TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators have killed a bill containing Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposals to raise tobacco and liquor taxes to help fix the state’s serious budget problems.

The GOP-controlled state Senate voted 37-1 to kill the bill Tuesday. Senate President Susan Wagle and other top Republicans had predicted there would be little support for Brownback’s proposals.

Lawmakers so far are focusing on closing projected budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019 by rolling back past income tax cuts championed by Brownback.

The Legislature passed an income tax bill last month but Brownback vetoed it.

The bill rejected by the Senate also contained Brownback’s proposal to increase annual filing fees paid by for-profit businesses.

Some senators said debating proposals with so little support was a waste of time.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas legislators are considering whether to increase tobacco taxes as part of a broader package for fixing the state budget and raising new dollars for public schools.

The Senate planned to debate a bill Tuesday that contains Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s proposals to raise taxes on cigarettes, other tobacco products, liquor, wine and beer. The bill also would increase annual filing fees for businesses.

Top Senate Republicans do not believe Brownback’s proposals have much support. But Majority Leader Jim Denning said higher tobacco taxes could be the exception.

Lawmakers so far have been focused on raising income taxes to close projected budget shortfalls totaling more than $1 billion through June 2019.

Also the Kansas Supreme Court ruled last week that the state isn’t spending enough money on its public schools.

WICHITA- A man was sentenced Monday to two years of prison for using a stolen identity in an effort to buy a $52,000 car from a Wichita auto dealer, according to U.S. Attorney Tom Beall.

Thomas Rye, 37, Phoenix, Ariz., pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. In his plea, he admitted that on Jan. 2, 2016, he called Eddy’s Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Wichita and applied for a pre-approved line of credit to purchase a car. He used a stolen identity for a credit check and tried to use the victim’s credit to buy a Dodge Challenger Hellcat valued at $52,725. Mistakes in the credit application paperwork caused employees of the dealership to become suspicious and they called police. Rye was arrested at the scene.

Rye was one of 13 defendants named in an indictment in May alleging they were part of an organization that attempted to fraudulently obtain a total of $3.5 million in credit and cash. The indictment alleged the conspirators divided up the work of stealing mail from mailboxes, fraudulently applying for credit and shopping with stolen identities.

The sentence is to be served concurrently with a sentence in another case in Arizona.

BY ANDY MARSO

Kansas legislators heard testimony against physician-assisted suicide Monday from a former state representative.

“This is a direction we don’t want to go,” said Steve Brunk, a Republican who represented a Wichita-area district for 12 years. “We value life, and we don’t want to take the step of looking down this corridor where we negate the value of life and we assist people in dying.”

It’s already a felony for physicians to help patients end their lives in Kansas.

But Brunk, who became a lobbyist for the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas in 2016, said the Legislature should “make a statement” against so-called “death with dignity” laws recently passed in Colorado and California that allow physician-assisted suicide for patients who have no more than six months to live.

Five states plus Washington, D.C., have such laws, and Montana allows assisted suicide under a court ruling.

Similar bills have been introduced in Kansas in the last three years but have yet to get a hearing.

The resolution the Kansas House Health and Human Services Committee is considering would strongly repudiate such laws, saying they lead to coerced suicide and euthanasia. It’s an almost word-for-word copy of 2013 model legislation from Americans United for Life, a national nonprofit that also promotes anti-abortion bills.

“The Kansas bill does reflect AUL’s model language, which is made available to legislators across the country,” Kristi Hamrick, a spokeswoman for the organization, said via email. “To the best of our knowledge, Kansas is the first state to use the language.”

Download the Americans United for Life model legislation and policy guide.

The resolution promotes palliative care as the preferred alternative to assisted suicide, saying it “is nearly always successful in relieving pain and allowing a person to die naturally, comfortably and in a dignified manner.”

Brunk called the resolution “a companion piece” to a palliative care bill the committee passed last month.

A lobbyist for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, which requested the palliative care measure, said the organization has no connection to the assisted suicide resolution.

The University of Kansas Hospital’s palliative care division did not weigh in on the assisted suicide resolution.

Several legislators with medical backgrounds said they were concerned about the resolution possibly affecting decisions about removing life support from patients with little to no brain function.

Rep. Greg Lakin, a Republican from Wichita, said he didn’t necessarily disagree with the intent of the resolution. But as a physician who worked in hospice care for 15 years, Lakin said he didn’t think the resolution was necessary. He also said he has concerns about some of its language.

“(There’s) tons of conclusions in here that, I doubt they are factual,” Lakin said.

Brunk said the intent was not to affect life support decisions and he would work with committee members on specific wording.

If the Legislature approves the resolution, copies of it will be sent to the governor, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Medical Society, an advocacy group for the state’s doctors.

Andy Marso is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of kcur.org, Kansas Public Radio and KMUW covering health, education and politics in Kansas. You can reach him on Twitter @andymarso. 

RENO COUNTY-(AP) — The Latest on wildfires burning across the country’s midsection (all times local):

Gov. Sam Brownback says Kansas has asked Wyoming and South Dakota for equipment to help fight wildfires that have burned hundreds of square miles of land in Kansas.

Brownback told reporters Tuesday that 10 communities in the state saw residents evacuated at least temporarily Monday and Tuesday as fires burned about 625 square miles.

Most the area burned was in Clark County, in southern Kansas. But between 10,000 and 12,000 people left their homes in Reno County because of a fire north of Hutchinson, which is about 40 miles northwest of Wichita.

Brownback says Kansas is asking Wyoming to send helicopters for dropping water and South Dakota to send communications equipment.

He’s says he’s concerned that the dry, windy conditions will continue for another day or two and could return later in the spring.

3 p.m.

— The Kansas Livestock Association is launching a relief effort for ranchers affected by wildfires that have scorched hundreds of square miles of land in the state.

The group said Tuesday it is accepting donations of feed, fencing supplies and cash for the ranchers who’ve lost fencing, forage resources, harvested feed and an undetermined number of cattle in the blazes.

The association says ranch homes and outbuildings also were among the losses.

Donations may be made by contacting the association, with cash contributions payout through the Kansas Livestock Foundation, the association’s charitable arm.

—–

8:35 a.m.

Authorities say wildfires have burned about 625 square miles in Kansas, damaging dozens of structures and forcing thousands to evacuate.

Kansas Department of Emergency Management Katie Horner says 10,000 to 12,000 people voluntarily evacuated their homes Monday night in Reno County. She says 66 people were in shelters Tuesday in Hutchinson as crews continued fighting fires that started over the weekend.

The largest of the blazes was burning in rural southwest Kansas’ Clark County, where about 545 square miles has burned. Horner says 30 structures have been damaged, and bridges have been compromised. That fire is now 61 percent contained.

Evacuations also have been ordered in Russell, and Comanche counties.

Horner says all but four of the state’s 105 counties are under red-flag warnings of critical wildfire conditions.

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As wildfires burn in multiple counties across the state, the State Emergency Operations Center continues to monitor and coordinate assistance for the affected counties.

The Kansas Adjutant General reported there were active fires reported in Clark, Cheyenne, Comanche, Ellsworth, Finney, Ford, Hodgeman, Lane, Meade, Ness, Pratt, Pottawatomie, Rawlins, Reno, Rice, Rooks, Russell, Seward, Shawnee, Smith and Stevens Counties. Although some fires have been mostly contained, fire crews continue to monitor the burned areas for flare-ups.

Approximately 10-12,000 residents of Hutchinson, Kansas, were voluntarily evacuated due to fire risk.  The cities of Wilson and Dorrance also did voluntary evacuations of their citizens.  Wilson evacuated approximately 300 individuals and Dorrance approximately 100 individuals.

Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes affected portions of the state during the evening hours of Tuesday, March 6.  Crawford County reported wind damage to one residence and minor damage to local businesses. Two tornadoes reportedly touched down in Wabaunsee County and one in Shawnee County.

FEMA has approved Federal Fire Management Assistance Grants for Clark, Comanche, Ellsworth, Ford, Lincoln, Ness, Rooks, and Russell Counties. Additional requests may be made as the current emergencies continue.

KDEM is seeking additional firefighting resources from other states through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact and from the National Forestry Service.  A Type II Incident Management Team has also been requested.

On Monday, March 6 the Kansas Army National Guard deployed four Black Hawk helicopters from Company B, 1^st Battalion, 108^th Aviation Regiment out of Salina equipped with 660-gallon Bambi buckets. The helicopters dropped more than 33,600 gallons of water on the fire in Reno County.

Four helicopters equipped with Bambi buckets will launch at daylight on Tuesday, March 7, to continue to assist affected counties with fire suppression. Two helicopters and crews are based out of Topeka and two are out of Salina.

The American Red Cross opened shelters for displaced residents in Coldwater, Dodge City, Hutchinson and Jetmore.  The shelter in Coldwater is located at the Coldwater High School, 600 Leavenworth Ave., and currently houses 75 residents.  The shelter in Dodge City is located at the Dodge City Community College Student Activity Building, 2501 N 14^th Avenue and currently houses 7 residents. The Hutchinson shelter is located at the state fairgrounds at 2000 N Poplar Street.  The shelter can house 1,700 people but currently holds 210 residents.  The shelter in Jetmore is located at the 4-H Building on the Hodgeman County Fairgrounds.

There are multiple road closures due to the fires.  Information on the latest road closures are available from the Kansas Department of Transportation by calling 5-1-1 or visiting the Kandrive website at kandrive.org.

RENO COUNTY – Two Kansas teen were injured in an accident just before 4p.m. on Monday in Reno County.

A 2001 Ford Explorer driven by Kolton King 17, Pretty Prairie, was southbound on Whitesiide Road at Boundary when he lost control of the vehicle, according to the Reno County Sheriff’s Department.

The SUV left the road and rolled. King and a passenger Bayley Rogers 17, Pretty Prairie, were transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center.

They were not wearing seat belts, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

DOUGLAS COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Douglas County are investigating a bank robbery and asking for help to identify a suspect.

Just before 4 p.m. on Monday, the suspect in the security camera photos entered the U.S. Bank branch, 1807, West 23rd Street in Lawrence with a gun and demanded money, according to a media release.

The suspect fled the bank southbound on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. There were no injuries reported.

 

but we only need 1 in 10,000 people to recognize something, an article of clothing, or a unique feature. or remember something they saw

— Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) March 7, 2017

 

Anyone with information about the robbery or alleged suspect should contact police 785-832-7501.

By Mac Moore

KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA— Law enforcement officials cautioned legislators that a bill in the House seeking to protect the legal privacy of cell phone and cloud storage users might inadvertently hamper investigations of child abduction and human trafficking.

House Government, Technology and Security Committee held a hearing Monday for House Bill 2332, a bill prohibiting electronic communications and remote storage providers from disclosing customer data without consent of the customer and any disclosure of this prohibited data would not be inadmissible in court.

Kim Parker, legal counsel for the League of Kansas municipalities, said one section of the bill suggests law enforcement would still have access to electronic communications via search warrant but would limit other investigation tools.

“A number of concerns remain that could seriously affect legally valid criminal investigations,” Parker said.

Parker said the bill does not allow for exemptions for exigent and emergency circumstances. Without these exemptions, the bill could potentially block law enforcement from accessing cell phone information in child abduction cases and human trafficking cases.

“While the cops are busy tapping out a warrant application, the kid has left the state with the bad guy,” she said.

Parker also said most human trafficking is done “in the dark” through use of cell phones. Traffickers often abandon phones to avoid detection. Parker said these devices would normally be available as an exception to the search warrant requirement but not under this law.

“Kansas has long used investigative tools not addressed in this bill,” she said.

Ed Klumpp, Kansas Sheriff’s Association legislative liaison, said parts of the bill had conflicting language. A section which provides for disclosure of electronic communication or remote storage through legal means only identifies use “in a civil action”. Klumpp said this could exclude criminal cases.

“We understand the intent of the bill and are not opposed to what you are trying to do with data security and protection of people’s rights,” he said. “We certainly want to have something to address unlawful breaches and we know that is the intent of the bill. Our concerns are how those could apply adversely to criminal cases.”

Amanda Stanley, legal counsel for The League of Municipalities, endorsed the bill. Stanley said third party servers such as cloud storage are increasing in importance as most organizations move toward a paperless system. Stanley said the League supports making it clear the act of storing a privileged document in cloud storage does not waive attorney-client privilege.

Rep. Steven Becker (R-Buhler) said the bill seemed to favor attorney-client privilege more than other privileges such as doctor-patient.

“It’s all privilege,” Becker said. “So we’re taking that privilege from the statutes and giving it more protections than other privileges?”

Chairman Peter DeGraaf (R-Mulvane) said the committee would have to look at possible changes to resolve objections to the language of the bill. The committee took no action on the bill.

Mac Moore is a University of Kansas senior journalism major from Lawrence.

SHAWNEE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Shawnee County are investigating a series of automobile thefts and asking the public for help to locate a suspect.

Tommy Lee Kleiner, 38, is listed as a suspect in multiple felony arrest warrants and a suspect in multiple car theft investigations, according to a media release.

He is described as 5’ 9” tall and approximately 160 pounds.

He has an extensive past criminal conviction history including aggravated battery, criminal threat, making false writing, and more.

Police advise, if see him, do not approach and contact police immediately or Call Crime Stoppers at 785 234-0007

CLARK COUNTY – A semi driver died due to smoke from the southwest Kansas fires Monday in Clark County. Three adults and three children were also injured due to the incident.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2017 Peterbilt semi driven by Corey P. Holt, 39, Oklahoma City, OK., was northbound just before 6p.m. on Kansas 34 seven miles west of U.S. 160.

The driver tried to backup due to poor visibility and dust from wildfires.

The semi traveled off the roadway and jackknifed making it stationary in the roadway.

The driver got out of vehicle and succumbed to smoke from wild fires. He was transported to Western Plains Medical Center where he died.

Just after the semi jackknifed, a GMC Envoy driven by Baldomero Aros-Reyes, 28, Ashland,

was southbound on Kansas 34, and hit the center of the trailer of the jackknifed semi that was unoccupied blocking the road.

Soon after, a 2012 Ford Explorer driven by Jessica Bates, 34, Ashland, was southbound on Kansas 34 and hit the left rear of the GMC and then the jackknifed semi and then flipped onto its top.

Aros-Reyes, Naira Robles-Lobatos, 25, and two children in the GMC were transported to the hospital in Minneola.

Bates and a 7-year-old in the Ford were transported to the hospital in Ashland.

Everyone was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

KANSAS CITY- (AP) — The Latest on severe storms affecting parts of the U.S. (all times local):

9:30 a.m.

A storm system pummeled an executive airport in suburban Kansas City, destroying or damaging several hangars and flipping some airplanes onto their sides.

Trent Pittman is assistant director of community preparedness for Johnson County, Kansas.

Pittman says one hangar at the Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe was destroyed and at least five more were damaged in the storm Monday night. He says the airport is closed while damage assessment and cleanup are underway.

Pittman says he doesn’t know how many aircraft were damaged or destroyed. The control tower appears to be OK. No injuries have been reported.

He says a dozen homes were damaged in the nearby suburb of Leawood, where trees and power lines are down, but no injuries have been reported.

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8:25 a.m.

Emergency officials in Oak Grove, Missouri, say nearly 500 homes and businesses sustained some damage after tornadoes and severe storms raked the area.

Sni Valley Fire Protection District Chief Carl Scarborough says 483 homes were damaged in Oak Grove during Monday night’s storms that struck the Kansas City area. Scarborough says 10 to 12 commercial buildings also were damaged.

At a briefing Tuesday morning, Scarborough said 12 people were treated for injuries by emergency crews, and three people were taken to hospitals. He says none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

Oak Grove Mayor Jeremy Martin praised the work of emergency responders and said “it’s rather amazing” there were no serious injuries or deaths based on the extent of the damage in the area.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Crews plan to assess the damage Tuesday after the National Weather Service says at least two tornadoes touched down in Missouri.

Several homes were damaged or destroyed in the Kansas City area Monday night as a line of severe storms moved across the state.

Oak Grove Emergency Management Director Mark Sherwood says a tornado damaged about 20 homes in the town and 10 to 15 people suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

In Smithville, north of Kansas City, Police Chief Jason Lockridge says 20 to 25 homes were damaged. Local media reports also described damage to planes and hangars at the Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe, Kansas.

The website for the utility company Kansas City Power & Light showed about 40,000 customers without power early Tuesday. That’s down from more than 100,000 late Monday night.