HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge did not make an immediate decision Thursday on the fate of a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.

During a court hearing, attorneys representing the nine states that have sued to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program argued the updated policy is essentially the same as the 2012 memo that first created it and asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-congress-6108ffa1d6e77c65e88438cdc1d6552e">U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen</a>&nbsp;to again find the program illegal.

In 2021, Hanen declared DACA illegal, ruling that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. Hanen also said the states seeking to stop it had standing to file their lawsuit because they had been harmed by the program.

"Every aspect of this program is ... unlawful," said Ryan Walters, with the Texas Attorney General's Office, which is representing the states that filed the lawsuit. The states have also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.

The states have claimed they incur hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. The states that sued are Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi.

Lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department, DACA recipients and the state of New Jersey argued during the hearing the states have failed to present any evidence that any of the costs they allege they have incurred because of illegal immigration have been tied to DACA recipients.

They also argued Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security the legal authority to set immigration enforcement policies.

But the lawyers arguing for DACA, acknowledging that Hanen could again rule against them, also asked Hanen to not completely end the program if that's what he would ultimately decide to do. They instead asked Hanen to only end those parts of the program he would deem as illegal. Lawyers for the states asked that the entire program be shut down within a four-year period after a final ruling.

Texas and the other states filed their lawsuit because they disagree with immigration policy and not because of concerns over the implementation of laws, said Nina Perales, with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who spoke before Hanen on behalf of DACA recipients.

Hanen did not immediately rule after Thursday’s court hearing or give a timeframe for when he would issue a ruling.

“We will rule on this as expeditiously as we can," said Hanen, who was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2002.

Before and after Thursday's hearing, more than 50 people gathered near and in front of the courthouse to show their support for DACA. Many of them held up signs that read: “Immigration Reform Now” and “Defend DACA.”

Maritza Gutierrez Ramos, 28, a DACA recipient who traveled from Dallas to attend the court hearing, said the program has given her many opportunities but she remains filled with anxiety and wants something more permanent.

“I'm trying to be optimistic and if doesn’t go our way, God will provide us with better things,” said Gutierrez Ramos, who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 11 months old.

Isaias Guerrero, 38, a DACA recipient who traveled from Washington, D.C., to attend the court hearing, described the claims made by Texas' lawyers about the state's costs tied to illegal immigration as “hollow arguments.”

“There was no mention of the amount of money we pay in taxes ... and the overall contribution to society,” said Guerrero, who immigrated from Colombia when he was 15 years old and grew up in Indiana.

In 2022, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-united-states-immigration-government-and-politics-b05499ef2d0d999c045079204d42be84">5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans upheld Hanen’s earlier ruling declaring DACA illegal, but sent the case back to him to review&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-united-states-george-w-bush-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-d54fc8e80d19406c6642e9c2c3d1ff10">changes made to the program by the Biden administration</a>.

The new version of DACA took effect in October and was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process.

Hanen has left the Obama-era program intact for those already benefiting from it. But he previously ruled there can be no new applicants while appeals are pending.

There were 580,310 people enrolled in DACA at the end of December, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Whatever decision Hanen makes is expected to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time.

In 2016, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients. In 2020, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-courts-immigration-4901a69e2fb198705ab4f5370b28810a">high court ruled 5-4</a>&nbsp;that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA, allowing it to stay in place.

President Joe Biden and advocacy groups have called on Congress to pass permanent protections for “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-91c885ea7c2b59dd327d0cdbe76b7cdb">Dreamers</a>,” which is what people protected by DACA are commonly called. Congress has failed multiple times to pass proposals called the DREAM Act to protect DACA recipients.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge did not make an immediate decision Thursday on the fate of a revised version of a federal policy that prevents the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the U.S. as children.During a court hearing, attorneys representing the nine states that have sued to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program argued the updated policy is essentially the same as the 2012 memo that first created it and asked&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-congress-6108ffa1d6e77c65e88438cdc1d6552e">U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen</a>&nbsp;to again find the program illegal.In 2021, Hanen declared DACA illegal, ruling that the program had not been subjected to public notice and comment periods required under the federal Administrative Procedures Act. Hanen also said the states seeking to stop it had standing to file their lawsuit because they had been harmed by the program."Every aspect of this program is ... unlawful," said Ryan Walters, with the Texas Attorney General's Office, which is representing the states that filed the lawsuit. The states have also argued that the White House overstepped its authority by granting immigration benefits that are for Congress to decide.The states have claimed they incur hundreds of millions of dollars in health care, education and other costs when immigrants are allowed to remain in the country illegally. The states that sued are Kansas, Texas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi.Lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department, DACA recipients and the state of New Jersey argued during the hearing the states have failed to present any evidence that any of the costs they allege they have incurred because of illegal immigration have been tied to DACA recipients.They also argued Congress has given the Department of Homeland Security the legal authority to set immigration enforcement policies.But the lawyers arguing for DACA, acknowledging that Hanen could again rule against them, also asked Hanen to not completely end the program if that's what he would ultimately decide to do. They instead asked Hanen to only end those parts of the program he would deem as illegal. Lawyers for the states asked that the entire program be shut down within a four-year period after a final ruling.Texas and the other states filed their lawsuit because they disagree with immigration policy and not because of concerns over the implementation of laws, said Nina Perales, with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, who spoke before Hanen on behalf of DACA recipients.Hanen did not immediately rule after Thursday’s court hearing or give a timeframe for when he would issue a ruling.“We will rule on this as expeditiously as we can," said Hanen, who was appointed by then-President George W. Bush in 2002.Before and after Thursday's hearing, more than 50 people gathered near and in front of the courthouse to show their support for DACA. Many of them held up signs that read: “Immigration Reform Now” and “Defend DACA.”Maritza Gutierrez Ramos, 28, a DACA recipient who traveled from Dallas to attend the court hearing, said the program has given her many opportunities but she remains filled with anxiety and wants something more permanent.“I'm trying to be optimistic and if doesn’t go our way, God will provide us with better things,” said Gutierrez Ramos, who came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 11 months old.Isaias Guerrero, 38, a DACA recipient who traveled from Washington, D.C., to attend the court hearing, described the claims made by Texas' lawyers about the state's costs tied to illegal immigration as “hollow arguments.”“There was no mention of the amount of money we pay in taxes ... and the overall contribution to society,” said Guerrero, who immigrated from Colombia when he was 15 years old and grew up in Indiana.In 2022, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-united-states-immigration-government-and-politics-b05499ef2d0d999c045079204d42be84">5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;in New Orleans upheld Hanen’s earlier ruling declaring DACA illegal, but sent the case back to him to review&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/immigration-united-states-george-w-bush-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-d54fc8e80d19406c6642e9c2c3d1ff10">changes made to the program by the Biden administration</a>.The new version of DACA took effect in October and was subject to public comments as part of a formal rule-making process.Hanen has left the Obama-era program intact for those already benefiting from it. But he previously ruled there can be no new applicants while appeals are pending.There were 580,310 people enrolled in DACA at the end of December, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.Whatever decision Hanen makes is expected to end up before the U.S. Supreme Court for a third time.In 2016, the Supreme Court deadlocked 4-4 over an expanded DACA and a version of the program for parents of DACA recipients. In 2020, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-courts-immigration-4901a69e2fb198705ab4f5370b28810a">high court ruled 5-4</a>&nbsp;that the Trump administration improperly ended DACA, allowing it to stay in place.President Joe Biden and advocacy groups have called on Congress to pass permanent protections for “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-los-angeles-united-states-immigration-deferred-action-for-childhood-arrivals-program-91c885ea7c2b59dd327d0cdbe76b7cdb">Dreamers</a>,” which is what people protected by DACA are commonly called. Congress has failed multiple times to pass proposals called the DREAM Act to protect DACA recipients.

Kan. lawsuit: Judge to decide fate of revised DACA program

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision.

President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, but the 52-46&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00135.htm">vote</a>&nbsp;forced vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024 to take a public stance on loan forgiveness that Republicans have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/16/u-s-house-gop-questions-education-secretary-on-transgender-athletes-student-loans/">lambasted as a “bailout.”</a>&nbsp; Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall along with Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt of Missouri voted with the majority.

The resolution, brought under the Congressional Review Act that allows Congress to reverse certain administration actions, was one of several maneuvers Republicans have used to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-pushes-through-debt-ceiling-increase-coupled-with-massive-spending-cuts/">block the one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify</a>. The resolution&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">passed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. House last week and now goes to the White House.

In a statement ahead of the House vote, the White House blasted the student loan measure.

“This resolution is an unprecedented attempt to undercut our historic economic recovery, and would deprive more than 40 million hard-working Americans of much-needed student debt relief,” the statement read. “Americans should be able to have a little more breathing room as they recover from the economic strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Senators up for reelection next year who voted with Republicans, include Democrats Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and independent Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Though some Democratic senators crossed party lines Thursday, several others have criticized the resolution for not only blocking student debt relief, but requiring borrowers to pay back interest from the pause on student loan repayments first implemented by the Trump administration in 2020 due to the coronavirus and extended several times.

“My Republican colleagues talk a big game about helping working families, but this legislation shows how callous and uncaring they are, by trying to block relief that would immediately improve the lives of millions of borrowers,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor Wednesday.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-joint-resolution/45?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22H.J.Res45%22%7D&amp;s=2&amp;r=1">resolution</a>, argued on the Senate floor Wednesday that the Biden administration did not have the authority to enact its debt relief program. Cassidy pointed to how Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. expressed skepticism during&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/28/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-met-with-skepticism-from-u-s-supreme-court-conservatives/">oral arguments in February</a>&nbsp;about the policy.

Several members of the court’s conservative majority questioned whether the president could enact a program that would approve $400 billion in relief without congressional approval.

Cassidy said the Biden administration’s plan will “transfer the burden from those who willingly took out loans for college in order to make more money when they graduated, to Americans who never attended college or already fulfilled their commitment to pay off their loans.”

“It is unfair to the hundreds of millions of Americans who will bear the burden of paying off hundreds of billions of dollars of someone else’s student debt,” he said.

Sen. John Thune, the Senate minority whip, called the student loan forgiveness policy a “government handout” in a Thursday floor speech.

“It’s something of a slap in the face to Americans who chose more affordable college options or worked their way through school to avoid taking loans, or whose parents scrimped and saved to put them through college,” the South Dakota Republican said.

Even though the plan was announced last year, Congress can take action following a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/820/818220.pdf">March Governmental Accountability Office report</a>&nbsp;that classified the policy as a regulation under the Congressional Review Act, or CRA.

The CRA is a procedural tool that can be used to overturn agency actions and needs only 51 votes to pass the Senate, unlike the usual 60 votes required to defeat a filibuster.

The CRA is the latest attack from congressional Republicans on the Biden administration’s student loan policy. A provision in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/31/u-s-house-approves-debt-limit-package-sending-it-to-senate-days-before-default-deadline/">debt ceiling bill</a>&nbsp;the House passed would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/30/debt-limit-deal-hits-turbulence-in-congress-as-leaders-prep-for-vote/">codify</a>&nbsp;the end of the pause on federal student loan repayments by the end of August and bar the administration from reinstating a pause on repayments unless approved by Congress.

The Senate is expected to clear that bill, which Biden and Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated.

The White House&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/27/student-loan-repayment-pause-extended-by-white-house-amid-legal-battles-over-relief-plan/">last year</a>&nbsp;announced its plans to resume requiring repayments on student loans either 60 days after the Supreme Court’s decision on the administration’s student debt cancellation policy or 60 days after June 30.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, said on the Senate floor Thursday that the relief approved for 16 million student loan applicants could be “life-changing for so many borrowers.”

“This relief is targeted to reach those who need it the most,” Murray, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said.

In order to qualify for relief, a single adult has to make under $125,000 a year, and married couples have to make less than $250,000. The policy would forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers, and those who received Pell Grants are eligible for an additional $10,000 in forgiveness of federal student loans.

Murray said about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/">90% of relief</a>&nbsp;would go toward borrowers making $75,000 or less.

The debt relief program was initially<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-rejects-gop-challenge-to-student-loan-forgiveness-program/">&nbsp;halted in October by an appeals court&nbsp;</a>following an emergency request from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Republican attorneys general in Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Kansas.

By ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted to overturn the Biden administration’s one-time student debt relief plan that is on hold due to a pending Supreme Court decision.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I don’t know about you, but Americans who decided college wasn’t the best option for them shouldn&#39;t be forced to pay for a lawyer&#39;s college degree. 🤔&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/1664365000243265537?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the resolution, but the 52-46&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1181/vote_118_1_00135.htm">vote</a>&nbsp;forced vulnerable Senate Democrats up for reelection in 2024 to take a public stance on loan forgiveness that Republicans have&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/16/u-s-house-gop-questions-education-secretary-on-transgender-athletes-student-loans/">lambasted as a “bailout.”</a>&nbsp; Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall along with Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt of Missouri voted with the majority.The resolution, brought under the Congressional Review Act that allows Congress to reverse certain administration actions, was one of several maneuvers Republicans have used to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-pushes-through-debt-ceiling-increase-coupled-with-massive-spending-cuts/">block the one-time cancellation of up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify</a>. The resolution&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">passed</a>&nbsp;the U.S. House last week and now goes to the White House.In a statement ahead of the House vote, the White House blasted the student loan measure.“This resolution is an unprecedented attempt to undercut our historic economic recovery, and would deprive more than 40 million hard-working Americans of much-needed student debt relief,” the statement read. “Americans should be able to have a little more breathing room as they recover from the economic strains associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.”Senators up for reelection next year who voted with Republicans, include Democrats Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and independent Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.<h2>Partisan split</h2>Though some Democratic senators crossed party lines Thursday, several others have criticized the resolution for not only blocking student debt relief, but requiring borrowers to pay back interest from the pause on student loan repayments first implemented by the Trump administration in 2020 due to the coronavirus and extended several times.“My Republican colleagues talk a big game about helping working families, but this legislation shows how callous and uncaring they are, by trying to block relief that would immediately improve the lives of millions of borrowers,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor Wednesday.Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who introduced the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-joint-resolution/45?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22H.J.Res45%22%7D&amp;s=2&amp;r=1">resolution</a>, argued on the Senate floor Wednesday that the Biden administration did not have the authority to enact its debt relief program. Cassidy pointed to how Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. expressed skepticism during&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/02/28/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-met-with-skepticism-from-u-s-supreme-court-conservatives/">oral arguments in February</a>&nbsp;about the policy.Several members of the court’s conservative majority questioned whether the president could enact a program that would approve $400 billion in relief without congressional approval.Cassidy said the Biden administration’s plan will “transfer the burden from those who willingly took out loans for college in order to make more money when they graduated, to Americans who never attended college or already fulfilled their commitment to pay off their loans.”“It is unfair to the hundreds of millions of Americans who will bear the burden of paying off hundreds of billions of dollars of someone else’s student debt,” he said.Sen. John Thune, the Senate minority whip, called the student loan forgiveness policy a “government handout” in a Thursday floor speech.“It’s something of a slap in the face to Americans who chose more affordable college options or worked their way through school to avoid taking loans, or whose parents scrimped and saved to put them through college,” the South Dakota Republican said.<h2>Latest reversal attempt</h2>Even though the plan was announced last year, Congress can take action following a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/820/818220.pdf">March Governmental Accountability Office report</a>&nbsp;that classified the policy as a regulation under the Congressional Review Act, or CRA.The CRA is a procedural tool that can be used to overturn agency actions and needs only 51 votes to pass the Senate, unlike the usual 60 votes required to defeat a filibuster.The CRA is the latest attack from congressional Republicans on the Biden administration’s student loan policy. A provision in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/31/u-s-house-approves-debt-limit-package-sending-it-to-senate-days-before-default-deadline/">debt ceiling bill</a>&nbsp;the House passed would&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/30/debt-limit-deal-hits-turbulence-in-congress-as-leaders-prep-for-vote/">codify</a>&nbsp;the end of the pause on federal student loan repayments by the end of August and bar the administration from reinstating a pause on repayments unless approved by Congress.The Senate is expected to clear that bill, which Biden and Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated.The White House&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/27/student-loan-repayment-pause-extended-by-white-house-amid-legal-battles-over-relief-plan/">last year</a>&nbsp;announced its plans to resume requiring repayments on student loans either 60 days after the Supreme Court’s decision on the administration’s student debt cancellation policy or 60 days after June 30.Democratic Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, said on the Senate floor Thursday that the relief approved for 16 million student loan applicants could be “life-changing for so many borrowers.”“This relief is targeted to reach those who need it the most,” Murray, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, said.In order to qualify for relief, a single adult has to make under $125,000 a year, and married couples have to make less than $250,000. The policy would forgive up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers, and those who received Pell Grants are eligible for an additional $10,000 in forgiveness of federal student loans.Murray said about&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/24/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-student-loan-relief-for-borrowers-who-need-it-most/">90% of relief</a>&nbsp;would go toward borrowers making $75,000 or less.The debt relief program was initially<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/judge-rejects-gop-challenge-to-student-loan-forgiveness-program/">&nbsp;halted in October by an appeals court&nbsp;</a>following an emergency request from Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa, and Republican attorneys general in Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Kansas.

U.S. Senate takes final vote to block student loan relief

<a href="https://www.bryantfh.net/obituary/dean-weis?fh_id=10931">https://www.bryantfh.net/obituary/dean-weis?fh_id=10931</a>

Dean Weis, 93, passed away on May 27, 2023. He was born on October 9, 1929, at Leoville, Kan., to Melchior &amp; Mary (Goscha) Weis. 

He married Joyce Pope on July 14, 1953, in Colby. She died March 15, 2022.&nbsp;

A long time Great Bend resident, Dean was a Dowell Sales Engineer in the oilfield until his retirement. 

He was a member of Prince of Peace Parish at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, American Legion Post #180, VFW Post #3111 and API (American Petroleum Institute). He especially loved spending time with his family. &nbsp;Dean was a veteran of the United States Air Force, obtaining the rank of Staff Sergeant during the Korean Conflict.&nbsp;

Survivors include his children, Michael Weis and wife Karen of Salina, Jennifer Reynolds and husband Robert of Guymon, Okla., Debbie Wood and husband Russell of Spearville, Timothy Weis and wife Diane of Fontana, Jeff Weis and wife Michele of Edmond, Okla. and Nikki Zamarripa and husband Paul of Great Bend; three brothers, Don Weis of Eudora, Bob Weis and Marvin Weis, both of Spearville; twenty grandchildren; and twenty five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joyce Weis; two brothers, Alfred Weis and Cletus Weis; three sisters, Loretta Walker, Donna Johnson and Marlene Brier; a grandson, Casey Weis; and a great-grandson, Easton Weis.&nbsp;

Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, June 1, 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home, with vigil service and Knights of Columbus rosary held at 7:00 p.m. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 2, 2023, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Great Bend, with Father Prakash Kola presiding. Interment will be at the Selden Cemetery at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, with military rites conducted by the McConnell Air Force Honor Guard. 

Memorials have been designated to Kansas Honor Flight, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.&nbsp;

To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of&nbsp;Dean Weis, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bryantfh.net/obituary/dean-weis/flowers?campaign=obituaryThemed-flowers-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>Dean Weis, Great Bend</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685541242912.jpeg" alt="Dean Weis" />
 <figcaption>Dean Weis</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.bryantfh.net/obituary/dean-weis?fh_id=10931">https://www.bryantfh.net/obituary/dean-weis?fh_id=10931</a>October 9, 1929 - May 27, 2023Dean Weis, 93, passed away on May 27, 2023. He was born on October 9, 1929, at Leoville, Kan., to Melchior &amp; Mary (Goscha) Weis. He married Joyce Pope on July 14, 1953, in Colby. She died March 15, 2022.&nbsp;A long time Great Bend resident, Dean was a Dowell Sales Engineer in the oilfield until his retirement. He was a member of Prince of Peace Parish at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, a 4th Degree Knights of Columbus, American Legion Post #180, VFW Post #3111 and API (American Petroleum Institute). He especially loved spending time with his family. &nbsp;Dean was a veteran of the United States Air Force, obtaining the rank of Staff Sergeant during the Korean Conflict.&nbsp;Survivors include his children, Michael Weis and wife Karen of Salina, Jennifer Reynolds and husband Robert of Guymon, Okla., Debbie Wood and husband Russell of Spearville, Timothy Weis and wife Diane of Fontana, Jeff Weis and wife Michele of Edmond, Okla. and Nikki Zamarripa and husband Paul of Great Bend; three brothers, Don Weis of Eudora, Bob Weis and Marvin Weis, both of Spearville; twenty grandchildren; and twenty five great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Joyce Weis; two brothers, Alfred Weis and Cletus Weis; three sisters, Loretta Walker, Donna Johnson and Marlene Brier; a grandson, Casey Weis; and a great-grandson, Easton Weis.&nbsp;Visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, June 1, 2023, at Bryant Funeral Home, with vigil service and Knights of Columbus rosary held at 7:00 p.m. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 2, 2023, at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Great Bend, with Father Prakash Kola presiding. Interment will be at the Selden Cemetery at 4:00 p.m. on Friday, with military rites conducted by the McConnell Air Force Honor Guard. Memorials have been designated to Kansas Honor Flight, in care of Bryant Funeral Home.&nbsp;To send a flower arrangement or to plant trees in memory of&nbsp;Dean Weis, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bryantfh.net/obituary/dean-weis/flowers?campaign=obituaryThemed-flowers-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

Dean Weis

<a href="https://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituaries/lenetta-lock">https://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituaries/lenetta-lock</a>

ONAGA - Memorials may be designated to the Sharon Springs Methodist Church or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.

To order&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/o/v2/trees/8bf8ce7a-74e1-403f-8985-a59261d598ca" target="_blank">memorial trees</a>&nbsp;or send flowers to the family in memory of Lenetta Joye Lock, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/orders/v2/flowers/8bf8ce7a-74e1-403f-8985-a59261d598ca" target="_blank">flower store</a>.

<h2>Lenetta Joye Lock</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685539226284.jpeg" alt="Lenetta Joye Lock" />
 <figcaption>Lenetta Joye Lock</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituaries/lenetta-lock">https://www.koonsrussellfuneralhome.com/obituaries/lenetta-lock</a>October 23, 1925 - May 28, 2023<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685539349906.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ONAGA - Memorials may be designated to the Sharon Springs Methodist Church or to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and may be left at the services or mailed to Koons-Russell Funeral Home, 211 N. Main Ave., Goodland, KS 67735.To order&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/o/v2/trees/8bf8ce7a-74e1-403f-8985-a59261d598ca" target="_blank">memorial trees</a>&nbsp;or send flowers to the family in memory of Lenetta Joye Lock, please visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://manage2.tukioswebsites.com/orders/v2/flowers/8bf8ce7a-74e1-403f-8985-a59261d598ca" target="_blank">flower store</a>.

Lenetta Joye Lock

<a href="https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/david-buster?fh_id=10565">https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/david-buster?fh_id=10565</a>

David Clayton Buster, age 78, the son of James Clayton Buster and Elsie Parsons Buster, was born in Larned, KS, October 12, 1944, and passed away May 29, 2023.&nbsp;

David graduated from Larned High School (KS) and attended Kansas State University and Fort Hays State University. 

While attending Fort Hays State University, David met Martha (Marty) Jo Johnston. &nbsp;They were married April 8th, 1968.&nbsp;

After spending some time together in Denver, CO and Fargo, ND, David and Marty moved to the family farm east of Larned, Kansas, where he farmed with his father.

David was a great salesperson, selling irrigation systems to many farmers while helping on the farm.

In 1980, David was elected as the Pawnee County District Court Magistrate Judge, where he served for 28 years.

David loved gardening, often growing a half-acre of fresh produce in his garden at 603 Morris, Larned, KS. &nbsp;He loved refinishing furniture, leather products and other antiques. &nbsp;David also loved hunting birds with his family and friends.

After Marty’s passing on August 13, 2010, David met and married Carol Paulsen Buster. &nbsp;They moved into Carol’s home in Stafford, KS where they had a wonderful life together enjoying many similar hobbies.&nbsp;

Preceding in death were his parents Elsie and Clayton Buster and wife Martha Jo Buster.&nbsp;

David was a devoted brother, father and grandfather, loved by all.

He is survived by his wife Carol Paulsen Buster, and children Philip Allan Wells, San Diego, CA; &nbsp;James (Heather) Arden Buster, Pittsboro, NC; Rebecca (Keith) Buster Hudman, Cypress, TX; and Jessica Buster Poole, Wheaton, IL; his brothers and sister Kent (Gitta) Buster, Katy, TX; &nbsp;Janis (Roger) Lindberg, Formoso, KS; Alan (Pam) Buster, Olathe, KS; and Bryce (Jan) Buster, Overland Park, KS; and four grandchildren, Jacob and Avery Buster; Garrett Hudman; and Forest Poole; and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 3, 2023 at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned with Pastor John Hull presiding. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 2, 2023 at Beckwith Mortuary. Burial will be in Larned Cemetery, Larned.

Memorials may be given to the Alzheimer’s Association in care of Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477, Larned, Kansas 67550.&nbsp;

To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;David Clayton Buster, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/david-buster/gifts?campaign=obituaryInline-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

<h2>David Clayton Buster</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685538570613.jpeg" alt="David Clayton Buster" />
 <figcaption>David Clayton Buster</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/david-buster?fh_id=10565">https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/david-buster?fh_id=10565</a>October 12, 1944 - May 29, 2023David Clayton Buster, age 78, the son of James Clayton Buster and Elsie Parsons Buster, was born in Larned, KS, October 12, 1944, and passed away May 29, 2023.&nbsp;David graduated from Larned High School (KS) and attended Kansas State University and Fort Hays State University. While attending Fort Hays State University, David met Martha (Marty) Jo Johnston. &nbsp;They were married April 8th, 1968.&nbsp;After spending some time together in Denver, CO and Fargo, ND, David and Marty moved to the family farm east of Larned, Kansas, where he farmed with his father.David was a great salesperson, selling irrigation systems to many farmers while helping on the farm.In 1980, David was elected as the Pawnee County District Court Magistrate Judge, where he served for 28 years.David loved gardening, often growing a half-acre of fresh produce in his garden at 603 Morris, Larned, KS. &nbsp;He loved refinishing furniture, leather products and other antiques. &nbsp;David also loved hunting birds with his family and friends.After Marty’s passing on August 13, 2010, David met and married Carol Paulsen Buster. &nbsp;They moved into Carol’s home in Stafford, KS where they had a wonderful life together enjoying many similar hobbies.&nbsp;Preceding in death were his parents Elsie and Clayton Buster and wife Martha Jo Buster.&nbsp;David was a devoted brother, father and grandfather, loved by all.He is survived by his wife Carol Paulsen Buster, and children Philip Allan Wells, San Diego, CA; &nbsp;James (Heather) Arden Buster, Pittsboro, NC; Rebecca (Keith) Buster Hudman, Cypress, TX; and Jessica Buster Poole, Wheaton, IL; his brothers and sister Kent (Gitta) Buster, Katy, TX; &nbsp;Janis (Roger) Lindberg, Formoso, KS; Alan (Pam) Buster, Olathe, KS; and Bryce (Jan) Buster, Overland Park, KS; and four grandchildren, Jacob and Avery Buster; Garrett Hudman; and Forest Poole; and many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.Funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, June 3, 2023 at Beckwith Mortuary, Larned with Pastor John Hull presiding. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, June 2, 2023 at Beckwith Mortuary. Burial will be in Larned Cemetery, Larned.Memorials may be given to the Alzheimer’s Association in care of Beckwith Mortuary, P.O. Box 477, Larned, Kansas 67550.&nbsp; To plant Memorial Trees in memory of&nbsp;David Clayton Buster, please&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.beckwithmortuary.com/obituary/david-buster/gifts?campaign=obituaryInline-gifts-textLink-obitText">click here to visit our Sympathy Store</a>.

David Clayton Buster

By BECKY KISER Hays Post

"I just want to get it down as low as possible."

That was the comment of one attendee, and others agreed, during Thursday's presentation at the Hays Senior Center about Midwest Energy's new rate structure for residential customers.

Two previous components - a monthly customer charge, and an energy charge based on the number of kilowatt hours used - remain unchanged. There is now a new third component, a demand charge.

Demand rates are already in place for commercial customers.

Justin Macdonald, vice-president of customer service at Midwest Energy, Hays, spoke to the crowd about how to keep the demand charge low.

A demand charge is not unusual. Several electric companies in Kansas have already implemented one, as well as companies in other states.

Midwest Energy is a customer cooperative, "so this is revenue neutral. There is no intention to either raise rates or lower rates," Macdonald pointed out.

Demand refers to the amount of electrical power being used at a given time. Demand charges will be a monthly charge based on “peak demand,” or the maximum number of kilowatts a customer used in an hour, measured in 15-minute increments.&nbsp;

In the summer months of June 1 through September 30, when it's hot and cooling devices are in high use, demand would be billed based on peak demand between 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. That's when the heat of the day is the hottest - the air conditioning is cranked up - and most households are using appliances to prepare supper, running the dishwasher afterwards, and throwing in a load of laundry.

 The rest of the year - October through May - the billed demand would be based on whenever peak demand was reached during each month.

Macdonald talked to the senior center crowd about why the rate changed in January, bill impacts, and steps customers can take to save money on their energy bills.

Bottom line, the change which occurs over four years, will "lower costs for all of us," Macdonald told the audience and it will "result in no overall increase for the average customer."

The goal is to spread out the peak uses, smoothing out the highest potential demand from all customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The presentation to older adults included several suggestions on how to lower the peak demand charge.

"When in doubt, spread it out," Macdonald repeated several times during his 30-minute presentation. By spreading out the use of large electrical appliances throughout the day, you can decrease your demand charge.&nbsp;

Comparisons of kW use by major appliances were reviewed. 

Macdonald told one attendee the use of his microwave at 7 p.m. each day for popcorn would be negligible.&nbsp; Another senior asked about the kW reduction if he used an air fryer instead of his oven or microwave. "I honestly don't know," Macdonald admitted, and he told the customer he would research air fryers and get back to him personally with an answer.

All audience members were invited to sign up for a free estimation of how their Midwest Energy bills will change over the next four years.

Most residential customers' bills are expected to change minimally, either going up slightly, or even reducing a small amount.

It's costly to build and maintain the electrical grid for the biggest use - or stress - placed on it for that short time during the year.

"By decreasing demand, we can eventually lower the cooperative's capacity for the electrical system, resulting in lower costs for all customers in the future," Macdonald explained.&nbsp;

Although the change was effective at the first of the year, during all of 2023, there is a $0 demand charge levied to allow residential customers to get a better understanding of demand charges and bill impacts.

Unchanged is the $28 monthly customer charge.&nbsp;

The energy charge is variable based on the amount of kilowatt hours used during any month. As demand charges phase in over four years, the energy charge will reduce each year.&nbsp;

Macdonald said energy charges are projected to from 7.8¢ today to 4.2¢ per kWh by 2026, making the changes revenue-neutral for Midwest Energy customers.

You can view your actual demand by logging into the Midwest Energy CustomerConnect portal. To access CustomerConnect, visit www.mwenergy.com, log-in to your Midwest Energy account and click the house icon in the upper right of the screen. 

For more information about demand and demand rates, and tips on how to reduce your demand visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mwenergy.com/residential/demand-rates">the demand rates page</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Macdonald and two other senior Midwest Energy employees are in the midst of visiting more than 50 communities in the electric/gas company's service area to explain the changes, more importantly, answer questions from customers.

In the next few days, Midwest Energy will make the following similar presentations:

May 30-Goodland, 10 a.m. at Goodland Senior Center June 1-Victoria, 10 a.m. at Victoria High School Cafeteria June 6-St. John, 10 a.m. at Goodman Library June 6-Great Bend, 11:30 a.m. at Great Bend Senior Center

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685400215376.jpeg" alt="Justin Macdonald, vice-president of customer service at Midwest Energy, Hays, answers a question from the audience at the Hays Senior Center Thursday about the new demand charge the electric/gas cooperative has implemented. Photo by Becky Kiser" />
 <figcaption>Justin Macdonald, vice-president of customer service at Midwest Energy, Hays, answers a question from the audience at the Hays Senior Center Thursday about the new demand charge the electric/gas cooperative has implemented. Photo by Becky Kiser</figcaption>
 </figure>By BECKY KISER Hays Post"I just want to get it down as low as possible."That was the comment of one attendee, and others agreed, during Thursday's presentation at the Hays Senior Center about Midwest Energy's new rate structure for residential customers.Two previous components - a monthly customer charge, and an energy charge based on the number of kilowatt hours used - remain unchanged. There is now a new third component, a demand charge.Demand rates are already in place for commercial customers.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685402843827.png" alt="Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>Justin Macdonald, vice-president of customer service at Midwest Energy, Hays, spoke to the crowd about how to keep the demand charge low.A demand charge is not unusual. Several electric companies in Kansas have already implemented one, as well as companies in other states.Midwest Energy is a customer cooperative, "so this is revenue neutral. There is no intention to either raise rates or lower rates," Macdonald pointed out.Demand refers to the amount of electrical power being used at a given time. Demand charges will be a monthly charge based on “peak demand,” or the maximum number of kilowatts a customer used in an hour, measured in 15-minute increments.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685400571795.png" alt="Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>In the summer months of June 1 through September 30, when it's hot and cooling devices are in high use, demand would be billed based on peak demand between 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. That's when the heat of the day is the hottest - the air conditioning is cranked up - and most households are using appliances to prepare supper, running the dishwasher afterwards, and throwing in a load of laundry. The rest of the year - October through May - the billed demand would be based on whenever peak demand was reached during each month.Macdonald talked to the senior center crowd about why the rate changed in January, bill impacts, and steps customers can take to save money on their energy bills.<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/PgIhMnjr-P46diVCW.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Mwe Macdonald 1" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div></div>Bottom line, the change which occurs over four years, will "lower costs for all of us," Macdonald told the audience and it will "result in no overall increase for the average customer."The goal is to spread out the peak uses, smoothing out the highest potential demand from all customers.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685399801827.png" alt="Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685400752498.png" alt="Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>The presentation to older adults included several suggestions on how to lower the peak demand charge."When in doubt, spread it out," Macdonald repeated several times during his 30-minute presentation. By spreading out the use of large electrical appliances throughout the day, you can decrease your demand charge.&nbsp;Comparisons of kW use by major appliances were reviewed. Macdonald told one attendee the use of his microwave at 7 p.m. each day for popcorn would be negligible.&nbsp; Another senior asked about the kW reduction if he used an air fryer instead of his oven or microwave. "I honestly don't know," Macdonald admitted, and he told the customer he would research air fryers and get back to him personally with an answer.All audience members were invited to sign up for a free estimation of how their Midwest Energy bills will change over the next four years.Most residential customers' bills are expected to change minimally, either going up slightly, or even reducing a small amount.It's costly to build and maintain the electrical grid for the biggest use - or stress - placed on it for that short time during the year."By decreasing demand, we can eventually lower the cooperative's capacity for the electrical system, resulting in lower costs for all customers in the future," Macdonald explained.&nbsp;Although the change was effective at the first of the year, during all of 2023, there is a $0 demand charge levied to allow residential customers to get a better understanding of demand charges and bill impacts.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685400036766.png" alt="Midwest Energy" />
 <figcaption>Midwest Energy</figcaption>
 </figure>Unchanged is the $28 monthly customer charge.&nbsp;The energy charge is variable based on the amount of kilowatt hours used during any month. As demand charges phase in over four years, the energy charge will reduce each year.&nbsp;Macdonald said energy charges are projected to from 7.8¢ today to 4.2¢ per kWh by 2026, making the changes revenue-neutral for Midwest Energy customers.You can view your actual demand by logging into the Midwest Energy CustomerConnect portal. To access CustomerConnect, visit www.mwenergy.com, log-in to your Midwest Energy account and click the house icon in the upper right of the screen. For more information about demand and demand rates, and tips on how to reduce your demand visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mwenergy.com/residential/demand-rates">the demand rates page</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;Macdonald and two other senior Midwest Energy employees are in the midst of visiting more than 50 communities in the electric/gas company's service area to explain the changes, more importantly, answer questions from customers.In the next few days, Midwest Energy will make the following similar presentations:May 30-Goodland, 10 a.m. at Goodland Senior Center June 1-Victoria, 10 a.m. at Victoria High School Cafeteria June 6-St. John, 10 a.m. at Goodman Library June 6-Great Bend, 11:30 a.m. at Great Bend Senior Center

🎥 Senior citizens learn how to reduce new peak energy demand rate at Midwest Energy

<a href="https://www.plumergobber.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=28018049">https://www.plumergobber.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=28018049</a>

John Robert Atkins, 54, of Norton, Kansas passed away on May 23, 2023. John was born in Newton, Kansas to Ardis and James “Ray” Atkins on October 12, 1968. 

He attended Inman High School and Kansas State University.

John worked for Prairie Land Electric Cooperative for 16 years and was currently serving as the Director of Member Services. 

John is survived by his wife Stephanie (Shrader) Atkins; his children Alec Atkins, Drew Atkins, and Matthew Atkins; his parents Ardis and James “Ray” Atkins of Inman, Kansas; his sister June (Terry) Modlin of McPherson, Kansas; two nieces; two nephews; one great-niece; and one great-nephew.

Cremation has been chosen. A visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 pm Thursday, June 1, at the funeral home. 

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Services of Northwest Kansas and may be sent in care of Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home, 215 W. Main St., Norton, KS 67654.

 Condolences may be left at www.plumergobber.com

To&nbsp;<a href="http://plumergobber-funeral-home.tributestore.com/?oId=28018049&amp;tag=&amp;tn=FreeTreeTestFC&amp;otv=Frazer_MS2_Cont&amp;source=tco_description&amp;_cdx=GA1.2.531510556.1682958644:GS1.1.1685271274.21.0.1685271346.60.0.0&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="http://plumergobber-funeral-home.tributestore.com/memorial-tree?oId=28018049&amp;tag=&amp;source=tco_description&amp;_cdx=GA1.2.531510556.1682958644:GS1.1.1685271274.21.0.1685271346.60.0.0&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of John, please&nbsp;<a href="http://plumergobber-funeral-home.tributestore.com/?oId=28018049&amp;tag=&amp;tn=FreeTreeTestFC&amp;otv=Frazer_MS2_Cont&amp;source=tco_description&amp;_cdx=GA1.2.531510556.1682958644:GS1.1.1685271274.21.0.1685271346.60.0.0&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">visit our floral store.</a>

<h2>John Robert Atkins, Norton</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685394694370.jpeg" alt="John Robert Atkins" />
 <figcaption>John Robert Atkins</figcaption>
 </figure><a href="https://www.plumergobber.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=28018049">https://www.plumergobber.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?obId=28018049</a>October 12, 1968 - May 23, 2023John Robert Atkins, 54, of Norton, Kansas passed away on May 23, 2023. John was born in Newton, Kansas to Ardis and James “Ray” Atkins on October 12, 1968. He attended Inman High School and Kansas State University.John worked for Prairie Land Electric Cooperative for 16 years and was currently serving as the Director of Member Services. John is survived by his wife Stephanie (Shrader) Atkins; his children Alec Atkins, Drew Atkins, and Matthew Atkins; his parents Ardis and James “Ray” Atkins of Inman, Kansas; his sister June (Terry) Modlin of McPherson, Kansas; two nieces; two nephews; one great-niece; and one great-nephew.Cremation has been chosen. A visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 pm Thursday, June 1, at the funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice Services of Northwest Kansas and may be sent in care of Plumer-Gobber Funeral Home, 215 W. Main St., Norton, KS 67654. Condolences may be left at www.plumergobber.comTo&nbsp;<a href="http://plumergobber-funeral-home.tributestore.com/?oId=28018049&amp;tag=&amp;tn=FreeTreeTestFC&amp;otv=Frazer_MS2_Cont&amp;source=tco_description&amp;_cdx=GA1.2.531510556.1682958644:GS1.1.1685271274.21.0.1685271346.60.0.0&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">send flowers</a>&nbsp;to the family or&nbsp;<a href="http://plumergobber-funeral-home.tributestore.com/memorial-tree?oId=28018049&amp;tag=&amp;source=tco_description&amp;_cdx=GA1.2.531510556.1682958644:GS1.1.1685271274.21.0.1685271346.60.0.0&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">plant a tree</a>&nbsp;in memory of John, please&nbsp;<a href="http://plumergobber-funeral-home.tributestore.com/?oId=28018049&amp;tag=&amp;tn=FreeTreeTestFC&amp;otv=Frazer_MS2_Cont&amp;source=tco_description&amp;_cdx=GA1.2.531510556.1682958644:GS1.1.1685271274.21.0.1685271346.60.0.0&amp;mtph=1" target="_blank">visit our floral store.</a>

John Robert Atkins

Earthwork honors Dole’s 100th birthday, 20th anniversary of Dole Institute

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — Artist Stan Herd can flip back through the pages of time to recall an “illegal” trip to Cuba with political titan Bob Dole.

There were chance meetings, too, of the Kansas politician from Russell and the artist from Protection. But Herd cherished a chat with Dole at a Lawrence hotel in which the two men reminisced about connections to World War II. They reflected on Dole’s lifechanging combat in the mountains of Italy as well as the military service of Herd’s father in the Pacific theater.

Dole, a native of Russell, overcame near-fatal wounds to serve in Congress and was a three-time Republican presidential candidate before his death in 2021.

“I wouldn’t say I was close to him until later when I saw him a few years back,” Herd said. “He was very sharp. We never really talked about politics.”

Herd, who has created a collection of massive images using the earth as a canvas, worked Friday on a tribute to Dole on grounds of the Robert Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas. The project is part of a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Dole’s birth and 20th anniversary of the Dole Institute.

Audrey Coleman, director of the Dole Institute, said the objective was to commemorate the anniversaries through broad engagement with the public. A celebration of Dole’s bipartisan leadership can serve as inspiration for the next generation, she said.

“The Dole Institute’s mission to cultivate common ground and bipartisan compromise in tomorrow’s leaders has never been more important,” Coleman said.

Herd’s career in painting and installation art has spanned 40 years. He’s completed projects with major companies and organizations. There are earthworks in Kansas and a dozen other states as well as China, Cuba, Australia and Brazil. His art has delved into issues of the environment, agriculture, science and the humanities.

He developed outdoor portraits — some temporary, others permanent — of entertainer Will Rogers, Kiowa Chief Satanta, aviator Amelia Earhart, author Elie Wiesel, President Joe Biden, writer Maya Angelou and politician John Lewis.

In 1994, he completed “Countryside,” an image of the Kansas landscape on New York property owned by Donald Trump. The 2001 “Rosa Blanca” project in Havana was inspired by a poem by Cuban native Jose Marti. Others dot Kansas, including the petroglyph-like image of a prairie dweller in Cowley County and the “Medicine Wheel” at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.

In April, Herd ceremonially broke ground for the temporary Dole portrait under construction on the east side of the Dole Institute. He was joined with shovel-toting former U.S. Sens. Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Trent Lott of Mississippi — both peers of Dole.

A campaign photograph of Dole was selected by the Dole Institute for the earthwork. The project will incorporate tiles painted by students illustrating their sentiments about Kansas.

The earthwork is to be presented July 22 during a free, family-friendly event at the Dole Institute also featuring a military flyover and music. It was 20 years ago on July 22 — Dole’s 80th birthday — that he spoke at dedication of the Dole Institute along with former President Jimmy Carter, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and broadcaster Tom Brokaw.

Herd’s landscape portrait is scheduled to remain in place through the October homecoming football game at KU.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to create a work that signifies reengaging people with the legacy of this distinguished Kansan and his leadership that prioritized finding common ground,” Herd said. “That is a concept that could use some attention these days.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685232294393.png" alt=" Artist Stan Herd is working on a earthwork portrait of the late Bob Dole for the 20th anniversary of the Dole Institute of Politics on July 22 in Lawrence. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Artist Stan Herd is working on a earthwork portrait of the late Bob Dole for the 20th anniversary of the Dole Institute of Politics on July 22 in Lawrence. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Earthwork honors Dole’s 100th birthday, 20th anniversary of Dole Institute</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE — Artist Stan Herd can flip back through the pages of time to recall an “illegal” trip to Cuba with political titan Bob Dole.There were chance meetings, too, of the Kansas politician from Russell and the artist from Protection. But Herd cherished a chat with Dole at a Lawrence hotel in which the two men reminisced about connections to World War II. They reflected on Dole’s lifechanging combat in the mountains of Italy as well as the military service of Herd’s father in the Pacific theater.Dole, a native of Russell, overcame near-fatal wounds to serve in Congress and was a three-time Republican presidential candidate before his death in 2021.“I wouldn’t say I was close to him until later when I saw him a few years back,” Herd said. “He was very sharp. We never really talked about politics.”Herd, who has created a collection of massive images using the earth as a canvas, worked Friday on a tribute to Dole on grounds of the Robert Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas. The project is part of a celebration marking the 100th anniversary of Dole’s birth and 20th anniversary of the Dole Institute.Audrey Coleman, director of the Dole Institute, said the objective was to commemorate the anniversaries through broad engagement with the public. A celebration of Dole’s bipartisan leadership can serve as inspiration for the next generation, she said.“The Dole Institute’s mission to cultivate common ground and bipartisan compromise in tomorrow’s leaders has never been more important,” Coleman said.Herd’s career in painting and installation art has spanned 40 years. He’s completed projects with major companies and organizations. There are earthworks in Kansas and a dozen other states as well as China, Cuba, Australia and Brazil. His art has delved into issues of the environment, agriculture, science and the humanities.He developed outdoor portraits — some temporary, others permanent — of entertainer Will Rogers, Kiowa Chief Satanta, aviator Amelia Earhart, author Elie Wiesel, President Joe Biden, writer Maya Angelou and politician John Lewis.In 1994, he completed “Countryside,” an image of the Kansas landscape on New York property owned by Donald Trump. The 2001 “Rosa Blanca” project in Havana was inspired by a poem by Cuban native Jose Marti. Others dot Kansas, including the petroglyph-like image of a prairie dweller in Cowley County and the “Medicine Wheel” at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.In April, Herd ceremonially broke ground for the temporary Dole portrait under construction on the east side of the Dole Institute. He was joined with shovel-toting former U.S. Sens. Tom Daschle of South Dakota and Trent Lott of Mississippi — both peers of Dole.A campaign photograph of Dole was selected by the Dole Institute for the earthwork. The project will incorporate tiles painted by students illustrating their sentiments about Kansas.The earthwork is to be presented July 22 during a free, family-friendly event at the Dole Institute also featuring a military flyover and music. It was 20 years ago on July 22 — Dole’s 80th birthday — that he spoke at dedication of the Dole Institute along with former President Jimmy Carter, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and broadcaster Tom Brokaw.Herd’s landscape portrait is scheduled to remain in place through the October homecoming football game at KU.“I am honored to have the opportunity to create a work that signifies reengaging people with the legacy of this distinguished Kansan and his leadership that prioritized finding common ground,” Herd said. “That is a concept that could use some attention these days.”

Artist Stan Herd bringing to life image of the late Bob Dole on Lawrence hillside

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.

Auto club AAA said in a travel forecast that this holiday weekend could be “one for the record books, especially at airports,” with more than 42 million Americans projected to travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more.

But for Manuel Castañeda Jr., 58, the day will be a quiet one in Durand, Illinois, outside Rockford. He lost his father, a U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam, in an accident in California while training other Marines in 1966.

“Memorial Day is very personal,” said Castañeda, who also served in the Marines and Army National Guard, from which he knew men who died in combat. “It isn’t just the specials. It isn’t just the barbecue.”

But he tries not to judge others who spend the holiday differently: “How can I expect them to understand the depth of what I feel when they haven’t experienced anything like that?”

WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL PURPOSE OF MEMORIAL DAY?

It’s a day of reflection and remembrance of those who died while serving in the U.S. military, according to the Congressional Research Service. The holiday is observed in part by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence.

The holiday stems from the American Civil War, which killed more than 600,000 service members — both Union and Confederate — between 1861 and 1865.

There’s little controversy over the first national observance of what was then called Decoration Day. It occurred May 30, 1868, after an organization of Union veterans called for decorating war graves with flowers, which were in bloom.

The practice was already widespread on a local level. Waterloo, New York, began a formal observance on May 5, 1866, and was later proclaimed to be the holiday's birthplace.

Yet Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, traced its first observance to October 1864, according to the Library of Congress. And women in some Confederate states were decorating graves before the war’s end.

But David Blight, a Yale history professor, points to May 1, 1865, when as many as 10,000 people, many of them Black, held a parade, heard speeches and dedicated the graves of Union dead in Charleston, South Carolina.

A total of 267 Union troops had died at a Confederate prison and were buried in a mass grave. After the war, members of Black churches buried them in individual graves.

“What happened in Charleston does have the right to claim to be first, if that matters,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theitem.com/stories/charleston-can-lay-claim-to-1st-memorial-day,59042?">Blight told The Associated Press in 2011</a>.

In 2021, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel cited the story in a Memorial Day speech in Hudson, Ohio. The ceremony’s organizers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sc-state-wire-lifestyle-memorial-day-race-and-ethnicity-f649e76fd5ae6140d501ac9dc0cac380">turned off his microphone</a>&nbsp;because they said it wasn’t relevant to honoring the city’s veterans.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-memorial-day-race-and-ethnicity-fea889be51b01a8b4c8f31480a21af79">The event’s organizers later resigned</a>.

HAS MEMORIAL DAY ALWAYS BEEN A SOURCE OF CONTENTION?

Someone has always lamented the holiday’s drift from its original meaning.

As early as 1869, The New York Times wrote that the holiday could become “sacrilegious” and no longer “sacred” if it focuses more on pomp, dinners and oratory.

In 1871, abolitionist Frederick Douglass feared Americans were forgetting the Civil War’s impetus — slavery — when he gave a Decoration Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery.

“We must never forget that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and the nation’s destroyers,” Douglass said.

His concerns were well-founded, said Ben Railton, a professor of English and American studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. Even though roughly 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army, the holiday in many communities would essentially become “white Memorial Day,” especially after the rise of the Jim Crow South, Railton said.

Meanwhile, how the day was spent — at least by the nation’s elected officials — could draw scrutiny for years after the Civil War. In the 1880s, then-President Grover Cleveland was said to have gone fishing — and “people were appalled,” said Matthew Dennis, an emeritus history professor at the University of Oregon.

By 1911, the Indianapolis 500 held its inaugural race on May 30, drawing 85,000 spectators.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4c4507a3b0a8412d9c035cf59059f159">A report from The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;made no mention of the holiday — or any controversy.

Dennis said Memorial Day's potency diminished somewhat with the addition of Armistice Day, which marked World War I's end on Nov. 11, 1918. Armistice Day became a national holiday by 1938 and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.

An act of Congress changed Memorial Day from every May 30th to the last Monday in May in 1971. Veterans objected: “They didn’t want to be just some random Monday that people could forget about,” Dennis said.

In 1972, Time Magazine said the holiday had become “a three-day nationwide hootenanny that seems to have lost much of its original purpose.”

WHY IS MEMORIAL DAY TIED TO SALES AND TRAVEL?

Even in the 19th century, grave ceremonies were followed by leisure activities such as picnicking and foot races, Dennis said.

The holiday also evolved alongside baseball and the automobile, the five-day work week and summer vacation, according to the 2002 book, “A History of Memorial Day: Unity, Discord and the Pursuit of Happiness.”

In the mid-20th century, a small number of businesses began to open defiantly on the holiday.

Once the holiday moved to Monday, “the traditional barriers against doing business began to crumble,” authors Richard Harmond and Thomas Curran wrote.

These days, Memorial Day sales and traveling are deeply woven into the nation's muscle memory. This weekend, 2.7 million more people will travel for the unofficial start of summer compared to last year — despite inflation, according to AAA.

Jason Redman, 48, a retired Navy SEAL who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he'll be thinking of friends he's lost. Thirty names are tattooed on his arm “for every guy that I personally knew that died.”

He wants Americans to remember the fallen — but also to enjoy themselves, knowing lives were sacrificed to forge the holiday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/6/1623850361599.jpg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.Auto club AAA said in a travel forecast that this holiday weekend could be “one for the record books, especially at airports,” with more than 42 million Americans projected to travel 50 miles (80 kilometers) or more.But for Manuel Castañeda Jr., 58, the day will be a quiet one in Durand, Illinois, outside Rockford. He lost his father, a U.S. Marine who served in Vietnam, in an accident in California while training other Marines in 1966.“Memorial Day is very personal,” said Castañeda, who also served in the Marines and Army National Guard, from which he knew men who died in combat. “It isn’t just the specials. It isn’t just the barbecue.”But he tries not to judge others who spend the holiday differently: “How can I expect them to understand the depth of what I feel when they haven’t experienced anything like that?”WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL PURPOSE OF MEMORIAL DAY?It’s a day of reflection and remembrance of those who died while serving in the U.S. military, according to the Congressional Research Service. The holiday is observed in part by the National Moment of Remembrance, which encourages all Americans to pause at 3 p.m. for a moment of silence.WHAT ARE THE HOLIDAY'S ORIGINS?The holiday stems from the American Civil War, which killed more than 600,000 service members — both Union and Confederate — between 1861 and 1865.There’s little controversy over the first national observance of what was then called Decoration Day. It occurred May 30, 1868, after an organization of Union veterans called for decorating war graves with flowers, which were in bloom.The practice was already widespread on a local level. Waterloo, New York, began a formal observance on May 5, 1866, and was later proclaimed to be the holiday's birthplace.Yet Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, traced its first observance to October 1864, according to the Library of Congress. And women in some Confederate states were decorating graves before the war’s end.But David Blight, a Yale history professor, points to May 1, 1865, when as many as 10,000 people, many of them Black, held a parade, heard speeches and dedicated the graves of Union dead in Charleston, South Carolina.A total of 267 Union troops had died at a Confederate prison and were buried in a mass grave. After the war, members of Black churches buried them in individual graves.“What happened in Charleston does have the right to claim to be first, if that matters,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theitem.com/stories/charleston-can-lay-claim-to-1st-memorial-day,59042?">Blight told The Associated Press in 2011</a>.In 2021, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel cited the story in a Memorial Day speech in Hudson, Ohio. The ceremony’s organizers&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/sc-state-wire-lifestyle-memorial-day-race-and-ethnicity-f649e76fd5ae6140d501ac9dc0cac380">turned off his microphone</a>&nbsp;because they said it wasn’t relevant to honoring the city’s veterans.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lifestyle-memorial-day-race-and-ethnicity-fea889be51b01a8b4c8f31480a21af79">The event’s organizers later resigned</a>.HAS MEMORIAL DAY ALWAYS BEEN A SOURCE OF CONTENTION?Someone has always lamented the holiday’s drift from its original meaning.As early as 1869, The New York Times wrote that the holiday could become “sacrilegious” and no longer “sacred” if it focuses more on pomp, dinners and oratory.In 1871, abolitionist Frederick Douglass feared Americans were forgetting the Civil War’s impetus — slavery — when he gave a Decoration Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery.“We must never forget that the loyal soldiers who rest beneath this sod flung themselves between the nation and the nation’s destroyers,” Douglass said.His concerns were well-founded, said Ben Railton, a professor of English and American studies at Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts. Even though roughly 180,000 Black men served in the Union Army, the holiday in many communities would essentially become “white Memorial Day,” especially after the rise of the Jim Crow South, Railton said.Meanwhile, how the day was spent — at least by the nation’s elected officials — could draw scrutiny for years after the Civil War. In the 1880s, then-President Grover Cleveland was said to have gone fishing — and “people were appalled,” said Matthew Dennis, an emeritus history professor at the University of Oregon.By 1911, the Indianapolis 500 held its inaugural race on May 30, drawing 85,000 spectators.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/4c4507a3b0a8412d9c035cf59059f159">A report from The Associated Press</a>&nbsp;made no mention of the holiday — or any controversy.HOW HAS MEMORIAL DAY CHANGED?Dennis said Memorial Day's potency diminished somewhat with the addition of Armistice Day, which marked World War I's end on Nov. 11, 1918. Armistice Day became a national holiday by 1938 and was renamed Veterans Day in 1954.An act of Congress changed Memorial Day from every May 30th to the last Monday in May in 1971. Veterans objected: “They didn’t want to be just some random Monday that people could forget about,” Dennis said.In 1972, Time Magazine said the holiday had become “a three-day nationwide hootenanny that seems to have lost much of its original purpose.”WHY IS MEMORIAL DAY TIED TO SALES AND TRAVEL?Even in the 19th century, grave ceremonies were followed by leisure activities such as picnicking and foot races, Dennis said.The holiday also evolved alongside baseball and the automobile, the five-day work week and summer vacation, according to the 2002 book, “A History of Memorial Day: Unity, Discord and the Pursuit of Happiness.”In the mid-20th century, a small number of businesses began to open defiantly on the holiday.Once the holiday moved to Monday, “the traditional barriers against doing business began to crumble,” authors Richard Harmond and Thomas Curran wrote.These days, Memorial Day sales and traveling are deeply woven into the nation's muscle memory. This weekend, 2.7 million more people will travel for the unofficial start of summer compared to last year — despite inflation, according to AAA.Jason Redman, 48, a retired Navy SEAL who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, said he'll be thinking of friends he's lost. Thirty names are tattooed on his arm “for every guy that I personally knew that died.”He wants Americans to remember the fallen — but also to enjoy themselves, knowing lives were sacrificed to forge the holiday.

From the Civil War to mattress sales, Memorial Day is full of contradiction

Kansas Reflector: Weeklong series to examine influence of religious beliefs on policy decisions at Statehouse

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WICHITA — When Marquetta Atkins was 7 or 8 years old and the subject of slavery came up at school, she was the only Black child in the classroom.

Everyone would turn and look at her as though she were a slave.

“If I can be subjected to something like that, why can’t your kids know the truth?” Atkins said.

Atkins’ work as executive director for Progeny, a youth advocacy group in Wichita, often places her in conflict with lawmakers who refuse to acknowledge systemic racism.

For the past two years, Kansas Republicans have been more interested in shielding white children from the application of “critical race theory” — a political catchall they apply to grievances with history lessons and diversity training. The opposition is consistent with fringe Christian beliefs on race.

Kansas Reflector is examining the influence of religious beliefs on state government through a series of stories.

In an interview for this series, Atkins said political leaders were willing to ignore the truth about this country’s history and undo progress “just so white men can feel comfortable.”

“You know, my mother was a little girl when the civil rights movement was happening,” Atkins said. “She’s not that old. And it was some of these people that are in these offices right now who were young and anti-civil rights movement, and they’re holding seats right now. And when you look at some of those pictures of people spitting on people, and people doing violent things to people — these are people’s grandparents that are alive, right now.

“So imagine your grandchild looking at a history book and seeing you spitting on someone just because they were Black. Is that a story you want your grandchild to see?”

Reno County Republicans who met in March considered the topic of race from a Biblical perspective. A secret audio recording of their conversation, which included local and state GOP officials, two legislators and unidentified crowd members, was shared with Kansas Reflector. The meeting took place at Riverside Baptist Church in Hutchinson.

A point of emphasis in the conversation: Everybody descended from Adam and Eve, and we are all children of Noah.

“We are all related,” an unidentified woman said. “We are one blood according to the Book of Acts. And so there is no such thing as race. And to make such a thing of this is just ridiculous.”

Adam Peters, GOP chairman for Ellis County, told her “that’s absolutely true.”

Where does “whiteness” come from, Peters asked? Not the devil, he assured the 50-75 people at the meeting. He explained that his ancestors simply didn’t get enough vitamin D in their diet.

“You need pale skin to collect the sun, right? That’s the answer to that,” Peters said. “It’s just a simple result of history and nature that made me look the way that I am. That doesn’t make me a disease. That doesn’t make me the cause of the world’s problems. It’s just the way that God saw fit to create.”

<h2>Kansas Reflector: Weeklong series to examine influence of religious beliefs on policy decisions at Statehouse</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684967712375.jpeg" alt="Progeny executive director Marquetta Atkins answers questions during an April 17, 2023, interview at the Progeny office in Wichita. Her advocacy work often places her in conflict with lawmakers who refuse to acknowledge systemic racism. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Progeny executive director Marquetta Atkins answers questions during an April 17, 2023, interview at the Progeny office in Wichita. Her advocacy work often places her in conflict with lawmakers who refuse to acknowledge systemic racism. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA — When Marquetta Atkins was 7 or 8 years old and the subject of slavery came up at school, she was the only Black child in the classroom.Everyone would turn and look at her as though she were a slave.“If I can be subjected to something like that, why can’t your kids know the truth?” Atkins said.Atkins’ work as executive director for Progeny, a youth advocacy group in Wichita, often places her in conflict with lawmakers who refuse to acknowledge systemic racism.For the past two years, Kansas Republicans have been more interested in shielding white children from the application of “critical race theory” — a political catchall they apply to grievances with history lessons and diversity training. The opposition is consistent with fringe Christian beliefs on race.Kansas Reflector is examining the influence of religious beliefs on state government through a series of stories.In an interview for this series, Atkins said political leaders were willing to ignore the truth about this country’s history and undo progress “just so white men can feel comfortable.”“You know, my mother was a little girl when the civil rights movement was happening,” Atkins said. “She’s not that old. And it was some of these people that are in these offices right now who were young and anti-civil rights movement, and they’re holding seats right now. And when you look at some of those pictures of people spitting on people, and people doing violent things to people — these are people’s grandparents that are alive, right now.“So imagine your grandchild looking at a history book and seeing you spitting on someone just because they were Black. Is that a story you want your grandchild to see?”Reno County Republicans who met in March considered the topic of race from a Biblical perspective. A secret audio recording of their conversation, which included local and state GOP officials, two legislators and unidentified crowd members, was shared with Kansas Reflector. The meeting took place at Riverside Baptist Church in Hutchinson.A point of emphasis in the conversation: Everybody descended from Adam and Eve, and we are all children of Noah.“We are all related,” an unidentified woman said. “We are one blood according to the Book of Acts. And so there is no such thing as race. And to make such a thing of this is just ridiculous.”Adam Peters, GOP chairman for Ellis County, told her “that’s absolutely true.”Where does “whiteness” come from, Peters asked? Not the devil, he assured the 50-75 people at the meeting. He explained that his ancestors simply didn’t get enough vitamin D in their diet.“You need pale skin to collect the sun, right? That’s the answer to that,” Peters said. “It’s just a simple result of history and nature that made me look the way that I am. That doesn’t make me a disease. That doesn’t make me the cause of the world’s problems. It’s just the way that God saw fit to create.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684967831436.jpeg" alt="Gov. Laura Kelly established a task force in 2020 to study racial equity and justice. The Legislature ignored the panel’s recommendations, which then became the subject of an attack ad by Republican Derek Schmidt during last year’s campaign for governor. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Laura Kelly established a task force in 2020 to study racial equity and justice. The Legislature ignored the panel’s recommendations, which then became the subject of an attack ad by Republican Derek Schmidt during last year’s campaign for governor. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>But Peters and others at the meeting embraced racist tropes. They reasoned that Black men are more likely to commit crime because of low marriage rates.“The main reason why Black suspects are disproportionately killed by the police is they disproportionately tried to kill the police,” Peters said. “Now, you may hear that a disproportionate number of Black suspects are killed while unarmed. This is true, but unarmed does not equal not a threat.”The comments were part of a larger discussion on critical race theory and protests that stemmed from&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/06/25/derek-chauvin-sentenced-to-22-5-years-in-prison-for-murder-of-george-floyd/">a police officer’s murder</a>&nbsp;of George Floyd in 2020.After Floyd’s death, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly formed a task force to study racial equity and justice. The panel&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/25/governors-task-force-outlines-more-than-120-ideas-for-improving-equity-justice/">outlined more than 100 ideas</a>&nbsp;for addressing education, health care and economic issues — but the Republican-controlled Legislature held&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/04/22/after-george-floyds-murder-a-racial-equity-panel-proposed-changes-the-kansas-legislature-ignored-them/">no hearings on any corresponding legislation</a>. The panel’s proposals were&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/10/07/schmidt-blasts-kellys-justice-commission-despite-his-affirmation-of-racial-bias-by-kansas-police/">the basis for political attacks</a>&nbsp;on Kelly during last year’s governor’s race.Instead, lawmakers focused on keeping critical race theory out of public schools.Rep. Kristey Williams, an Augusta Republican and chairwoman of the K-12 Education Budget Committee, said during an October 2021 meeting that rising child suicide rates could be blamed on the way history is taught in public schools. A&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2021/11/18/kansas-child-death-report-looks-beyond-reps-claim-that-critical-race-theory-shames-white-girls/">review of child deaths</a>&nbsp;didn’t support her claims.“If we go back to any race of people in any part of the world, you’re going to find things that you’re very proud of, and things that you would be very disturbed to know,” Williams said. “But to place that burden on a little white girl, compared to another person of another ethnic or racial background, is wrong. And she should not feel shame or guilt for something that she cannot control — one, her skin color; number two, the past that predated her.”This year, the Legislature tried to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/19/kansas-senate-budget-bill-features-3-25-spending-cut-imposes-dei-ban-at-universities/">block state universities</a>&nbsp;from asking faculty members, students and contractors about diversity, equity and inclusion. Concerns about racial disparities surfaced in debates on&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/24/its-set-up-to-fail-kansas-youth-justice-leaders-discuss-states-lack-of-progress/">juvenile justice</a>,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/03/kansas-lawmakers-entertain-texas-groups-plan-to-penalize-homeless/">homelessness</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/02/08/house-republicans-explore-new-way-to-punish-low-income-aging-kansans-seeking-food/">restrictions on food assistance</a>.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1684967901304.jpeg" alt="Rep. Ford Carr speaks to colleagues during an April 27, 2023, debate about his concerns with legislation that increases penalties for people who flee police in fear. He said he would be “a bitter fool” to think race wasn’t an issue for anybody in the chamber. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Ford Carr speaks to colleagues during an April 27, 2023, debate about his concerns with legislation that increases penalties for people who flee police in fear. He said he would be “a bitter fool” to think race wasn’t an issue for anybody in the chamber. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>In the closing days of the session, Rep. Ford Carr complained that legislation legalizing fentanyl test strips had been packaged with tougher penalties for fleeing and eluding police. Carr, who is Black, said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/01/white-kansas-lawmaker-denies-racism-in-house-this-body-is-more-compassionate-and-loving/">the bill was an attempt to punish young Black men</a>&nbsp;who have good reason to fear police.“People are scared, and when they’re scared they do things,” Carr said. “They try to evade and get away.”Rep. Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican, marched to the front of the House to offer a rebuttal. Jacobs said he was sick of hearing that “pretty near every single bill that we do up here involves race or bigotry.”“It’s not about race or racism here,” Jacobs said. “And if it is, I believe that this body is more compassionate and loving to not embrace that. It gets old.”Carr returned to the front of the House to respond.“I would be a bitter fool to believe that there isn’t someone in here or some people within this body where race is an issue,” Carr said. “The fact that we want to wish it away is easy when it doesn’t affect you.”Atkins, the Progeny leader, said systemic oppression has always existed in this country. After slavery, Jim Crow laws and the redlining of communities continued to oppress Black people, she said.“And so now we’re at a point in this country where people want to say racism doesn’t exist,” Atkins said. “But a little boy knocked on somebody’s door in Kansas City, looking for his brother and sister, and had the wrong address. And that&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/30/kansas-city-shooting-suggests-double-standard-for-arrest-between-black-and-white-people/">caused him to be shot two times</a>. Just ringing a doorbell.”Andrew Lester, an 84-year-old white man, was charged with first-degree assault and armed criminal action for shooting Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old Black boy, twice in the head on April 13.Atkins marveled at the idea that Black people would want to make up the idea of being oppressed.“They’re literally telling a whole community of people that your stories are invalid,” Atkins said. “Like we would want to sit up here and make up racism. Like we want to make up being oppressed. And it’s the most foolish s*** — I’m sorry — that I’ve ever heard in my entire life, because you’re invalidating all that I am and all that I experienced in my life.”<h2>Church and State</h2>On Hays Post:<ul>
 <li>Thursday:&nbsp;Conservative sanctuary</li><li>Friday:&nbsp;LGBTQ targets</li><li>Saturday:&nbsp;Private education</li><li>Sunday:&nbsp;Abortion rights</li><li>Monday:&nbsp;Systemic racism</li><li>Tuesday:&nbsp;Statehouse spiritual</li>
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