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Transgender care, abortion, plastic bags and more: Your guide to Kansas Gov. Kelly’s 2024 vetoes
Takeaways: Gov. Laura Kelly’s vetoes of bills that would restrict gender-affirming care for children and abortion rights are setting up override votes that will test the unity of conservatives in the Legislature. One part of the Kansas legislative session ended in the early morning hours of April 6. Legislators take a break of a few […] The post Transgender care, abortion, plastic bags and more: Your guide to Kansas Gov. Kelly’s 2024 vetoes appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas City-area politicians pick between war on drugs or treatment when spending opioid settlement cash
Editor’s note (April 18, 2024): This story has been updated to correct the amount of money Jackson County allocated to University Health’s Center for Recovery and Wellness. A state report listed a different amount than the the county legislature appropriated. Johnson County spent the biggest piece of its opioid settlement windfall so far cracking down […] The post Kansas City-area politicians pick between war on drugs or treatment when spending opioid settlement cash appeared first on The Beacon.
Lawmakers want your permission to weaken voters’ ability to change laws, the Missouri Constitution
Takeaways: Missouri voters will likely soon be asked by the lawmakers they elected to strip themselves of some power to put initiative petitions on the ballot — to take action when politicians won’t. Voters could be asked to place further restrictions on the already difficult, and costly, job of passing an initiative petition. One proposal […] The post Lawmakers want your permission to weaken voters’ ability to change laws, the Missouri Constitution appeared first on The Beacon.
Raytown High students wanted a crackdown on violence, guns in school. Making the right changes is tricky
Since that public pressure, students say Raytown High School has made effective changes, such as hall sweeps targeting students who aren’t in class. They’ve also seen signs that the district is seriously considering other measures such as installing weapons detectors. The post Raytown High students wanted a crackdown on violence, guns in school. Making the right changes is tricky appeared first on The Beacon.
A Kansas grandmother couldn’t adopt her grandchild. The case points to larger issues in foster care
Takeaways: Mindy Mathes was thrilled when a foster agency picked her and her husband to adopt their granddaughter. The girl had been weathering the chaos of the Kansas foster care system, living in multiple homes before finding people to call family. At the Mathes home, she’d have stuffed animals — unicorns and a beloved Grinch […] The post A Kansas grandmother couldn’t adopt her grandchild. The case points to larger issues in foster care appeared first on The Beacon.
Will Gov. Laura Kelly sign or veto tax cuts? Here’s what else passed
Takeaways: Kansas lawmakers approved new tax cuts, bans on gender-affirming cares and some new crimes this year. The Republican-controlled Legislature can expect Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to veto some of the most controversial bills, setting up override votes. Legislators finished the regular session and will take a few weeks off before returning for veto session. […] The post Will Gov. Laura Kelly sign or veto tax cuts? Here’s what else passed appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas and Missouri bans may spur families to travel far out of state for gender-affirming care
If Kansas bans gender-affirming care for minors, Kansas City families with transgender children will be hundreds of miles from a doctor who could help them. Kansas lawmakers stand poised to follow a conservative playbook that 24 states, including Missouri, already have used to outlaw treatments like puberty blockers and hormone therapy. The Kansas Legislature passed […] The post Kansas and Missouri bans may spur families to travel far out of state for gender-affirming care appeared first on The Beacon.
What the stadium tax defeat says about teams, their subsidies and Jackson County voters
Editor’s note (April 4, 2024): This story has been corrected to reflect an error about a Virginia tax package to attract stadiums. The Royals and the Chiefs had everything. Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce — fresh off of a Super Bowl victory — endorsed a “yes” vote in ads airing on TV and on YouTube. […] The post What the stadium tax defeat says about teams, their subsidies and Jackson County voters appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas City area election results: Voters snub stadium tax and fill school boards
Voters turned out in large numbers for a spring election on Tuesday, soundly rejecting a proposal to extend a Jackson County sales tax to pay for a downtown Royals stadium and sorting out the makeup of school boards across the metro. Stadium tax Jackson County’s Question 1 failed by a vote of roughly 42% to […] The post Kansas City area election results: Voters snub stadium tax and fill school boards appeared first on The Beacon.
When social issues stall Missouri lawmakers, statewide officials make their own rules
Who needs legislators? Especially when they can’t even pass laws on the hottest of hot-button issues? Instead, conservative Republicans who hold every statewide office in Missouri increasingly show they can limit what materials libraries can stock, toss aside rules on socially responsible investments and shut off access to gender-affirming care. When lawmakers in the Missouri […] The post When social issues stall Missouri lawmakers, statewide officials make their own rules appeared first on The Beacon.
Hickman Mills school board has struggled to work together. Will April’s election help or hurt?
This year, Superintendent Yaw Obeng said, Hickman Mills school board members are finally working together. The post Hickman Mills school board has struggled to work together. Will April’s election help or hurt? appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas may ban gender-affirming care for minors. Doctors cite physical and mental costs of waiting
Takeaways: Iridescent Riffel wishes she could have started gender-affirming treatment when she was younger. Riffel, a transgender Kansan, said she wasn’t in a welcoming home, so she delayed her transition until she felt more safe. She went through an unwanted puberty while she waited. “I didn’t really want to grow facial hair,” she said. “A […] The post Kansas may ban gender-affirming care for minors. Doctors cite physical and mental costs of waiting appeared first on The Beacon.
Supreme Court abortion pill case could make abortion access even more difficult for Missourians
A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could drastically restrict access to medication abortions, now the most common form of abortion in the United States. That could further limit abortion options for Missouians, who must cross the state line to get a legal abortion. It could also increase the number of patients coming to Kansas, […] The post Supreme Court abortion pill case could make abortion access even more difficult for Missourians appeared first on The Beacon.
Missouri lawmakers break new ground to stop constitutional amendments — and abortion
Editor’s note (March 25, 2023): This story has been corrected to reflect that the proposal would require a majority support from voters statewide, plus a majority vote in five of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. While state lawmakers across the country stumbled when trying to make it harder for voters to amend state constitutions, Missouri lawmakers […] The post Missouri lawmakers break new ground to stop constitutional amendments — and abortion appeared first on The Beacon.
April 2 election could change the Independence school board’s relationship with its superintendent
the differing ways candidates talk about the four-day week showcases a struggle for the future of a board that has reliably backed Superintendent Dale Herl’s recommendations, prided itself on its unity and put limits on public participation. The post April 2 election could change the Independence school board’s relationship with its superintendent appeared first on The Beacon.
Royals say new stadium won’t hurt KCPS revenue, but silent on libraries, mental health services
Takeaways: The Royals, vying for support weeks before voters will decide whether to promise them decades of tax money, are finalizing terms to give Kansas City Public Schools money to offset the loss of property taxes. The team’s plans for a stadium and entertainment district in the East Crossroads would swallow up six blocks of […] The post Royals say new stadium won’t hurt KCPS revenue, but silent on libraries, mental health services appeared first on The Beacon.
Missouri considers banning county jails from shackling some pregnant inmates
Takeaways: The Missouri House stands poised to pass a bill largely prohibiting city and county jails from shackling women in their third trimester of a pregnancy. In state prisons in Missouri and 39 other states, the practice is already banned. The legislation would extend that rule to city and county jails. The bill, sponsored by […] The post Missouri considers banning county jails from shackling some pregnant inmates appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas City nurses kick off contract talks saying they’re prepared to strike
Takeaways: When nurses rallied outside Research Medical Center this week to kick off contract negotiations, the refrain rang familiar. “Hey HCA,” the nurses’ signs read. “Put patients over profits.” In an increasingly unionized health care industry, still recovering from the pandemic, nurses across the country demand that hospitals beef up staffing and improve working conditions. […] The post Kansas City nurses kick off contract talks saying they’re prepared to strike appeared first on The Beacon.
Kansas lawmakers could again debate medical weed. Here’s why it has failed before
Takeaways: Yet another spring in Topeka and more seemingly serious talk about legalizing medical marijuana in Kansas. Lawmakers and supporters of pulling Kansas cannabis regulations in line with a national trend and the laws of neighboring states say things look different this year — perhaps. But this process is wearing on advocates who say the […] The post Kansas lawmakers could again debate medical weed. Here’s why it has failed before appeared first on The Beacon.
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