TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two state representatives are proposing a constitutional amendment that would guarantee the right to hunt, fish and trap in Kansas. Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady, A Republican from Palco, is a co-sponsor of the bill.

Rep. Adam Lusker, a Democrat from Frontenac, says the amendment is a reaction to bans or restrictions pushed by animal rights supporters in other states. For example, trapping is banned in Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Washington.

The Joplin Globe reports 18 states have constitutional amendments guaranteeing the right to hunt and fish. A similar effort failed in Missouri last year but a sponsor says he plans to pursue the idea again.

Kristin Simon, who works with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, says the group opposes such amendments because they make it difficult to ban hunting and trapping methods the some people consider cruel.

JUNCTION CITY -Law enforcement authorities in Geary County are investigating a weekend shooting that injured two men.

Junction City police reported police officers and Sheriffs deputies were called to the KINGZ motorcycle club just before 4 a.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival they found Jackie Oliver 42, suffering from two gunshot wounds.

A man believed to be a second victim in the same incident Derrick Dixon, 24, also received treatment for a gunshot wound at Geary Community Hospital.

Police say both men were transported to other hospitals for additional treatment.

No arrests have been made, and the incident is under investigation according to police.

By ANDY MARSO

As the state runs out of money, legislators are running out of patience with a costly computer upgrade that is now almost two years behind schedule.

Lawmakers who sit on the House Appropriations Committee are requesting an audit of the Kansas Eligibility Enforcement System, or KEES, to determine why the system is not fully implemented more than a year after the original target date. The system is intended to knit together programs that determine Kansans’ eligibility for social services, including Medicaid, for greater efficiency.

The state’s information technology office, which is working with government contractor Accenture, reports having spent $93.5 million on the project. While much of that is federal funds, Rep. Jerry Lunn, a Republican from Overland Park, asked Rep. Will Carpenter if he had used his role as chairman of a budget subcommittee to question the Kansas Department of Health and Environment about the spending.

“I would like to understand why they’re behind,” Lunn said. “What’s the money gone to?” “I don’t disagree with you at all,” said Carpenter, a Republican from El Dorado. Carpenter said he had asked KDHE Acting Secretary Susan Mosier those questions and she said testing had revealed some flaws in the system, but a portion should be ready to go live next month. The original target date for KEES was October 2013.

That date came and went. Glen Yancey, chief information technology officer for KDHE, told legislators a few months later that the system was not ready but he was confident it would be sometime in 2014. By November 2014 it became apparent that was not the case. In an update to lawmakers, Yancey said the program was close but not ready for full rollout.

Last month he said the agency was still testing the system and declined to give a new target date for rollout.

Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, a Shawnee Republican who chairs the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, expressed frustration with the lack of information explaining the continuous delays.

Those frustrations were echoed this week by House Appropriations Committee members, who voted to recommend that the Legislative Post Audit Committee order a comprehensive review of KEES.

Rep. Kyle Hoffman, a Republican from Coldwater, said he hoped auditing the program would spur more accountability on future government IT projects. “I’ve been here five years, and it seems like every one of these IT programs is millions of dollars and then it doesn’t work in the end,” Hoffman said.

Andy Marso is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.

WAKEENEY- Five people were injured in an accident just before 8:30 p.m. on Sunday in Trego County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Chevy Malibu driven by Kaela Angelique Thomas, 23, Wichta, was westbound on Interstate 70 just west of Riga Road and rear-ended a 1997 GMC Sierra driven by Amber Marie Zahn, 23, WaKeeney,

Zahn, Thomas, two children in the Malibu and a passenger in the GMC, Mable J Malloy, 44, Hutchinson, were transported to

Trego County Lemke Memorial Hospital.

The KHP reported all were properly restrained at the time of the accident.

SALINA, Kan. (AP) — Volunteers are gearing up for a free two-day dental clinic in Salina.

The Salina Journal (https://bit.ly/1zxmv22 ) reports that the Kansas Mission of Mercy clinic will be open Friday and Saturday at the Salina Bicentennial Center. More than 115 dentists, 50 hygienists and 250 dental assistants are expected to volunteer. Salina dentist Cindy Reed says volunteers get more out of the experience than they give. She says the patients are “really thankful” and that many have been suffering from dental pain.

Since its first project in February 2003 in Garden City, the Kansas Mission of Mercy has provided nearly $13 million in dental care to more than 24,000 patients.

The events are known for attracting patients from hundreds of miles away. Some camp out so they can receive the free services.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Congressman Tim Huelskamp and Brig. Gen. Roger L. Cloutier Jr. will speak with reporters ahead of a meeting on Fort Riley’s future.

The public meeting Monday was called to allow Army officials to hear from the community about how possible troop reductions at Fort Riley would affect them.

Fort Riley employs more than 25,000 people in the Junction City area. In a news release, Fort Riley said as many as 16,000 could be dismissed or redeployed.

The base is one of 30 military installations across the U.S. that could see troop reductions as a result of personnel reductions to the Army.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback also plans to attend.

The forum will be held at the Geary County Convention Center in Junction City.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas judiciary has a far smaller percentage of minorities than the overall state population.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the Office of Judicial Administration says that throughout the state judicial system, racial minorities make up just 3 percent of the 287 judges at the district, appellate and Supreme Court levels. There are four African-American judges, five Hispanics, and one Asian-American.

But the most recent census estimates that 23 percent of the state’s population isn’t white.

Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission chairwoman Anne Burke calls it a “terrible situation.” The commission receives applications for appointments to the state’s highest court and provides three names to the governor, who makes the final appointment.

Burke says part of the problem is that very few minority lawyers apply.