KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2481/Jerome-Davis-Complaint-Packet-REDACTED">charged with 10 felonies</a>&nbsp;in connection with a fatal shooting near the 3100 block of Elmwood Ave. in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.

Jerome L. Davis faces Murder in the 2nd Degree, four counts of Armed Criminal Action, Assault in the 1st Degree, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Tampering with a Motor Vehicle in the 1st Degree, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2480/Davis_Jerome---PC-Statement_Redacted_FINAL">According to court records</a>, on January 1, 2025, officers were dispatched to the area of Elmwood Avenue near 31st Street where they located four parties at a residence, two of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds. The first victim was declared deceased, and the other was sent to a nearby hospital for a gunshot wound to his arm.&nbsp;

Witnesses told detectives they were celebrating at a New Years Eve party at the residence when they saw the defendant load his 9mm handgun in the living room and shoot the victims. Then, witnesses said they saw the defendant pull out of the driveway in the vehicle the deceased victim arrived in.

Detectives conducted a computer search of the defendant after witnesses told them he had just been released from prison, and they found he was on federal house arrest. Contact was made with his probation officer who advised the defendant was wearing an ankle monitor GPS device, which indicated him to be at the residence at the time of the shooting.&nbsp;

When detectives conducted a search warrant of the defendant’s residence, they found multiple shell casings consisting of the same calibers that were recovered from the original crime scene.

In a statement to detectives, the defendant said he was present at the party, but was not aware of a homicide, did not feel threatened or engage in any arguments, and got a ride home with an unknown individual. &nbsp;

The defendant is being held on no bond.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736998125701.png" alt="Davis has a previous conviction for flee and elude law enforcement- photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Davis has a previous conviction for flee and elude law enforcement- photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man has been&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2481/Jerome-Davis-Complaint-Packet-REDACTED">charged with 10 felonies</a>&nbsp;in connection with a fatal shooting near the 3100 block of Elmwood Ave. in Kansas City, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Melesa Johnson.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736956567240.jpeg" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation New Year's Day" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation New Year's Day</figcaption>
 </figure>Jerome L. Davis faces Murder in the 2nd Degree, four counts of Armed Criminal Action, Assault in the 1st Degree, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Tampering with a Motor Vehicle in the 1st Degree, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jacksoncountyprosecutor.com/DocumentCenter/View/2480/Davis_Jerome---PC-Statement_Redacted_FINAL">According to court records</a>, on January 1, 2025, officers were dispatched to the area of Elmwood Avenue near 31st Street where they located four parties at a residence, two of whom were suffering from gunshot wounds. The first victim was declared deceased, and the other was sent to a nearby hospital for a gunshot wound to his arm.&nbsp;Witnesses told detectives they were celebrating at a New Years Eve party at the residence when they saw the defendant load his 9mm handgun in the living room and shoot the victims. Then, witnesses said they saw the defendant pull out of the driveway in the vehicle the deceased victim arrived in.Detectives conducted a computer search of the defendant after witnesses told them he had just been released from prison, and they found he was on federal house arrest. Contact was made with his probation officer who advised the defendant was wearing an ankle monitor GPS device, which indicated him to be at the residence at the time of the shooting.&nbsp;When detectives conducted a search warrant of the defendant’s residence, they found multiple shell casings consisting of the same calibers that were recovered from the original crime scene.In a statement to detectives, the defendant said he was present at the party, but was not aware of a homicide, did not feel threatened or engage in any arguments, and got a ride home with an unknown individual. &nbsp;The defendant is being held on no bond.&nbsp;

Kansas felon charged for killing at New Year's party 

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating one of three homicides on Tuesday have identified another victims as 22-year-old Alex Benson,&nbsp;, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Just after 2:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at an apartment complex in the area of 6300 Manchester Avenue in Kansas City, according to Gonzalez.

When officers arrived on scene, they made contact with the calling party who advised someone was shot inside. Officers entered the residence and located a man, later identified as Benson, suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma and unresponsive. EMS personnel responded to the scene and declared him deceased.

Police had no preliminary information at this time that would indicate what lead up to the shooting and have not reported an arrest or suspect information.&nbsp; The name of the victim has not been released.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736904780718.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation near 6300 Manchester Avenue on Tuesday afternoon- Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation near 6300 Manchester Avenue on Tuesday afternoon- Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating one of three homicides on Tuesday have identified another victims as 22-year-old Alex Benson,&nbsp;, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Just after 2:30p.m. Tuesday, police were dispatched to a shooting at an apartment complex in the area of 6300 Manchester Avenue in Kansas City, according to Gonzalez.When officers arrived on scene, they made contact with the calling party who advised someone was shot inside. Officers entered the residence and located a man, later identified as Benson, suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma and unresponsive. EMS personnel responded to the scene and declared him deceased.Police had no preliminary information at this time that would indicate what lead up to the shooting and have not reported an arrest or suspect information.&nbsp; The name of the victim has not been released.

Homicide: Police ID man found dead in Kansas City apartment

JEFFERSON CITY&nbsp;— On Thursday, Governor Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Sarah Willson as Director of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).Willson will assume the role of DHSS Director effective February 14, 2025, and awaits Missouri Senate confirmation, according to a media release from Kehoe's office.

“I am proud to have Sarah join my Cabinet as a key leader in our efforts to improve the health of Missourians across the state,” said Governor Kehoe. “Sarah’s background as a healthcare professional brings a deep understanding of the critical issues facing our healthcare systems today. I look forward to working together to strengthen the systems that support public health and well-being of all Missourians.”

Willson has served as Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs for the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) since 2016. In that role, she provided clinical and regulatory guidance to over 140 hospitals across the state, serving as a key expert on licensing, survey processes and compliance for acute care, critical access, long-term care, rehabilitation, and psychiatric facilities. She also collaborated with lawmakers to develop healthcare legislation at both the state and federal levels.

“I am truly humbled at the opportunity to serve the people of Missouri in the Kehoe Administration,” said Willson. “As a nurse and a small business owner, I understand the impact of health and regulation from a personal and public perspective. I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to ensure the departments programs and services help all Missourians live healthy and safe lives.”

Prior to MHA, Willson held leadership roles with Compassus Hospice and Palliative Care, where she oversaw operations in multiple states, and at Capital Region Medical Center, directing patient care services across several departments. Her work has focused on advancing quality care, developing efficiencies, and improving outcomes for patients.

Willson earned her Master of Business Administration in health management from William Woods University and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has been recognized with several awards throughout her career. A headshot of Willson is attached.

JEFFERSON CITY&nbsp;— On Thursday, Governor Mike Kehoe announced the appointment of Sarah Willson as Director of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).Willson will assume the role of DHSS Director effective February 14, 2025, and awaits Missouri Senate confirmation, according to a media release from Kehoe's office.“I am proud to have Sarah join my Cabinet as a key leader in our efforts to improve the health of Missourians across the state,” said Governor Kehoe. “Sarah’s background as a healthcare professional brings a deep understanding of the critical issues facing our healthcare systems today. I look forward to working together to strengthen the systems that support public health and well-being of all Missourians.”Willson has served as Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs for the Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) since 2016. In that role, she provided clinical and regulatory guidance to over 140 hospitals across the state, serving as a key expert on licensing, survey processes and compliance for acute care, critical access, long-term care, rehabilitation, and psychiatric facilities. She also collaborated with lawmakers to develop healthcare legislation at both the state and federal levels.“I am truly humbled at the opportunity to serve the people of Missouri in the Kehoe Administration,” said Willson. “As a nurse and a small business owner, I understand the impact of health and regulation from a personal and public perspective. I look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to ensure the departments programs and services help all Missourians live healthy and safe lives.”Prior to MHA, Willson held leadership roles with Compassus Hospice and Palliative Care, where she oversaw operations in multiple states, and at Capital Region Medical Center, directing patient care services across several departments. Her work has focused on advancing quality care, developing efficiencies, and improving outcomes for patients.Willson earned her Master of Business Administration in health management from William Woods University and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has been recognized with several awards throughout her career. A headshot of Willson is attached.

Gov. names new director of Mo. Dept. of Health and Senior Services

MoCann Trade urges state regulators to adopt a rule that would allow microbusiness licensees to sell license sooner, not have exclusive operational control of business

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missouri cannabis regulators and the state’s largest marijuana trade group agree that people should be banned from flooding the license lottery with applicants they recruit who are never intended to have any actual control or profits.

It’s a practice the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation has called predatory, and efforts to root it out of the state’s microbusiness program have resulted in 41 licenses being revoked or facing possible revocation.&nbsp;

“We understand and agree with the intent of eliminating straw applicants and groups who are only interested in taking control of the licenses from such applicants, instead of a true partnership,” Andrew Mullins, president of the Missouri Cannabis Trade association, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/25489791-letter-to-dhss-proposed-amendments-19-csr-100-1" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to cannabis regulators last week.

But the details on how to do it are where differences emerge.

The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/23/missouri-cannabis-regulators-announce-new-rules-to-target-predatory-contracts/">announced last month</a>&nbsp;a series of proposed rules aimed at&nbsp;combating predatory&nbsp;<a href="https://legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/25489941-19-csr-100-1190-amendment" target="_blank">financial agreements</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/25489942-19-csr-100-1060-amendment" target="_blank">other practices</a>&nbsp;during the application process. The division will now incorporate public feedback before submitting the final rules to the Secretary of State’s office.

The microbusiness program, which was written into&nbsp;the Missouri 2022 constitutional amendment that legalized marijuana, was designed for the licenses to end up in the hands of disadvantaged business owners —&nbsp;including&nbsp;disabled veterans, those with lower incomes and people with non-violent marijuana offenses.

The new rules attempt to clarify that contracts that take away majority ownership and control from the eligible applicants do not meet the constitutional requirements for the microbusiness program.

In its letter, MoCann pushed back on the division’s “list of arrangements that indicate a license is not owned and operated by the eligible applicants.”&nbsp;

On that list are “unexecuted” contracts that would take away control in the future. MoCann criticized the division for revoking licenses for having such agreements.

“If a contract is unexecuted, it is not an agreement at all,” Mullins wrote.&nbsp;

The letter reflects a key defense used in some of the appeals of licenses the division revoked last year.&nbsp;

Mullins wrote that the proposed rules were too vague about what an&nbsp;“exploitive exit fee” is if applicants want to get out of an agreement, along with what&nbsp;“majority owned and operated” looks like in practice. Mullins also urged the state to consider a new rule — allowing licensees to sell majority ownership right after the license is issued, instead of after the business is up and running which is required currently.

“Seeking to protect microbusiness owners from their own decisions will only succeed in crushing that dynamism,”&nbsp;Mullins said of the proposed rules. “It might protect microbusiness licensees from exploitation, but it will also protect their businesses straight into insolvency.”

Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the division, said regulators are “in the process of reviewing this letter, as well as all comments received, prior to moving forward.”&nbsp;

State regulators have used a lottery system over the last two years to award 96 microbusiness licenses — a program sold to voters as a way to help victims of the War on Drugs get a toehold in the burgeoning cannabis industry.&nbsp;

But of the 96 licenses issued so far,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">41 have been either revoked or are currently at risk of being revoked</a>. Another three are under investigation.&nbsp;

A majority of those 44 licenses are connected to groups or individuals who flooded the lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limited their profit and control of the business.

Some of MoCann Trade’s key members are associated with the licenses under state scrutiny.&nbsp;

The association’s general counsel is Eric Walter, an attorney who also represents cannabis investor Michael Halow.&nbsp;

Halow is connected to more than 1,000 of the 3,600 applications submitted for Missouri’s lottery since the program began and 22 awarded licenses. But every one of those licences has been either revoked or was denied certification earlier in October by the division.&nbsp;

An&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/23/alleged-predatory-contracts-continue-to-surface-in-missouri-social-equity-marijuana-program/">investigation by The Independent</a>&nbsp;into one of these revoked licenses revealed that Halow signed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25480535-ever-eco-llc-contract-redacted/" target="_blank">contract</a>&nbsp;with a Black disabled veteran who told regulators she didn’t realize the agreement would give Halow full ownership of the business.&nbsp;

Missouri cannabis consultant&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">John Payne</a>&nbsp;led the campaign to legalize recreational cannabis in 2022 and sits on MoCann’s board of directors. He is connected to nearly 500 applications and 12 awarded licenses since the program’s inception.&nbsp;

Payne received six notices of pending revocation in October for licenses where he serves as the designated contact, stating the agreements reflected that the licenses would not be “majority owned and operated” by eligible applicants. Three more current licenses are under investigation for the same reason.&nbsp;

Seven of these licenses are connected to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/23/missouri-cannabis-regulators-announce-new-rules-to-target-predatory-contracts/">David Brodsky</a>, who is MoCann’s microbusiness representative to the advisory board.&nbsp;

Brodsky told The Independent in an email Monday that he didn’t provide any input into MoCann’s response to the letter.&nbsp;

“I do agree with everything MoCann said in their response though,” he said.

Payne and Walter did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment.

When asked if Payne or Walter had a hand in writing the comments to the state, MoCann’s spokesman Jack Cardetti said, “Rule and regulatory matters generally emanate from our 10-person government affairs committee, which is comprised of licensees, many of whom are attorneys.”&nbsp;

Payne sits on the association’s government affairs committee. Cardetti further said, “As MoCann’s outside general counsel, Eric Walter is one of several who review these.”

The proposed rules would impact a number of contracts The Independent has analyzed.

The Independent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">June investigation</a>&nbsp;found that for some of the applications, Payne recruited eligible Missourians and had them sign a 47-page contract that would ultimately give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business. Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would bear the lion’s share of the regulatory scrutiny. If they ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee.

Four legal experts who reviewed the contract for The Independent concluded it was unfair and potentially predatory.&nbsp;

According to the proposed new rules, a license would not be considered owned and operated by the eligible applicants if the financial arrangement includes an “exploitive exit fee by a consultant or manager.”&nbsp;

The proposed rules also address provisions found in Destiny Brown’s contract with Michael Halow. Brown, who qualifies as an eligible applicant because she’s a disabled veteran, signed a memo of understanding and promissory note giving Halow the right to convert the loan he promised to provide into 100% of the “membership interest” — or all of the profits and voting rights of the business.

The state revoked the license on seven grounds, including that the application included “false or misleading information” and the licensee withheld information.

The proposed rule prohibits “agreements that the original majority eligible owner(s) in the application will not have majority ownership in the future.” That also includes any other documents, whether executed or in draft form, that may remove operational control from the eligible individuals listed in the application.

Halow told The Independent in an email last week that the proposed changes are “problematic.”&nbsp;

“Specifically, by stipulating that eligible applicants who are not the original lottery winners cannot operate a recently issued license,” Halow wrote, “the state would effectively strip those individuals of their constitutionally granted right or privilege to operate these businesses, regardless of their ownership or lottery status.”&nbsp;

MoCann suggests allowing agreements to sell majority equity of the business to occur after the state has issued the license. Currently, the licensees can only do that after the business has been approved to commence.&nbsp;

“The ability to sell the license – including by contracting to sell prior to commencement – is a valuable backup plan for every licensee,” Mullins wrote in his letter.

One contract associated with Brodsky established a board of three managers that would vote on all company decisions. The lender and the “consultant” each get to select a member.&nbsp;

That left the qualified applicant with only one-third of the voting power.

Brodsky said his contract is valid because all&nbsp;board members meet the program’s eligibility requirements.

“The constitution only says that it must be majority owned and operated by eligible applicants,” Brodsky stated in an email to The Independent. “I am an eligible applicant as is everyone involved with Green Zebra LLC.”

The validity of this type of board structure could potentially change by alternative language that MoCann proposed in its letter.

In the state’s definition of majority owned and operated, eligible individuals must also have the power to direct the management and policies of the license and enter into agreements.&nbsp;

The association proposes to add the word “collectively” after individuals. It also proposes stating that, “Non-eligible owners may hold a&nbsp; minority of voting rights, and the owners may hire management, managers, staff and enter into contracts that implement the decisions of the ownership collectively.”

The division’s definition also includes the phrase “must have a level of operational control that would be expected of an owner.”&nbsp;

MoCann suggests an alternative definition that eligible majority owners don’t need to have “exclusive operational control” of the business, but they must have majority voting rights. This takes out any “vagueness,” the letter states, on what operational control means.&nbsp;

“If they must indeed exercise exclusive and total control over the business, there is effectively no way for them to hire any&nbsp;managers, staff or vendors to assist with the business,” Mullins wrote.&nbsp;

However, the division’s website states that, “the ‘owned and operated’ requirement does not prohibit microbusiness licensees from entering into management agreements for facility operations.”

Michael Wolff, a former chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and dean emeritus of the St. Louis University Law School, said he wouldn’t construe the state’s definition to prohibit somebody from hiring a manager — because that’s what would normally be expected of an owner.&nbsp;

“I don’t think you can make a parade of horribles out of that language,” Wolff said. “I think that language was put in there with a good effect and good intent.”

The division stated in a press release last month that a “purported owner with little to no knowledge, control, agency or decision-making authority in an application or license does not meet the intent or meaning of the requirement in Article XIV.”

Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis City NAACP and who helped write the microbusiness provision, sided with the division’s definition.&nbsp;

It’s similar, he said, to a federal standard, known as the “<a href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials/commusefunction.pdf" target="_blank">commercially useful function</a>” rule, used to weed out pass-through companies in contracts set aside for underrepresented business enterprises.&nbsp;

“It ensures that underrepresented business enterprises are genuinely responsible for executing distinct elements of work by actively performing, managing,” Pruitt said, “and supervising their operations, thereby preventing token participation.”

James Harnden says he didn’t realize that when he agreed to apply for a microbusiness license that the contract he signed gave him 100% ownership interest but no revenue or profits from the business.&nbsp;

The contract was with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">Michigan-based cannabis group Canna Zoned</a>.&nbsp;

After the business passed through all the state and municipal approvals, the contract stated that Harnden would be required to sell his share of the business for $1 to the group or be held in breach of contract.&nbsp;

Harden did not get a license, but the state revoked two other applicants connected to Canna Zoned.

Under the new rules, any entity who was the designated contact for a license that was previously revoked for failure to comply with the ownership and operation requirements will no longer be allowed to be involved in any capacity in a future microbusiness application.&nbsp;&nbsp;

All microbusiness applications in which such former designated contact has any involvement would be denied.

Jeffrey Yatooma, president of Canna Zoned and the designated contact for the two licenses revoked last year, told The Independent in an email last week that the proposed rule changes “reflect a fundamental misunderstanding” of the support that many applicants need to navigate the “labyrinthine system.”&nbsp;

“These applicants often lack the experience or resources to manage the hurdles involved in obtaining full licensure,” Yatooma stated. “That’s exactly why they turn to us—to provide guidance, expertise, and a clear path forward. The assertion that these partnerships are somehow ‘predatory’ mischaracterizes the reality of the situation.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1692273868300.png" alt="&nbsp;The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation announced last month a series of proposed rules aimed at combating predatory financial agreements and other practices during the application process (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation announced last month a series of proposed rules aimed at combating predatory financial agreements and other practices during the application process (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>MoCann Trade urges state regulators to adopt a rule that would allow microbusiness licensees to sell license sooner, not have exclusive operational control of business</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rebecca-rivas/">REBECCA RIVAS</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri cannabis regulators and the state’s largest marijuana trade group agree that people should be banned from flooding the license lottery with applicants they recruit who are never intended to have any actual control or profits.It’s a practice the Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation has called predatory, and efforts to root it out of the state’s microbusiness program have resulted in 41 licenses being revoked or facing possible revocation.&nbsp;“We understand and agree with the intent of eliminating straw applicants and groups who are only interested in taking control of the licenses from such applicants, instead of a true partnership,” Andrew Mullins, president of the Missouri Cannabis Trade association, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/25489791-letter-to-dhss-proposed-amendments-19-csr-100-1" target="_blank">letter</a>&nbsp;to cannabis regulators last week.But the details on how to do it are where differences emerge.The Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/23/missouri-cannabis-regulators-announce-new-rules-to-target-predatory-contracts/">announced last month</a>&nbsp;a series of proposed rules aimed at&nbsp;combating predatory&nbsp;<a href="https://legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/25489941-19-csr-100-1190-amendment" target="_blank">financial agreements</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/25489942-19-csr-100-1060-amendment" target="_blank">other practices</a>&nbsp;during the application process. The division will now incorporate public feedback before submitting the final rules to the Secretary of State’s office.The microbusiness program, which was written into&nbsp;the Missouri 2022 constitutional amendment that legalized marijuana, was designed for the licenses to end up in the hands of disadvantaged business owners —&nbsp;including&nbsp;disabled veterans, those with lower incomes and people with non-violent marijuana offenses.The new rules attempt to clarify that contracts that take away majority ownership and control from the eligible applicants do not meet the constitutional requirements for the microbusiness program.In its letter, MoCann pushed back on the division’s “list of arrangements that indicate a license is not owned and operated by the eligible applicants.”&nbsp;On that list are “unexecuted” contracts that would take away control in the future. MoCann criticized the division for revoking licenses for having such agreements.“If a contract is unexecuted, it is not an agreement at all,” Mullins wrote.&nbsp;The letter reflects a key defense used in some of the appeals of licenses the division revoked last year.&nbsp;Mullins wrote that the proposed rules were too vague about what an&nbsp;“exploitive exit fee” is if applicants want to get out of an agreement, along with what&nbsp;“majority owned and operated” looks like in practice. Mullins also urged the state to consider a new rule — allowing licensees to sell majority ownership right after the license is issued, instead of after the business is up and running which is required currently.“Seeking to protect microbusiness owners from their own decisions will only succeed in crushing that dynamism,”&nbsp;Mullins said of the proposed rules. “It might protect microbusiness licensees from exploitation, but it will also protect their businesses straight into insolvency.”Sami Jo Freeman, spokeswoman for the division, said regulators are “in the process of reviewing this letter, as well as all comments received, prior to moving forward.”&nbsp;<h2>Revocations and MoCann’s members</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737034596825.png" alt=" John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discusses legislation at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28, 2024, with Amy Moore (middle), director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> John Payne, managing partner at Amendment 2 Consultants, discusses legislation at an industry summit in downtown St. Louis on March 28, 2024, with Amy Moore (middle), director of the Division of Cannabis Regulation, and Mitch Meyers, partner at BeLeaf Medical (Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>State regulators have used a lottery system over the last two years to award 96 microbusiness licenses — a program sold to voters as a way to help victims of the War on Drugs get a toehold in the burgeoning cannabis industry.&nbsp;But of the 96 licenses issued so far,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/29/cannabis-missouri-predatory-socia-equity/">41 have been either revoked or are currently at risk of being revoked</a>. Another three are under investigation.&nbsp;A majority of those 44 licenses are connected to groups or individuals who flooded the lottery by recruiting people to submit applications and then offering them contracts that limited their profit and control of the business.Some of MoCann Trade’s key members are associated with the licenses under state scrutiny.&nbsp;The association’s general counsel is Eric Walter, an attorney who also represents cannabis investor Michael Halow.&nbsp;Halow is connected to more than 1,000 of the 3,600 applications submitted for Missouri’s lottery since the program began and 22 awarded licenses. But every one of those licences has been either revoked or was denied certification earlier in October by the division.&nbsp;An&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/23/alleged-predatory-contracts-continue-to-surface-in-missouri-social-equity-marijuana-program/">investigation by The Independent</a>&nbsp;into one of these revoked licenses revealed that Halow signed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25480535-ever-eco-llc-contract-redacted/" target="_blank">contract</a>&nbsp;with a Black disabled veteran who told regulators she didn’t realize the agreement would give Halow full ownership of the business.&nbsp;Missouri cannabis consultant&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">John Payne</a>&nbsp;led the campaign to legalize recreational cannabis in 2022 and sits on MoCann’s board of directors. He is connected to nearly 500 applications and 12 awarded licenses since the program’s inception.&nbsp;Payne received six notices of pending revocation in October for licenses where he serves as the designated contact, stating the agreements reflected that the licenses would not be “majority owned and operated” by eligible applicants. Three more current licenses are under investigation for the same reason.&nbsp;Seven of these licenses are connected to&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/12/23/missouri-cannabis-regulators-announce-new-rules-to-target-predatory-contracts/">David Brodsky</a>, who is MoCann’s microbusiness representative to the advisory board.&nbsp;Brodsky told The Independent in an email Monday that he didn’t provide any input into MoCann’s response to the letter.&nbsp;“I do agree with everything MoCann said in their response though,” he said.Payne and Walter did not respond to The Independent’s request for comment.When asked if Payne or Walter had a hand in writing the comments to the state, MoCann’s spokesman Jack Cardetti said, “Rule and regulatory matters generally emanate from our 10-person government affairs committee, which is comprised of licensees, many of whom are attorneys.”&nbsp;Payne sits on the association’s government affairs committee. Cardetti further said, “As MoCann’s outside general counsel, Eric Walter is one of several who review these.”<h2>The rules and contracts</h2>The proposed rules would impact a number of contracts The Independent has analyzed.The Independent’s&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/07/26/missouri-cannabis-leader-accused-of-using-predatory-contracts-to-win-social-equity-licenses/">June investigation</a>&nbsp;found that for some of the applications, Payne recruited eligible Missourians and had them sign a 47-page contract that would ultimately give him and his partners 90.1% of profits and majority control of the business. Despite only owning a fraction of the business, under state law the applicants would bear the lion’s share of the regulatory scrutiny. If they ever want to walk away from the deal, they would be required to pay a nearly $1 million fee.Four legal experts who reviewed the contract for The Independent concluded it was unfair and potentially predatory.&nbsp;According to the proposed new rules, a license would not be considered owned and operated by the eligible applicants if the financial arrangement includes an “exploitive exit fee by a consultant or manager.”&nbsp;The proposed rules also address provisions found in Destiny Brown’s contract with Michael Halow. Brown, who qualifies as an eligible applicant because she’s a disabled veteran, signed a memo of understanding and promissory note giving Halow the right to convert the loan he promised to provide into 100% of the “membership interest” — or all of the profits and voting rights of the business.The state revoked the license on seven grounds, including that the application included “false or misleading information” and the licensee withheld information.The proposed rule prohibits “agreements that the original majority eligible owner(s) in the application will not have majority ownership in the future.” That also includes any other documents, whether executed or in draft form, that may remove operational control from the eligible individuals listed in the application.Halow told The Independent in an email last week that the proposed changes are “problematic.”&nbsp;“Specifically, by stipulating that eligible applicants who are not the original lottery winners cannot operate a recently issued license,” Halow wrote, “the state would effectively strip those individuals of their constitutionally granted right or privilege to operate these businesses, regardless of their ownership or lottery status.”&nbsp;MoCann suggests allowing agreements to sell majority equity of the business to occur after the state has issued the license. Currently, the licensees can only do that after the business has been approved to commence.&nbsp;“The ability to sell the license – including by contracting to sell prior to commencement – is a valuable backup plan for every licensee,” Mullins wrote in his letter.<h2>‘Operated by’</h2><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1698531124512.png" alt="(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>(Rebecca Rivas/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>One contract associated with Brodsky established a board of three managers that would vote on all company decisions. The lender and the “consultant” each get to select a member.&nbsp;That left the qualified applicant with only one-third of the voting power.Brodsky said his contract is valid because all&nbsp;board members meet the program’s eligibility requirements.“The constitution only says that it must be majority owned and operated by eligible applicants,” Brodsky stated in an email to The Independent. “I am an eligible applicant as is everyone involved with Green Zebra LLC.”The validity of this type of board structure could potentially change by alternative language that MoCann proposed in its letter.In the state’s definition of majority owned and operated, eligible individuals must also have the power to direct the management and policies of the license and enter into agreements.&nbsp;The association proposes to add the word “collectively” after individuals. It also proposes stating that, “Non-eligible owners may hold a&nbsp; minority of voting rights, and the owners may hire management, managers, staff and enter into contracts that implement the decisions of the ownership collectively.”The division’s definition also includes the phrase “must have a level of operational control that would be expected of an owner.”&nbsp;MoCann suggests an alternative definition that eligible majority owners don’t need to have “exclusive operational control” of the business, but they must have majority voting rights. This takes out any “vagueness,” the letter states, on what operational control means.&nbsp;“If they must indeed exercise exclusive and total control over the business, there is effectively no way for them to hire any&nbsp;managers, staff or vendors to assist with the business,” Mullins wrote.&nbsp;However, the division’s website states that, “the ‘owned and operated’ requirement does not prohibit microbusiness licensees from entering into management agreements for facility operations.”Michael Wolff, a former chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and dean emeritus of the St. Louis University Law School, said he wouldn’t construe the state’s definition to prohibit somebody from hiring a manager — because that’s what would normally be expected of an owner.&nbsp;“I don’t think you can make a parade of horribles out of that language,” Wolff said. “I think that language was put in there with a good effect and good intent.”The division stated in a press release last month that a “purported owner with little to no knowledge, control, agency or decision-making authority in an application or license does not meet the intent or meaning of the requirement in Article XIV.”Adolphus Pruitt, president of the St. Louis City NAACP and who helped write the microbusiness provision, sided with the division’s definition.&nbsp;It’s similar, he said, to a federal standard, known as the “<a href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/federal-aidessentials/commusefunction.pdf" target="_blank">commercially useful function</a>” rule, used to weed out pass-through companies in contracts set aside for underrepresented business enterprises.&nbsp;“It ensures that underrepresented business enterprises are genuinely responsible for executing distinct elements of work by actively performing, managing,” Pruitt said, “and supervising their operations, thereby preventing token participation.”<h2>Canna Zoned</h2>James Harnden says he didn’t realize that when he agreed to apply for a microbusiness license that the contract he signed gave him 100% ownership interest but no revenue or profits from the business.&nbsp;The contract was with&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/10/26/applicants-recruited-on-craigslist-competed-for-missouri-social-equity-cannabis-licenses/">Michigan-based cannabis group Canna Zoned</a>.&nbsp;After the business passed through all the state and municipal approvals, the contract stated that Harnden would be required to sell his share of the business for $1 to the group or be held in breach of contract.&nbsp;Harden did not get a license, but the state revoked two other applicants connected to Canna Zoned.Under the new rules, any entity who was the designated contact for a license that was previously revoked for failure to comply with the ownership and operation requirements will no longer be allowed to be involved in any capacity in a future microbusiness application.&nbsp;&nbsp;All microbusiness applications in which such former designated contact has any involvement would be denied.Jeffrey Yatooma, president of Canna Zoned and the designated contact for the two licenses revoked last year, told The Independent in an email last week that the proposed rule changes “reflect a fundamental misunderstanding” of the support that many applicants need to navigate the “labyrinthine system.”&nbsp;“These applicants often lack the experience or resources to manage the hurdles involved in obtaining full licensure,” Yatooma stated. “That’s exactly why they turn to us—to provide guidance, expertise, and a clear path forward. The assertion that these partnerships are somehow ‘predatory’ mischaracterizes the reality of the situation.”

Cannabis trade group pushes back on Missouri rules to combat ‘predatory’ practices

State of the State speech sets tone of governor’s spending, policy effort

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly’s seventh State of the State speech on Wednesday called for investments in water resources and public schools, streamlining early childhood regulation, pursuit of sustainable tax policy and expansion of Medicaid eligibility.

Kelly, a Democrat who took office in 2019 as the state’s 48th governor after serving 14 years as a state senator, urged the Kansas Legislature to frame these significant issues in the context of what Kansas could look like at the end of this century.

She asked lawmakers to step outside the day-to-day competition to score short-term political points. She recommended elected officials at the Capitol devote more energy to shaping what would lie ahead for Kansas’ children and grandchildren.

“Since I’ve been in office, we have built an incredibly strong foundation for our state. Kansas has never been in better financial shape,” Kelly said. “Now, it’s time to build on that foundation.”

While looking down the road to 2100, she posed big questions: Is the agriculture economy booming because water resources were preserved and rural Kansas didn’t dry up? Do Kansas businesses have the best and brightest workers because the priority was superior public schools? Is Kansas an economic-development powerhouse? Did Kansas hold onto its small-town traditions?

“It’s easy to forget that we aren’t playing some kind of game here,” Kelly said. “We have real power. The decisions we make in this building touch every aspect of the lives of the people we work for. Here’s the truth. The Kansas our grandkids will inherit is up to us right now.”

Kelly said the mission was to filter through some pretty wacky notions to settle on smart, reasonable common-sense bipartisan ideas.

“I’m not asking you not to love your political party,” the Democratic governor said. “I’m just asking you to love your state a little more.”

Kelly said the way Kansas chose to invest in children would hold sway over the trajectory of the rest of this century. A child’s experiences from birth to age 5 played a central role in social and emotional development, academic achievement and career success, she said.

She said the state recognized the shortage of child-care providers and that skyrocketing costs handicapped businesses. Urgent state investment meant Kansas would added more child-care capacity in the next two years than in the previous 15 years, the governor said.

The problem? Kansas has siloed early-childhood services into four different state agencies.

“If a family is searching for care for a newborn, that family must navigate among three different agencies to figure out which program is the right fit,” Kelly said. “If a child care center wants to get off the ground, it must work with one state agency to get licensed, another to receive financial aid and workforce support, and a third to get assistance with start-up costs.”

Kelly’s solution: Create the Office of Early Childhood. It would be a one-stop shop for young families. This idea of eliminating irritating red tape and bureaucracy gained traction in the Kansas House in 2024, passing the chamber with 110 votes.

Meanwhile, Kelly proposed creation of the Office of Natural Resources to streamline management of water resources. Currently, those programs were shared among 14 different state agencies. This consolidation would improve the state’s ability to align policy, planning and investment, she said.

“When I imagine the end of this century and the state our youngest Kansans will inherit, I see so many good things on the horizon,” Kelly said. “But, there is one thing that is seriously concerning. Our dwindling water supply. Forget making it 75 years down the road. Some parts of western Kansas don’t have the groundwater to last another 25 years.”

Last year, the Legislature appropriated $35 million additional dollars in each of the next five years to improve the state’s ability to deliver a clean, sustainable water supply, stabilize the Ogallala Aquifer and maximize the capacity of reservoirs in Kansas.

Kelly’s budget recommendations, to be presented to House and Senate members Thursday, would add $30 million to the state’s annual investment in the water supply. That would raise the level of state investment to $90 million annually.

Kelly said the state required a solid K-12 public school system to continue to attract new businesses and young families in the future. Ninety-percent of the state’s students attend public schools, she said, and those districts represented the most effective place to invest in the next generations, the governor said.

“When we talk about protecting the Kansas way of life, our public schools are the heart and soul of so many of our communities,” Kelly said. “For both, the future we aspire to create and the values we aspire to maintain, we must continue to make our public schools our top priority.”

Kelly said she would “never, ever” take taxpayer dollars from public schools and give it to private schools. Kansas Republican legislative leaders have been preparing another bid to expand support for private or parochial education.

“Doing so weakens our public school system, particularly in our rural communities,” the governor said. “As a state, we just can’t afford to do that. Simply put, I will continue to reject any attempt, no matter what it looks like, to reroute public taxpayer dollars to public schools.”

She also said her 2025 state budget plan included funding to provide free school lunches to more than 35,000 Kansas students.

Kelly, who defeated Republican Kris Kobach in 2018 and the GOP’s Derek Schmidt in 2022, campaigned in both races against the reckless 2012 income tax reductions signed into law by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. His goal was to end the state’s income tax. The resulting steep decline in state revenue wasn’t balanced with equivalent spending cuts, leading to years of budget problems that cut into appropriations for schools, highways and other core services.

In her six years as governor, Kelly said she’d signed into law more than $2 billion in tax cuts. In June, she signed into law a bill that cut state taxes by $1.2 billion over three years.

She said she wouldn’t support a proposal to slash the state corporate income tax to zero. The referred to the idea as a “non-starter.” The GOP leadership in the Senate and House also indicated they would attempt during the 2025 session to lower property tax burdens.

“We must stay on the path to prosperity as we move through the rest of the 21st century,” she said.

She preferred to postpone discussions about new tax reductions until the 2026 legislative session to get a better handle on the full fiscal impact of tax cuts adopted last year. However, she said she would consider changes to the state’s tax structure that paid for themselves and didn’t threaten the state’s long-term financial health.

Kelly did renew her push for the Legislature to expand eligibility for Medicaid to about 150,000 lower-income workers in the state. The proposal has been blocked by Republican lawmakers for more than a decade, and the governor said the only remaining objections centered on partisan politics.

“Over the past six years,” she said, “all the horror myths around Medicaid expansion have been debunked, and all the surrounding states have expanded.”

She said the lingering argument in Kansas was that it would be too expensive for the state to broaden access to Medicaid health services. In 2025, she said, it would cost the state $78.3 million to follow in the footsteps of dozens of other states. Instead of making that investment, the state has already left $7.6 billion in federal funding on the table in Washington, D.C., that could have flowed into the state’s medical system.

“If we can strip away partisan politics and just look at the numbers, we will expand Medicaid this year,” Kelly said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1737028018739.png" alt=" Gov. Laura Kelly delivers the annual State of the State speech Wednesday in the Kansas House. She urged the 2025 Kansas Legislature to invest in K-12 public schools, water resources and early-childhood initiatives. She also warned the Republican-led Legislature to be wary of unsustainable tax reductions. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Gov. Laura Kelly delivers the annual State of the State speech Wednesday in the Kansas House. She urged the 2025 Kansas Legislature to invest in K-12 public schools, water resources and early-childhood initiatives. She also warned the Republican-led Legislature to be wary of unsustainable tax reductions. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>State of the State speech sets tone of governor’s spending, policy effort</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly’s seventh State of the State speech on Wednesday called for investments in water resources and public schools, streamlining early childhood regulation, pursuit of sustainable tax policy and expansion of Medicaid eligibility.Kelly, a Democrat who took office in 2019 as the state’s 48th governor after serving 14 years as a state senator, urged the Kansas Legislature to frame these significant issues in the context of what Kansas could look like at the end of this century.She asked lawmakers to step outside the day-to-day competition to score short-term political points. She recommended elected officials at the Capitol devote more energy to shaping what would lie ahead for Kansas’ children and grandchildren.“Since I’ve been in office, we have built an incredibly strong foundation for our state. Kansas has never been in better financial shape,” Kelly said. “Now, it’s time to build on that foundation.”While looking down the road to 2100, she posed big questions: Is the agriculture economy booming because water resources were preserved and rural Kansas didn’t dry up? Do Kansas businesses have the best and brightest workers because the priority was superior public schools? Is Kansas an economic-development powerhouse? Did Kansas hold onto its small-town traditions?“It’s easy to forget that we aren’t playing some kind of game here,” Kelly said. “We have real power. The decisions we make in this building touch every aspect of the lives of the people we work for. Here’s the truth. The Kansas our grandkids will inherit is up to us right now.”Kelly said the mission was to filter through some pretty wacky notions to settle on smart, reasonable common-sense bipartisan ideas.“I’m not asking you not to love your political party,” the Democratic governor said. “I’m just asking you to love your state a little more.”<h2>Young kids, and water</h2>Kelly said the way Kansas chose to invest in children would hold sway over the trajectory of the rest of this century. A child’s experiences from birth to age 5 played a central role in social and emotional development, academic achievement and career success, she said.She said the state recognized the shortage of child-care providers and that skyrocketing costs handicapped businesses. Urgent state investment meant Kansas would added more child-care capacity in the next two years than in the previous 15 years, the governor said.The problem? Kansas has siloed early-childhood services into four different state agencies.“If a family is searching for care for a newborn, that family must navigate among three different agencies to figure out which program is the right fit,” Kelly said. “If a child care center wants to get off the ground, it must work with one state agency to get licensed, another to receive financial aid and workforce support, and a third to get assistance with start-up costs.”Kelly’s solution: Create the Office of Early Childhood. It would be a one-stop shop for young families. This idea of eliminating irritating red tape and bureaucracy gained traction in the Kansas House in 2024, passing the chamber with 110 votes.Meanwhile, Kelly proposed creation of the Office of Natural Resources to streamline management of water resources. Currently, those programs were shared among 14 different state agencies. This consolidation would improve the state’s ability to align policy, planning and investment, she said.“When I imagine the end of this century and the state our youngest Kansans will inherit, I see so many good things on the horizon,” Kelly said. “But, there is one thing that is seriously concerning. Our dwindling water supply. Forget making it 75 years down the road. Some parts of western Kansas don’t have the groundwater to last another 25 years.”Last year, the Legislature appropriated $35 million additional dollars in each of the next five years to improve the state’s ability to deliver a clean, sustainable water supply, stabilize the Ogallala Aquifer and maximize the capacity of reservoirs in Kansas.Kelly’s budget recommendations, to be presented to House and Senate members Thursday, would add $30 million to the state’s annual investment in the water supply. That would raise the level of state investment to $90 million annually.<h2>Public schools</h2>Kelly said the state required a solid K-12 public school system to continue to attract new businesses and young families in the future. Ninety-percent of the state’s students attend public schools, she said, and those districts represented the most effective place to invest in the next generations, the governor said.“When we talk about protecting the Kansas way of life, our public schools are the heart and soul of so many of our communities,” Kelly said. “For both, the future we aspire to create and the values we aspire to maintain, we must continue to make our public schools our top priority.”Kelly said she would “never, ever” take taxpayer dollars from public schools and give it to private schools. Kansas Republican legislative leaders have been preparing another bid to expand support for private or parochial education.“Doing so weakens our public school system, particularly in our rural communities,” the governor said. “As a state, we just can’t afford to do that. Simply put, I will continue to reject any attempt, no matter what it looks like, to reroute public taxpayer dollars to public schools.”She also said her 2025 state budget plan included funding to provide free school lunches to more than 35,000 Kansas students.<h2>No Brownback 2.0</h2>Kelly, who defeated Republican Kris Kobach in 2018 and the GOP’s Derek Schmidt in 2022, campaigned in both races against the reckless 2012 income tax reductions signed into law by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. His goal was to end the state’s income tax. The resulting steep decline in state revenue wasn’t balanced with equivalent spending cuts, leading to years of budget problems that cut into appropriations for schools, highways and other core services.In her six years as governor, Kelly said she’d signed into law more than $2 billion in tax cuts. In June, she signed into law a bill that cut state taxes by $1.2 billion over three years.She said she wouldn’t support a proposal to slash the state corporate income tax to zero. The referred to the idea as a “non-starter.” The GOP leadership in the Senate and House also indicated they would attempt during the 2025 session to lower property tax burdens.“We must stay on the path to prosperity as we move through the rest of the 21st century,” she said.She preferred to postpone discussions about new tax reductions until the 2026 legislative session to get a better handle on the full fiscal impact of tax cuts adopted last year. However, she said she would consider changes to the state’s tax structure that paid for themselves and didn’t threaten the state’s long-term financial health.Kelly did renew her push for the Legislature to expand eligibility for Medicaid to about 150,000 lower-income workers in the state. The proposal has been blocked by Republican lawmakers for more than a decade, and the governor said the only remaining objections centered on partisan politics.“Over the past six years,” she said, “all the horror myths around Medicaid expansion have been debunked, and all the surrounding states have expanded.”She said the lingering argument in Kansas was that it would be too expensive for the state to broaden access to Medicaid health services. In 2025, she said, it would cost the state $78.3 million to follow in the footsteps of dozens of other states. Instead of making that investment, the state has already left $7.6 billion in federal funding on the table in Washington, D.C., that could have flowed into the state’s medical system.“If we can strip away partisan politics and just look at the numbers, we will expand Medicaid this year,” Kelly said.

Gov. Laura Kelly vows to focus on lasting future of Kansans, not quick political gains

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating three separate homicides on Tuesday in Kansas City have identified one of the victims as 58-year-old&nbsp;Larry Curtis, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 12:15a.m. Tuesday, officers were patrolling in the area of E 30th Street and Indiana Avenue when they observed a vehicle stopped in the roadway and facing oncoming traffic, according to Gonzalez.

Officers stopped to check the vehicle and any occupants that may be inside. As they approached the vehicle, an adult male victim, later identified as Curtis, could be seen inside suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive.

EMS responded to the scene and declared Curtis deceased.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating three separate homicides on Tuesday in Kansas City have identified one of the victims as 58-year-old&nbsp;Larry Curtis, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 12:15a.m. Tuesday, officers were patrolling in the area of E 30th Street and Indiana Avenue when they observed a vehicle stopped in the roadway and facing oncoming traffic, according to Gonzalez.Officers stopped to check the vehicle and any occupants that may be inside. As they approached the vehicle, an adult male victim, later identified as Curtis, could be seen inside suffering from apparent gunshot trauma and unresponsive.EMS responded to the scene and declared Curtis deceased.&nbsp; Police have not reported an arrest.

Homicide: Police ID victim found in car facing wrong-way on KC street

BARTON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Barton County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Chevy Cavalier driven by a 52-year-old Nevada, Mo., man was southbound on Interstate 49 three miles south of Lamar. The car rear-ended a 2015 Ford transit van driven by a 42-year-old Hollywood, California man.

The car driver was pronounced deceased at Cox Hospital. EMS also transported the van driver to Cox Hospital. The MSHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

BARTON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just after 5:30p.m. Wednesday in Barton County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 1997 Chevy Cavalier driven by a 52-year-old Nevada, Mo., man was southbound on Interstate 49 three miles south of Lamar. The car rear-ended a 2015 Ford transit van driven by a 42-year-old Hollywood, California man.The car driver was pronounced deceased at Cox Hospital. EMS also transported the van driver to Cox Hospital. The MSHP had incomplete seat belt usage information.

Missouri man dies after car rear-ends transit van

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.

The accident involving a pickup truck and passenger car occurred in the area of West 151st&nbsp;Street and Southpark Boulevard, according to Olathe Police Department Spokesperson John Moncayo.

First responders observed the driver and sole occupant of the passenger car was a 77-year-old woman. She was pronounced deceased on scene. The 22-year-old male driver of the pickup truck remained on scene and is cooperating.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

JOHNSON COUNTY —One person died in an accident just before 4p.m. Wednesday in Johnson County.The accident involving a pickup truck and passenger car occurred in the area of West 151st&nbsp;Street and Southpark Boulevard, according to Olathe Police Department Spokesperson John Moncayo.First responders observed the driver and sole occupant of the passenger car was a 77-year-old woman. She was pronounced deceased on scene. The 22-year-old male driver of the pickup truck remained on scene and is cooperating.&nbsp; Police released no additional details.

Woman dies after car, pickup crash in Kansas

FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an dispute involving firearm.

On Monday, sheriff's deputies responded to report of a physical altercation at a home outside Pomona, Kansas, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.

The altercation ended with a firearm discharged into a vehicle.

The incident started as a disturbance among family in the 300 Block of Georgia Road. The argument eventually escalated into being physical which caused one person to be injured requiring medical treatment, according to the sheriff's office.

As the injured individual attempted to drive from the scene, 53-year-old Marion 'Gene' Ferris of Richmond allegedly discharged a firearm into the vehicle striking a tire.&nbsp; Three people including a 3-year-old child were in the vehicle.&nbsp;

The only injuries were non-life-threatening and not from the discharge of the firearm being discharged.&nbsp; Sheriff's deputies located Ferris at his residence in Richmond. He refused to exit the home. Ten hours later, deputies arrested him after he attempted to flee from the rear of the residence. He is being held on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal damage to property, felony interference with law enforcement and aggravated child endangerment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736894679012.png" alt="Ferris photo Franklin County" />
 <figcaption>Ferris photo Franklin County</figcaption>
 </figure>FRANKLIN COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after an dispute involving firearm.On Monday, sheriff's deputies responded to report of a physical altercation at a home outside Pomona, Kansas, according to a media release from the Franklin County Sheriff.The altercation ended with a firearm discharged into a vehicle.The incident started as a disturbance among family in the 300 Block of Georgia Road. The argument eventually escalated into being physical which caused one person to be injured requiring medical treatment, according to the sheriff's office.As the injured individual attempted to drive from the scene, 53-year-old Marion 'Gene' Ferris of Richmond allegedly discharged a firearm into the vehicle striking a tire.&nbsp; Three people including a 3-year-old child were in the vehicle.&nbsp;The only injuries were non-life-threatening and not from the discharge of the firearm being discharged.&nbsp; Sheriff's deputies located Ferris at his residence in Richmond. He refused to exit the home. Ten hours later, deputies arrested him after he attempted to flee from the rear of the residence. He is being held on requested charges of attempted second degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, criminal threat, criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal damage to property, felony interference with law enforcement and aggravated child endangerment.

Kansas man fired gun at vehicle with 3-year-old inside

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with an armed robbery.

Just after 9p.m. Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received notification of a medical emergency in the 6500 block of NW Elmont Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.

Deputies discovered that an armed robbery had just occurred when a 61-year-old man's vehicle and money were stolen from him at gunpoint.

Deputies arrested Jaterri J. Davis, 36, of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated robbery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault, Criminal trespass, Theft, Theft of a motor vehicle,&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and Possession of an opiate, opium and narcotic or certain stimulant

Deputies also arrested&nbsp;Diamantae T. M. Boyd, 31, of Junction City, on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, possession of stolen property; firearm, Possession of stolen property and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736890224327.png" alt="Davis photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Davis photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating two suspects in connection with an armed robbery.Just after 9p.m. Monday, the Shawnee County Emergency Communications Center received notification of a medical emergency in the 6500 block of NW Elmont Road, according to Deputy Abigail Christian.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736890453717.png" alt="Boyd-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Boyd-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Deputies discovered that an armed robbery had just occurred when a 61-year-old man's vehicle and money were stolen from him at gunpoint.Deputies arrested Jaterri J. Davis, 36, of Topeka, on requested charges of Aggravated robbery,&nbsp;&nbsp;Aggravated assault, Criminal trespass, Theft, Theft of a motor vehicle,&nbsp;Criminal possession of a weapon by a felon and Possession of an opiate, opium and narcotic or certain stimulantDeputies also arrested&nbsp;Diamantae T. M. Boyd, 31, of Junction City, on requested charges of Possession of an opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant, possession of stolen property; firearm, Possession of stolen property and Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia

Suspects took cash, vehicle from Kansas man at gunpoint

LANSING, Kansas. –&nbsp;Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident Angel Pedro Lara, 25, died Wednesday morning, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

 Lara was found ill inside the facility clinic Tuesday afternoon. Staff and Emergency Medical Service personnel administered life-saving measures and transported Lara to a local hospital where he eventually died. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.

&nbsp;Lara was serving a 123-month sentence for convictions of 2nd degree murder in Sedgwick County, Kansas.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736964124627.png" alt="Angel Lara-photo Kansas Department of Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Angel Lara-photo Kansas Department of Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, Kansas. –&nbsp;Lansing Correctional Facility (LCF) resident Angel Pedro Lara, 25, died Wednesday morning, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Corrections. Lara was found ill inside the facility clinic Tuesday afternoon. Staff and Emergency Medical Service personnel administered life-saving measures and transported Lara to a local hospital where he eventually died. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.&nbsp;Lara was serving a 123-month sentence for convictions of 2nd degree murder in Sedgwick County, Kansas.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.

25-year-old Kan. inmate serving time for murder has died

Shawna Richter-Ryerson Nebraska Game and Parks

Nebraska Game and Parks is reminding the public to use caution and test the ice when going onto frozen lakes or ponds after conservation officers responded to two incidents on Jan. 11 in western Nebraska.

No injuries or fatalities were reported in either incident, one at Lake Maloney State Recreation Area and one at Cottonwood-Steverson Wildlife Management Area, where all-terrain vehicles broke through the ice.

At Lake Maloney in Lincoln County, four people who had been ice fishing were riding the ATV at about 7 p.m. when it broke through the ice. Game and Parks Officers and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

Other anglers initially assisted the four, who declined medical treatment from law enforcement.

No citations were issued, and Game and Parks will work with Nebraska Public Power District to remove the ATV from the lake.

At Cottonwood-Steverson in Cherry County, an all-terrain vehicle broke through the ice on Saturday; the incident was reported Sunday to Nebraska Game and Parks. The ATV remains in the lake.

People going onto lakes for winter recreation are reminded of the following clear-ice thickness guidelines, according to state fish, wildlife and parks agencies:

People should use an ice chisel or spud bar to strike the ice and evaluate conditions as they venture out.

Remember as winter progresses, ice changes. Cloudy ice of frozen slush is about half as strong as clear lake ice, so people should double the minimum thickness when encountering such conditions.

Ice near shore may be weakened by heat from the ground, or thinner because of rising water levels. If temperatures are below freezing, but warm during the day, go early and leave before ice melts near the shore.

Be especially careful on any ice that has moving water below it. Water movement hinders freezing causing hard-to-detect thin spots.

Materials embedded in ice, such as weeds or logs, also weaken ice. Large objects on the ice, such as duck blinds or ice shacks, can absorb the sun’s heat and melt ice.

If venturing out, tell someone your plan, bring a long throw rope and ice picks, and pack extra dry clothes.

Visit&nbsp;OutdoorNebraska.gov&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://outdoornebraska.gov/about/press-events/news/game-and-parks-offers-top-8-ice-safety-tips/">other ice safety tips for anglers and ATV riders</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736887503177.png" alt="Photo Nebraska Game and Parks" />
 <figcaption>Photo Nebraska Game and Parks</figcaption>
 </figure>Shawna Richter-Ryerson Nebraska Game and ParksNebraska Game and Parks is reminding the public to use caution and test the ice when going onto frozen lakes or ponds after conservation officers responded to two incidents on Jan. 11 in western Nebraska.No injuries or fatalities were reported in either incident, one at Lake Maloney State Recreation Area and one at Cottonwood-Steverson Wildlife Management Area, where all-terrain vehicles broke through the ice.At Lake Maloney in Lincoln County, four people who had been ice fishing were riding the ATV at about 7 p.m. when it broke through the ice. Game and Parks Officers and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.Other anglers initially assisted the four, who declined medical treatment from law enforcement.No citations were issued, and Game and Parks will work with Nebraska Public Power District to remove the ATV from the lake.At Cottonwood-Steverson in Cherry County, an all-terrain vehicle broke through the ice on Saturday; the incident was reported Sunday to Nebraska Game and Parks. The ATV remains in the lake.<h2>Safety guidelines</h2>People going onto lakes for winter recreation are reminded of the following clear-ice thickness guidelines, according to state fish, wildlife and parks agencies:<ol>
 <li>Under 4 inches:&nbsp;Stay off the ice</li><li>4 inches:&nbsp;Can support ice fishing or other activities on foot</li><li>5-7 inches:&nbsp;Can support a snowmobile or small ATV</li><li>7-8 inches:&nbsp;Can support side-by-side ATV</li>
 </ol>People should use an ice chisel or spud bar to strike the ice and evaluate conditions as they venture out.Remember as winter progresses, ice changes. Cloudy ice of frozen slush is about half as strong as clear lake ice, so people should double the minimum thickness when encountering such conditions.Ice near shore may be weakened by heat from the ground, or thinner because of rising water levels. If temperatures are below freezing, but warm during the day, go early and leave before ice melts near the shore.Be especially careful on any ice that has moving water below it. Water movement hinders freezing causing hard-to-detect thin spots.Materials embedded in ice, such as weeds or logs, also weaken ice. Large objects on the ice, such as duck blinds or ice shacks, can absorb the sun’s heat and melt ice.If venturing out, tell someone your plan, bring a long throw rope and ice picks, and pack extra dry clothes.Visit&nbsp;OutdoorNebraska.gov&nbsp;for&nbsp;<a href="https://outdoornebraska.gov/about/press-events/news/game-and-parks-offers-top-8-ice-safety-tips/">other ice safety tips for anglers and ATV riders</a>.

Public alert after ATV incidents on frozen lakes in Nebraska

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on drug allegations.

Just after 12:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1995 Dodge Neon on U.S. 75 Highway, near 126th Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal drugs within the vehicle. The driver, Colby Lee Gant, 36, of Council Grove, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended, no insurance and inoperable tag lamp.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736890574533.png" alt="Grant photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Grant photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas man on drug allegations.Just after 12:30a.m. Monday, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1995 Dodge Neon on U.S. 75 Highway, near 126th Road, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. A Jackson County Sheriff’s K-9 alerted to the presence of illegal drugs within the vehicle. The driver, Colby Lee Gant, 36, of Council Grove, was arrested on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while license suspended, no insurance and inoperable tag lamp.

Kansas sheriff's K9 caught suspect transporting meth

The FDA is revoking the authorization for the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 as a matter of law, based on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/changes-science-law-and-regulatory-authorities/part-iii-drugs-and-foods-under-1938-act-and-its-amendments">Delaney Clause</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/laws-enforced-fda/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-fdc-act">Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&amp;C Act)</a>. The FDA is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-00830/petition-color-additive-center-for-science-in-the-public-interest-et-al-request-to-revoke-color">amending its color additive regulations</a>&nbsp;to no longer allow for the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs in response to a 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=FAP-CAP&amp;id=CAP_3C0323&amp;sort=Petition_Type_Number&amp;order=ASC&amp;startrow=1&amp;type=basic&amp;search=red">color additive petition</a>.

The petition requested the agency review whether the Delaney Clause applied and cited, among other data and information, two studies that showed cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 due to a rat specific hormonal mechanism. The way that FD&amp;C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans. Relevant exposure levels to FD&amp;C Red No. 3 for humans are typically much lower than those that cause the effects shown in male rats. Studies in other animals and in humans did not show these effects; claims that the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and in ingested drugs puts people at risk are not supported by the available scientific information.&nbsp;

The Delaney Clause, enacted in 1960 as part of the Color Additives Amendment to the FD&amp;C Act, prohibits FDA authorization of a food additive or color additive if it has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals. This is not the first time the agency revoked an authorization based on the Delaney Clause. For example, in 2018, the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-removes-7-synthetic-flavoring-substances-food-additives-list">revoked the authorization for certain synthetic flavors</a>&nbsp;based on the Delaney Clause in response to a food additive petition.&nbsp;

FD&amp;C Red No. 3 is a synthetic food dye that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color. The FDA estimates that FD&amp;C Red No. 3 is not as widely used in food and drugs when compared to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/color-additives-information-consumers">other certified colors</a>&nbsp;based on information available in third-party food product labeling databases, food manufacturers’ websites and other public information, and the FDA’s certification data. FD&amp;C Red No. 3 has been primarily used in certain food products, such as candy, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, and frostings and icings, as well as certain ingested drugs.&nbsp;

Manufacturers who use FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs will have until January 15, 2027 or January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products. Other countries still currently allow for certain uses of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 (called erythrosine in other countries). However, foods imported to the U.S. must comply with U.S. requirements.

The FDA is revoking the authorization for the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 as a matter of law, based on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/changes-science-law-and-regulatory-authorities/part-iii-drugs-and-foods-under-1938-act-and-its-amendments">Delaney Clause</a>&nbsp;of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/laws-enforced-fda/federal-food-drug-and-cosmetic-act-fdc-act">Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&amp;C Act)</a>. The FDA is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2025-00830/petition-color-additive-center-for-science-in-the-public-interest-et-al-request-to-revoke-color">amending its color additive regulations</a>&nbsp;to no longer allow for the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs in response to a 2022&nbsp;<a href="https://www.hfpappexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/index.cfm?set=FAP-CAP&amp;id=CAP_3C0323&amp;sort=Petition_Type_Number&amp;order=ASC&amp;startrow=1&amp;type=basic&amp;search=red">color additive petition</a>. <div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today, the FDA is issuing an order to revoke the authorization for the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs in response to a 2022 color additive petition that requested the agency to review whether the Delaney Clause applied. <a href="https://t.co/Qd0NFOIUz8">https://t.co/Qd0NFOIUz8</a> <a href="https://t.co/Bpr6XNC8OR">pic.twitter.com/Bpr6XNC8OR</a>&mdash; U.S. FDA Human Foods Program (@FDAfood) <a href="https://twitter.com/FDAfood/status/1879532094730227991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The petition requested the agency review whether the Delaney Clause applied and cited, among other data and information, two studies that showed cancer in laboratory male rats exposed to high levels of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 due to a rat specific hormonal mechanism. The way that FD&amp;C Red No. 3 causes cancer in male rats does not occur in humans. Relevant exposure levels to FD&amp;C Red No. 3 for humans are typically much lower than those that cause the effects shown in male rats. Studies in other animals and in humans did not show these effects; claims that the use of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and in ingested drugs puts people at risk are not supported by the available scientific information.&nbsp;The Delaney Clause, enacted in 1960 as part of the Color Additives Amendment to the FD&amp;C Act, prohibits FDA authorization of a food additive or color additive if it has been found to induce cancer in humans or animals. This is not the first time the agency revoked an authorization based on the Delaney Clause. For example, in 2018, the FDA&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-removes-7-synthetic-flavoring-substances-food-additives-list">revoked the authorization for certain synthetic flavors</a>&nbsp;based on the Delaney Clause in response to a food additive petition.&nbsp;FD&amp;C Red No. 3 is a synthetic food dye that gives foods and drinks a bright, cherry-red color. The FDA estimates that FD&amp;C Red No. 3 is not as widely used in food and drugs when compared to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/color-additives-information-consumers">other certified colors</a>&nbsp;based on information available in third-party food product labeling databases, food manufacturers’ websites and other public information, and the FDA’s certification data. FD&amp;C Red No. 3 has been primarily used in certain food products, such as candy, cakes and cupcakes, cookies, frozen desserts, and frostings and icings, as well as certain ingested drugs.&nbsp;Manufacturers who use FD&amp;C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs will have until January 15, 2027 or January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products. Other countries still currently allow for certain uses of FD&amp;C Red No. 3 (called erythrosine in other countries). However, foods imported to the U.S. must comply with U.S. requirements.

FDA Bans Red Dye No. 3 from Foods

Minority party endorses idea of raising state’s $7.25 minimum wage

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Democrats vowed on the second day of the legislative session Tuesday to concentrate on reforms that addressed the rising cost of housing, health care, groceries, child care and fuel.

The news conference at the Capitol attended by Democrats from the House and Senate followed Monday’s messaging effort by Republican leaders in both legislative chambers and preceded Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s State of the State speech Wednesday night. The Democratic legislators didn’t release a set of specific bills that could advance their cost-of-living agenda.

Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes repeated a prominent GOP talking point during the 2024 election cycle that many Kansans were struggling to keep up financially as escalating prices made nearly every aspect of their lives more challenging.

“They don’t believe the economy is working for them,” said Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat. “While Kansans are working hard, often that hard work benefits shareholders and corporations — leaving workers and their families behind. That is wrong. Everything we do this session should be focused on making life more affordable.”

She said legislation put forward by GOP lawmakers should be scrutinized according to a fundamental question. The litmus test: Would it make life more affordable for Kansans?

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/1/1736949640692.png" alt="Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes and House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, both of Lenexa, said during a news conference Tuesday at the Capitol that Democrats in the 2025 legislative session would concentrate on issues that reduced the burden of basic cost increases on Kansans. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes and House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, both of Lenexa, said during a news conference Tuesday at the Capitol that Democrats in the 2025 legislative session would concentrate on issues that reduced the burden of basic cost increases on Kansans. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Minority party endorses idea of raising state’s $7.25 minimum wage</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Kansas Democrats vowed on the second day of the legislative session Tuesday to concentrate on reforms that addressed the rising cost of housing, health care, groceries, child care and fuel.The news conference at the Capitol attended by Democrats from the House and Senate followed Monday’s messaging effort by Republican leaders in both legislative chambers and preceded Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s State of the State speech Wednesday night. The Democratic legislators didn’t release a set of specific bills that could advance their cost-of-living agenda.Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes repeated a prominent GOP talking point during the 2024 election cycle that many Kansans were struggling to keep up financially as escalating prices made nearly every aspect of their lives more challenging.“They don’t believe the economy is working for them,” said Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat. “While Kansans are working hard, often that hard work benefits shareholders and corporations — leaving workers and their families behind. That is wrong. Everything we do this session should be focused on making life more affordable.”She said legislation put forward by GOP lawmakers should be scrutinized according to a fundamental question. The litmus test: Would it make life more affordable for Kansans?Under that metric, Sykes said the renewed push by Republicans to divert state tax dollars from K-12 public schools to private schools would fail. She said the same answer would apply to rehashed legislative proposals to repeal voting rights, including use of ballot drop boxes and the three-day grace period for mail ballots to be counted after Election Day.House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, also a Lenexa Democrat, said the minority party would strive to raise the state’s minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. He didn’t, however, identify a target for elevating the compensation rate.“Raising the minimum wage is the first step to addressing income inequality throughout the state,” Woodard said. “At a time when the entire country is feeling the impact of inflation, Kansas must appropriately compensate workers who need it most.”In three nearby states, the minimum wage is about double the rate in Kansas. Examples: Colorado, $14.81 per hour; Missouri, $13.75; and Nebraska, $13.50. Oklahoma at $7.25 is the equal of Kansas.Democratic legislators would also encourage passage of measures that expanded quality health care, including broadband access for use in telehealth programs. The state should invest in better access to mental health services, Woodard said.Woodard said the Legislature should continue to grapple with a 30-year trend that shifted more of the property-tax burden onto residential owners. High property taxes disproportionately burden middle-class homeowners and the elderly on fixed incomes, he said.He said restoration of a homestead property tax rebate program for renters — it was discontinued more than a decade ago — would be helpful to Kansans who didn’t own a residence.In terms of property tax relief, Sykes said the Democratic caucus didn’t have a fixed position but wanted results of the upcoming debate to be financially sustainable and offer relief to all Kansans rather than certain economic classes.Sykes asserted GOP legislative leadership was “misrepresenting what actually happened” on property taxes during closed-door discussions in the June special session. Sykes said the governor set a financial maximum on the total value of reductions that would be acceptable to her in terms of sales, income and property taxes.“Republican leadership reduced the property tax portion in order to get income taxes,” Sykes said. “They chose to have a lesser amount on property tax in order … to change the income tax structure.”Hawkins and Masterson, the respective GOP leaders of the House and Senate, maintained it was the governor who insisted property tax reform had to take a back seat to income tax cuts. In the end, the governor signed a $1.2 billion, three-year reform bill that was anchored to income tax reductions.Kelly is on the record urging the 2025 Legislature to put off another major tax-cut effort until the full impact of last year’s reform was known.Masterson said the Legislature would attempt to place on a statewide ballot a proposed change to the Kansas Constitution that would put a lid on the rate of increase in property tax collections. The state depends primarily on sales and income taxes for its budget, leaving the property tax to cities, counties and schools.“What the state can do primarily is a constitutional amendment that would create caps and change the processes in which that’s affecting people. People see these rapid appraisal increases, which turns into rapid tax increases,” Masterson said.Sykes, on the other hand, said it could be a mistake to undermine the capacity of local government to operate by depriving municipalities of property tax revenue.“What we do in Topeka cannot cause more harm to our cities and counties,” she said. “We want the firefighter to come. We want the police to be able to. We want good roads. We have to partner with them and work collaboratively.”Senate Bill 1, which passed by overwhelming bipartisan margins during the special session in June, included an increase in the amount of residential property exempted from the statewide property tax that helped fund K-12 public schools. The school-finance law was changed starting in the 2024 tax year so the exemption from the 20-mill levy for K-12 schools increased to $75,000, up from $42,000.Hawkins said Republicans and Democrats in the House were frustrated because Kelly stiff-armed the opportunity to enact bigger property tax adjustments. He expected changes during the 2025 session to be approved with bipartisan majorities.“Democrats … have said they will be voting for property tax relief,” Hawkins said during an interview on KCUR. “Will all of them? No. There’s some of them that will follow the governor. If the governor tells them, ‘No, don’t do it.’ But there are going to be some that are a little bit more independent-minded that realize it is a very important thing for the people of Kansas.”