winds of 110 mph (177 kph) touched down in the Brandonburg area of Mead County, less than an hour southwest of Louisville, Neudorff said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

Bob Oravec, a lead weather service forecaster, said more severe weather was possible Thursday in an area stretching from eastern Texas to the mid-Atlantic states.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680804825268.png" alt="Photo Missouri State Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Missouri State Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>Bollinger County, Mo. (AP) —The five people who were killed when a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/midwest-south-storms-tornadoes-2783b74e077740b3c253ce30632ff04d">tornado barreled through their Missouri village</a>&nbsp;were inside a mobile home or adjacent camper that were obliterated, authorities said Thursday.The Missouri State Highway Patrol released the names of the victims. Glenn Burcks, 62, lived in the mobile home. Susan Sullivan, 57, also lived there along with her 37-year-old nephew, James Skaggs. Also killed were Sullivan's 16-year-old granddaughter, Destinee Nicole Koenig of Sikeston, Missouri, and 18-year-old Michael McCoy. Koenig's obituary said McCoy was her boyfriend.The tornado strafed a 22-mile (35-kilometer) stretch of southeastern Missouri, including Glenallen, starting shortly after 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. It came during&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-arkansas-storm-concert-79fe2da8a6b8bd92970032530b760d20">a week of violent storms</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tornado-storms-deaths-damage-tennessee-arkansas-1931cb7510deab7ad26890d033fb32e1">tornadoes</a>&nbsp;in the central and southern U.S., including Kentucky, where National Weather Service said Thursday that it was surveying damage from three EF-1 twisters that&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-tornado-louisville-storm-damage-db19a3320a1674cf4900026c035c51dc">touched down</a>.Glenallen, which is home to only about 60 people and sits in a hilly and isolated area of southeastern Missouri, got the worst of Wednesday's tornado, which the weather service characterized as an EF-2, with winds of 130 mph (209 kph). A fire station and church were destroyed, and dozens of homes were damaged, many beyond repair. The mobile home and camper where the five people were smashed beyond recognition.Highway Patrol Sgt. Clark Parrott said investigators aren't sure if any of the victims were in the camper when the tornado hit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680702085941.jpeg" alt="Photo Missouri State Highway Patrol" />
 <figcaption>Photo Missouri State Highway Patrol</figcaption>
 </figure>The mobile home essentially exploded, leaving only scattered debris and a rusted metal chassis. Some shards of metal stuck to tree limbs. Tattered remains of furniture sat in a field. A few old photos, videotapes and even baseball cards dotted the mud near the home's concrete pad.Koenig was a sophomore at New Madrid High School and loved animals, especially cats and dogs. A message seeking comment from the school district wasn’t immediately returned.Sullivan worked as a teacher for Head Start for about 15 years, according to her obituary. She had a fondness for her dog, “Baby,” and for pigs.Skaggs “loved to take pictures, have fun and be the life of the party,” his obituary stated.Obituaries for Burcks and McCoy had not been posted as of midday Thursday.In Kentucky, preliminary findings on Thursday indicated that tornadoes struck the Pleasure Ridge Park and Newburg sections of Louisville, meteorologist Brian Neudorff said. The storm toppled trees and power lines and tore the roof off an apartment building.A separate tornado with maximum winds of 110 mph (177 kph) touched down in the Brandonburg area of Mead County, less than an hour southwest of Louisville, Neudorff said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.Bob Oravec, a lead weather service forecaster, said more severe weather was possible Thursday in an area stretching from eastern Texas to the mid-Atlantic states.

Patrol IDs 2 teens, 3 adults who died in Missouri tornado

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 — A bill meant to help overburdened county jails is still under debate 
after lawmakers rolled portions of a “women’s bill of rights” into the 
legislation.

Sheriffs and elected officials from Sedgwick and Finney Counties <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/03/kansas-inmates-wait-months-for-treatment-due-to-shortage-of-mental-health-hospital-beds/">repeatedly asked lawmakers</a>
 to help with ongoing county jail workforce shortages and mental health 
crises. In many cases, people deemed a danger to themselves or others 
are reviewed by the district attorney’s office, and are sent to the 
county jail until a hospital bed is ready. Because
 of shortages of mental health care workers and beds for patients, 
community hospitals and jails in western Kansas have had to pick up the 
slack, housing mentally unstable patients without state reimbursement.

<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/SB228/">The legislation</a>
 provides reimbursement to counties for the costs of&nbsp; housing people 
awaiting examination, evaluation or treatment for competency, giving a 
rate of $100 per day for each person. The bill also has other provisions
 modifying antiquated county jail procedures and contracts.

In negotiations between the two 
chambers, senators amended the bill to clarify men and women should 
always be kept in separate rooms and defined these classifications as 
the “biological state of being female or male based on the individual’s 
sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous hormone profiles.”&nbsp;

Rep. Boog Highberger, a Lawrence 
Democrat, called the changes “problematic” and said senators essentially
 took the definition of sex from <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb180/">Senate Bill 180</a>.
 That bill uses a politically charged definition of “women” to exclude 
transgender women from gender-specific public spaces. Under the bill, 
only those with female reproductive systems are classified as women.

Highberger said this language would 
require chromosome checking, along with other procedures that jails 
aren’t equipped to handle.

“It doesn’t address the question of 
intersex people, who don’t fall into either category,” Highberger said. 
“This bill amendment is going to create problems where there aren’t any 
now. Our county jails all across the state are dealing with this. They 
didn’t ask for this change, this came from the Senate.”

Republicans executed a procedural move to exclude Democrats from 
working out a compromise on the bill. Negotiations on a final product 
were underway Wednesday night.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680803222688.png" alt="Rep. Boog Highberger, right, says definitions of "female" and "male" that were inserted into proposed legislation are problematic and will cause problems for county jails. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Boog Highberger, right, says definitions of "female" and "male" that were inserted into proposed legislation are problematic and will cause problems for county jails. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/05/kansas-lawmakers-debate-definition-of-female-and-male-for-county-jails/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 — A bill meant to help overburdened county jails is still under debate 
after lawmakers rolled portions of a “women’s bill of rights” into the 
legislation.Sheriffs and elected officials from Sedgwick and Finney Counties <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/03/kansas-inmates-wait-months-for-treatment-due-to-shortage-of-mental-health-hospital-beds/">repeatedly asked lawmakers</a>
 to help with ongoing county jail workforce shortages and mental health 
crises. In many cases, people deemed a danger to themselves or others 
are reviewed by the district attorney’s office, and are sent to the 
county jail until a hospital bed is ready. Because
 of shortages of mental health care workers and beds for patients, 
community hospitals and jails in western Kansas have had to pick up the 
slack, housing mentally unstable patients without state reimbursement.<a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/SB228/">The legislation</a>
 provides reimbursement to counties for the costs of&nbsp; housing people 
awaiting examination, evaluation or treatment for competency, giving a 
rate of $100 per day for each person. The bill also has other provisions
 modifying antiquated county jail procedures and contracts.In negotiations between the two 
chambers, senators amended the bill to clarify men and women should 
always be kept in separate rooms and defined these classifications as 
the “biological state of being female or male based on the individual’s 
sex organs, chromosomes, and endogenous hormone profiles.”&nbsp;Rep. Boog Highberger, a Lawrence 
Democrat, called the changes “problematic” and said senators essentially
 took the definition of sex from <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/sb180/">Senate Bill 180</a>.
 That bill uses a politically charged definition of “women” to exclude 
transgender women from gender-specific public spaces. Under the bill, 
only those with female reproductive systems are classified as women.Highberger said this language would 
require chromosome checking, along with other procedures that jails 
aren’t equipped to handle.“It doesn’t address the question of 
intersex people, who don’t fall into either category,” Highberger said. 
“This bill amendment is going to create problems where there aren’t any 
now. Our county jails all across the state are dealing with this. They 
didn’t ask for this change, this came from the Senate.”Republicans executed a procedural move to exclude Democrats from 
working out a compromise on the bill. Negotiations on a final product 
were underway Wednesday night.

Kan. lawmakers debate gender definitions for county jails

SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged road rage incident that have made an arrest.

Just before noon Tuesday, police were&nbsp;patrolling near Harry and McLean in Wichita when they came upon a 62-year-old man sitting on the side of the road in pain next to his blue 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle that had rear-end damage, according to Officer Chad Ditch.

The victim stated that&nbsp; Tkeyah Hurd of Wichita intentionally hit him and then fled in her maroon 2013 Chrysler 200. EMS transported the man to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries for treatment.

The investigation revealed that Hurd driving her Chrysler 200 and the victim on a motorcycle were westbound on Pawnee when the motorcycle turned northbound onto Broadway from the inside lane and Hurd turned Northbound onto Broadway from the outside lane almost striking the motorcycle A verbal exchange occurred between Hurd and the victim and they continued northbound onto Broadway. 

Several minutes later the victim was approaching Harry and McLean when he glanced into his rear-view mirror and noticed a vehicle approaching him quickly. The vehicle then struck the victim and as he fell off the motorcycle, he was able to see it was the maroon Chrysler 200 driven by Hurd.

Several witnesses saw the collision and followed Hurd until she parked the vehicle and walked away from it at the intersection of Boston and Wichita Streets.

Police took her into custody in the 1400 block of South Wichita. She is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1680710840329.png" alt="Hurd-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Hurd-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged road rage incident that have made an arrest.Just before noon Tuesday, police were&nbsp;patrolling near Harry and McLean in Wichita when they came upon a 62-year-old man sitting on the side of the road in pain next to his blue 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle that had rear-end damage, according to Officer Chad Ditch.The victim stated that&nbsp; Tkeyah Hurd of Wichita intentionally hit him and then fled in her maroon 2013 Chrysler 200. EMS transported the man to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries for treatment.The investigation revealed that Hurd driving her Chrysler 200 and the victim on a motorcycle were westbound on Pawnee when the motorcycle turned northbound onto Broadway from the inside lane and Hurd turned Northbound onto Broadway from the outside lane almost striking the motorcycle A verbal exchange occurred between Hurd and the victim and they continued northbound onto Broadway. Several minutes later the victim was approaching Harry and McLean when he glanced into his rear-view mirror and noticed a vehicle approaching him quickly. The vehicle then struck the victim and as he fell off the motorcycle, he was able to see it was the maroon Chrysler 200 driven by Hurd.Several witnesses saw the collision and followed Hurd until she parked the vehicle and walked away from it at the intersection of Boston and Wichita Streets.Police took her into custody in the 1400 block of South Wichita. She is being held on requested charges of Aggravated Battery.

Road Rage: Kansas woman struck motorcyclist with car

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling nearly 564,000 older small SUVs because road salt can cause the frame to rust and rear suspension parts to come loose.

The recall covers certain CR-Vs from 2007 through 2011 that were sold or registered in states where salt is used to clear roads in the winter.

U.S. safety regulators say in documents posted Thursday that salt can accumulate and cause corrosion, and the rear trailing arm can detach. That can cause drivers to lose control, increasing the risk of a crash. Rear trailing arms connect the rear axle to the chassis.

The recalled CR-Vs were either sold or registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.

Dealers will inspect the SUVs and install a support brace or repair the rear frame if needed. If the frame is badly damaged, Honda may offer to buy the vehicle. Owners will be notified by letter starting May 8.

The CR-Vs already have been recalled in Canada. Honda says in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has 61 customer complaints in the U.S. but no deaths or injuries.

DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling nearly 564,000 older small SUVs because road salt can cause the frame to rust and rear suspension parts to come loose.The recall covers certain CR-Vs from 2007 through 2011 that were sold or registered in states where salt is used to clear roads in the winter.U.S. safety regulators say in documents posted Thursday that salt can accumulate and cause corrosion, and the rear trailing arm can detach. That can cause drivers to lose control, increasing the risk of a crash. Rear trailing arms connect the rear axle to the chassis.The recalled CR-Vs were either sold or registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.Dealers will inspect the SUVs and install a support brace or repair the rear frame if needed. If the frame is badly damaged, Honda may offer to buy the vehicle. Owners will be notified by letter starting May 8.The CR-Vs already have been recalled in Canada. Honda says in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it has 61 customer complaints in the U.S. but no deaths or injuries.

Honda recalls CR-Vs to fix frame rust problem

TOPEKA –&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach praises legislators for their actions eliminating the burdensome state fee for Kansans to obtain a concealed carry permit, according to a statement from the AG's office. The measure now goes to the governor for signature.

“Kansans should not have to pay the state a fee in order to exercise a constitutional right. We don’t have to buy a license to exercise our right to speak. Church goers do not pay the state in order to attend church, and lawful gun owners shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege of bearing arms in a manner that is the most common way of carrying in the 21st Century,” Kobach said.

During his run in 2022 for attorney general, Kobach made elimination of the $100 fee charged by the Office of the Attorney General to process the application for a CCL a priority. Today’s vote fulfills that campaign promise, making Kansas the second state in the U.S. to eliminate the CCL fee.

Eliminating the fee also will encourage more Kansans to obtain training and get their CCL. When Kansas became a constitutional carry state, many worried that doing so would reduce the number of people who go through the training to get their CCL. Eliminating the $100 fee will do much to encourage more people to do so. County sheriffs will continue to collect a $32.50 fee for their part in the CCL process.

TOPEKA –&nbsp; Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach praises legislators for their actions eliminating the burdensome state fee for Kansans to obtain a concealed carry permit, according to a statement from the AG's office. The measure now goes to the governor for signature.“Kansans should not have to pay the state a fee in order to exercise a constitutional right. We don’t have to buy a license to exercise our right to speak. Church goers do not pay the state in order to attend church, and lawful gun owners shouldn’t have to pay for the privilege of bearing arms in a manner that is the most common way of carrying in the 21st Century,” Kobach said.During his run in 2022 for attorney general, Kobach made elimination of the $100 fee charged by the Office of the Attorney General to process the application for a CCL a priority. Today’s vote fulfills that campaign promise, making Kansas the second state in the U.S. to eliminate the CCL fee.Eliminating the fee also will encourage more Kansans to obtain training and get their CCL. When Kansas became a constitutional carry state, many worried that doing so would reduce the number of people who go through the training to get their CCL. Eliminating the $100 fee will do much to encourage more people to do so. County sheriffs will continue to collect a $32.50 fee for their part in the CCL process.

Kansas to eliminate state fee for concealed carry permit

WICHITA, KAN. – A former police officer has been sentenced in Sedgwick County District Court. 

Judge David Kaufman sentenced&nbsp; 32-year-old Victor Heiar of Park City to a controlling term of 24 months in jail from which he was granted probation for 18 months.

&nbsp;The former lieutenant of the Kechi Police Department pled guilty to computer crime and stalking, both misdemeanors. Heiar took advantage of his position in the department to use the Flock License Plate Reader system to monitor his estranged wife’s location. The woman had told a friend that she was scared and thought Heiar was somehow tracking her whereabouts. 

The friend later contacted a Wichita Police officer and asked how someone could get a protection from stalking order. Heiar was arrested by Wichita Police on October 26.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1667210771238.png" alt="Heiar-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Heiar-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, KAN. – A former police officer has been sentenced in Sedgwick County District Court. Judge David Kaufman sentenced&nbsp; 32-year-old Victor Heiar of Park City to a controlling term of 24 months in jail from which he was granted probation for 18 months.&nbsp;The former lieutenant of the Kechi Police Department pled guilty to computer crime and stalking, both misdemeanors. Heiar took advantage of his position in the department to use the Flock License Plate Reader system to monitor his estranged wife’s location. The woman had told a friend that she was scared and thought Heiar was somehow tracking her whereabouts. The friend later contacted a Wichita Police officer and asked how someone could get a protection from stalking order. Heiar was arrested by Wichita Police on October 26..

Kan. police officer admits to computer crime, stalking 

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 to ban transgender athletes, and came a day after state lawmakers passed a broad bathroom bill. Nineteen other states have imposed restrictions on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">most recently Wyoming.</a>

Kelly told reporters in the Kansas City area that she believes legislators eventually will regret voting for "this really awful bill.”

“It breaks my heart and certainly is disappointing," Kelly said.

<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">restrict restroom use</a>.

The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved by Kansas lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities, and bars them from changing their name or gender on their driver’s licenses. Kelly is expected to veto that.

“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 about 40 miles&nbsp; northwest of Wichita. “We may face the very real threat of having to move, and it’s heartbreaking."

The ban demonstrates the clout of religious conservatives, reflected 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” — and echoes many Republicans’ beliefs that their constituents don’t like any cultural shift toward acceptance.

“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 the bathroom bill.

LGBTQ-rights advocates say its part of a national campaign from right-wing 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 legislators are pursuing “bills against children” who “haven’t done anything to harm anyone.”

Alex, who lobbied for trans rights with his mother at the Statehouse last week, said it’s good for trans kids' mental health to play on teams associated with their gender identities, and that most other kids just don't care.

It’s largely adults who “care so much about what the trans kids are doing,” Alex said.

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 the two-thirds majority needed. The vote&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230405145207_393815/">was 28-12</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, one more than a two-thirds majority.

Supporters of the ban could not have overriden Kelly's veto this year but for the only Democrat to side with them against the governor. Rep. Marvin Robinson, of Kansas City, told reporters that he had wanted to “meet in the middle” but found the debate “all or none out there.” He said he prayed for guidance before the vote.

Two LGBTQ Democratic lawmakers from the Kansas City area were especially upset because they believed Republicans were gloating over the House vote.

Rep. Heather Meyer stood up, opened her jacket and displayed a “Protect Trans Youth” T-shirt before making a rude gesture as she left the chamber. Rep. Susan Ruiz yelled at GOP members, briefly cursing at them before being told she was out of order.

“We're tired of putting up with it, and I'm tired of putting up with it,” she said later. “There needs to be some respect.”

Across the U.S., supporters of such bans argue that they keep competition fair. Track and field last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f3499b00b932948f96838adb3b010f11">barred transgender athletes from international competition,</a>&nbsp;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>

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 to ban transgender athletes, and came a day after state lawmakers passed a broad bathroom bill. Nineteen other states have imposed restrictions on transgender athletes,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/wyoming-transgender-athletes-ban-e0d957ea5f4b57ab48752b2ecad432ec">most recently Wyoming.</a>Kelly told reporters in the Kansas City area that she believes legislators eventually will regret voting for "this really awful bill.”“It breaks my heart and certainly is disappointing," Kelly said.<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">restrict restroom use</a>.The measure&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/transgender-rights-bathroom-bill-kansas-cbdc14be5bf1fb6e1a0749cad52e8ebc">approved by Kansas lawmakers Tuesday</a>&nbsp;would prevent transgender people from using public restrooms, locker rooms and other facilities associated with their gender identities, and bars them from changing their name or gender on their driver’s licenses. Kelly is expected to veto that.“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 about 40 miles&nbsp; northwest of Wichita. “We may face the very real threat of having to move, and it’s heartbreaking."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To everyone in Kansas who is a member of the Trans community, and to everyone with a loved one who is Trans: we see you and stand with you. <a href="https://t.co/DoMeHFnMUK">pic.twitter.com/DoMeHFnMUK</a>&mdash; Kansas Dems (@KansasDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/KansasDems/status/1643906419891240961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The ban demonstrates the clout of religious conservatives, reflected 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” — and echoes many Republicans’ beliefs that their constituents don’t like any cultural shift toward acceptance.“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 the bathroom bill.LGBTQ-rights advocates say its part of a national campaign from right-wing 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 legislators are pursuing “bills against children” who “haven’t done anything to harm anyone.”Alex, who lobbied for trans rights with his mother at the Statehouse last week, said it’s good for trans kids' mental health to play on teams associated with their gender identities, and that most other kids just don't care.It’s largely adults who “care so much about what the trans kids are doing,” Alex said.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 the two-thirds majority needed. The vote&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/vote_view/je_20230405145207_393815/">was 28-12</a>&nbsp;in the Senate, one more than a two-thirds majority.Supporters of the ban could not have overriden Kelly's veto this year but for the only Democrat to side with them against the governor. Rep. Marvin Robinson, of Kansas City, told reporters that he had wanted to “meet in the middle” but found the debate “all or none out there.” He said he prayed for guidance before the vote.Two LGBTQ Democratic lawmakers from the Kansas City area were especially upset because they believed Republicans were gloating over the House vote.Rep. Heather Meyer stood up, opened her jacket and displayed a “Protect Trans Youth” T-shirt before making a rude gesture as she left the chamber. Rep. Susan Ruiz yelled at GOP members, briefly cursing at them before being told she was out of order.“We're tired of putting up with it, and I'm tired of putting up with it,” she said later. “There needs to be some respect.”Across the U.S., supporters of such bans argue that they keep competition fair. Track and field last month&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f3499b00b932948f96838adb3b010f11">barred transgender athletes from international competition,</a>&nbsp;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, “healthy habits,” and having fun in a supportive environment. 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&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lawmakers-unable-to-cite-local-trans-girls-sports-914a982545e943ecc1e265e8c41042e7">the scarcity of transgender female athletes</a>.The state association said three transgender girls competed in sports in grades 7-12 this year, two of them seniors. Taylor said transgender athletes in college likely number fewer than 500. The NCAA says&nbsp;<a href="https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/research/sportpart/2021RES_SportsSponsorshipParticipationRatesReport.pdf">about 219,000 women</a>&nbsp;play collegiate sports.The international track and field ban doesn’t affect a single transgender female athlete.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?”