NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are advising people to stop using <a href="https://ezricare-info.com/">over-the-counter eye drops</a> that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections.

<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/CRPA-artificial-tears.html">The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> on Wednesday night sent a health alert to physicians, saying the outbreak includes at least 55 <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/CRPA-artificial-tears.html#anchor_1674746879046">people in 12 states</a>. One died.

Disease investigators have linked the infections, including some found in blood, urine and lungs, to EzriCare Artificial Tears. Many of the patients said they had used the product, which is a lubricant used to treat irritation and dryness.

The infections were all caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Investigators detected that kind of bacteria in open EzriCare bottles, but further testing was underway to see if the strains matched.

EzriCare said it is not aware of any evidence definitively linking the outbreak to the product, but that it has stopped distributing the eye drops. It also has a notice on its&nbsp;<a href="https://ezricare.com/">website</a>&nbsp;urging consumers to stop using the drops.

“To the greatest extent possible, we have been contacting customers to advise them against continued use of the product. We also immediately reached out to both CDC and FDA and indicated our willingness to cooperate with any requests they may have of us,” the company said.

Two weeks ago, the CDC warned medical professional societies about the possible connection between the drops and the infections. The Wednesday alert was a broader, more public warning.

Infections were diagnosed in patients in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. One patient — in Washington — died with a blood infection. At least five others suffered permanent vision loss.

The outbreak is considered particularly worrisome because the bacteria driving it are resistant to standard antibiotics.

Investigators found the bacteria were not susceptible to any antibiotics routinely tested at public health laboratories. However, a newer antibiotic named cefiderocol did seem to work.

How could eye drops cause infections in the blood or lungs? The eye connects to the nasal cavity through the tear ducts. Bacteria can move from the nasal cavity into the lungs. Also, bacteria in these parts of the body can seed infections at other sites such as in the blood or wounds, CDC officials said.

The product is manufactured in India by Global Pharma Healthcare Pvt Ltd., EzriCare said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675357768410.png" alt="Image -Ezri care" />
 <figcaption>Image -Ezri care</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials are advising people to stop using <a href="https://ezricare-info.com/">over-the-counter eye drops</a> that have been linked to an outbreak of drug-resistant infections.<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/CRPA-artificial-tears.html">The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> on Wednesday night sent a health alert to physicians, saying the outbreak includes at least 55 <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/CRPA-artificial-tears.html#anchor_1674746879046">people in 12 states</a>. One died.Disease investigators have linked the infections, including some found in blood, urine and lungs, to EzriCare Artificial Tears. Many of the patients said they had used the product, which is a lubricant used to treat irritation and dryness.The infections were all caused by a bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Investigators detected that kind of bacteria in open EzriCare bottles, but further testing was underway to see if the strains matched.EzriCare said it is not aware of any evidence definitively linking the outbreak to the product, but that it has stopped distributing the eye drops. It also has a notice on its&nbsp;<a href="https://ezricare.com/">website</a>&nbsp;urging consumers to stop using the drops.“To the greatest extent possible, we have been contacting customers to advise them against continued use of the product. We also immediately reached out to both CDC and FDA and indicated our willingness to cooperate with any requests they may have of us,” the company said.Two weeks ago, the CDC warned medical professional societies about the possible connection between the drops and the infections. The Wednesday alert was a broader, more public warning.Infections were diagnosed in patients in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin. One patient — in Washington — died with a blood infection. At least five others suffered permanent vision loss.The outbreak is considered particularly worrisome because the bacteria driving it are resistant to standard antibiotics.Investigators found the bacteria were not susceptible to any antibiotics routinely tested at public health laboratories. However, a newer antibiotic named cefiderocol did seem to work.How could eye drops cause infections in the blood or lungs? The eye connects to the nasal cavity through the tear ducts. Bacteria can move from the nasal cavity into the lungs. Also, bacteria in these parts of the body can seed infections at other sites such as in the blood or wounds, CDC officials said.The product is manufactured in India by Global Pharma Healthcare Pvt Ltd., EzriCare said.

Eye drops linked to US drug-resistant bacteria outbreak

DENVER (AP) — Every Colorado school district, like many across the country, began 2023 understaffed. That's caused classes to be crammed together, school bus routes to shrink, Spanish language courses to get cut from curriculums, and field trips to be nixed.

This has prompted lawmakers in Colorado and other states to suggest legislation that would get rid of relicensing requirements for teachers when they move across state lines — an oftentimes cumbersome and costly process of waiting periods, licensing fees, and expensive exams.

The idea for an Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact was first proposed by the U.S. Department of Defense and is designed, in part, to support military spouses. It would effectively allow teaching licenses to be viable across members of the compact, cutting through the current 50-state patchwork of disparate requirements.

Colorado’s House education committee voted nine to two on Wednesday to send the legislation forward in a hearing.

Nine other statehouses are considering joining the compact, including Hawaii, Washington, Kansas, Georgia and Mississippi. For the compact to take effect, 10 states must approve it.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-education-birmingham-0785042a3da15bcbcc58922c747fd961">national teacher shortage,</a>&nbsp;exacerbated by deep losses during the pandemic, has left states scrambling to hire and retain educators. It's pushed school districts across the South to accept candidates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-texas-alabama-race-and-ethnicity-0d83fcc256ec2efef37b0d5c24f418a5">without teaching certificates or formal training</a>&nbsp;to staunch the losses.

“The idea of this bill is that it removes a barrier for moving into the state,” said Colorado Democratic Rep. Meghan Lukens, one of the bill’s sponsors. “By participating in this compact we will allow the seamless transfer of teachers to our state while maintaining the integrity of our teacher licensing.”

Some worry the change won't make significant difference as long as teachers are underpaid in a state with sky-high housing costs.

In 2020, Colorado paid teachers an estimated average of just over $60,000 annually, below the national average of about $65,000, according the National Center for Education Statistics, even though it's one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-travel-health-colorado-covid-1e19343774ffafab38131e19869888cb">most expensive states</a>&nbsp;to live&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-travel-health-colorado-covid-1e19343774ffafab38131e19869888cb"></a>in. On those salaries, only about 20% of available homes in Colorado are affordable to teachers, according to a study by the Keystone Policy Center.

“I think this is another example of a solution that isn’t meeting the problem,” said Philip Qualman, superintendent at Eagle County School District, which includes the ski town of Vail west of Denver.

Qualman said the district is struggling with about 90 vacant positions — the most they’ve ever had — including custodians, teachers and bus drivers. Applicants who receive a job offer often end up turning it down when they can’t find housing within their budget, he said.

“I think it’s great to reduce the barriers to licensure for those who want to come here. But in reality, who’s going to want to come here when our compensation is so horrible?” Qualman said.

Adam Diersing, a policy analyst for the Council of State Governments which is working with the Department of Defense in developing and spreading the compact, said “in past compacts we have not seen evidence that accessibility of a license is an impetus for somebody to move to a new state.”

Still, Diersing added that teachers move for a plethora of reasons, including caring for aging relatives or joining their military spouse, and that state licensing barriers can push them to leave the field altogether.

“This can be an effective tool to keep folks in the profession when they want to,” said Diersing.

Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association, pointed to underfunding as principle cause of teacher shortages. Baca-Oehlert did testify in support of the bill at Wednesday’s hearing, arguing that “it certainly opens the door to addressing the bigger issue.”

“We need something that attracts them to our state,” Baca-Oehlert said in an interview after the hearing, adding that Colorado must also focus on retaining teachers.

Agreeing that underfunding is a key problem, Democratic Rep. Mary Young said “We have to continue to recognize that this is a destination state, we’ve seen the number of people moving here and we want to make their experiences positive.”

Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis declined to say whether he supports the measure or not.

The legislation is receiving tentative bipartisan support in Colorado, along with other states where the bill is pending. But Diersing, the policy analyst, was unsure whether enough legislatures will sign on to the compact in 2023 to launch it.

He did point to the Nurse Licensing Compact, which passed in 2000 and now has 39 members states as of last year. As for the proposed teacher compact: “It’s tough to say.”

DENVER (AP) — Every Colorado school district, like many across the country, began 2023 understaffed. That's caused classes to be crammed together, school bus routes to shrink, Spanish language courses to get cut from curriculums, and field trips to be nixed.This has prompted lawmakers in Colorado and other states to suggest legislation that would get rid of relicensing requirements for teachers when they move across state lines — an oftentimes cumbersome and costly process of waiting periods, licensing fees, and expensive exams.The idea for an Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact was first proposed by the U.S. Department of Defense and is designed, in part, to support military spouses. It would effectively allow teaching licenses to be viable across members of the compact, cutting through the current 50-state patchwork of disparate requirements.Colorado’s House education committee voted nine to two on Wednesday to send the legislation forward in a hearing.Nine other statehouses are considering joining the compact, including Hawaii, Washington, Kansas, Georgia and Mississippi. For the compact to take effect, 10 states must approve it.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-covid-education-birmingham-0785042a3da15bcbcc58922c747fd961">national teacher shortage,</a>&nbsp;exacerbated by deep losses during the pandemic, has left states scrambling to hire and retain educators. It's pushed school districts across the South to accept candidates&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/science-texas-alabama-race-and-ethnicity-0d83fcc256ec2efef37b0d5c24f418a5">without teaching certificates or formal training</a>&nbsp;to staunch the losses.“The idea of this bill is that it removes a barrier for moving into the state,” said Colorado Democratic Rep. Meghan Lukens, one of the bill’s sponsors. “By participating in this compact we will allow the seamless transfer of teachers to our state while maintaining the integrity of our teacher licensing.”Some worry the change won't make significant difference as long as teachers are underpaid in a state with sky-high housing costs.In 2020, Colorado paid teachers an estimated average of just over $60,000 annually, below the national average of about $65,000, according the National Center for Education Statistics, even though it's one of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-travel-health-colorado-covid-1e19343774ffafab38131e19869888cb">most expensive states</a>&nbsp;to live&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-travel-health-colorado-covid-1e19343774ffafab38131e19869888cb"></a>in. On those salaries, only about 20% of available homes in Colorado are affordable to teachers, according to a study by the Keystone Policy Center.“I think this is another example of a solution that isn’t meeting the problem,” said Philip Qualman, superintendent at Eagle County School District, which includes the ski town of Vail west of Denver.Qualman said the district is struggling with about 90 vacant positions — the most they’ve ever had — including custodians, teachers and bus drivers. Applicants who receive a job offer often end up turning it down when they can’t find housing within their budget, he said.“I think it’s great to reduce the barriers to licensure for those who want to come here. But in reality, who’s going to want to come here when our compensation is so horrible?” Qualman said.Adam Diersing, a policy analyst for the Council of State Governments which is working with the Department of Defense in developing and spreading the compact, said “in past compacts we have not seen evidence that accessibility of a license is an impetus for somebody to move to a new state.”Still, Diersing added that teachers move for a plethora of reasons, including caring for aging relatives or joining their military spouse, and that state licensing barriers can push them to leave the field altogether.“This can be an effective tool to keep folks in the profession when they want to,” said Diersing.Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association, pointed to underfunding as principle cause of teacher shortages. Baca-Oehlert did testify in support of the bill at Wednesday’s hearing, arguing that “it certainly opens the door to addressing the bigger issue.”“We need something that attracts them to our state,” Baca-Oehlert said in an interview after the hearing, adding that Colorado must also focus on retaining teachers.Agreeing that underfunding is a key problem, Democratic Rep. Mary Young said “We have to continue to recognize that this is a destination state, we’ve seen the number of people moving here and we want to make their experiences positive.”Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis declined to say whether he supports the measure or not.The legislation is receiving tentative bipartisan support in Colorado, along with other states where the bill is pending. But Diersing, the policy analyst, was unsure whether enough legislatures will sign on to the compact in 2023 to launch it.He did point to the Nurse Licensing Compact, which passed in 2000 and now has 39 members states as of last year. As for the proposed teacher compact: “It’s tough to say.”

Kan., other states mull cross-border rules to tackle teacher shortage

BY JUDD WEIL and NICK GOSNELL Hutch Post

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Reno County jury on Thursday found 37-year-old Kyle Hardwick guilty in the August 2021 deaths of 56-year-old Marion “Ed” Bates and 58-year-old Phillip Anstine both of Hutchinson.

Hardwick was convicted of two counts of intentional and premeditated murder in the first degree and&nbsp; one count of theft of property or services, valued at $1,500 to $25,000, along with one count of theft of property or services of a firearm with a value less than $25,000 and a count of solicitation of perjury; testify to material fact in felony proceeding.&nbsp;

On Sept. 1 of 2021, police arrested Hardwick in Maize after he was listed as a person of interest when authorities discovered the bodies of Bates and Anstine on a property in eastern Reno County.

The state called upon over 45 witnesses to testify in the case, as well as presented over 110 pieces of evidence. &nbsp;

Sentencing is set in the case for April 7. Hardwick remains in jail without bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/8/1630432406794.png" alt="Hardwick-photo Reno County" />
 <figcaption>Hardwick-photo Reno County</figcaption>
 </figure>BY JUDD WEIL and NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — A Reno County jury on Thursday found 37-year-old Kyle Hardwick guilty in the August 2021 deaths of 56-year-old Marion “Ed” Bates and 58-year-old Phillip Anstine both of Hutchinson.Hardwick was convicted of two counts of intentional and premeditated murder in the first degree and&nbsp; one count of theft of property or services, valued at $1,500 to $25,000, along with one count of theft of property or services of a firearm with a value less than $25,000 and a count of solicitation of perjury; testify to material fact in felony proceeding.&nbsp;On Sept. 1 of 2021, police arrested Hardwick in Maize after he was listed as a person of interest when authorities discovered the bodies of Bates and Anstine on a property in eastern Reno County.The state called upon over 45 witnesses to testify in the case, as well as presented over 110 pieces of evidence. &nbsp;Sentencing is set in the case for April 7. Hardwick remains in jail without bond.

Jury finds Kansas man guilty of double-murder 

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/01/kansas-ballot-drop-boxes-need-to-be-more-secure-lawmaker-says-comparing-issue-to-9-11/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA
 —&nbsp; Election officials debunked ideas of so-called ballot mules stuffing
 dozens of votes into drop boxes, reassuring lawmakers Tuesday that the 
boxes are already secure during a hearing fraught with election security
 concerns and misinformation.&nbsp;

During a House Elections Committee hearing, <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2057_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2057</a>
 was opposed by a slew of election officers and voting rights advocacy 
groups questioned the need for the legislation. They included Loud 
Light, the Disability Rights Center of Kansas and the Kansas African 
American Affairs Commission.

The legislation would impose strict 
regulations on remote ballot boxes. County election offices with 
populations of less than 30,000 would be allowed to use only one remote 
ballot box per election. For county election offices in areas with more 
than 30,000 people, another box would be granted for each additional 
group of 30,000. The remote box would have to be under continual 
observation by an employee or via video, and closed when the election 
office is closed.&nbsp;

The video recording would have to be 
situated so the faces of people dropping off the ballots into the box 
would be recorded, and the recording would be kept for a year, available
 for public record, among other stipulations. Critics of the bill say 
it’s unnecessary, would block Kansans from their democratic right to 
vote and would prove costly for local election offices, which pay for 
elections.&nbsp;

Mike Taylor, who spoke on behalf of 
the Kansas County Commissioners Association, which represents the 
elected commissioners in all 105 counties, said the organization opposed
 the legislation on many grounds and felt it would harm voter privacy.&nbsp;

“We are opposing this bill because we
 think it’s going to disenfranchise many, many voters who depend on easy
 access to those drop boxes,” Taylor said. “We also think it’s going to 
add a lot of unneeded expense to the counties and taxpayers.”&nbsp;

The only person who spoke in favor of the bill during the meeting was an out-of-state speaker, Madeline Malisa from the Opportunity Solutions Project.&nbsp;

When asked if there was any evidence 
of ballot box tampering in the state, Malisa said she hadn’t heard of 
anything in Kansas but thought the lack of evidence could be due to the 
lack of ballot box video surveillance.&nbsp;

Rep. Kenneth Collins, R-Mulberry, 
asked county election officials if they had heard of any “mules” 
harassing people trying to drop off votes. Committee Vice Chair Rep. 
Paul Waggoner, a Hutchinson Republican, also brought up mules, a 
conservative term for people who are paid to cast illegal ballots.&nbsp;

“I think part of the concern that’s 
kind of driven bills like this has been partly the whole notion of what 
are called mules, as far as that somehow somebody’s going to stuff a 
ballot box akin to, you know, there was a documentary called ‘2,000 
Mules’ that came out a year ago,” Waggoner said.&nbsp;

“2,000 Mules,”&nbsp; a debunked film from&nbsp;right-wing
 commentator Dinesh D’Souza, falsely claims there was significant voter 
fraud during the 2020 presidential election. The movie’s makers have 
been sued for defamation.&nbsp;

Election officials said they weren’t 
aware of any issues with drop boxes during the 2020 and 2022 elections, 
in terms of people trying to tamper with boxes or in terms of ballot 
security.&nbsp;

Rep. Cindy Neighbor, D-Shawnee, questioned the need for additional ballot box security measures.&nbsp;

“From our secretary of state, it 
doesn’t appear that we’ve had a problem with them,” Neighbor said. “And 
the ones we are seeing are extremely secure. And that’s why I wanted 
clarity on how this was happening in Kansas.”&nbsp;

Stacey Knoell, executive director of 
the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, said she was one of 
14,917 people who voted by drop box in Johnson County during the 2021 
election.&nbsp;

Knoell said she objected to the bill and other recently introduced legislation, such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2056_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2056</a>,
 which would require all advance ballots to be returned by 7 p.m. on 
Election Day, eliminating the three-day window currently in place.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I think it is part of the 
government’s job to make voting as accessible and as equitable as we can
 for people who need to vote,” Knoell said. “I want to reiterate what 
another conferee said: If we take this bill in conjunction with other 
bills, we’re just making it more difficult to vote for various reasons. 
We’re not having a three-day extended period. I just oppose these upon 
the moral stance that we need to make it more easy for people to vote in
 this country.”&nbsp;

HB 2056 was voted on during the 
meeting and garnered enough votes to pass favorably out of the 
committee, despite some objections from lawmakers.

Neighbor said she believed the bill 
would harm overseas soldiers who didn’t get their ballots sent back on 
time, through no fault of their own, and felt it harmed constitutional 
rights.&nbsp;

Another bill considered during the hearing was better received. <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2053_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2053</a>
 would authorize the secretary of state to adopt rules and regulations 
for returning advance voting ballots to remote ballot boxes.&nbsp;

The secretary of state would use 
existing resources to provide procedure training for county election 
officials, work with the public to ensure knowledge of remote ballot box
 requirements, and include dates, times and locations for drop-box 
protocol.

The legislation was supported by 
Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office, with staffer Clay Barker 
saying regulations would provide physical security standards for drop 
boxes, chain of custody, disability access and would protect county 
election officers by ensuring they have met the proper standards for 
drop-off ballot procedures.

Election officials and a spokeswoman 
from the League of Women Voters of Kansas said they also supported the 
bill, as it would clear up confusion and provide better guidelines.&nbsp;

Barker said the regulations would also hopefully alleviate election security concerns.&nbsp;

“There is concern out there about 
drop boxes, ‘2,000 Mules,’ ballot harvesting, and this is a way to 
respond to it,” Barker said.

Many Republicans at the national and 
local level have denied the results of the 2020 election, casting doubt 
on election security. Schwab has bucked this trend by repeatedly underscoring the security of Kansas elections, including in the 2022 midterms.

Other Kansas Republicans have called 
for more stringent voting security measures despite a lack of evidence 
for widespread voter fraud. Proposed voting restrictions have drawn 
criticism from groups who say many of the new bills would <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/27/we-would-all-be-breaking-the-law-kansas-runoff-election-bill-draws-criticism/">disenfranchise voters</a>.&nbsp;

When asked if he was concerned about 
voters’ rights, committee chairman Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth 
Republican, said he was trying to walk the line between addressing 
vulnerabilities in the system and making the voting process more 
difficult.&nbsp;

Proctor also said that lawmakers needed to find new ways of inspiring election deniers to trust the system again.

When asked why additional ballot box 
security was needed, he compared the issue to 9/11 and said there is 
nothing to prevent people from throwing chains around drop boxes and 
dragging them off with trucks.&nbsp;

“Well, you know, on Sept. 11, 2001, I
 bet people really wished they had locked the cabins on airplanes on 
Sept. 10, but it was too late,” Proctor said. “If we’ve identified 
vulnerabilities, it’s ridiculous that we would not try to address those 
vulnerabilities until we’ve got evidence that they’ve been exploited in 
the election.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675290869288.png" alt="Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, said drop box ballot security should be addressed. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, said drop box ballot security should be addressed. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/01/kansas-ballot-drop-boxes-need-to-be-more-secure-lawmaker-says-comparing-issue-to-9-11/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA
 —&nbsp; Election officials debunked ideas of so-called ballot mules stuffing
 dozens of votes into drop boxes, reassuring lawmakers Tuesday that the 
boxes are already secure during a hearing fraught with election security
 concerns and misinformation.&nbsp;During a House Elections Committee hearing, <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2057_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2057</a>
 was opposed by a slew of election officers and voting rights advocacy 
groups questioned the need for the legislation. They included Loud 
Light, the Disability Rights Center of Kansas and the Kansas African 
American Affairs Commission.<h2>Drop box security&nbsp;</h2>The legislation would impose strict 
regulations on remote ballot boxes. County election offices with 
populations of less than 30,000 would be allowed to use only one remote 
ballot box per election. For county election offices in areas with more 
than 30,000 people, another box would be granted for each additional 
group of 30,000. The remote box would have to be under continual 
observation by an employee or via video, and closed when the election 
office is closed.&nbsp;The video recording would have to be 
situated so the faces of people dropping off the ballots into the box 
would be recorded, and the recording would be kept for a year, available
 for public record, among other stipulations. Critics of the bill say 
it’s unnecessary, would block Kansans from their democratic right to 
vote and would prove costly for local election offices, which pay for 
elections.&nbsp;Mike Taylor, who spoke on behalf of 
the Kansas County Commissioners Association, which represents the 
elected commissioners in all 105 counties, said the organization opposed
 the legislation on many grounds and felt it would harm voter privacy.&nbsp;“We are opposing this bill because we
 think it’s going to disenfranchise many, many voters who depend on easy
 access to those drop boxes,” Taylor said. “We also think it’s going to 
add a lot of unneeded expense to the counties and taxpayers.”&nbsp;The only person who spoke in favor of the bill during the meeting was an out-of-state speaker, Madeline Malisa from the Opportunity Solutions Project.&nbsp;When asked if there was any evidence 
of ballot box tampering in the state, Malisa said she hadn’t heard of 
anything in Kansas but thought the lack of evidence could be due to the 
lack of ballot box video surveillance.&nbsp;Rep. Kenneth Collins, R-Mulberry, 
asked county election officials if they had heard of any “mules” 
harassing people trying to drop off votes. Committee Vice Chair Rep. 
Paul Waggoner, a Hutchinson Republican, also brought up mules, a 
conservative term for people who are paid to cast illegal ballots.&nbsp;“I think part of the concern that’s 
kind of driven bills like this has been partly the whole notion of what 
are called mules, as far as that somehow somebody’s going to stuff a 
ballot box akin to, you know, there was a documentary called ‘2,000 
Mules’ that came out a year ago,” Waggoner said.&nbsp;“2,000 Mules,”&nbsp; a debunked film from&nbsp;right-wing
 commentator Dinesh D’Souza, falsely claims there was significant voter 
fraud during the 2020 presidential election. The movie’s makers have 
been sued for defamation.&nbsp;Election officials said they weren’t 
aware of any issues with drop boxes during the 2020 and 2022 elections, 
in terms of people trying to tamper with boxes or in terms of ballot 
security.&nbsp;Rep. Cindy Neighbor, D-Shawnee, questioned the need for additional ballot box security measures.&nbsp;“From our secretary of state, it 
doesn’t appear that we’ve had a problem with them,” Neighbor said. “And 
the ones we are seeing are extremely secure. And that’s why I wanted 
clarity on how this was happening in Kansas.”&nbsp;<h2>Other voting legislation</h2>Stacey Knoell, executive director of 
the Kansas African American Affairs Commission, said she was one of 
14,917 people who voted by drop box in Johnson County during the 2021 
election.&nbsp;Knoell said she objected to the bill and other recently introduced legislation, such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2056_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2056</a>,
 which would require all advance ballots to be returned by 7 p.m. on 
Election Day, eliminating the three-day window currently in place.&nbsp;&nbsp;“I think it is part of the 
government’s job to make voting as accessible and as equitable as we can
 for people who need to vote,” Knoell said. “I want to reiterate what 
another conferee said: If we take this bill in conjunction with other 
bills, we’re just making it more difficult to vote for various reasons. 
We’re not having a three-day extended period. I just oppose these upon 
the moral stance that we need to make it more easy for people to vote in
 this country.”&nbsp;HB 2056 was voted on during the 
meeting and garnered enough votes to pass favorably out of the 
committee, despite some objections from lawmakers.Neighbor said she believed the bill 
would harm overseas soldiers who didn’t get their ballots sent back on 
time, through no fault of their own, and felt it harmed constitutional 
rights.&nbsp;Another bill considered during the hearing was better received. <a target="_blank" href="http://kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2053_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2053</a>
 would authorize the secretary of state to adopt rules and regulations 
for returning advance voting ballots to remote ballot boxes.&nbsp;The secretary of state would use 
existing resources to provide procedure training for county election 
officials, work with the public to ensure knowledge of remote ballot box
 requirements, and include dates, times and locations for drop-box 
protocol.The legislation was supported by 
Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office, with staffer Clay Barker 
saying regulations would provide physical security standards for drop 
boxes, chain of custody, disability access and would protect county 
election officers by ensuring they have met the proper standards for 
drop-off ballot procedures.Election officials and a spokeswoman 
from the League of Women Voters of Kansas said they also supported the 
bill, as it would clear up confusion and provide better guidelines.&nbsp;Barker said the regulations would also hopefully alleviate election security concerns.&nbsp;“There is concern out there about 
drop boxes, ‘2,000 Mules,’ ballot harvesting, and this is a way to 
respond to it,” Barker said.<h2>The Big Lie</h2>Many Republicans at the national and 
local level have denied the results of the 2020 election, casting doubt 
on election security. Schwab has bucked this trend by repeatedly underscoring the security of Kansas elections, including in the 2022 midterms.Other Kansas Republicans have called 
for more stringent voting security measures despite a lack of evidence 
for widespread voter fraud. Proposed voting restrictions have drawn 
criticism from groups who say many of the new bills would <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/27/we-would-all-be-breaking-the-law-kansas-runoff-election-bill-draws-criticism/">disenfranchise voters</a>.&nbsp;When asked if he was concerned about 
voters’ rights, committee chairman Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth 
Republican, said he was trying to walk the line between addressing 
vulnerabilities in the system and making the voting process more 
difficult.&nbsp;Proctor also said that lawmakers needed to find new ways of inspiring election deniers to trust the system again.When asked why additional ballot box 
security was needed, he compared the issue to 9/11 and said there is 
nothing to prevent people from throwing chains around drop boxes and 
dragging them off with trucks.&nbsp;“Well, you know, on Sept. 11, 2001, I
 bet people really wished they had locked the cabins on airplanes on 
Sept. 10, but it was too late,” Proctor said. “If we’ve identified 
vulnerabilities, it’s ridiculous that we would not try to address those 
vulnerabilities until we’ve got evidence that they’ve been exploited in 
the election.”

Kansas ballot drop boxes need to be more secure, lawmaker says

JOHNSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating four teens in connection with vandalism at the Blue Valley High School football stadium and press box, according to a statement from the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

The District Attorney's office charged 16-year-old Jaden J. Butler; 16-year-old Nathan J. Murphy; 17-year-old Daniel Reiss Svilarich and 18-year-old Wade R. Schemenauer with burglary and criminal damage that occurred on January 15.&nbsp;The vandalism included included racial slurs and graphic images, according to Overland Park police.

&nbsp;Police booked Schemenauer into jail on a $2,500 bond.&nbsp; He is not longer in custody, according to online jail records.

In a statement sent to USD 229 families,&nbsp;Blue Valley High School Principal Charles Golden wrote,&nbsp;“It is important that you know one of the individuals charged is a Blue Valley School District student. Blue Valley’s administrators understand the seriousness of what has happened, and we will respond accordingly. We are also committed to civility and dignity for every child in our community, no matter the situation. My hope is the announcement will provide all of us with some level of comfort.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675251346936.png" alt="Schemenauer-photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Schemenauer-photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating four teens in connection with vandalism at the Blue Valley High School football stadium and press box, according to a statement from the Johnson County District Attorney's office.The District Attorney's office charged 16-year-old Jaden J. Butler; 16-year-old Nathan J. Murphy; 17-year-old Daniel Reiss Svilarich and 18-year-old Wade R. Schemenauer with burglary and criminal damage that occurred on January 15.&nbsp;The vandalism included included racial slurs and graphic images, according to Overland Park police.&nbsp;Police booked Schemenauer into jail on a $2,500 bond.&nbsp; He is not longer in custody, according to online jail records.In a statement sent to USD 229 families,&nbsp;Blue Valley High School Principal Charles Golden wrote,&nbsp;“It is important that you know one of the individuals charged is a Blue Valley School District student. Blue Valley’s administrators understand the seriousness of what has happened, and we will respond accordingly. We are also committed to civility and dignity for every child in our community, no matter the situation. My hope is the announcement will provide all of us with some level of comfort.”

4 charged following vandalism at Kansas high school

By&nbsp; TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/31/kansas-attorney-generals-office-eager-to-work-with-legislature-to-dam-robocall-tidal-wave/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gullible Kansas 
consumers and the state’s elderly population repeatedly victimized by 
telephone scammers land on so-called sucker lists sold to unscrupulous 
marketers, charities and organizations willing to pay for leads on 
potential victims.

“We have some consumers who just keep getting scammed,” said Fran 
Oleen, state deputy attorney general for consumer affairs. “The ones 
that are really problematic and concerning to us are … from especially 
elderly consumers. A lot of them are lonely and alone, and we see 
romance scams a lot.”

The consumer division chief for Attorney General Kris Kobach, who was
 sworn into office in mid-January, said Monday during a Senate hearing 
one of the many challenges for investigators was the reality of robocall
 technology evolving more rapidly than laws governing those businesses.

“It’s like whack-a-mole. Soon as you get this one stopped they’re going to come up with a new one,” she said.

Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican who chairs the Senate Utilities 
Committee, said a personal legislative goal over the next couple years 
was to make Kansas among the top states in terms of deterring robocalls.
 He said state lawmakers could work in partnership with Kobach and 
perhaps incentivize telecommunications companies to engage more 
aggressively in the fight against robocall businesses.

“We want to be your partner and get to the bottom of this,” Olson 
told Oleen. “A lot of wasted time and a lot of fraud going on. We can’t 
eliminate it all, but let’s do what we can. Maybe they’ll stay away from
 Kansas if they know we’re serious.”

Oleen said the attorney general was eager to amend state law to push 
back against the robocall plague. She said the office of attorney 
general in Kansas eceived 231 robocall complaints from January 2022 to 
January 2023. Of that total, the office opened 68 investigations of 
potentially illegal robocalls. The attorney general didn’t file any 
lawsuits tied to those complaints last year, she said.

“To explain that, most of the investigative requests ended in ‘no jurisdiction’ or a finding of ‘no violation,'” she said.

However, she said the Federal Trade Commission received in 2022 about
 29,000 robocall complaints from Kansans. She said the attorney 
general’s office would seek additional legal tools through the 
Legislature to initiate investigations of some of those FTC complaints.

Kansas joined an anti-robocall task force in July with 49 states and 
territories. Most, but not all, robocalls should be viewed as scams and a
 majority of robocalls originate overseas, she said.

Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, suggested the attorney general’s 
office “stop the one guy in India named ‘Brad'” who appeared to be 
responsible for robocalls coming into Kansas.

“We have proof that a lot of them come from India,” Oleen said. “We 
have suspicions that some of them come from a couple other countries. We
 would propose possibly working with the Kansas Fusion Center to work on
 some intelligence to try and figure out if there was anything we could 
do on a federal level or state level.”

The Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center was established in 2009 as a 
joint endeavor between the attorney general’s office and the adjutant 
general’s department. The center’s mission is to generate intelligence 
analysis useful for homeland security policy and relevant threat 
warnings.

In response to inquiries from senators, Oleen said Kansas had trouble
 verifying senders of waves of political texts sent during the 2022 
election cycle.

“Entities, which we had a hard time identifying, were sending texts 
supposedly on behalf of the candidate that the candidate did not 
endorse,” she said. “I personally got a couple of them.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1675196991104.png" alt="Sen. Rob Olson, left, an Olathe Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, wants to increase the state’s response to irritating robocalls often placed by financial scammers. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Sen. Rob Olson, left, an Olathe Republican and chairman of the Senate Utilities Committee, wants to increase the state’s response to irritating robocalls often placed by financial scammers. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp; TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/31/kansas-attorney-generals-office-eager-to-work-with-legislature-to-dam-robocall-tidal-wave/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gullible Kansas 
consumers and the state’s elderly population repeatedly victimized by 
telephone scammers land on so-called sucker lists sold to unscrupulous 
marketers, charities and organizations willing to pay for leads on 
potential victims.“We have some consumers who just keep getting scammed,” said Fran 
Oleen, state deputy attorney general for consumer affairs. “The ones 
that are really problematic and concerning to us are … from especially 
elderly consumers. A lot of them are lonely and alone, and we see 
romance scams a lot.”The consumer division chief for Attorney General Kris Kobach, who was
 sworn into office in mid-January, said Monday during a Senate hearing 
one of the many challenges for investigators was the reality of robocall
 technology evolving more rapidly than laws governing those businesses.“It’s like whack-a-mole. Soon as you get this one stopped they’re going to come up with a new one,” she said.Sen. Rob Olson, an Olathe Republican who chairs the Senate Utilities 
Committee, said a personal legislative goal over the next couple years 
was to make Kansas among the top states in terms of deterring robocalls.
 He said state lawmakers could work in partnership with Kobach and 
perhaps incentivize telecommunications companies to engage more 
aggressively in the fight against robocall businesses.“We want to be your partner and get to the bottom of this,” Olson 
told Oleen. “A lot of wasted time and a lot of fraud going on. We can’t 
eliminate it all, but let’s do what we can. Maybe they’ll stay away from
 Kansas if they know we’re serious.”Oleen said the attorney general was eager to amend state law to push 
back against the robocall plague. She said the office of attorney 
general in Kansas eceived 231 robocall complaints from January 2022 to 
January 2023. Of that total, the office opened 68 investigations of 
potentially illegal robocalls. The attorney general didn’t file any 
lawsuits tied to those complaints last year, she said.“To explain that, most of the investigative requests ended in ‘no jurisdiction’ or a finding of ‘no violation,'” she said.However, she said the Federal Trade Commission received in 2022 about
 29,000 robocall complaints from Kansans. She said the attorney 
general’s office would seek additional legal tools through the 
Legislature to initiate investigations of some of those FTC complaints.Kansas joined an anti-robocall task force in July with 49 states and 
territories. Most, but not all, robocalls should be viewed as scams and a
 majority of robocalls originate overseas, she said.Sen. Mike Thompson, R-Shawnee, suggested the attorney general’s 
office “stop the one guy in India named ‘Brad'” who appeared to be 
responsible for robocalls coming into Kansas.“We have proof that a lot of them come from India,” Oleen said. “We 
have suspicions that some of them come from a couple other countries. We
 would propose possibly working with the Kansas Fusion Center to work on
 some intelligence to try and figure out if there was anything we could 
do on a federal level or state level.”The Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center was established in 2009 as a 
joint endeavor between the attorney general’s office and the adjutant 
general’s department. The center’s mission is to generate intelligence 
analysis useful for homeland security policy and relevant threat 
warnings.In response to inquiries from senators, Oleen said Kansas had trouble
 verifying senders of waves of political texts sent during the 2022 
election cycle.“Entities, which we had a hard time identifying, were sending texts 
supposedly on behalf of the candidate that the candidate did not 
endorse,” she said. “I personally got a couple of them.”

Kansas AG, legislators take aim at crush of robocalls

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — A furry critter in a western Pennsylvania town has predicted six more weeks of winter during an annual Groundhog Day celebration.

People&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZnhsUakIU">gathered Thursday at Gobbler’s Knob</a>&nbsp;as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned the groundhog from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow — and they say he did. According to folklore, if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring comes early.

The “inner circle” is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-pennsylvania-coronavirus-pandemic-d4a183fdd599322fb9b23a5cb2147f33">annual event in Punxsutawney</a>, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, originated from a German legend about a furry rodent. The gathering annually attracts thousands.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compared Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast to the national weather the last 10 years and found “on average, Phil has gotten it right 40% of the time.”

This year, Phil's prediction came during a week when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-disaster-planning-and-response-arkansas-climate-environment-texas-43eac24afe75fa5b0420959b0408b43d">a mess of ice, sleet and snow</a>&nbsp;has lingered across much of the southern U.S.

According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-prediction-85527080ccef649d2807bfa4804fec25">2021</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-groundhog-day-punxsutawney-c6179b6609274d43eb371363d2d816b5">2022 forecasts</a>&nbsp;also called for six more weeks of winter.

While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog seer, he’s certainly not the only one. New York City’s Staten Island Chuck made his prediction for an early spring during an event Thursday at the Staten Island Zoo.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675340860775.png" alt="Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — A furry critter in a western Pennsylvania town has predicted six more weeks of winter during an annual Groundhog Day celebration.People&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqZnhsUakIU">gathered Thursday at Gobbler’s Knob</a>&nbsp;as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned the groundhog from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he has seen his shadow — and they say he did. According to folklore, if he sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, spring comes early.The “inner circle” is a group of local dignitaries who are responsible for planning the events, as well as feeding and caring for Phil himself.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-pennsylvania-coronavirus-pandemic-d4a183fdd599322fb9b23a5cb2147f33">annual event in Punxsutawney</a>, about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, originated from a German legend about a furry rodent. The gathering annually attracts thousands.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration compared Punxsutawney Phil’s forecast to the national weather the last 10 years and found “on average, Phil has gotten it right 40% of the time.”This year, Phil's prediction came during a week when&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/weather-disaster-planning-and-response-arkansas-climate-environment-texas-43eac24afe75fa5b0420959b0408b43d">a mess of ice, sleet and snow</a>&nbsp;has lingered across much of the southern U.S.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675340840676.png" alt="Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Visit Pennsylvania YouTube</figcaption>
 </figure>According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said.The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/groundhog-day-punxsutawney-prediction-85527080ccef649d2807bfa4804fec25">2021</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-groundhog-day-punxsutawney-c6179b6609274d43eb371363d2d816b5">2022 forecasts</a>&nbsp;also called for six more weeks of winter.While Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog seer, he’s certainly not the only one. New York City’s Staten Island Chuck made his prediction for an early spring during an event Thursday at the Staten Island Zoo.

Phil’s Groundhog Day prediction: 6 more weeks of winter

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fire in a Walmart bathroom that sent a man to the hospital in Topeka have determined the cause of the fire. According to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols, the victim intentionally set the fire. Fire officials did not provide specifics on how he started the fire.

Just after 8p.m. Saturday, fire crews responded to reports of a fire in a bathroom in the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 335 SW MacVicar Avenue in Topeka. First responders located a man on fire in a bathroom and they immediately worked to get the fire out, and rendered aid to the man. American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the scene and transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital with serious injuries. He remained hospitalized late Wednesday, according to Nichols. His name has not been released.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a fire in a Walmart bathroom that sent a man to the hospital in Topeka have determined the cause of the fire. According to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols, the victim intentionally set the fire. Fire officials did not provide specifics on how he started the fire.Just after 8p.m. Saturday, fire crews responded to reports of a fire in a bathroom in the Walmart Neighborhood Market, 335 SW MacVicar Avenue in Topeka. First responders located a man on fire in a bathroom and they immediately worked to get the fire out, and rendered aid to the man. American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the scene and transported&nbsp; him to a local hospital with serious injuries. He remained hospitalized late Wednesday, according to Nichols. His name has not been released.

Victim in Kan. Walmart bathroom fire remains hospitalized

WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;met face-to-face Wednesday for more than an hour of highly anticipated budget talks — "a good first meeting," the new Republican leader said — but expectations were low for quick progress as GOP lawmakers push for steep cuts in a deal to prevent a national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">debt limit crisis.</a>

Biden has resisted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-kevin-mccarthy-business-e04740d1d172cf3900e6548180909752">direct spending negotiations</a>&nbsp;linked to vital action raising the nation's legal debt ceiling, warning against potentially throwing the economy into chaos.

McCarthy had all but invited himself to the White House to start the conversation before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-business-7ac35fbced6c3ed98228dc77c8e3e70d">summer debt deadline</a>. And he emerged saying the meeting went better than expected: The two agreed to meet again, and the speaker said he expected to hear from Biden soon.

“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters outside the White House.

He said he told the president he would not raise the debt ceiling without concessions from Democrats.

“I was very clear," he said. “We’re not spending more next year than we spent this year.”

And Biden's response? McCarthy said the president insisted on a “clean debt ceiling” vote without the budget cuts Republicans are demanding.

“We both have different perspectives on this, but I thought this was a good meeting,” McCarthy said.

The White House said the president and the speaker agreed to continue the conversation. The president made clear that it is their “shared duty” to not allow a “catastrophic default,” the White House said.

The House speaker arrived for the afternoon session carrying no formal GOP budget proposal, but he is laden with the promises he made to far-right and other conservative Republican lawmakers during his difficult&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">campaign to become House speaker.</a>&nbsp;He vowed then to work to return federal spending to 2022 levels — an 8% reduction. He also promised to take steps to balance the budget within the decade — an ambitious, if politically unattainable goal.

McCarthy said he told the president, "I would like to see if we can come to an agreement long before the deadline.”

The political and economic stakes are high for both leaders, who have a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-united-states-government-house-of-representatives-63a86d17b98b8eebd46dede94cedf3e4">cordial relationship</a>, and for the nation as they work to prevent a debt default.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress last month that the government was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">reaching the limit of its borrowing capacity</a>, $31 trillion, with congressional approval needed to raise the ceiling to allow more debt to pay off the nation’s already accrued bills. While Yellen was able to launch “extraordinary measures” to cover the bills temporarily, that funding is to run out in June.

“Everyone is asking the same question of Speaker McCarthy: Show us your plan. Where is your plan, Republicans?” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ahead of the meeting.

"For days, Speaker McCarthy has heralded this sitdown as some kind of major win in his debt ceiling talks," Schumer said. But he added, “Speaker McCarthy showing up at the White House without a plan is like sitting down at the table without cards in your hand.”

Raising the debt ceiling is a once-routine vote in Congress that has taken on oversized significance over the past decade as the nation's debt toll mounts. Newly empowered in the majority, House Republicans want to force Biden and Senate Democrats into budget cuts as part of a deal to raise the limit.

Ahead of the White House meeting, House Republicans met in private to discuss policies. And McCarthy met with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday at the Capitol.

McConnell has a history of dealmaking with Biden during the last debt ceiling showdown a decade ago. But the GOP leader of the Senate, in the minority party, says it's up to McCarthy and the president to come up with a deal that would be acceptable to the new House majority.

Still, McConnell is doing his part to influence the process from afar, and nudging Biden to negotiate.

“The president of the United States does not get to walk away from the table,” McConnell said in Senate remarks.

Slashing the federal budget is often easier said than done, as past budget deals have shown.

After a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">2011 debt ceiling standoff</a>&nbsp;during the Obama era, Republicans and Democrats agreed to across-the-board federal budget caps on domestic and defense spending that were supposed to be in place for 10 years but ultimately proved too much to bear.

After initial cuts, both parties agreed in subsequent years to alter the budget caps to protect priority programs. The caps recently expired anyway, and last year Congress agreed to a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that sparked new outrage among fiscal hawks.

McCarthy reiterated that he would not be proposing any reductions to the Social Security and Medicare programs that are primarily for older Americans. But other Republicans want cuts to those as part of overall belt-tightening.

Such mainstay programs, along with the Medicaid health care system, make up the bulk of federal spending and are politically difficult to cut, particularly with a growing population of those in need of services in congressional districts nationwide.

Agreeing on the size and scope of the GOP’s proposed cuts will be a tall order for McCarthy as he struggles to build consensus within his narrow House Republican majority and bridge the divide between his conservative and far-right wings of the party.

McCarthy told reporters he's not counting on Republican support alone and wants Democratic help to pass a deal in Congress. But relying on a bipartisan approach could bring a revolt from McCarthy's hard-right flank of lawmakers who can threaten to oust him from his speakership.

After Wednesday morning's closed-door House GOP briefing, several Republican lawmakers insisted they would not allow the negotiations to spiral into a debt crisis.

“Obviously, we don’t want to default on our debt. We’re not going to,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio. “But we are going to have to have a discussion about the trajectory that we're on. Everyone knows that it’s not sustainable.”

Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, held a separate briefing for his group, whose 175 or so members make up most of the House GOP majority.

Hern sent a letter to McCarthy outlining their principles for budget cuts ahead of the White House meeting.

The federal budget's non-mandatory programs, in defense and domestic accounts, have also proven tough to trim.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675300571808.png" alt="“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters -White House photo" />
 <figcaption>“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters -White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;and House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;met face-to-face Wednesday for more than an hour of highly anticipated budget talks — "a good first meeting," the new Republican leader said — but expectations were low for quick progress as GOP lawmakers push for steep cuts in a deal to prevent a national&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">debt limit crisis.</a>Biden has resisted&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-kevin-mccarthy-business-e04740d1d172cf3900e6548180909752">direct spending negotiations</a>&nbsp;linked to vital action raising the nation's legal debt ceiling, warning against potentially throwing the economy into chaos.McCarthy had all but invited himself to the White House to start the conversation before a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-business-7ac35fbced6c3ed98228dc77c8e3e70d">summer debt deadline</a>. And he emerged saying the meeting went better than expected: The two agreed to meet again, and the speaker said he expected to hear from Biden soon.“No agreement, no promises except we will continue this conversation,” McCarthy told reporters outside the White House.He said he told the president he would not raise the debt ceiling without concessions from Democrats.“I was very clear," he said. “We’re not spending more next year than we spent this year.”And Biden's response? McCarthy said the president insisted on a “clean debt ceiling” vote without the budget cuts Republicans are demanding.“We both have different perspectives on this, but I thought this was a good meeting,” McCarthy said.The White House said the president and the speaker agreed to continue the conversation. The president made clear that it is their “shared duty” to not allow a “catastrophic default,” the White House said.The House speaker arrived for the afternoon session carrying no formal GOP budget proposal, but he is laden with the promises he made to far-right and other conservative Republican lawmakers during his difficult&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kevin-mccarthy-us-republican-party-0938c7358f41c83759246f8949ac7c15">campaign to become House speaker.</a>&nbsp;He vowed then to work to return federal spending to 2022 levels — an 8% reduction. He also promised to take steps to balance the budget within the decade — an ambitious, if politically unattainable goal.McCarthy said he told the president, "I would like to see if we can come to an agreement long before the deadline.”The political and economic stakes are high for both leaders, who have a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-us-republican-party-united-states-government-house-of-representatives-63a86d17b98b8eebd46dede94cedf3e4">cordial relationship</a>, and for the nation as they work to prevent a debt default.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress last month that the government was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/united-states-government-us-department-of-the-treasury-janet-yellen-business-cf6cf1dcfc3d0d81fb5a20f8ad442f7a">reaching the limit of its borrowing capacity</a>, $31 trillion, with congressional approval needed to raise the ceiling to allow more debt to pay off the nation’s already accrued bills. While Yellen was able to launch “extraordinary measures” to cover the bills temporarily, that funding is to run out in June.“Everyone is asking the same question of Speaker McCarthy: Show us your plan. Where is your plan, Republicans?” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., ahead of the meeting."For days, Speaker McCarthy has heralded this sitdown as some kind of major win in his debt ceiling talks," Schumer said. But he added, “Speaker McCarthy showing up at the White House without a plan is like sitting down at the table without cards in your hand.”Raising the debt ceiling is a once-routine vote in Congress that has taken on oversized significance over the past decade as the nation's debt toll mounts. Newly empowered in the majority, House Republicans want to force Biden and Senate Democrats into budget cuts as part of a deal to raise the limit.Ahead of the White House meeting, House Republicans met in private to discuss policies. And McCarthy met with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday at the Capitol.McConnell has a history of dealmaking with Biden during the last debt ceiling showdown a decade ago. But the GOP leader of the Senate, in the minority party, says it's up to McCarthy and the president to come up with a deal that would be acceptable to the new House majority.Still, McConnell is doing his part to influence the process from afar, and nudging Biden to negotiate.“The president of the United States does not get to walk away from the table,” McConnell said in Senate remarks.Slashing the federal budget is often easier said than done, as past budget deals have shown.After a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-politics-united-states-government-national-debt-us-republican-party-d6bfc59aa623c8c972c44e1aced85d9c">2011 debt ceiling standoff</a>&nbsp;during the Obama era, Republicans and Democrats agreed to across-the-board federal budget caps on domestic and defense spending that were supposed to be in place for 10 years but ultimately proved too much to bear.After initial cuts, both parties agreed in subsequent years to alter the budget caps to protect priority programs. The caps recently expired anyway, and last year Congress agreed to a $1.7 trillion federal spending bill that sparked new outrage among fiscal hawks.McCarthy reiterated that he would not be proposing any reductions to the Social Security and Medicare programs that are primarily for older Americans. But other Republicans want cuts to those as part of overall belt-tightening.Such mainstay programs, along with the Medicaid health care system, make up the bulk of federal spending and are politically difficult to cut, particularly with a growing population of those in need of services in congressional districts nationwide.Agreeing on the size and scope of the GOP’s proposed cuts will be a tall order for McCarthy as he struggles to build consensus within his narrow House Republican majority and bridge the divide between his conservative and far-right wings of the party.McCarthy told reporters he's not counting on Republican support alone and wants Democratic help to pass a deal in Congress. But relying on a bipartisan approach could bring a revolt from McCarthy's hard-right flank of lawmakers who can threaten to oust him from his speakership.After Wednesday morning's closed-door House GOP briefing, several Republican lawmakers insisted they would not allow the negotiations to spiral into a debt crisis.“Obviously, we don’t want to default on our debt. We’re not going to,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio. “But we are going to have to have a discussion about the trajectory that we're on. Everyone knows that it’s not sustainable.”Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, held a separate briefing for his group, whose 175 or so members make up most of the House GOP majority.Hern sent a letter to McCarthy outlining their principles for budget cuts ahead of the White House meeting.The federal budget's non-mandatory programs, in defense and domestic accounts, have also proven tough to trim.___

Biden, McCarthy talk but are far from a debt limit deal

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Wednesday announced that total tax-only collections for January were $1.05 billion. That is $56.2 million, or 5.7%, more than the January estimate. Those collections were also $102.4 million, or 10.8%, more than January 2022, according to a statement from her office.

“Month after month of tax collections surpassing the estimates show that, thanks to our laser-sharp focus on supporting businesses, we are now able to responsibly cut taxes for Kansas families,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “We should start by completely and immediately eliminating the state sales tax on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products, creating a back-to-school sales tax holiday, and providing Social Security income tax relief to Kansas seniors. We will get that done if we work together.”

Individual income tax collections were $494.9 million in January. That is $65.1 million, or 11.6%, less than the estimate and 8.7% less than January 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $166.1 million, which is $131.1 million, or 374.6%, more than the January 2023 estimate. Those collections are $134.5 million, or 425.0%, more than January 2022.

“Corporate tax receipts continue to be higher and individual income receipts lower because of the shift between the two tax types brought about by the SALT Parity Act,”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said. "The SALT Parity Act now allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax at the entity level on the income flowing through to the owners.

Retail sales tax collections were $275.2 million, which is $4.8 million, or 1.7%, less than the January estimate but 6.6% more than January 2022. Compensating use tax collections were $86.1 million, which is $3.9 million, or 4.3%, less than the estimate, but 2.4% more than January 2022.

<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MzQwMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDIvMDdfSmFudWFyeV9SZXZlbnVlX0ZZMjAyM18wMi0wMS0yMDIzX0ZpbmFsLnBkZiJ9.R4q1c3zBGZJOyHGvEorK5DO7g_XmBW5W3TSvbuc0Yvo/s/1303160919/br/153812305716-l" target="_blank">Click here to view the January 2023 revenue numbers.</a>

TOPEKA&nbsp;– Governor Laura Kelly on Wednesday announced that total tax-only collections for January were $1.05 billion. That is $56.2 million, or 5.7%, more than the January estimate. Those collections were also $102.4 million, or 10.8%, more than January 2022, according to a statement from her office.“Month after month of tax collections surpassing the estimates show that, thanks to our laser-sharp focus on supporting businesses, we are now able to responsibly cut taxes for Kansas families,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said. “We should start by completely and immediately eliminating the state sales tax on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products, creating a back-to-school sales tax holiday, and providing Social Security income tax relief to Kansas seniors. We will get that done if we work together.”Individual income tax collections were $494.9 million in January. That is $65.1 million, or 11.6%, less than the estimate and 8.7% less than January 2022. Corporate income tax collections were $166.1 million, which is $131.1 million, or 374.6%, more than the January 2023 estimate. Those collections are $134.5 million, or 425.0%, more than January 2022.“Corporate tax receipts continue to be higher and individual income receipts lower because of the shift between the two tax types brought about by the SALT Parity Act,”&nbsp;Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart said. "The SALT Parity Act now allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax at the entity level on the income flowing through to the owners.Retail sales tax collections were $275.2 million, which is $4.8 million, or 1.7%, less than the January estimate but 6.6% more than January 2022. Compensating use tax collections were $86.1 million, which is $3.9 million, or 4.3%, less than the estimate, but 2.4% more than January 2022.<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAyMDEuNzA4MzQwMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDIvMDdfSmFudWFyeV9SZXZlbnVlX0ZZMjAyM18wMi0wMS0yMDIzX0ZpbmFsLnBkZiJ9.R4q1c3zBGZJOyHGvEorK5DO7g_XmBW5W3TSvbuc0Yvo/s/1303160919/br/153812305716-l" target="_blank">Click here to view the January 2023 revenue numbers.</a>

January taxes: Kan collections exceed estimate by $56.2M

RENO COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 10p.m. Wednesday in Reno County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford Ranger driven by Laura R.&nbsp;Manwarren, 45, Ozark, Missouri, was southbound on Kansas 14 four miles south of Sterling.

The pickup left the roadway. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle rolled several times and came to rest on the passenger side.

Manwarren was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics in Johnson County. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

RENO COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 10p.m. Wednesday in Reno County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 1999 Ford Ranger driven by Laura R.&nbsp;Manwarren, 45, Ozark, Missouri, was southbound on Kansas 14 four miles south of Sterling.The pickup left the roadway. The driver overcorrected and the vehicle rolled several times and came to rest on the passenger side.Manwarren was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Frontier Forensics in Johnson County. She was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Woman dies in pickup rollover crash on Kansas highway

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an intentionally set house fire that resulted in two people being seriously injured.

Just after 1a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to 214 NE Chandler Street in reference to an unknown individual causing a disturbance outside of the home, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

When officers arrived, they observed a large house fire at 206 NE Chandler Street and requested the response of Topeka Fire crews and American Medical Response.

Fire crews found a man and woman&nbsp;outside the house suffering from serious fire-related injuries, according to Nichols.

While fire crews were performing an offensive fire attack on the house, police located an adult male suspect in the area from the earlier disturbance. 

Police took the suspect identified as Arturo R. Ramirez, 41, Topeka&nbsp; was&nbsp; into custody and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center to be interviewed.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested Ramirez and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 1st degree: Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Arson: Substantial Risk To Great Bodily Endangerment; Reckless Expose to Danger, Bodily Harm, Violate protection order, Abuse order per KSA 60-3105, 60-3106, 60-3107, Probation County On Felony and Probation Violation County Misdemeanor.

The cause of the fire has been determined by fire investigators as incendiary; intentionally set in connection with a domestic incident, according to the Topeka Fire Department.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675280599060.png" alt="Ramirez-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ramirez-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an intentionally set house fire that resulted in two people being seriously injured.Just after 1a.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to 214 NE Chandler Street in reference to an unknown individual causing a disturbance outside of the home, according to spokesperson Rosie Nichols.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/2/1675262479413.png" alt="Crews on the scene of the fire-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Crews on the scene of the fire-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>When officers arrived, they observed a large house fire at 206 NE Chandler Street and requested the response of Topeka Fire crews and American Medical Response.Fire crews found a man and woman&nbsp;outside the house suffering from serious fire-related injuries, according to Nichols.While fire crews were performing an offensive fire attack on the house, police located an adult male suspect in the area from the earlier disturbance. Police took the suspect identified as Arturo R. Ramirez, 41, Topeka&nbsp; was&nbsp; into custody and transported him to the Law Enforcement Center to be interviewed.As a result of the investigation, police arrested Ramirez and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 1st degree: Intentional and premeditated, Aggravated Arson: Substantial Risk To Great Bodily Endangerment; Reckless Expose to Danger, Bodily Harm, Violate protection order, Abuse order per KSA 60-3105, 60-3106, 60-3107, Probation County On Felony and Probation Violation County Misdemeanor.The cause of the fire has been determined by fire investigators as incendiary; intentionally set in connection with a domestic incident, according to the Topeka Fire Department.

Suspect accused of setting Kan. house fire that injured two

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly believes in being fiscally responsible, and she believes that her Axing Your Taxes package will be fiscally responsible while saving Kansans approximately $500 million over the next three years.

Kelly discussed her Axing Your Taxes package during an exclusive interview with Salina Post on Tuesday afternoon.

The governor announced on Jan. 19 that the package, comprised of three parts, had been introduced in the Kansas House and Senate.

Kelly told Salina Post that the package builds off of last year's bipartisan legislation that she signed to gradually eliminate over three years the 6.5 percent state sales tax on groceries.

"One of the three things my bill does is eliminate the state portion of the food sales tax completely and immediately," Kelly said. "The money is in the budget. The revenue would be coming in to cover that for as far out as we can see, so there's absolutely no reason to not do that."

If that part of the package is passed, the state sales tax would immediately be eliminated on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products.

The second component of Kelly's proposed legislation would create in August a four-day sales tax holiday on school supplies, personal computers, instructional materials, and art supplies.

"That will help not only our parents and teachers, but I think it will also help our businesses, particularly those on the borders of states that have that sales tax holiday," she said.

The third component would benefit retirees who might be taxed on their Social Security income. Currently, Kansans earning less than $75,000 annually do not pay state income tax on social security income. Under Kelly's proposal, no Kansas retiree making under $100,000 would pay full taxes on Social Security income.

"That would help a lot of our senior citizens," Kelly said. "It would help put more money back in their pockets."

Kelly said that her administration is estimating a $500 million in savings for Kansans from the three components combined.

Should the tax cut package be approved, no state services will need to be cut to make up for the estimated $500 million in tax savings, Kelly said.

"I am a true fiscal conservative. I don't like to spend money I don't have. I won't spend money I don't have," she said. "So you can trust that we've looked at this every which way from Sunday. We won't touch our schools. We won't touch our transportation program. All of those will remain intact with these tax cuts in place."

Kelly said she was not proposing any additional relief measures at this point.

"We thought this was a fiscally responsible approach to take for providing relief," she said.

Kelly did say, however, that as her administration is putting together its budget proposal for next year, "we will look at the numbers and see if that allows us to do some more."

On Jan. 10, Kelly signed an executive order to establish the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. Kelly said the executive order will give her administration a year to study the current early childhood services that are being provided by the state.

"We have a slew of different entities that are providing some sort of service to early childhood. We want to study all of that. We'll likely be working with the Hunt Institute out of North Carolina. They are experts in this area," she said.

Once the study is complete, recommendations will be made for realigning early childhood services, including the possible creation of a cabinet-level agency.

"That agency would focus entirely on the range of services for early childhood to ensure that we have more consistency, more continuity, less overlap, with fewer gaps" to make better use of resources for early childhood, including childcare, Kelly said.

"If you listened to the State of the State, you know that we have a lot of plans for the second term, including building on many of the things that we started in the first term. That would include things like broadband expansion. We are being focused like a laser ensuring that as many homes and hospitals, schools, and businesses as want are connected to high-speed internet. That will continue to be a major focus of our administration," Kelly said.

Affordable housing, which Kelly noted was an important issue for the Salina area, also will continue to be a focus of her administration.

"We've been working with your local folks to ensure that you have plenty of housing available for all the jobs that are being created in your area," she said.

"And then all of that flows into our effort to build our workforce. We have been very successful in bringing businesses and bringing jobs to Kansas. We need to ensure that they have the people they need," she added.

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostKansas Governor Laura Kelly believes in being fiscally responsible, and she believes that her Axing Your Taxes package will be fiscally responsible while saving Kansans approximately $500 million over the next three years.Kelly discussed her Axing Your Taxes package during an exclusive interview with Salina Post on Tuesday afternoon.The governor announced on Jan. 19 that the package, comprised of three parts, had been introduced in the Kansas House and Senate.Kelly told Salina Post that the package builds off of last year's bipartisan legislation that she signed to gradually eliminate over three years the 6.5 percent state sales tax on groceries."One of the three things my bill does is eliminate the state portion of the food sales tax completely and immediately," Kelly said. "The money is in the budget. The revenue would be coming in to cover that for as far out as we can see, so there's absolutely no reason to not do that."If that part of the package is passed, the state sales tax would immediately be eliminated on groceries, diapers, and feminine hygiene products.The second component of Kelly's proposed legislation would create in August a four-day sales tax holiday on school supplies, personal computers, instructional materials, and art supplies."That will help not only our parents and teachers, but I think it will also help our businesses, particularly those on the borders of states that have that sales tax holiday," she said.The third component would benefit retirees who might be taxed on their Social Security income. Currently, Kansans earning less than $75,000 annually do not pay state income tax on social security income. Under Kelly's proposal, no Kansas retiree making under $100,000 would pay full taxes on Social Security income."That would help a lot of our senior citizens," Kelly said. "It would help put more money back in their pockets."Kelly said that her administration is estimating a $500 million in savings for Kansans from the three components combined."Everybody benefits," she said.Should the tax cut package be approved, no state services will need to be cut to make up for the estimated $500 million in tax savings, Kelly said."I am a true fiscal conservative. I don't like to spend money I don't have. I won't spend money I don't have," she said. "So you can trust that we've looked at this every which way from Sunday. We won't touch our schools. We won't touch our transportation program. All of those will remain intact with these tax cuts in place."Kelly said she was not proposing any additional relief measures at this point."We thought this was a fiscally responsible approach to take for providing relief," she said.Kelly did say, however, that as her administration is putting together its budget proposal for next year, "we will look at the numbers and see if that allows us to do some more."Early childhood and childcareOn Jan. 10, Kelly signed an executive order to establish the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. Kelly said the executive order will give her administration a year to study the current early childhood services that are being provided by the state."We have a slew of different entities that are providing some sort of service to early childhood. We want to study all of that. We'll likely be working with the Hunt Institute out of North Carolina. They are experts in this area," she said.Once the study is complete, recommendations will be made for realigning early childhood services, including the possible creation of a cabinet-level agency."That agency would focus entirely on the range of services for early childhood to ensure that we have more consistency, more continuity, less overlap, with fewer gaps" to make better use of resources for early childhood, including childcare, Kelly said.Kelly's second term"If you listened to the State of the State, you know that we have a lot of plans for the second term, including building on many of the things that we started in the first term. That would include things like broadband expansion. We are being focused like a laser ensuring that as many homes and hospitals, schools, and businesses as want are connected to high-speed internet. That will continue to be a major focus of our administration," Kelly said.Affordable housing, which Kelly noted was an important issue for the Salina area, also will continue to be a focus of her administration."We've been working with your local folks to ensure that you have plenty of housing available for all the jobs that are being created in your area," she said."And then all of that flows into our effort to build our workforce. We have been very successful in bringing businesses and bringing jobs to Kansas. We need to ensure that they have the people they need," she added.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/9/1662056609748.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kelly kicked off legal sports betting in Kansas on Sept. 1 in the&nbsp;Hollywood Casino in Kansas City, Kan. Kelly placed the first wager in the state, a $15 bet that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII.Kansas City ChiefsOn Sept. 1, Kelly placed the first legal sports wager in Kansas when she bet $15 on the Kansas City Chiefs to win Super Bowl LVII. The amount was no coincidence as 15 also happens to be the jersey number of Chiefs' QB1 Patrick Mahomes.When asked whether she was still positive that the Chiefs would win the Super Bowl, Kelly said, "Absolutely! I don't know that Patrick Mahomes knows how to lose. Every time it seems like it's a possibility, he seems to pull it out. I'm confident that will happen and hopefully, he won't have to be coming from behind."