ATLANTA (AP) — Pounding his hand for emphasis, President Joe Biden challenged senators Tuesday to “stand against voter suppression” by changing Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation that Republicans are blocking from debate and votes.

Biden told a crowd in Atlanta gathered on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University that he’d been having quiet conversations with senators for months over the two bills — a lack of progress that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-atlanta-stacey-abrams-7bb6e8cd4ad78267cc56d713ecdbf39d">brought him criticism from activists</a>&nbsp;in his own party.

“I’m tired of being quiet!” he shouted to cheers from the crowd.

In his remarks, Biden invoked the civil rights battles of the 1960s. He likened the wrongs of the past to modern-day efforts to subvert elections through the Capitol riot a year ago and a series of GOP-backed laws passed after former President Donald Trump lost in 2020 and then falsely claimed widespread voter fraud. Biden chastised Republicans for falling in line behind Trump’s election lies.

“Today, we call on Congress to get done what history will judge,” Biden said. “Pass the freedom to vote act.”

Biden’s speech was forceful, blunt and explicit, referring to new efforts to limit voting access as “Jim Crow 2.0.” For the first time, he directly advocated eliminating the Senate’s vote-blocking device called the filibuster in order to debate and vote on election and voting rights legislation. Though his focus brings more national attention to the debate ahead, it’s not clear what impact his newfound fire will have.

Current rules require 60 votes to advance most legislation — a threshold that Senate Democrats can’t meet alone because they have just a 50-50 majority with Vice President Kamala Harris to break ties. Republicans unanimously oppose the voting rights measures.

There also aren’t enough Democratic votes to change the Senate rule. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin threw more cold water on the idea Tuesday, saying he believes any changes should be made with substantial Republican buy-in. And there aren’t any Republican senators willing to sign on.

“Not a single Republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect Americans’ right to vote,” Biden said. “Not one. Not one.”

Congressional Democrats have written voting legislation that would usher in the biggest overhaul of U.S. elections in a generation by striking down hurdles to voting enacted in the name of election security. The legislation also would reduce the influence of big money in politics and limit partisan influence over the drawing of congressional districts.

The package would create national election standards that would trump state-level GOP laws. It would also restore the ability of the Justice Department to police election laws in states with a history of discrimination.

Republicans say the changes are not aimed at fairness but at giving Democrats an advantage in elections.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky accused Biden of invoking “the brutal racial hatred of Jim Crow Segregation to smear states’” new voting laws.

And it is coming from “a sitting president of the United States who pledged to lower the temperature and unite America,” McConnell said.

Even if Democrats clear the obstacles to passing the legislation, it could be too late to counter voting restrictions passed in 19 states following Trump’s 2020 loss and his lies — embraced by many in the GOP -- that the election was stolen through voter fraud.

Voting rights advocates in Georgia and nationwide are increasingly anxious about what may happen in 2022 and beyond. They view the changes in many states as a subtler form of ballot restrictions like literacy tests and poll taxes once used to disenfranchise Black voters, a key Democratic constituency.

“This matters to all of us,” Biden insisted. “The goal of the former president and his allies is to disenfranchise anyone who votes against him, simple as that.”

The president spent decades in the Senate, and he spoke with regret of how much it’s changed for the worse, calling it “a shell of its former self.” He spoke of an era not long ago when an issue like voting rights would never have been so rancorously partisan.

He recalled working with segregationist lawmakers in the Senate to get legislation passed and for it then to be signed into law by Republican presidents. But now, the filibuster has been used frequently to block even the debating of some legislation.

“How do you want to be remembered?” he asked his former congressional colleagues.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has set next Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a deadline to either pass voting legislation or consider revising the rules. Biden told his audience, “The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation’s history.”

“Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch,” he declared. “I will defend the right to vote, our democracy, against all enemies foreign, yes and domestic. The question is where will the institution of the United States Senate stand?”

Biden also visited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-georgia-senate-2563753b703f7a46af9a0e75565b84db">Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church</a>, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once held forth from the pulpit. He stood quietly as Martin Luther King III placed a wreath outside at the crypt of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.

Some voting rights advocates boycotted Biden’s speech out of frustration over Washington’s inaction. Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, known for her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-georgia-731808e4a90a398acb104150054f304b">untiring voting rights work</a>, said she skipped the event because of a scheduling conflict, which she did not explain further.

King said in a statement that he was happy to host Biden, but that he also supported those who chose to skip the speech.

“We’ve seen what’s possible when President Biden uses the full weight of his office to deliver for bridges,” he said, referencing Biden’s successful push for a $1 trillion infrastructure spending deal. “And now we need to see him do the same for voting rights.”

Republicans who have fallen in line behind Trump’s election misinformation are separately promoting efforts to influence future elections by installing sympathetic leaders in local election posts and by backing for elective office some of those who participated in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke before Biden on Tuesday, warning that the barrage of new state laws means there is “a danger of becoming accustomed to these laws, a danger of adjusting to these laws as though they are normal.”

“There is nothing normal about a law that makes it illegal to pass out water or food to people standing in long voting lines,” she said, to cheers.

Georgia is at the center of it all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-georgia-elections-bb997641ca36805c0f53f406a3529d87">one of the key battleground states in the 2020 elections</a>. After the votes were counted and recounted, Trump told the top state election official he wanted the official to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss. The state’s votes nonetheless went to Biden, and both of its Senate seats went to Democrats as well.

Last year, the state’s Republican governor signed a sweeping rewrite of election rules that, among other things, gives the State Election Board new powers to intervene in county election offices and to remove and replace local election officials. That has led to concerns that the Republican-controlled state board could exert more influence over the administration of elections, including the certification of county results.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641939310468.png" alt="President Biden and&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris on the stage in Atlanta Tuesday-photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Biden and&nbsp;Vice President Kamala Harris on the stage in Atlanta Tuesday-photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>ATLANTA (AP) — Pounding his hand for emphasis, President Joe Biden challenged senators Tuesday to “stand against voter suppression” by changing Senate rules to pass voting rights legislation that Republicans are blocking from debate and votes.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FWhiteHouse%2Fvideos%2F4807407156007994%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=642" 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>Biden told a crowd in Atlanta gathered on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University that he’d been having quiet conversations with senators for months over the two bills — a lack of progress that has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-atlanta-stacey-abrams-7bb6e8cd4ad78267cc56d713ecdbf39d">brought him criticism from activists</a>&nbsp;in his own party.“I’m tired of being quiet!” he shouted to cheers from the crowd.In his remarks, Biden invoked the civil rights battles of the 1960s. He likened the wrongs of the past to modern-day efforts to subvert elections through the Capitol riot a year ago and a series of GOP-backed laws passed after former President Donald Trump lost in 2020 and then falsely claimed widespread voter fraud. Biden chastised Republicans for falling in line behind Trump’s election lies.“Today, we call on Congress to get done what history will judge,” Biden said. “Pass the freedom to vote act.”Biden’s speech was forceful, blunt and explicit, referring to new efforts to limit voting access as “Jim Crow 2.0.” For the first time, he directly advocated eliminating the Senate’s vote-blocking device called the filibuster in order to debate and vote on election and voting rights legislation. Though his focus brings more national attention to the debate ahead, it’s not clear what impact his newfound fire will have.Current rules require 60 votes to advance most legislation — a threshold that Senate Democrats can’t meet alone because they have just a 50-50 majority with Vice President Kamala Harris to break ties. Republicans unanimously oppose the voting rights measures.There also aren’t enough Democratic votes to change the Senate rule. West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin threw more cold water on the idea Tuesday, saying he believes any changes should be made with substantial Republican buy-in. And there aren’t any Republican senators willing to sign on.“Not a single Republican has displayed the courage to stand up to a defeated president to protect Americans’ right to vote,” Biden said. “Not one. Not one.”Congressional Democrats have written voting legislation that would usher in the biggest overhaul of U.S. elections in a generation by striking down hurdles to voting enacted in the name of election security. The legislation also would reduce the influence of big money in politics and limit partisan influence over the drawing of congressional districts.The package would create national election standards that would trump state-level GOP laws. It would also restore the ability of the Justice Department to police election laws in states with a history of discrimination.Republicans say the changes are not aimed at fairness but at giving Democrats an advantage in elections.Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky accused Biden of invoking “the brutal racial hatred of Jim Crow Segregation to smear states’” new voting laws.And it is coming from “a sitting president of the United States who pledged to lower the temperature and unite America,” McConnell said.Even if Democrats clear the obstacles to passing the legislation, it could be too late to counter voting restrictions passed in 19 states following Trump’s 2020 loss and his lies — embraced by many in the GOP -- that the election was stolen through voter fraud.Voting rights advocates in Georgia and nationwide are increasingly anxious about what may happen in 2022 and beyond. They view the changes in many states as a subtler form of ballot restrictions like literacy tests and poll taxes once used to disenfranchise Black voters, a key Democratic constituency.“This matters to all of us,” Biden insisted. “The goal of the former president and his allies is to disenfranchise anyone who votes against him, simple as that.”The president spent decades in the Senate, and he spoke with regret of how much it’s changed for the worse, calling it “a shell of its former self.” He spoke of an era not long ago when an issue like voting rights would never have been so rancorously partisan.He recalled working with segregationist lawmakers in the Senate to get legislation passed and for it then to be signed into law by Republican presidents. But now, the filibuster has been used frequently to block even the debating of some legislation.“How do you want to be remembered?” he asked his former congressional colleagues.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has set next Monday’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a deadline to either pass voting legislation or consider revising the rules. Biden told his audience, “The next few days, when these bills come to a vote, will mark a turning point in this nation’s history.”“Will we choose democracy over autocracy, light over shadow, justice over injustice? I know where I stand. I will not yield. I will not flinch,” he declared. “I will defend the right to vote, our democracy, against all enemies foreign, yes and domestic. The question is where will the institution of the United States Senate stand?”Biden also visited&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/race-and-ethnicity-georgia-senate-2563753b703f7a46af9a0e75565b84db">Atlanta’s historic Ebenezer Baptist Church</a>, where the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once held forth from the pulpit. He stood quietly as Martin Luther King III placed a wreath outside at the crypt of King and his wife, Coretta Scott King.Some voting rights advocates boycotted Biden’s speech out of frustration over Washington’s inaction. Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, known for her&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stacey-abrams-voting-rights-georgia-731808e4a90a398acb104150054f304b">untiring voting rights work</a>, said she skipped the event because of a scheduling conflict, which she did not explain further.King said in a statement that he was happy to host Biden, but that he also supported those who chose to skip the speech.“We’ve seen what’s possible when President Biden uses the full weight of his office to deliver for bridges,” he said, referencing Biden’s successful push for a $1 trillion infrastructure spending deal. “And now we need to see him do the same for voting rights.”Republicans who have fallen in line behind Trump’s election misinformation are separately promoting efforts to influence future elections by installing sympathetic leaders in local election posts and by backing for elective office some of those who participated in the riot at the U.S. Capitol.Vice President Kamala Harris spoke before Biden on Tuesday, warning that the barrage of new state laws means there is “a danger of becoming accustomed to these laws, a danger of adjusting to these laws as though they are normal.”“There is nothing normal about a law that makes it illegal to pass out water or food to people standing in long voting lines,” she said, to cheers.Georgia is at the center of it all,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-georgia-elections-bb997641ca36805c0f53f406a3529d87">one of the key battleground states in the 2020 elections</a>. After the votes were counted and recounted, Trump told the top state election official he wanted the official to “find” enough votes to overturn his loss. The state’s votes nonetheless went to Biden, and both of its Senate seats went to Democrats as well.Last year, the state’s Republican governor signed a sweeping rewrite of election rules that, among other things, gives the State Election Board new powers to intervene in county election offices and to remove and replace local election officials. That has led to concerns that the Republican-controlled state board could exert more influence over the administration of elections, including the certification of county results.

🎥 Biden wants to change Senate rules to overhaul U.S. elections

KANSAS CITY —Police reported just after 5:30a.m. they had located the parents of a child found wandering alone in Kansas City overnight.

The child was found on the northeast corner of Parvin Road and Davidson Road in Kansas City.

Family has been located and detectives are now in touch with them.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities asked the public for help to locate the family of child found just before 2a.m. Wednesday. according to a social media report from Kansas City Police

The child is described as 3-foot-6, 40 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes. The child was found in a grey T-Shirt, grey sweatpants, and black socks. 

If you have any information on the juvenile please call the Juvenile Unit at 816-234-5150 or the Shoal Creek Division, 816-413-3400,

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641987011361.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Police reported just after 5:30a.m. they had located the parents of a child found wandering alone in Kansas City overnight.The child was found on the northeast corner of Parvin Road and Davidson Road in Kansas City.Family has been located and detectives are now in touch with them.Police released no additional details.-------KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities asked the public for help to locate the family of child found just before 2a.m. Wednesday. according to a social media report from Kansas City PoliceThe child was found on the northeast corner of Parvin Road and Davidson Road in Kansas City.The child is described as 3-foot-6, 40 pounds, with black hair and blue eyes. The child was found in a grey T-Shirt, grey sweatpants, and black socks. If you have any information on the juvenile please call the Juvenile Unit at 816-234-5150 or the Shoal Creek Division, 816-413-3400,

Police locate parents of child found wandering in Kansas City

By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-11/im-not-sick-debate-over-mask-mandates-resurfaces-at-wichita-board-of-education-meeting">Kansas News Service</a>

WICHITA, Kansas — The Wichita school board is once again at 
the center of a debate about mask mandates after three new board members
 refused to wear masks at their first board meeting.

Board president Stan Reeser <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-10/wichita-school-board-suspends-meeting-after-new-members-refuse-to-wear-face-masks" target="_blank">ended Monday’s meeting before it began</a>, citing a refusal by the new board members and some audience members to wear face coverings.

The district <a href="https://www.usd259.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;DomainID=4&amp;ModuleInstanceID=13639&amp;ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=44778&amp;PageID=1" target="_blank">requires face masks</a> for anyone 3 or older inside district buildings. The board meeting was in a lecture hall at Wichita North High School.

In <a href="https://www.kake.com/story/45624008/first-meeting-for-new-wichita-boe-members-abruptly-canceled-after-the-three-refuse-to-comply-with-school-mask-policy" target="_blank">interviews with Wichita’s KAKE News</a> after Monday’s meeting, the new board members talked about their decision.

“I’m
 not sick. Does it look like I have a temperature or a fever or 
exhibiting any symptoms?” said board member Diane Albert. “So the 
question really needs to be: Why do healthy people need to wear a mask?”

Albert, Kathy Bond and Hazel Stabler <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-11-02/three-of-four-conservative-challengers-win-seats-on-wichita-school-board" target="_blank">were elected in November</a>, unseating school board incumbents who voted in favor of the mask requirement.

Before Monday’s meeting, a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/463023271050444/posts/887569115262522" target="_blank">widely shared Facebook post</a>
 urged people to attend the school board meeting and “enter as a group 
without a mask” or to remove their masks once inside the lecture hall.

“The more people we have supporting our new Conservative Members the better,” the post said.

Bond told KAKE News those supporters persuaded her to not put on her face mask.

“I
 had it in my hand. And when I saw the people out in the audience freeze
 and they didn’t do anything, that gave me the courage,” Bond said. 
“Those are the people that voted (for) me and elected me into this 
position to stand for what they want me to stand for.”

Stabler said she “intended to” wear her face mask but decided otherwise.

“I was going to abide, but it kind of went fast,” she told KAKE News. “I was, like, looking around and … it is what it is.”

The Sedgwick County Republican Party, which <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-10-27/your-local-kansas-elections-are-getting-taken-over-by-bruising-dc-style-politics" target="_blank">campaigned on behalf of the new board members</a>, supported their stance in an e-mail late Monday.

“Mama
 bears, K-12 parents and grandparents, and educators voted in school 
board candidates to listen. Simply put, they felt their voices were not 
heard. So they fired nearly all sitting school board members and elected
 replacements,” GOP leaders said in the e-mail.

The local GOP also questioned Reeser’s decision to suspend Monday’s meeting.

“While
 the legality of this move is highly questionable, its motive is clear: 
sitting board members did not want to seat new, duly elected and 
sworn-in board members. … Is this a coup?? We will find out.”

Reeser said he plans to reschedule the meeting and hopes the new board members will follow the district’s rules.

“I did give them the opportunity to do the right thing, and they chose not to,” Reeser said.

“I
 truly welcome an open and honest debate about any kind of mask 
directive that was previously approved. But it’s like, if you want to 
change a seat-belt law. … You cannot tell the officer who pulls you 
over, ‘Well, I want this law changed.’ You have to respect the rules.”

It
 was unclear Tuesday whether the Wichita board could opt to meet 
virtually rather than in person. Reeser said if new members do not 
comply with the mask requirement, the four others would constitute a 
quorum and could conduct the district’s business.

Kansas health care officials <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-05/kansas-doctors-plead-for-you-to-take-covid-precautions-as-people-die-waiting-for-care-at-hospitals" target="_blank">issued a dire warning last week</a> that COVID-19 has reached new and alarming levels throughout the region, and they urged everyone to wear masks in public.

The
 Wichita district is reporting record numbers of positive COVID cases 
among staff members. Late last week, about 400 employees were out of 
work because of COVID-related quarantines.

The Wichita school 
board is the only Wichita-area elected body with a mask requirement for 
meetings. Members of the Sedgwick County Commission, Wichita City 
Council and other local school boards aren’t required to wear masks.

The school board in Derby, just south of Wichita, voted 4-3 Monday to <a href="http://www.derbyinformer.com/news/derby_news/derby-school-board-strips-covid-mask-mandate/article_e010225e-72ec-11ec-ab1f-a34405a0a980.html" target="_blank">end its mask requirement</a> for schools.

Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641933405278.png" alt="From left: Diane Albert, Kathy Bond and Hazel Stabler are new members of the Wichita School Board. Hugo Phan / KMUW" />
 <figcaption>From left: Diane Albert, Kathy Bond and Hazel Stabler are new members of the Wichita School Board. Hugo Phan / KMUW</figcaption>
 </figure>By SUZANNE PEREZ <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-11/im-not-sick-debate-over-mask-mandates-resurfaces-at-wichita-board-of-education-meeting">Kansas News Service</a>WICHITA, Kansas — The Wichita school board is once again at 
the center of a debate about mask mandates after three new board members
 refused to wear masks at their first board meeting.Board president Stan Reeser <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-10/wichita-school-board-suspends-meeting-after-new-members-refuse-to-wear-face-masks" target="_blank">ended Monday’s meeting before it began</a>, citing a refusal by the new board members and some audience members to wear face coverings.The district <a href="https://www.usd259.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&amp;DomainID=4&amp;ModuleInstanceID=13639&amp;ViewID=6446EE88-D30C-497E-9316-3F8874B3E108&amp;RenderLoc=0&amp;FlexDataID=44778&amp;PageID=1" target="_blank">requires face masks</a> for anyone 3 or older inside district buildings. The board meeting was in a lecture hall at Wichita North High School.In <a href="https://www.kake.com/story/45624008/first-meeting-for-new-wichita-boe-members-abruptly-canceled-after-the-three-refuse-to-comply-with-school-mask-policy" target="_blank">interviews with Wichita’s KAKE News</a> after Monday’s meeting, the new board members talked about their decision.“I’m
 not sick. Does it look like I have a temperature or a fever or 
exhibiting any symptoms?” said board member Diane Albert. “So the 
question really needs to be: Why do healthy people need to wear a mask?”Albert, Kathy Bond and Hazel Stabler <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-11-02/three-of-four-conservative-challengers-win-seats-on-wichita-school-board" target="_blank">were elected in November</a>, unseating school board incumbents who voted in favor of the mask requirement.Before Monday’s meeting, a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/463023271050444/posts/887569115262522" target="_blank">widely shared Facebook post</a>
 urged people to attend the school board meeting and “enter as a group 
without a mask” or to remove their masks once inside the lecture hall.“The more people we have supporting our new Conservative Members the better,” the post said.Bond told KAKE News those supporters persuaded her to not put on her face mask.“I
 had it in my hand. And when I saw the people out in the audience freeze
 and they didn’t do anything, that gave me the courage,” Bond said. 
“Those are the people that voted (for) me and elected me into this 
position to stand for what they want me to stand for.”Stabler said she “intended to” wear her face mask but decided otherwise.“I was going to abide, but it kind of went fast,” she told KAKE News. “I was, like, looking around and … it is what it is.”The Sedgwick County Republican Party, which <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2021-10-27/your-local-kansas-elections-are-getting-taken-over-by-bruising-dc-style-politics" target="_blank">campaigned on behalf of the new board members</a>, supported their stance in an e-mail late Monday.“Mama
 bears, K-12 parents and grandparents, and educators voted in school 
board candidates to listen. Simply put, they felt their voices were not 
heard. So they fired nearly all sitting school board members and elected
 replacements,” GOP leaders said in the e-mail.The local GOP also questioned Reeser’s decision to suspend Monday’s meeting.“While
 the legality of this move is highly questionable, its motive is clear: 
sitting board members did not want to seat new, duly elected and 
sworn-in board members. … Is this a coup?? We will find out.”Reeser said he plans to reschedule the meeting and hopes the new board members will follow the district’s rules.“I did give them the opportunity to do the right thing, and they chose not to,” Reeser said.“I
 truly welcome an open and honest debate about any kind of mask 
directive that was previously approved. But it’s like, if you want to 
change a seat-belt law. … You cannot tell the officer who pulls you 
over, ‘Well, I want this law changed.’ You have to respect the rules.”It
 was unclear Tuesday whether the Wichita board could opt to meet 
virtually rather than in person. Reeser said if new members do not 
comply with the mask requirement, the four others would constitute a 
quorum and could conduct the district’s business.Kansas health care officials <a href="https://www.kmuw.org/2022-01-05/kansas-doctors-plead-for-you-to-take-covid-precautions-as-people-die-waiting-for-care-at-hospitals" target="_blank">issued a dire warning last week</a> that COVID-19 has reached new and alarming levels throughout the region, and they urged everyone to wear masks in public.The
 Wichita district is reporting record numbers of positive COVID cases 
among staff members. Late last week, about 400 employees were out of 
work because of COVID-related quarantines.The Wichita school 
board is the only Wichita-area elected body with a mask requirement for 
meetings. Members of the Sedgwick County Commission, Wichita City 
Council and other local school boards aren’t required to wear masks.The school board in Derby, just south of Wichita, voted 4-3 Monday to <a href="http://www.derbyinformer.com/news/derby_news/derby-school-board-strips-covid-mask-mandate/article_e010225e-72ec-11ec-ab1f-a34405a0a980.html" target="_blank">end its mask requirement</a> for schools.Suzanne Perez reports on education for KMUW in Wichita and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @SuzPerezICT.

‘I’m not sick’: Debate over masks resurfaces at Kan. school board meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department’s top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an “elevated” threat from violent extremists in the United States.

Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, testifying just days after the nation observed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">one-year anniversary of the insurrection</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Capitol, said the number of FBI investigations into suspected domestic violent extremists has more than doubled since the spring of 2020.

“We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies,” Olsen said.

The formulation of a new unit underscores the extent to which domestic violent extremism, which for years after the Sept. 11 attacks was overshadowed by the threat of international terrorism, has attracted urgent attention inside the federal government and at the White House.

But the issue remains politically freighted and divisive, in part because the absence of a federal domestic terrorism statute has created ambiguities as to precisely what sort of violence meets that definition. The U.S. criminal code defines domestic terrorism as violence intended to coerce or intimidate a civilian population and to influence government policy, but there is no standalone domestic terrorism charge, meaning prosecutors have to rely on other statutes.

Olsen’s assessment about growing domestic threats tracked with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-chris-wray-testify-capitol-riot-9a5539af34b15338bb5c4923907eeb67">a warning last March from FBI Director Christopher Wray</a>, who testified that the threat was “metastasizing.” Jill Sanborn, the executive assistant director in charge of the FBI’s national security branch who testified alongside Olsen, said Tuesday the greatest threat comes from lone extremists or small cells who radicalize online and look to carry out violence at so-called “soft targets.”

“This includes both homegrown violent extremists inspired primarily by foreign terrorist organizations as well as domestic violent extremism,” Sanborn said.

The department’s National Security Division, which Olsen leads, has a counterterrorism section. But Olsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he has decided to create a specialized domestic terrorism unit “to augment our existing approach” and to “ensure that these cases are properly handled and effectively coordinated” across the country.

The partisan divisions around the domestic terrorism terminology were evident during Tuesday’s hearing.

Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic chairman of the committee, played video of the Jan. 6 riot at the outset of the hearing and urged everyone on the committee to “use this hearing to explicitly condemn the use or threat of violence to advance political goals.”

“It’s a simple request, but sadly a necessary one,” Durbin added. “This committee should speak with a unified voice in saying violence is unacceptable.”

Several Republican senators sought to shift focus away from Jan. 6 and asserted that the insurrection had taken away attention from the 2020 rioting that erupted in American cities and grew out of racial justice protests. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, castigated the law enforcement witnesses for what he said were “wildly disparate standards” in the department’s pursuit of suspects in the 2020 rioting and in the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the panel’s top Republican, showed video of the 2020 violence as a counter to the Jan. 6 footage that Durbin showed.

“Those anti-police riots rocked our nation for seven full months,” Grassley said.

The FBI and Justice Department say they treat domestic extremist violence the same regardless of ideology. Sanborn said the FBI has opened more than 800 investigations tied to the 2020 rioting and arrested more than 250 people. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/merrick-garland-7556f195cde8dbf04aee94c80a41ec35">said last week</a>&nbsp;that the Justice Department had arrested and charged more than 725 people for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 attack.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641943438855.png" alt="Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen photo CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen photo CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is establishing a specialized unit focused on domestic terrorism, the department’s top national security official told lawmakers Tuesday as he described an “elevated” threat from violent extremists in the United States.Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, testifying just days after the nation observed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/capitol-siege">one-year anniversary of the insurrection</a>&nbsp;at the U.S. Capitol, said the number of FBI investigations into suspected domestic violent extremists has more than doubled since the spring of 2020.“We have seen a growing threat from those who are motivated by racial animus, as well as those who ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies,” Olsen said.The formulation of a new unit underscores the extent to which domestic violent extremism, which for years after the Sept. 11 attacks was overshadowed by the threat of international terrorism, has attracted urgent attention inside the federal government and at the White House.But the issue remains politically freighted and divisive, in part because the absence of a federal domestic terrorism statute has created ambiguities as to precisely what sort of violence meets that definition. The U.S. criminal code defines domestic terrorism as violence intended to coerce or intimidate a civilian population and to influence government policy, but there is no standalone domestic terrorism charge, meaning prosecutors have to rely on other statutes.Olsen’s assessment about growing domestic threats tracked with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fbi-chris-wray-testify-capitol-riot-9a5539af34b15338bb5c4923907eeb67">a warning last March from FBI Director Christopher Wray</a>, who testified that the threat was “metastasizing.” Jill Sanborn, the executive assistant director in charge of the FBI’s national security branch who testified alongside Olsen, said Tuesday the greatest threat comes from lone extremists or small cells who radicalize online and look to carry out violence at so-called “soft targets.”“This includes both homegrown violent extremists inspired primarily by foreign terrorist organizations as well as domestic violent extremism,” Sanborn said.The department’s National Security Division, which Olsen leads, has a counterterrorism section. But Olsen told the Senate Judiciary Committee that he has decided to create a specialized domestic terrorism unit “to augment our existing approach” and to “ensure that these cases are properly handled and effectively coordinated” across the country.The partisan divisions around the domestic terrorism terminology were evident during Tuesday’s hearing.Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic chairman of the committee, played video of the Jan. 6 riot at the outset of the hearing and urged everyone on the committee to “use this hearing to explicitly condemn the use or threat of violence to advance political goals.”“It’s a simple request, but sadly a necessary one,” Durbin added. “This committee should speak with a unified voice in saying violence is unacceptable.”Several Republican senators sought to shift focus away from Jan. 6 and asserted that the insurrection had taken away attention from the 2020 rioting that erupted in American cities and grew out of racial justice protests. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, castigated the law enforcement witnesses for what he said were “wildly disparate standards” in the department’s pursuit of suspects in the 2020 rioting and in the Jan. 6 insurrection.Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the panel’s top Republican, showed video of the 2020 violence as a counter to the Jan. 6 footage that Durbin showed.“Those anti-police riots rocked our nation for seven full months,” Grassley said.The FBI and Justice Department say they treat domestic extremist violence the same regardless of ideology. Sanborn said the FBI has opened more than 800 investigations tied to the 2020 rioting and arrested more than 250 people. Attorney General Merrick Garland&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/merrick-garland-7556f195cde8dbf04aee94c80a41ec35">said last week</a>&nbsp;that the Justice Department had arrested and charged more than 725 people for their alleged roles in the Jan. 6 attack.____

Justice Department's new unit to focus on domestic terrorism

WASHINGTON — National Taxpayer Advocate Erin M. Collins today released her <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/AnnualReport2021">2021 Annual Report to Congress</a>,
 calling calendar year 2021 "the most challenging year taxpayers and tax
 professionals have ever experienced." The report says tens of millions 
of taxpayers experienced delays in the processing of their returns, and 
with 77 percent of individual taxpayers receiving refunds, "processing 
delays translated directly into refund delays."

The report credits the Internal Revenue Service for performing well 
under difficult circumstances. Since the start of the pandemic, the IRS,
 in addition to its traditional work, has implemented significant 
programs enacted by Congress. Among other things, it has issued 478 
million stimulus payments (referred to as Economic Impact Payments or 
"EIPs") totaling $812 billion and has sent Advance Child Tax Credit 
(AdvCTC) payments to over 36 million families totaling over $93 billion.

The report says "[t]he imbalance between the IRS's workload and its 
resources has never been greater." Since fiscal year (FY) 2010, the 
IRS's workforce has shrunk by 17 percent, while its workload – as 
measured by the number of individual return filings – has increased by 
19 percent. The report reiterates the National Taxpayer Advocate's 
longstanding recommendation that Congress provide the IRS with 
sufficient funding to serve taxpayers well.

"There is no way to sugarcoat the year 2021 in tax administration," 
Collins wrote. "The year 2021 provided no shortage of taxpayer 
problems."

"While my report focuses primarily on the problems of 2021, I am 
deeply concerned about the upcoming filing season," Collins added in 
releasing the report. "Paper is the IRS's Kryptonite, and the agency is 
still buried in it." As of late December, the IRS had backlogs of 6 
million unprocessed original individual returns (Forms 1040), 2.3 
million unprocessed amended individual returns (Forms 1040-X), more than
 2&nbsp;million unprocessed employer's quarterly tax returns (Forms 941 and 
941-X), and about 5 million pieces of taxpayer correspondence – with 
some of these submissions dating back at least to April and many 
taxpayers still waiting for their refunds nine months later.

Although e-filed returns fared better than paper returns, the report 
says millions of e-filed returns were suspended during processing due to
 discrepancies between amounts claimed on the returns and amounts 
reflected on IRS records. The most common discrepancy involved Recovery 
Rebate Credit (RRC) claims by taxpayers who did not receive some or all 
of their stimulus payments as EIPs the prior year. These returns had to 
be manually reviewed, and the IRS issued more than 11 million math error
 notices to taxpayers over RRC discrepancies with IRS records. When a 
taxpayer disagreed with a math error notice and submitted a response, 
the taxpayer's response went into the IRS's paper processing backlog, 
further delaying the refund.

Collins is concerned that the number of returns suspended and 
requiring manual processing is likely to be high again in 2022. In 
March, Congress authorized two advance tax credits that may result in 
additional discrepancies between amounts claimed on tax returns and in 
IRS records. It authorized a third round of EIPs that may be claimed as 
RRCs by taxpayers who did not receive them, and it authorized monthly 
payments of the Advance Child Tax Credit (AdvCTC) for the second half 
of&nbsp;2021, both of which will have to be claimed and/or reconciled on 2021
 individual tax returns. The IRS is attempting to minimize discrepancies
 by sending notices to taxpayers who received EIPs and AdvCTC showing 
how much they received, but millions of discrepancies – and math error 
notices – remain likely.

At the postponed filing deadline of May 17, 2021, the IRS was holding
 35.3 million tax returns for employee review that consisted of roughly 
half unprocessed paper returns and half tax returns suspended during 
processing, leading to refund delays for many of these taxpayers. 
"Refund delays have a disproportionate impact on low-income taxpayers," 
the report says. "Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) benefits are worth up 
to $6,660, Child Tax Credit benefits [were] worth up to $2,000 per 
qualifying child under tax year 2020 rules, and RRCs are potentially 
worth several thousand dollars for families who did not receive some or 
all of their EIPs. Millions of taxpayers rely on the benefits from these
 programs to pay their basic living expenses, and when refunds are 
substantially delayed, the financial impact can range from mild 
inconvenience to severe financial hardship."

The report says processing delays led to a cascade of customer service problems:

The IRS's "Where's My Refund?" tool often could not answer the question.
 Taxpayers attempted to check the status of their refunds on IRS.gov 
more than 632 million times last year, but "Where's My Refund?" does not
 provide information on unprocessed returns, and it does not explain any
 status delays, the reasons for delays, where returns stand in the 
processing pipeline, or what actions taxpayers need to take, if any. For
 taxpayers who experienced significant refund delays, the tool often did
 not do its job.

Telephone service was the worst it has ever been. 
The combination of processing delays and questions about new programs 
like the AdvCTC caused call volumes to almost triple from the prior year
 to a record 282 million telephone calls. Customer service 
representatives (CSRs) only answered about 32 million, or 11 percent, of
 those calls. As a result, most callers could not obtain answers to 
their tax law questions, get help with account problems, or speak with a
 CSR about a compliance notice. "Among the lucky one in nine callers who
 was able to reach a CSR, the IRS reported that hold times averaged 
23&nbsp;minutes," the report says. "Practitioners and taxpayers have reported
 that hold times were often much longer, and frustration and 
dissatisfaction was high throughout the year with the low level of phone
 service."

The IRS took months to process taxpayer responses to its notices, further delaying refunds.
 The IRS sent tens of millions of notices to taxpayers during 2021. 
These included nearly 14 million math error notices, Automated 
Underreporter notices (where an amount reported on a tax return did not 
match the corresponding amount reported to the IRS on a Form 1099 or 
other information reporting document), notices requesting a taxpayer 
authenticate his or her identity where IRS filters flagged a return as 
potentially fraudulent, correspondence examination notices and 
collection notices. In many cases, taxpayer responses were required, and
 if the IRS did not process a response, its automated processes could 
take adverse action or not release the refund claimed on the tax return.
 The IRS received 6.2&nbsp;million taxpayer responses to proposed adjustments
 and took an average of 199 days to process them – up from 74 days in FY
 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year.

The ten most serious problems encountered by taxpayers.
 By statute, the National Taxpayer Advocate is required to identify the 
ten most serious problems encountered by taxpayers in their dealings 
with the IRS. This year's report details the following problems: 
processing and refund delays; challenges in employee recruitment, 
hiring, and training; telephone and in-person taxpayer service; 
transparency and clarity; filing season delays; limitations of online 
taxpayer accounts; limitations in digital taxpayer communications, 
including e-mail; e-filing barriers; correspondence audits; and the 
impact of collection policies on low-income taxpayers. For each problem,
 the report includes an IRS response.

Taxpayer Advocate Service administrative recommendations to the IRS

The report makes numerous recommendations to address taxpayer problems, including the following:

National Taxpayer Advocate "Purple Book" of legislative recommendations

The National Taxpayer Advocate's 2022 Purple Book proposes 68 
legislative recommendations for consideration by Congress. Among them 
are the following:

The report contains a taxpayer rights assessment that presents 
performance measures and other relevant data, a description of TAS's 
case advocacy operations during FY 2021, a summary of key TAS systemic 
advocacy accomplishments, and a discussion of the ten federal tax issues
 most frequently litigated during the preceding year. The section on 
most litigated tax issues for the first time contains an analysis of 
substantially all cases petitioned in the Tax Court rather than simply 
decided cases, providing a much broader view of issues taxpayers bring 
to court. Also for the first time, the report includes a section titled 
"At a Glance," which provides concise summaries of the ten "most serious
 problems." It is intended to give readers a quick overview of each 
issue so they can decide which ones they want to read about in depth.

Please visit <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/AnnualReport2021">2021 National Taxpayer Advocate Annual Report to Congress</a>&nbsp;for more information.

TAS is an independent organization within the IRS that helps
 taxpayers and protects taxpayer rights. Your local advocate's number is
 available in your local directory and at <a href="https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/contact-us">Contact Us</a>. You may also call TAS toll-free at <a href="tel:877-777-4778">877-777-4778</a>.
 TAS can help if you need assistance resolving an IRS problem, if your 
problem is causing financial difficulty, or if you believe an IRS system
 or procedure isn't working as it should. And our service is free. For 
more information about TAS and your rights under the Taxpayer Bill of 
Rights, go to the <a href="http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/">Taxpayer Advocate Service website</a>.&nbsp;You can get updates on tax topics at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YourVoiceAtIRS">YourVoiceAtIRS</a>&nbsp;(Facebook),&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/YourVoiceatIRS">YourVoiceatIRS</a>&nbsp;(Twitter) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TASNTA">TASNTA</a>&nbsp;(YouTube).

Congress receives report focusing on impact of tax refund delays

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly called Tuesday for another freeze in tuition at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;colleges in a State of the State address that portrayed the state as booming economically and previewed what are likely to be major themes in her reelection campaign.

<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EMBARGOED-2022-SOTS-address.pdf">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the address

The Democratic governor didn’t provide details about her college tuition proposal in the annual address, saying only that it is part of the proposed state budget that her administration will outline Wednesday. Kelly already is pushing to eliminate the state's sales tax on groceries and give a $250 rebate to every Kansas resident who filed a state income tax return last year.

Her proposals on taxes and college tuition come ahead of a tough reelection race with three-term state Attorney General Derek Schmidt as the presumed Republican nominee. Kelly will need support from moderate GOP and independent voters to win another four-year term in her Republican-leaning state, and she's been making moves to appeal to them that include opposing federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates from Democratic President Joe Biden.

Kelly suggested that the state's improved finances and the coronavirus pandemic warranted a tuition freeze at state colleges.

“You heard that right: No tuition increases whatsoever,” she said in the version of her speech prepared for delivery. “The virus took something from our students. And, we are going to give them something back.”

The governor's tuition proposal follows years of concerns about rising college costs — and efforts by both legislators and the state Board of Regents to contain them. The board, which oversees the state's higher education system, last year froze fall tuition at the state's six universities, except for Kansas State University. At some universities, tuition has been frozen three years.

Yet costs for students and their families are much higher than they were 15 years ago and now approach $5,600 a semester in tuition and academic fees at the University of Kansas for a full-time Kansas undergraduate — almost 82% more. At Kansas State, the same costs for a similar student have grown 80% and now top $5,200 a semester.

In the GOP’s official response to Kelly’s address, recorded before she made her tuition proposal public, state House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said, “It’s not enough to talk about goals.”

“Many Kansans say they have grown tired of broken promises,” Ryckman added in remarks prepared for delivery.

Much of Kelly's address to a joint session of the GOP-controlled Legislature focused on the state's financial recovery despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — and after persistent budget shortfalls that followed a nationally notorious GOP-led experiment in cutting income taxes starting in 2012.

Kansas has seen its monthly tax collections exceed expectations in all but three months in the 4 1/2 years since bipartisan legislative majorities repealed most of the previous tax-cutting experiment championed by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback. With no tax cuts or huge surge in state spending, it's on pace to end June 2023 with roughly $3.9 billion in cash reserves.

“The people of Kansas are getting back on their feet,” Kelly declared. “The state of Kansas is getting back on track.”

Schmidt and other Republicans argue that the good times are being fueled mostly by the billions of dollars in pandemic relief funds sent to the states by the federal government. Schmidt on Sunday proposed dedicating $1 billion to shoring up the state pension system for teachers and government workers — echoing comments from top Republican lawmakers.

Republicans have suggested that Kelly's tributes to business growth ring hollow when she shut many businesses down for five weeks last year — an action she took to check the spread of COVID-19 early in the pandemic. Republicans also have questioned Kelly’s commitment to cutting taxes because she vetoed three GOP proposals in three years after suggesting the measures would tank the state’ finances.

Schmidt also has called for cutting or eliminating the state's 6.5% sales tax on groceries. With bipartisan support, Kelly said, the only obstacle to passing the proposal is “the same type of toxic political games that have poisoned Washington, D.C.”

“We are better than that in Kansas,” she said. “Let's not overcomplicate this.”

However, Ryckman said Republicans want to “ratchet down” the sales tax, not only on groceries but “on everything else our families need to buy.”

Kelly wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-fe33c829200bb2c9345ee37534cf2b07">to eliminate the state’s 6.5% sales tax on groceries</a>&nbsp;so that a family buying $200 worth of groceries a week would save $676 a year. Lowering or ending the tax has bipartisan support, and about 100 groups, food pantries, businesses and faith organizations, along with several hundred individuals, sent a letter Monday to lawmakers urging them to eliminate the tax. But lawmakers might consider alternatives, such as lowering the tax on all consumer goods.

&nbsp;In December, she proposed giving Kansas residents who filed state income tax returns last year a one-time rebate of $250, dropping the idea on a skeptical Republican-controlled Legislature as she faces a tough reelection race.

On Thursday, the governor eased or suspended Kansas licensing rules for medical personnel and nursing home workers in hopes of making it easier for them to attack&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-infectious-diseases-kansas-city-989fb124d926e2253ffca07ad499bd70">staffing shortages</a>&nbsp;during a surge of new COVID-19 cases.

Kelly issued two executive orders. One allows hospital staff to perform a broader range of duties. The other makes licensing of nursing home workers more flexible so homes can hire people whose licenses have lapsed and fill less-skilled jobs with workers who have relatively little or no previous training.&nbsp;Kansas previously was under a state of emergency from March 2020 until June 2021.

By JOHN HANNATOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly called Tuesday for another freeze in tuition at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas">Kansas</a>&nbsp;colleges in a State of the State address that portrayed the state as booming economically and previewed what are likely to be major themes in her reelection campaign.<a href="https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/EMBARGOED-2022-SOTS-address.pdf">Click here to read </a>a transcript of the addressClick below to watch the address.&nbsp;<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PnwlhtiUBiY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>The Democratic governor didn’t provide details about her college tuition proposal in the annual address, saying only that it is part of the proposed state budget that her administration will outline Wednesday. Kelly already is pushing to eliminate the state's sales tax on groceries and give a $250 rebate to every Kansas resident who filed a state income tax return last year.Her proposals on taxes and college tuition come ahead of a tough reelection race with three-term state Attorney General Derek Schmidt as the presumed Republican nominee. Kelly will need support from moderate GOP and independent voters to win another four-year term in her Republican-leaning state, and she's been making moves to appeal to them that include opposing federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates from Democratic President Joe Biden.Kelly suggested that the state's improved finances and the coronavirus pandemic warranted a tuition freeze at state colleges.“You heard that right: No tuition increases whatsoever,” she said in the version of her speech prepared for delivery. “The virus took something from our students. And, we are going to give them something back.”The governor's tuition proposal follows years of concerns about rising college costs — and efforts by both legislators and the state Board of Regents to contain them. The board, which oversees the state's higher education system, last year froze fall tuition at the state's six universities, except for Kansas State University. At some universities, tuition has been frozen three years.Yet costs for students and their families are much higher than they were 15 years ago and now approach $5,600 a semester in tuition and academic fees at the University of Kansas for a full-time Kansas undergraduate — almost 82% more. At Kansas State, the same costs for a similar student have grown 80% and now top $5,200 a semester.In the GOP’s official response to Kelly’s address, recorded before she made her tuition proposal public, state House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican, said, “It’s not enough to talk about goals.”“Many Kansans say they have grown tired of broken promises,” Ryckman added in remarks prepared for delivery.Much of Kelly's address to a joint session of the GOP-controlled Legislature focused on the state's financial recovery despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — and after persistent budget shortfalls that followed a nationally notorious GOP-led experiment in cutting income taxes starting in 2012.Kansas has seen its monthly tax collections exceed expectations in all but three months in the 4 1/2 years since bipartisan legislative majorities repealed most of the previous tax-cutting experiment championed by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback. With no tax cuts or huge surge in state spending, it's on pace to end June 2023 with roughly $3.9 billion in cash reserves.“The people of Kansas are getting back on their feet,” Kelly declared. “The state of Kansas is getting back on track.”Schmidt and other Republicans argue that the good times are being fueled mostly by the billions of dollars in pandemic relief funds sent to the states by the federal government. Schmidt on Sunday proposed dedicating $1 billion to shoring up the state pension system for teachers and government workers — echoing comments from top Republican lawmakers.Republicans have suggested that Kelly's tributes to business growth ring hollow when she shut many businesses down for five weeks last year — an action she took to check the spread of COVID-19 early in the pandemic. Republicans also have questioned Kelly’s commitment to cutting taxes because she vetoed three GOP proposals in three years after suggesting the measures would tank the state’ finances.Schmidt also has called for cutting or eliminating the state's 6.5% sales tax on groceries. With bipartisan support, Kelly said, the only obstacle to passing the proposal is “the same type of toxic political games that have poisoned Washington, D.C.”“We are better than that in Kansas,” she said. “Let's not overcomplicate this.”However, Ryckman said Republicans want to “ratchet down” the sales tax, not only on groceries but “on everything else our families need to buy.”___------------Kelly wants&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/business-kansas-topeka-derek-schmidt-fe33c829200bb2c9345ee37534cf2b07">to eliminate the state’s 6.5% sales tax on groceries</a>&nbsp;so that a family buying $200 worth of groceries a week would save $676 a year. Lowering or ending the tax has bipartisan support, and about 100 groups, food pantries, businesses and faith organizations, along with several hundred individuals, sent a letter Monday to lawmakers urging them to eliminate the tax. But lawmakers might consider alternatives, such as lowering the tax on all consumer goods.&nbsp;In December, she proposed giving Kansas residents who filed state income tax returns last year a one-time rebate of $250, dropping the idea on a skeptical Republican-controlled Legislature as she faces a tough reelection race.On Thursday, the governor eased or suspended Kansas licensing rules for medical personnel and nursing home workers in hopes of making it easier for them to attack&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-business-health-infectious-diseases-kansas-city-989fb124d926e2253ffca07ad499bd70">staffing shortages</a>&nbsp;during a surge of new COVID-19 cases.Kelly issued two executive orders. One allows hospital staff to perform a broader range of duties. The other makes licensing of nursing home workers more flexible so homes can hire people whose licenses have lapsed and fill less-skilled jobs with workers who have relatively little or no previous training.&nbsp;Kansas previously was under a state of emergency from March 2020 until June 2021.

🎥 State of the State: Kan. governor seeks tuition freeze, calls state healthier

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal September crash have taken a wanted suspect into custody.

On Friday, Kansas City Kansas Police asked for the public’s helps to locate 25-year-old Arnold L. King. He is wanted for killing a mother of two while they were in the car with her in a crash just before 6:30a.m. on Sept. 17, according to a media release.

On Tuesday, the KCPD reported they had King in custody.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement Investigators are asking for the public’s helps to locate 25-year-old Arnold L. King, who is wanted for killing a mother of two while they were in the car with her in a crash just before 6:30a.m. on Sept. 17, according to a media release.

The crash occurred&nbsp;East 12th Street and Bales Ave. on Sept. 17.

Detectives believe King may have cut his hair to alter his looks. He is wanted for vehicular manslaughter, tampering w/a motor vehicle, and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.

If you have information that will help officers capture King and help a grieving family, contact our Tips Hotline at 816-474-8477 or fill out this form anonymously-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;C=659cd5">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;C=659cd5</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641679333998.png" alt="Photo KCPD" />
 <figcaption>Photo KCPD</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities investigating a fatal September crash have taken a wanted suspect into custody.On Friday, Kansas City Kansas Police asked for the public’s helps to locate 25-year-old Arnold L. King. He is wanted for killing a mother of two while they were in the car with her in a crash just before 6:30a.m. on Sept. 17, according to a media release.On Tuesday, the KCPD reported they had King in custody.----------KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement Investigators are asking for the public’s helps to locate 25-year-old Arnold L. King, who is wanted for killing a mother of two while they were in the car with her in a crash just before 6:30a.m. on Sept. 17, according to a media release.The crash occurred&nbsp;East 12th Street and Bales Ave. on Sept. 17.Detectives believe King may have cut his hair to alter his looks. He is wanted for vehicular manslaughter, tampering w/a motor vehicle, and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.If you have information that will help officers capture King and help a grieving family, contact our Tips Hotline at 816-474-8477 or fill out this form anonymously-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;C=659cd5">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;C=659cd5</a>.KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement Investigators are asking for the public’s helps to locate 25-year-old Arnold L. King, who is wanted for killing a mother of two while they were in the car with her in a crash just before 6:30a.m. on Sept. 17, according to a media release.The crash occurred&nbsp;East 12th Street and Bales Ave. on Sept. 17.Detectives believe King may have cut his hair to alter his looks. He is wanted for vehicular manslaughter, tampering w/a motor vehicle, and leaving the scene of a fatal crash.If you have information that will help officers capture King and help a grieving family, contact our Tips Hotline at 816-474-8477 or fill out this form anonymously-&nbsp;<a href="https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;C=659cd5">https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=452&amp;C=659cd5</a>.

Police: Suspect in Kan. crash that killed mother of 2 is in custody

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, angrily accused a senator Tuesday of making false accusations that are leading to threats against him -- all to raise political cash.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has repeatedly said Fauci lies about the pandemic and in a hearing Tuesday also claimed that he tried to “take down” some scientists who disagreed with him.

Paul and other conservative critics have focused their ire at how the pandemic is being handled on Fauci, the National Institutes of Health infectious disease chief who also is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser. Fauci has needed increased security since 2020 because of threats and harassment against him and his family.

Tuesday, Fauci expressed frustration that this far into the pandemic the senator still “accuses me of things that are completely untrue” and “kindles the crazies out there.”

He pointed to the arrest last month of a California man who was stopped for speeding in Iowa and told a sheriff’s deputy he was on the way to the nation’s capital to kill a list of people in power -- including Fauci. Court documents show the man, Kuachua Brillion Xiong of Sacramento, had an AR-15 style rifle, ammunition and body armor in the car.

Fauci said the Paul’s website has a “fire Dr. Fauci” page that includes a call for political contributions ranging from $5 to $100.

“You are making a catastrophic epidemic for your political gain,” he said.

The feud overshadowed a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee designed to examine if policy changes are needed while the U.S. is battling the hugely contagious omicron variant.

Among the chief complaints of Republicans and Democrats alike is a continuing lack of tests to make it easier for people to tell if they have COVID-19 so they can stay home and not spread it.

“I just say to all of you right now, testing’s broken,” said an exasperated Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the committee’s ranking member.

Still, Burr and several other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also thanked Fauci for his work to fight the pandemic.

But later in Tuesday’s hearing, Fauci lost his temper when Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, accused him of hiding financial disclosure forms required of public officials.

“You’re so misinformed that it’s extraordinary,” Fauci responded, saying those documents are publicly available upon request. As the exchange ended, Fauci could be heard muttering off-camera, “What a moron.”

Following the line of questioning, Dr. Fauci proceeded to call Senator Marshall a “moron” and said, “Jesus Christ.” Click&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1480977059874848769?s=20" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp; to hear Dr. Fauci on hot mic.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, angrily accused a senator Tuesday of making false accusations that are leading to threats against him -- all to raise political cash.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gB4Q4tCBsh4?start=7" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has repeatedly said Fauci lies about the pandemic and in a hearing Tuesday also claimed that he tried to “take down” some scientists who disagreed with him.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Calling me a moron during a Senate hearing may have alleviated the stress of the least trusted bureaucrat in America, but it didn’t take away from the facts. We need the truth Dr. Fauci! <a href="https://t.co/GyfdppfNgn">pic.twitter.com/GyfdppfNgn</a>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1481029428754984968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Paul and other conservative critics have focused their ire at how the pandemic is being handled on Fauci, the National Institutes of Health infectious disease chief who also is President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser. Fauci has needed increased security since 2020 because of threats and harassment against him and his family.Tuesday, Fauci expressed frustration that this far into the pandemic the senator still “accuses me of things that are completely untrue” and “kindles the crazies out there.”He pointed to the arrest last month of a California man who was stopped for speeding in Iowa and told a sheriff’s deputy he was on the way to the nation’s capital to kill a list of people in power -- including Fauci. Court documents show the man, Kuachua Brillion Xiong of Sacramento, had an AR-15 style rifle, ammunition and body armor in the car.Fauci said the Paul’s website has a “fire Dr. Fauci” page that includes a call for political contributions ranging from $5 to $100.“You are making a catastrophic epidemic for your political gain,” he said.The feud overshadowed a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee designed to examine if policy changes are needed while the U.S. is battling the hugely contagious omicron variant.Among the chief complaints of Republicans and Democrats alike is a continuing lack of tests to make it easier for people to tell if they have COVID-19 so they can stay home and not spread it.“I just say to all of you right now, testing’s broken,” said an exasperated Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the committee’s ranking member.Still, Burr and several other lawmakers on both sides of the aisle also thanked Fauci for his work to fight the pandemic.But later in Tuesday’s hearing, Fauci lost his temper when Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, accused him of hiding financial disclosure forms required of public officials.“You’re so misinformed that it’s extraordinary,” Fauci responded, saying those documents are publicly available upon request. As the exchange ended, Fauci could be heard muttering off-camera, “What a moron.”Following the line of questioning, Dr. Fauci proceeded to call Senator Marshall a “moron” and said, “Jesus Christ.” Click&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1480977059874848769?s=20" target="_blank">HERE</a>&nbsp; to hear Dr. Fauci on hot mic.

🎥 'Dr. Fauci gets testy with Senator Marshall: 'What a moron'

SUMNER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the August shooting death of a 12-year-old girl at a Kansas home have made an arrest.

On Thursday police arrested 42-year-old Jarod Bruey and 41- year-old&nbsp; Sarah Bruey on requested charges of aggravated endangerment of a child and first-degree murder in commission of a felony, according to online Sumner County jail records. They are scheduled to make a virtual first appearance on the charges January 27, according to the Sumner County&nbsp; District Court.

Just after 11a.m. August 6, Sumner County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to report a shooting the 1500 Block of South Blackstone Road in Caldwell, according to&nbsp;Undersheriff Mike Westmoreland.

Deputies were told a 12-year-old girl accidentally shot her 12-year-old sister in the face. 

After administering life saving measures for over forty minutes she was declared deceased, according to&nbsp;Westmoreland.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641905049958.png" alt="Bruey-photo Sumner County" />
 <figcaption>Bruey-photo Sumner County</figcaption>
 </figure>SUMNER COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities investigating the August shooting death of a 12-year-old girl at a Kansas home have made an arrest.On Thursday police arrested 42-year-old Jarod Bruey and 41- year-old&nbsp; Sarah Bruey on requested charges of aggravated endangerment of a child and first-degree murder in commission of a felony, according to online Sumner County jail records. They are scheduled to make a virtual first appearance on the charges January 27, according to the Sumner County&nbsp; District Court.Just after 11a.m. August 6, Sumner County Sheriff Deputies were dispatched to report a shooting the 1500 Block of South Blackstone Road in Caldwell, according to&nbsp;Undersheriff Mike Westmoreland.Deputies were told a 12-year-old girl accidentally shot her 12-year-old sister in the face. After administering life saving measures for over forty minutes she was declared deceased, according to&nbsp;Westmoreland.&nbsp;&nbsp;---------

Kansas couple accused in fatal accidental shooting

DONIPHAN COUNTY—A&nbsp; man died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Tuesday in Doniphan County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Honda Accord driven by Raymond Sauter, 59, St. Joseph, was westbound on U.S. 36 one mile west of Kansas 238.

The Honda rear-ended a 2019 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Robert&nbsp;Varnum, 57, Watertown Massachusetts, that had slowed due to another vehicle and report of a dog in the road, according to the&nbsp; KHP.

Sauter was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Rupp Funeral Home.&nbsp; Varnum and a passenger were not injured. Sauter was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

DONIPHAN COUNTY—A&nbsp; man died in an accident just after 8:30a.m. Tuesday in Doniphan County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Honda Accord driven by Raymond Sauter, 59, St. Joseph, was westbound on U.S. 36 one mile west of Kansas 238.The Honda rear-ended a 2019 Freightliner semi driven by&nbsp; Robert&nbsp;Varnum, 57, Watertown Massachusetts, that had slowed due to another vehicle and report of a dog in the road, according to the&nbsp; KHP.Sauter was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to Rupp Funeral Home.&nbsp; Varnum and a passenger were not injured. Sauter was not wearing a seat belt, according to the KHP.

Driver dies after car rear-ends a semi on Kan. highway

Candidates bolster bottom line with $200,000 personal loans

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/11/gubernatorial-candidates-kelly-schmidt-raise-combined-3-6-million-during-2021/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Democratic Gov. Laura 
Kelly outdueled rival Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt in 
political contributions during 2021, while two GOP candidates for 
statewide office in Kansas bolstered their fundraising totals with 
personal loans of $200,000.

Kelly’s report of campaign activity from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021, 
indicated she raised $2.04 million in that period and held $1.9 million 
in cash at close of the calendar year. Schmidt, who is seeking the 
Republican Party’s nomination for governor, took in $1.63 million during
 the year and was sitting on $1.3 million at year’s end.

Kelly reported 25,000 contributions during the year and an average donation of $26.

“The governor’s historic, grassroots fundraising
 record is more evidence that her steady leadership is what Kansans 
want,” said Shelbi Dantic, manager of Kelly’s campaign. “She’s delivered
 for Kansans by fully funding schools three years in a row, investing in
 our roads and bridges, creating and retaining more than 30,000 jobs and
 billions in new business dollars, and balancing the state’s pocketbook —
 all while battling a once-in-a-century pandemic.”

In terms of the year preceding an election, contributions to Schmidt 
set a high water mark among candidates challenging an incumbent Kansas 
governor. The previous record for a challenger was the $1 million raised
 by Democrat Paul Davis in 2013 in his race against incumbent GOP Gov. 
Sam Brownback.

Schmidt had 3,600 contributions during 2021, representing donors from
 all 105 counties. Of his total for the year, 95% of the money came from
 contributors from Kansas.

“This record-setting finance report reflects the unprecedented 
enthusiasm among Kansans for supporting Derek Schmidt’s candidacy for 
governor and his vision to get our state back on track,” said C.J. 
Grover, Schmidt’s campaign manager. “Kansans want positive change, and 
Derek Schmidt is poised to deliver it as governor.”

In the campaign for attorney general, Lecompton Republican Kris 
Kobach reported taking in $425,000, but that total included a $200,000 
loan from himself on Dec. 17. Kobach, the former secretary of state in 
Kansas, had $387,000 in cash at end of the year.

Republican Sen. Kellie Warren of Leawood generated $282,000 in 
contributions and had $231,000 on hand entering 2022. She made no 
personal loans to her campaign. Anthony Mattivi, a GOP candidate and a 
former federal prosecutor from Topeka, raised $135,000 and held $76,000 
when the reported period closed in December.

Warren’s total exceeded the off-year 
fundraising by the last four GOP nominees for attorney general, 
including Schmidt’s candidacies in 2009, 2003 and 2017.

“Our message of being the only Republican candidate who will fight 
back and win against the Biden administration and the radical left is 
clearly resonating across Kansas,” Warren said.

Lawrence attorney Chris Mann, who is the presumed Democratic nominee 
for attorney general, reported contributions of $192,000 and cash on 
hand of $160,000. He loaned himself nearly $8,000.

In the race for state treasurer, incumbent Democrat Lynn Rogers began
 2021 with $2,500 cash on hand and ended the year with $211,000 in his 
campaign account. During the year, he generated $237,000 in 
contributions from about 800 donors.

“We will continue to put in the grassroots effort that is 
needed to meet with voters across the state of Kansas as we connect with
 them about their concerns, raise awareness about the work of the state 
treasurer, and discuss what I hope to accomplish if I earn a second term
 from Kansans,” Rogers said.

In the four-person Republican field of candidates for 
treasurer, Rep. Steven Johnson of Assaria reported $403,000 in campaign 
contributions, including $200,000 in personal loans. He was sitting on 
$383,000 at close of the year.

Sen. Caryn Tyson, of Parker, took in $164,000 in the 
calendar year and was holding $155,000 in reserve. Former congressional 
candidate Sara Weir of Overland Park reported $85,000 in contributions 
and nearly that amount in available cash. Lawrence resident Michael 
Austin, who was a lobbyist with Kansas Policy Institute, reported 
$40,000 in contributions and $17,000 in cash.

Incumbent secretary of state Scott Schwab, an Overland Park 
Republican, took in $164,000 in donations for the year and had cash 
reserves of $174,000. His report included $26,000 personal loans from 
2018.

His primary opponent, Overland Park resident Mike Brown, raised 
$127,000 while making a personal loan of $100,000 to his campaign in 
December. Brown. who reported $127,000 cash on hand, is a Republican and
 former member of the Johnson County Commission.

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, a Topeka Republican, 
raised $153,000 during the year and build a campaign chest of $268,000. 
She loaned her campaign $5,200 in 2021 and was still carrying $68,000 in
 loans she made to herself four years ago.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641933594915.png" alt="Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a candidate for governor in 2022, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is seeking re-election, raised substantial contributions to their campaigns. Kelly reported $2.04 million in donations in 2021, while Schmidt had $1.63 million for the year. (Photos by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a candidate for governor in 2022, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who is seeking re-election, raised substantial contributions to their campaigns. Kelly reported $2.04 million in donations in 2021, while Schmidt had $1.63 million for the year. (Photos by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Candidates bolster bottom line with $200,000 personal loans</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/11/gubernatorial-candidates-kelly-schmidt-raise-combined-3-6-million-during-2021/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Democratic Gov. Laura 
Kelly outdueled rival Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt in 
political contributions during 2021, while two GOP candidates for 
statewide office in Kansas bolstered their fundraising totals with 
personal loans of $200,000.Kelly’s report of campaign activity from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021, 
indicated she raised $2.04 million in that period and held $1.9 million 
in cash at close of the calendar year. Schmidt, who is seeking the 
Republican Party’s nomination for governor, took in $1.63 million during
 the year and was sitting on $1.3 million at year’s end.Kelly reported 25,000 contributions during the year and an average donation of $26.“The governor’s historic, grassroots fundraising
 record is more evidence that her steady leadership is what Kansans 
want,” said Shelbi Dantic, manager of Kelly’s campaign. “She’s delivered
 for Kansans by fully funding schools three years in a row, investing in
 our roads and bridges, creating and retaining more than 30,000 jobs and
 billions in new business dollars, and balancing the state’s pocketbook —
 all while battling a once-in-a-century pandemic.”In terms of the year preceding an election, contributions to Schmidt 
set a high water mark among candidates challenging an incumbent Kansas 
governor. The previous record for a challenger was the $1 million raised
 by Democrat Paul Davis in 2013 in his race against incumbent GOP Gov. 
Sam Brownback.Schmidt had 3,600 contributions during 2021, representing donors from
 all 105 counties. Of his total for the year, 95% of the money came from
 contributors from Kansas.“This record-setting finance report reflects the unprecedented 
enthusiasm among Kansans for supporting Derek Schmidt’s candidacy for 
governor and his vision to get our state back on track,” said C.J. 
Grover, Schmidt’s campaign manager. “Kansans want positive change, and 
Derek Schmidt is poised to deliver it as governor.”<h2>Hefty AG donations</h2>In the campaign for attorney general, Lecompton Republican Kris 
Kobach reported taking in $425,000, but that total included a $200,000 
loan from himself on Dec. 17. Kobach, the former secretary of state in 
Kansas, had $387,000 in cash at end of the year.Republican Sen. Kellie Warren of Leawood generated $282,000 in 
contributions and had $231,000 on hand entering 2022. She made no 
personal loans to her campaign. Anthony Mattivi, a GOP candidate and a 
former federal prosecutor from Topeka, raised $135,000 and held $76,000 
when the reported period closed in December.Warren’s total exceeded the off-year 
fundraising by the last four GOP nominees for attorney general, 
including Schmidt’s candidacies in 2009, 2003 and 2017.“Our message of being the only Republican candidate who will fight 
back and win against the Biden administration and the radical left is 
clearly resonating across Kansas,” Warren said.Lawrence attorney Chris Mann, who is the presumed Democratic nominee 
for attorney general, reported contributions of $192,000 and cash on 
hand of $160,000. He loaned himself nearly $8,000.<h2>More personal loans</h2>In the race for state treasurer, incumbent Democrat Lynn Rogers began
 2021 with $2,500 cash on hand and ended the year with $211,000 in his 
campaign account. During the year, he generated $237,000 in 
contributions from about 800 donors.“We will continue to put in the grassroots effort that is 
needed to meet with voters across the state of Kansas as we connect with
 them about their concerns, raise awareness about the work of the state 
treasurer, and discuss what I hope to accomplish if I earn a second term
 from Kansans,” Rogers said.In the four-person Republican field of candidates for 
treasurer, Rep. Steven Johnson of Assaria reported $403,000 in campaign 
contributions, including $200,000 in personal loans. He was sitting on 
$383,000 at close of the year.Sen. Caryn Tyson, of Parker, took in $164,000 in the 
calendar year and was holding $155,000 in reserve. Former congressional 
candidate Sara Weir of Overland Park reported $85,000 in contributions 
and nearly that amount in available cash. Lawrence resident Michael 
Austin, who was a lobbyist with Kansas Policy Institute, reported 
$40,000 in contributions and $17,000 in cash.Incumbent secretary of state Scott Schwab, an Overland Park 
Republican, took in $164,000 in donations for the year and had cash 
reserves of $174,000. His report included $26,000 personal loans from 
2018.His primary opponent, Overland Park resident Mike Brown, raised 
$127,000 while making a personal loan of $100,000 to his campaign in 
December. Brown. who reported $127,000 cash on hand, is a Republican and
 former member of the Johnson County Commission.Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, a Topeka Republican, 
raised $153,000 during the year and build a campaign chest of $268,000. 
She loaned her campaign $5,200 in 2021 and was still carrying $68,000 in
 loans she made to herself four years ago.

Gubernatorial candidates Kelly, Schmidt raise $3.6M in '21

District will retain 'Savages' name, remove Native American imagery

By TOMMY REZAC <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post&nbsp;</a>

SAVANNAH, Mo. — Online voting has started for a new school mascot at Savannah.

Savannah
 parents, community members and alumni are invited to choose from five 
mascot designs in an online survey. The five choices were narrowed down 
by the school board in December after a total of 83 submissions.

New mascot designs were submitted by students, community members and alumni.

"We
 really truly had submissions from all of those areas," Savannah 
district spokesperson Jess Gillett said. "It was really kind of fun to 
see. We have several alumni who are now graphic artists and we got 
things on that end of the spectrum all the way to submissions from young
 elementary students. So, that was fun to see."

Any submissions 
with copyrighted imagery, or anything that had negative connotations, 
were thrown out. Students eventually narrowed it down to their favorite 
10 submissions with a vote. That 10 was then narrowed down further to 
five. The final five were presented to the board in December.

"Students
 voted on the top 10," Gillett said. "Taking the top 10 to their 
favorite five. That's what went to the board last month, and the board 
was in agreement that those top five were good and we could move forward
 and that's where we are now."

Voting on the mascot opened Monday and will close on Friday, January 14.&nbsp;Students and staff members are voting on campus.&nbsp;

The five new mascot choices&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MesOUpFZxwr-I1P2QZpmM13J2ND84Pt9GdjhgHg-UQQ/edit#slide=id.g10764e4012a_0_20">can be viewed here</a>. Savannah parents, alums and community members&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXRQS9B">can vote online here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641935756373.png" alt="Newly appointed Savannah Board of Education president Joseph Barbosa addresses the room after being appointed president and after a vote to change the Savannah mascot imagery last April. Stock photo by Tommy Rezac" />
 <figcaption>Newly appointed Savannah Board of Education president Joseph Barbosa addresses the room after being appointed president and after a vote to change the Savannah mascot imagery last April. Stock photo by Tommy Rezac</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>District will retain 'Savages' name, remove Native American imagery</h2>By TOMMY REZAC <a href="https://stjosephpost.com">St. Joseph Post&nbsp;</a>SAVANNAH, Mo. — Online voting has started for a new school mascot at Savannah.Savannah
 parents, community members and alumni are invited to choose from five 
mascot designs in an online survey. The five choices were narrowed down 
by the school board in December after a total of 83 submissions.New mascot designs were submitted by students, community members and alumni."We
 really truly had submissions from all of those areas," Savannah 
district spokesperson Jess Gillett said. "It was really kind of fun to 
see. We have several alumni who are now graphic artists and we got 
things on that end of the spectrum all the way to submissions from young
 elementary students. So, that was fun to see."Any submissions 
with copyrighted imagery, or anything that had negative connotations, 
were thrown out. Students eventually narrowed it down to their favorite 
10 submissions with a vote. That 10 was then narrowed down further to 
five. The final five were presented to the board in December."Students
 voted on the top 10," Gillett said. "Taking the top 10 to their 
favorite five. That's what went to the board last month, and the board 
was in agreement that those top five were good and we could move forward
 and that's where we are now."Voting on the mascot opened Monday and will close on Friday, January 14.&nbsp;Students and staff members are voting on campus.&nbsp;

The five new mascot choices&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MesOUpFZxwr-I1P2QZpmM13J2ND84Pt9GdjhgHg-UQQ/edit#slide=id.g10764e4012a_0_20">can be viewed here</a>. Savannah parents, alums and community members&nbsp;<a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXRQS9B">can vote online here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/1/1641935831815.png" alt="Photo by Tommy Rezac" />
 <figcaption>Photo by Tommy Rezac</figcaption>
 </figure>The school colors and the name "Savages" will be retained. The Savannah school board voted <a href="https://stjosephpost.com/posts/db776f1c-5c82-46d3-9192-5fb6a33525ca">in April of last year</a>&nbsp;to retain the Savage name, but phase out&nbsp;the Native American imagery and symbolism associated with the mascot.A final decision on the new mascot imagery will be announced after the next board meeting on Thursday, January 20.Once
 the new mascot is chosen, Gillett says the final and biggest step will 
be replacing the equipment and uniforms that bear the original mascot.Gillett
 reiterated, just as the school board did at the time of their vote, not
 one cent of the school district's budget is going toward the mascot 
change.&nbsp;Instead, as it becomes necessary to replace items, the updated 
imagery will be used."Uniforms are on a five-year rotation," 
Gillett said. "So, when it's time for those uniforms to be replaced, 
we'll simply put the new mascot on the new uniform and move forward. And
 that's true of everything in the district. Gym floors, things like 
that. They'll just be replaced as they were already scheduled to be 
updated or replaced."You can follow Tommy on Twitter @TommyKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.