GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with a fatal crash in March that killed a police officer on his way home from work has been arrested.

On August, 19-year-old Gage Kaiser was charged with involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and aggravated battery, according to the&nbsp;the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;

The accident occurred just before 3:30a.m. March 16, when a passenger vehicle driven by 26-year-old Scott Hollingsworth was southbound on U.S. 81 at 119th Street, according to Sumner County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Friday. A westbound pickup struck the vehicle driven by Hollingsworth.&nbsp;

Hollingsworth was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported three passengers in the pickup to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup driver, later identified as Kaiser, was not injured.

Clearwater PD said Hollingsworth had served the department for a year.

On Sept. 10, Geary County deputies arrested Kaiser. He&nbsp;remains in the Geary County Detention Facility on a $200,000 bond.

Hollingsworth's survivors included his wife, Hadley, daughter, Claire, parents, Greg and Nataly, and siblings, Jordan and Sydney.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726259901569.png" alt="Kaiser photo Geary Co." />
 <figcaption>Kaiser photo Geary Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in connection with a fatal crash in March that killed a police officer on his way home from work has been arrested.On August, 19-year-old Gage Kaiser was charged with involuntary manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and aggravated battery, according to the&nbsp;the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1710681634704.png" alt="Officer Scott Hollingsworth-photo city of Clearwater" />
 <figcaption>Officer Scott Hollingsworth-photo city of Clearwater</figcaption>
 </figure>The accident occurred just before 3:30a.m. March 16, when a passenger vehicle driven by 26-year-old Scott Hollingsworth was southbound on U.S. 81 at 119th Street, according to Sumner County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Friday. A westbound pickup struck the vehicle driven by Hollingsworth.&nbsp;Hollingsworth was pronounced dead at the scene.&nbsp; EMS transported three passengers in the pickup to an area hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup driver, later identified as Kaiser, was not injured.Clearwater PD said Hollingsworth had served the department for a year.On Sept. 10, Geary County deputies arrested Kaiser. He&nbsp;remains in the Geary County Detention Facility on a $200,000 bond.Hollingsworth's survivors included his wife, Hadley, daughter, Claire, parents, Greg and Nataly, and siblings, Jordan and Sydney.&nbsp;

Kansas man charged in crash that killed police officer

NEOSHO COUNTY —Several schools in southeast Kansas received threats last week, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chanute Police Department and USD 413, with the assistance of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Allen County Sheriff’s Office took a juvenile suspect into custody in connection with a social media threat made against the schools in Chanute, according to a statement from the police department.

 Upon completion of the investigation reports will be forwarded to Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of charges being filed.&nbsp;

Police reminded, "If you see or hear a threat, or have any school safety concern, please don’t hesitate to report it to law enforcement."

"Threats against schools, even false threats, are not a joke. They are crimes that can have severe consequences."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697128767642.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NEOSHO COUNTY —Several schools in southeast Kansas received threats last week, according to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Chanute Police Department and USD 413, with the assistance of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Wilson County Sheriff’s Office, Allen County Sheriff’s Office took a juvenile suspect into custody in connection with a social media threat made against the schools in Chanute, according to a statement from the police department. Upon completion of the investigation reports will be forwarded to Neosho County Attorney’s Office for review and consideration of charges being filed.&nbsp;Police reminded, "If you see or hear a threat, or have any school safety concern, please don’t hesitate to report it to law enforcement.""Threats against schools, even false threats, are not a joke. They are crimes that can have severe consequences."

Kan. juvenile suspect accused of online threat against schools

Former President&nbsp;Donald Trump was not injured after a second assassination attempt while playing golf on Sunday. The incident comes two months after an attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.

Members of the Missouri Congressional delegation used social media to comment on the incident.

The Secret Service and FBI continue to investigate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726432346578.png" alt="Martin County Florida Deputies stop the suspect" />
 <figcaption>Martin County Florida Deputies stop the suspect</figcaption>
 </figure>Former President&nbsp;Donald Trump was not injured after a second assassination attempt while playing golf on Sunday. The incident comes two months after an attempt on his life at a rally in Pennsylvania.Members of the Missouri Congressional delegation used social media to comment on the incident.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Pray for God’s protection over President Trump and his family. Evil is after him&mdash; Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) <a href="https://twitter.com/HawleyMO/status/1835429374792970292?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I am glad President Trump is safe and pleased that the suspect is in custody. We are at an unprecedented moment — multiple attempts have been made to kill the former President as he runs for election. <a href="https://t.co/o7zj8BbqXp">https://t.co/o7zj8BbqXp</a>&mdash; Rep. Mike Flood (@USRepMikeFlood) <a href="https://twitter.com/USRepMikeFlood/status/1835432658438103486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m relieved President Trump and his family are safe, but concerned this is the second attempt on his life in the last few months. There’s no place for this kind of violence in America. There’s no excuse for President Trump to have anything less than a FULL security detail now.&mdash; Rep. Sam Graves (@RepSamGraves) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSamGraves/status/1835437600133280012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I’m thankful that President Trump is safe, but the attempts on his life shouldn’t be happening. Please join me in praying for him and our country.&mdash; Rep. Eric Burlison (@RepEricBurlison) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepEricBurlison/status/1835436253711647132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726442796445.png" alt="Trum-Photos of the AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt on the former President Donald Trump, are displayed by West Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library.-image West Palm Beach Policep" />
 <figcaption>Trum-Photos of the AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt on the former President Donald Trump, are displayed by West Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library.-image West Palm Beach Policep</figcaption>
 </figure>The Secret Service and FBI continue to investigate.

Mo. lawmakers issue statements on 2nd Trump assassination attempt

MARIES COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 7p.m. Sunday in Maries County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Subaru Outback driven by Michael W. Edington, 41, Rolla, was eastbound on Highway 28 just east of Highway C.

The SUV crossed the center line and struck a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Elijah J. Woodward, 21, Locust Grove, Arkansas, head-on.&nbsp; After impact, the pickup traveled off the left side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp;

EMS transported Woodward to University Hospital were he was pronounced deceased. Edington was not injured. The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

MARIES COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 7p.m. Sunday in Maries County.The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2005 Subaru Outback driven by Michael W. Edington, 41, Rolla, was eastbound on Highway 28 just east of Highway C.The SUV crossed the center line and struck a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500 driven by Elijah J. Woodward, 21, Locust Grove, Arkansas, head-on.&nbsp; After impact, the pickup traveled off the left side of the road, overturned and the driver was ejected.&nbsp;EMS transported Woodward to University Hospital were he was pronounced deceased. Edington was not injured. The drivers were not wearing seat belts, according to the MSHP.

Man dies when ejected in head-on crash on Missouri highway

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating a possible assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump after gunshots were fired Sunday near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the GOP presidential nominee was playing golf.

The FBI said in a statement to States Newsroom the incident “appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.”

A male suspect is in custody, law enforcement officials said.

“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement about 20 minutes after the incident occurred just before 2 p.m. Eastern.

The FBI is taking a lead on investigating, said Jeffrey Veltri, the special agent in charge of the bureau’s Miami field office during a late afternoon press conference by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that a Secret Service agent with Trump spotted a rifle coming out of bushes next to the golf course.

“The Secret Service agent that was on the course did a fantastic job,” he said. “What they do is, they have an agent that jumps one hole ahead of time to where the president was at, and he was able to spot this rifle barrel, stickin’ out of the fence, and immediately engage that individual, at which time the individual took off.”

The suspect in the bushes had an AK-47 style rifle with a scope, two backpacks filled with ceramic tile and a GoPro camera, Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw said a witness saw the suspect come out of the bushes and take off in a black Nissan. The witness took a picture of the license plate and local law enforcement officers were able to stop the vehicle in Martin County, which borders Palm Beach County.

“They spotted the vehicle and pulled it over and detained the guy,” Bradshaw said.

Once the driver was detained, Bradshaw said the witness was able to identify the driver as “the person that he saw running out of the bushes that jumped into the car.”

Bradshaw said the suspect was about 300 to 500 yards away from Trump.

“With a rifle and a scope like that, that’s not a long distance,” he said.

Bradshaw did not provide more details about the suspect’s identity.

U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecretSvcSpox/status/1835390587673153888" target="_blank">said on social media</a>&nbsp;prior to the press conference that “a protective incident” involving Trump occurred and that the Secret Service was investigating the incident with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He also confirmed that Trump was safe.

The private golf club is about 4 miles from Trump’s primary residence at Mar-a-Lago.

The Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/1835428708464873580" target="_blank">wrote on social media</a>&nbsp;that he has spoken to Trump, who is “in good spirits.”

“Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude,” Vance wrote.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VP/status/1835403813475570113" target="_blank">said on social media</a>&nbsp;that she had been briefed and she is glad Trump is safe.

“Violence has no place in America,” she said.

The White House said that President Joe Biden had also been briefed.

“They are relieved to know that he is safe,” the White House said of Biden and Harris. “They will be kept regularly updated by their team.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, said in a statement that he applauded “the Secret Service for their quick response to ensure former President Trump’s safety.”

“There is no place in this country for political violence of any kind,” he said. “The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The incident follows a&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/trump-campaigns-in-western-pennsylvania-with-rally-in-butler-county/" target="_blank">July 13 assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;of Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Congress set up a bipartisan task force to investigate that attempted assassination. The chair of the task force, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania and the top Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado released a joint statement, requesting a briefing from the Secret Service on the shooting in West Palm Beach “and how security responded.”

“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” they wrote. “The Task Force will share updates as we learn more.”

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, an Ohio Republican and a member of the task force investigating that incident, said on social media “with continued threats against Trump, it is critical to remain dedicated to our work on the Task Force to Investigate the Attempted Assassination of President Trump.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726432346578.png" alt="&nbsp;Based on BOLO information released by Palm Beach County, the Martin County Sheriff's Office stopped a vehicle and took a suspect into custody believed to be connected to a shooting incident at Trump International in Palm Beach County. -photos Martin County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Based on BOLO information released by Palm Beach County, the Martin County Sheriff's Office stopped a vehicle and took a suspect into custody believed to be connected to a shooting incident at Trump International in Palm Beach County. -photos Martin County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/ariana-figueroa/">ARIANA FIGUEROA</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating a possible assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump after gunshots were fired Sunday near Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, where the GOP presidential nominee was playing golf.The FBI said in a statement to States Newsroom the incident “appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.”A male suspect is in custody, law enforcement officials said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726442796445.png" alt="Photos of the AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt on the former President Donald Trump, are displayed by West Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library.-image West Palm Beach Police" />
 <figcaption>Photos of the AK-47 rifle, a backpack and a Go-Pro camera on a fence outside Trump International Golf Club taken after an apparent assassination attempt on the former President Donald Trump, are displayed by West Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw during a news conference at the Palm Beach County Main Library.-image West Palm Beach Police</figcaption>
 </figure>“President Trump is safe following gunshots in his vicinity. No further details at this time,” Steven Cheung, the Trump campaign’s communications director, said in a statement about 20 minutes after the incident occurred just before 2 p.m. Eastern.The FBI is taking a lead on investigating, said Jeffrey Veltri, the special agent in charge of the bureau’s Miami field office during a late afternoon press conference by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters that a Secret Service agent with Trump spotted a rifle coming out of bushes next to the golf course.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726432191597.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“The Secret Service agent that was on the course did a fantastic job,” he said. “What they do is, they have an agent that jumps one hole ahead of time to where the president was at, and he was able to spot this rifle barrel, stickin’ out of the fence, and immediately engage that individual, at which time the individual took off.”The suspect in the bushes had an AK-47 style rifle with a scope, two backpacks filled with ceramic tile and a GoPro camera, Bradshaw said.Bradshaw said a witness saw the suspect come out of the bushes and take off in a black Nissan. The witness took a picture of the license plate and local law enforcement officers were able to stop the vehicle in Martin County, which borders Palm Beach County.“They spotted the vehicle and pulled it over and detained the guy,” Bradshaw said.Once the driver was detained, Bradshaw said the witness was able to identify the driver as “the person that he saw running out of the bushes that jumped into the car.”Bradshaw said the suspect was about 300 to 500 yards away from Trump.“With a rifle and a scope like that, that’s not a long distance,” he said.Bradshaw did not provide more details about the suspect’s identity.U.S. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/SecretSvcSpox/status/1835390587673153888" target="_blank">said on social media</a>&nbsp;prior to the press conference that “a protective incident” involving Trump occurred and that the Secret Service was investigating the incident with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. He also confirmed that Trump was safe.The private golf club is about 4 miles from Trump’s primary residence at Mar-a-Lago.<h2>Reaction from Vance, Harris, Biden</h2>The Republican vice presidential nominee, Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/JDVance/status/1835428708464873580" target="_blank">wrote on social media</a>&nbsp;that he has spoken to Trump, who is “in good spirits.”“Still much we don’t know, but I’ll be hugging my kids extra tight tonight and saying a prayer of gratitude,” Vance wrote.Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee,&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VP/status/1835403813475570113" target="_blank">said on social media</a>&nbsp;that she had been briefed and she is glad Trump is safe.“Violence has no place in America,” she said.The White House said that President Joe Biden had also been briefed.“They are relieved to know that he is safe,” the White House said of Biden and Harris. “They will be kept regularly updated by their team.”Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, said in a statement that he applauded “the Secret Service for their quick response to ensure former President Trump’s safety.”“There is no place in this country for political violence of any kind,” he said. “The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”The incident follows a&nbsp;<a href="https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/trump-campaigns-in-western-pennsylvania-with-rally-in-butler-county/" target="_blank">July 13 assassination attempt</a>&nbsp;of Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.Congress set up a bipartisan task force to investigate that attempted assassination. The chair of the task force, U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, Republican of Pennsylvania and the top Democrat, U.S. Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado released a joint statement, requesting a briefing from the Secret Service on the shooting in West Palm Beach “and how security responded.”“We are thankful that the former President was not harmed, but remain deeply concerned about political violence and condemn it in all of its forms,” they wrote. “The Task Force will share updates as we learn more.”U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, an Ohio Republican and a member of the task force investigating that incident, said on social media “with continued threats against Trump, it is critical to remain dedicated to our work on the Task Force to Investigate the Attempted Assassination of President Trump.”This is a developing story and will be updated.

FBI investigating shots fired near Trump as apparent assassination attempt

OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations. Just after 4p.m. Friday, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at US-56 Highway and South Urish Road, near Burlingame, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.

During the stop, illegal narcotics were located Tabatha M. Horton, 34, of Herrington was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of cocaine, Possession of marijuana and&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726425114755.png" alt="Horton photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Horton photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations. Just after 4p.m. Friday, an Osage County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit conducted a traffic stop at US-56 Highway and South Urish Road, near Burlingame, for a traffic violation, according to Sheriff Chris Wells.During the stop, illegal narcotics were located Tabatha M. Horton, 34, of Herrington was taken into custody and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Possession of cocaine, Possession of marijuana and&nbsp;Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kan. sheriff's K9 found cocaine, marijuana during traffic stop

JOHNSON COUNTY— Last week, police attempted to conduct a routine traffic stop on a vehicle near 95th Street and Lackman Road in Lenexa, according to a social media report from Lenexa Police.

 The vehicle initially sped away, however stopped a short time later with 3 occupants running away from it attempting to elude officers. One suspect was captured after a short foot chase. Another was captured in a nearby residential neighborhood. A 3rd suspect was ultimately located hiding under a the deck of home.&nbsp;

All three individuals were jailed on requested charges including the driver who faces felony fleeing charges and possession of drug paraphernalia. This case highlights the tremendous teamwork between officers who flooded the area to search for the suspects and the police dispatch team who coordinates the communication of the incident which can be very chaotic. 

Lenexa Police also thanked alert citizens in the neighborhood who called 911 when they noticed the suspects in the neighborhood which allowed officers to pinpoint their location.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725964016505.png" alt="Suspect who hid under a deck of a home seen here via police drone being taken into custody." />
 <figcaption>Suspect who hid under a deck of a home seen here via police drone being taken into custody.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY— Last week, police attempted to conduct a routine traffic stop on a vehicle near 95th Street and Lackman Road in Lenexa, according to a social media report from Lenexa Police. The vehicle initially sped away, however stopped a short time later with 3 occupants running away from it attempting to elude officers. One suspect was captured after a short foot chase. Another was captured in a nearby residential neighborhood. A 3rd suspect was ultimately located hiding under a the deck of home.&nbsp;All three individuals were jailed on requested charges including the driver who faces felony fleeing charges and possession of drug paraphernalia. This case highlights the tremendous teamwork between officers who flooded the area to search for the suspects and the police dispatch team who coordinates the communication of the incident which can be very chaotic. Lenexa Police also thanked alert citizens in the neighborhood who called 911 when they noticed the suspects in the neighborhood which allowed officers to pinpoint their location.

Suspect ran from traffic stop, hid under deck of Kansas home

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — As Kansas officials, foster care service providers and advocates work to improve a system with a checkered past, new initiatives bring optimism for kids who have historically been left behind.

The fewest number of children entered the state’s foster care system in 2023 since 2006, according to data from the Kansas Department for Children and Families. But older and disabled youths in the system have been left without a permanent place to live at a higher rate than their peers. The state and foster care service providers are seeking to remedy the disparity in several ways, and two solutions are in their early stages.

In 2023, lawmakers directed $6 million from the state general fund toward developing a more comprehensive cache of therapeutic family foster homes. In March, DCF began to disperse about $4.7 million of that across seven agencies.

Eligibility requirements for a therapeutic foster home are flexible, but the homes are geared toward children who require a high level of care. That includes kids who have medical or developmental needs and those who have a tendency to run away or use substances or aggression to solve problems. Particularly, therapeutic foster homes can prevent sending a child to a group home, said Tanya Keys, deputy secretary of DCF.

Therapeutic foster homes provide 24/7 care and involve a child’s family or prospective family in the child’s services and schedule. Therapeutic practices, which could include working on behavioral techniques with a child for at least an hour each day or logging a child’s behavior, are integrated into the household’s day-to-day routine and reported back to professionals.

“The purpose is really to provide for that safety and permanency and stability, and, really, to make sure that we’re doing that in a family-like setting,” Keys said Wednesday at a child welfare oversight committee hearing.

As of late August, 14 children were being cared for in therapeutic family foster homes, according to DCF data. A therapeutic foster home is not a permanent place for children to stay. Ideally, 80% of kids will move to a family-based placement within nine months of beginning their stay at a therapeutic foster home, but there is no time limit on stays, Keys said.

The Kansas foster care system struggles with permanency, which refers to the idea of foster children having a stable place to stay long-term. While entries into the system are lower than in past years, children move from place-to-place in Kansas at a rate higher than the federal recommendation. Kansas foster kids move at a rate of 7.3 times in a 1,000-day period compared to the federal performance measure of 4.8 times.

That rate could change once the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/05/15/former-foster-kids-relived-trauma-fought-for-new-program-and-compelled-kansas-lawmakers-to-act/">SOUL Family legal permanency option</a>, which was born out of&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2536/" target="_blank">House Bill 2536</a>, is implemented. Gov. Laura Kelly signed the bill into law in April, adding a new, first-in-the-nation option for foster kids 16 years old and older.

Traditionally, three options exist for permanent placements for children in the foster care system: adoption, reintegration and custodian appointment. Under the SOUL Family option, kids 16 and over can choose a trusted adult, regardless of blood relation, to raise them into adulthood instead of bouncing from home to home waiting to be adopted or to age out of the system. SOUL stands for Support, Opportunity, Unity and Legal Relationships.

“Through intentional and strategic conversations, we’re able to ensure that young people are fully involved in planning and decision making regarding their futures,” said Nykia Gatson, who sits on a subgroup that connects and integrates the youth perspective with the SOUL model, at the Wednesday hearing.

“The SOUL Family model emphasizes that young people must be actively and meaningfully engaged in the permanency planning process,” she said.

Cornerstones of Care is a behavioral health organization that primarily serves foster kids in Atchison, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. It identified three “test cases” to test how the SOUL Family process works.

DCF Secretary Laura Howard said Wednesday the department is prepared to implement the SOUL Family option, but no youths have been formally identified yet.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726418036111.png" alt="Nykia Gatson, a former foster kid, is helping to inform Kansas' first-in-the-nation permanency option that allows youth in foster care who are 16 years or older to choose a trusted adult, regardless of blood relation, to guide them into adulthood. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Nykia Gatson, a former foster kid, is helping to inform Kansas' first-in-the-nation permanency option that allows youth in foster care who are 16 years or older to choose a trusted adult, regardless of blood relation, to guide them into adulthood. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/akaminski/">ANNA KAMINSKI</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — As Kansas officials, foster care service providers and advocates work to improve a system with a checkered past, new initiatives bring optimism for kids who have historically been left behind.The fewest number of children entered the state’s foster care system in 2023 since 2006, according to data from the Kansas Department for Children and Families. But older and disabled youths in the system have been left without a permanent place to live at a higher rate than their peers. The state and foster care service providers are seeking to remedy the disparity in several ways, and two solutions are in their early stages.In 2023, lawmakers directed $6 million from the state general fund toward developing a more comprehensive cache of therapeutic family foster homes. In March, DCF began to disperse about $4.7 million of that across seven agencies.Eligibility requirements for a therapeutic foster home are flexible, but the homes are geared toward children who require a high level of care. That includes kids who have medical or developmental needs and those who have a tendency to run away or use substances or aggression to solve problems. Particularly, therapeutic foster homes can prevent sending a child to a group home, said Tanya Keys, deputy secretary of DCF.Therapeutic foster homes provide 24/7 care and involve a child’s family or prospective family in the child’s services and schedule. Therapeutic practices, which could include working on behavioral techniques with a child for at least an hour each day or logging a child’s behavior, are integrated into the household’s day-to-day routine and reported back to professionals.“The purpose is really to provide for that safety and permanency and stability, and, really, to make sure that we’re doing that in a family-like setting,” Keys said Wednesday at a child welfare oversight committee hearing.As of late August, 14 children were being cared for in therapeutic family foster homes, according to DCF data. A therapeutic foster home is not a permanent place for children to stay. Ideally, 80% of kids will move to a family-based placement within nine months of beginning their stay at a therapeutic foster home, but there is no time limit on stays, Keys said.The Kansas foster care system struggles with permanency, which refers to the idea of foster children having a stable place to stay long-term. While entries into the system are lower than in past years, children move from place-to-place in Kansas at a rate higher than the federal recommendation. Kansas foster kids move at a rate of 7.3 times in a 1,000-day period compared to the federal performance measure of 4.8 times.That rate could change once the&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/05/15/former-foster-kids-relived-trauma-fought-for-new-program-and-compelled-kansas-lawmakers-to-act/">SOUL Family legal permanency option</a>, which was born out of&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2023_24/measures/hb2536/" target="_blank">House Bill 2536</a>, is implemented. Gov. Laura Kelly signed the bill into law in April, adding a new, first-in-the-nation option for foster kids 16 years old and older.Traditionally, three options exist for permanent placements for children in the foster care system: adoption, reintegration and custodian appointment. Under the SOUL Family option, kids 16 and over can choose a trusted adult, regardless of blood relation, to raise them into adulthood instead of bouncing from home to home waiting to be adopted or to age out of the system. SOUL stands for Support, Opportunity, Unity and Legal Relationships.“Through intentional and strategic conversations, we’re able to ensure that young people are fully involved in planning and decision making regarding their futures,” said Nykia Gatson, who sits on a subgroup that connects and integrates the youth perspective with the SOUL model, at the Wednesday hearing.“The SOUL Family model emphasizes that young people must be actively and meaningfully engaged in the permanency planning process,” she said.Cornerstones of Care is a behavioral health organization that primarily serves foster kids in Atchison, Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties. It identified three “test cases” to test how the SOUL Family process works.DCF Secretary Laura Howard said Wednesday the department is prepared to implement the SOUL Family option, but no youths have been formally identified yet.

Kansas foster care system works toward brighter future with new placement options

The director of one of the campaign’s biggest donors said it’s impossible to ‘achieve anything without a campaign that is grounded in grassroots support and the support of Missouri voters’

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

<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/"></a>Missouri’s campaign to legalize abortion has more than doubled its fundraising totals since it was approved for the ballot in mid-August, despite — and perhaps fueled by — a lawsuit that threatened to knock it off the Nov. 5 ballot.&nbsp;

Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the coalition behind what will appear on the ballot as Amendment 3, has raised more than $16 million&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/17/abortion-rights-coalition-viability-campaign-amendment-missouri-ballot/">since launching in January</a>, according to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Of that, $9 million in donations greater than $5,000 were reported to the commission since the measure was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">certified for the ballot on Aug. 13.&nbsp;</a>Campaigns are required to report any donations over $5,000 within 48 hours of receiving them. Reports totaling all donations and expenditures are due to the state each quarter.&nbsp;

The two most well-established political action committees working to fight the amendment include Missouri Stands with Women, which has raised at least $200,000, and Missouri Right to Life, which has raised nearly $675,000 this election cycle.

The largest donations to Missourians for Constitutional Freedom have come from four out-of-state progressive nonprofits that are not required to disclose their donors and are also helping fund reproductive-rights campaigns in several states.&nbsp;

As of Thursday, the Sixteen Thirty Fund based out of Washington D.C. donated $4.5 million to Missouri’s effort. That includes a $3.5 million check on Aug. 30 — the second largest single donation in Missouri this year.&nbsp;

The Fairness Project, also based out of Washington D.C., has donated $2.9 million. Most of that money came on Aug. 23, when the organization cut a $2.1 million check to the campaign.&nbsp;

Both nonprofits also contributed significant funds to the state’s 2020 Medicaid expansion initiative petition effort, which ultimately succeeded, and to the current ballot&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/01/group-turns-in-signatures-to-put-minimum-wage-hike-paid-sick-leave-on-missouri-ballot/">effort to raise the minimum wage and mandate paid sick leave</a>.

The campaign also received $1 million from a nonprofit out of Washington D.C. listed as Open Source Action Fund, which is linked to an address for Open Society Action Fund. The nonprofit was founded by George Soros, a liberal billionaire.

On Thursday, a Virginia-based nonprofit called Global Impact Social Welfare donated $750,000.

Successful statewide ballot initiative campaigns are often multi-million dollar endeavors.&nbsp;

“It is expensive, and in these places where we can do it, it is the least expensive pathway to restoring rights,” Kelly Hall, executive director of The Fairness Project, said at a panel discussion during the Democratic National Convention. “In Missouri, for example, it would take a lot more money to flip that legislature and to flip that gubernatorial seat … the best (return on investment) we can get is putting this on the ballot and appealing to those Missouri voters who do want this.”

In an interview with The Independent, Hall said The Fairness Project is both a leading funder and a coalition partner of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom. The coalition also includes the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates, the ACLU of Missouri and Abortion Action Missouri.&nbsp;

She said any assumption that they simply parachute money into states is false.&nbsp;

“It is impossible for nonprofits like us who may have resources to bring to bear to achieve anything without a campaign that is grounded in grassroots support and the support of Missouri voters,” Hall said.&nbsp;

The fact that the nonprofits helping bankroll the campaign don’t disclose their donors&nbsp;has become a point of attack from anti-abortion activists and lawmakers in Missouri.&nbsp;

“There is going to be a massive effort — and by massive I mean to the tune of millions of dollars,” U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said of the abortion ballot campaign at a conference last weekend in Missouri. “Already, George Soros and dark money groups have poured into this state almost $5 million to begin spending on this radical amendment.”&nbsp;

Stephanie Bell, a spokeswoman for Missouri Stands with Women, blamed “out-of-state liberal groups” for boosting the abortion-rights campaign’s finances.

On Tuesday, after the Missouri Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s attempt to take Amendment 3 from the ballot, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the front-runner for governor, called the ballot measure “a deceptive effort by out-of-state interests.” The Missouri Republican Party called Amendment 3 “bankrolled by radical out-of-state interest groups.”&nbsp;

Hall, with The Fairness Project, said she doesn’t usually push back on “dark money” criticisms.&nbsp;

“If they want to focus on this rather than on the issue that Missouri voters care about, which is making sure that everyone in their state has access to lifesaving reproductive health care when they need it,” she said, “then that’s a misread on their part of what Missouri voters care most about.”&nbsp;

The campaign has seen overwhelming support from across the state, collecting initiative petition signatures from every county and turning in more than 380,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office in May.

While the top donors have come from out of state,&nbsp;the campaign has also raised several million dollars so far from Missouri individuals and organizations.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which have clinics in Missouri, have donated more than $1.1 million. The ACLU of Missouri has donated more than $620,000, the Health Forward Foundation based in Kansas City donated $500,000 and Abortion Action Missouri has given more than $230,000.

The campaign stresses that the largest donor base remains Missourians affected by the ban.&nbsp;

“Throughout the campaign, eight out of 10 online contributions have come from right here in Missouri,” Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement. “Underscoring the true grassroots nature of this movement.”

Sweet said that in the days following&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/06/missouri-judge-rules-abortion-amendment-vioalates-state-requirements/">a Friday ruling by a Cole County circuit judge</a>&nbsp;that threatened to remove Amendment 3 from the ballot, more than 2,400 Missourians donated a quarter million dollars to the campaign.&nbsp;

If Amendment 3 passes by a simple majority in November, Missouri could become the first state to overturn an abortion ban by the vote of the people. It would also join several other states that successfully protected abortion-rights through citizen-led ballot campaigns since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.&nbsp;

Abortion is illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies. The amendment would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability and protect access to other reproductive health care, like birth control.&nbsp;

“It is truly the grassroots infrastructure in Missouri,” Kelly said. “And the leadership of in-state partners in every ballot measure campaign that advances to voters that we’ve been involved in that make it such an inspiring place to work.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726417302150.png" alt="Supporters of Amendment 3 celebrate on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, on the steps of the Missouri Capitol after the state Supreme Court ruled the abortion-rights measure could remain on the ballot (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>Supporters of Amendment 3 celebrate on Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, on the steps of the Missouri Capitol after the state Supreme Court ruled the abortion-rights measure could remain on the ballot (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The director of one of the campaign’s biggest donors said it’s impossible to ‘achieve anything without a campaign that is grounded in grassroots support and the support of Missouri voters’</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a><a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/"></a>Missouri’s campaign to legalize abortion has more than doubled its fundraising totals since it was approved for the ballot in mid-August, despite — and perhaps fueled by — a lawsuit that threatened to knock it off the Nov. 5 ballot.&nbsp;Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, the coalition behind what will appear on the ballot as Amendment 3, has raised more than $16 million&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/01/17/abortion-rights-coalition-viability-campaign-amendment-missouri-ballot/">since launching in January</a>, according to reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.Of that, $9 million in donations greater than $5,000 were reported to the commission since the measure was&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/13/missouri-voters-will-decide-whether-to-legalize-abortion-in-november/">certified for the ballot on Aug. 13.&nbsp;</a>Campaigns are required to report any donations over $5,000 within 48 hours of receiving them. Reports totaling all donations and expenditures are due to the state each quarter.&nbsp;The two most well-established political action committees working to fight the amendment include Missouri Stands with Women, which has raised at least $200,000, and Missouri Right to Life, which has raised nearly $675,000 this election cycle.The largest donations to Missourians for Constitutional Freedom have come from four out-of-state progressive nonprofits that are not required to disclose their donors and are also helping fund reproductive-rights campaigns in several states.&nbsp;As of Thursday, the Sixteen Thirty Fund based out of Washington D.C. donated $4.5 million to Missouri’s effort. That includes a $3.5 million check on Aug. 30 — the second largest single donation in Missouri this year.&nbsp;The Fairness Project, also based out of Washington D.C., has donated $2.9 million. Most of that money came on Aug. 23, when the organization cut a $2.1 million check to the campaign.&nbsp;Both nonprofits also contributed significant funds to the state’s 2020 Medicaid expansion initiative petition effort, which ultimately succeeded, and to the current ballot&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/01/group-turns-in-signatures-to-put-minimum-wage-hike-paid-sick-leave-on-missouri-ballot/">effort to raise the minimum wage and mandate paid sick leave</a>.The campaign also received $1 million from a nonprofit out of Washington D.C. listed as Open Source Action Fund, which is linked to an address for Open Society Action Fund. The nonprofit was founded by George Soros, a liberal billionaire.On Thursday, a Virginia-based nonprofit called Global Impact Social Welfare donated $750,000.Successful statewide ballot initiative campaigns are often multi-million dollar endeavors.&nbsp;“It is expensive, and in these places where we can do it, it is the least expensive pathway to restoring rights,” Kelly Hall, executive director of The Fairness Project, said at a panel discussion during the Democratic National Convention. “In Missouri, for example, it would take a lot more money to flip that legislature and to flip that gubernatorial seat … the best (return on investment) we can get is putting this on the ballot and appealing to those Missouri voters who do want this.”In an interview with The Independent, Hall said The Fairness Project is both a leading funder and a coalition partner of Missourians for Constitutional Freedom. The coalition also includes the state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates, the ACLU of Missouri and Abortion Action Missouri.&nbsp;She said any assumption that they simply parachute money into states is false.&nbsp;“It is impossible for nonprofits like us who may have resources to bring to bear to achieve anything without a campaign that is grounded in grassroots support and the support of Missouri voters,” Hall said.&nbsp;The fact that the nonprofits helping bankroll the campaign don’t disclose their donors&nbsp;has become a point of attack from anti-abortion activists and lawmakers in Missouri.&nbsp;“There is going to be a massive effort — and by massive I mean to the tune of millions of dollars,” U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley said of the abortion ballot campaign at a conference last weekend in Missouri. “Already, George Soros and dark money groups have poured into this state almost $5 million to begin spending on this radical amendment.”&nbsp;Stephanie Bell, a spokeswoman for Missouri Stands with Women, blamed “out-of-state liberal groups” for boosting the abortion-rights campaign’s finances.On Tuesday, after the Missouri Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s attempt to take Amendment 3 from the ballot, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe, the front-runner for governor, called the ballot measure “a deceptive effort by out-of-state interests.” The Missouri Republican Party called Amendment 3 “bankrolled by radical out-of-state interest groups.”&nbsp;Hall, with The Fairness Project, said she doesn’t usually push back on “dark money” criticisms.&nbsp;“If they want to focus on this rather than on the issue that Missouri voters care about, which is making sure that everyone in their state has access to lifesaving reproductive health care when they need it,” she said, “then that’s a misread on their part of what Missouri voters care most about.”&nbsp;The campaign has seen overwhelming support from across the state, collecting initiative petition signatures from every county and turning in more than 380,000 signatures to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office in May.While the top donors have come from out of state,&nbsp;the campaign has also raised several million dollars so far from Missouri individuals and organizations.Planned Parenthood Great Plains and Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, which have clinics in Missouri, have donated more than $1.1 million. The ACLU of Missouri has donated more than $620,000, the Health Forward Foundation based in Kansas City donated $500,000 and Abortion Action Missouri has given more than $230,000.The campaign stresses that the largest donor base remains Missourians affected by the ban.&nbsp;“Throughout the campaign, eight out of 10 online contributions have come from right here in Missouri,” Rachel Sweet, campaign manager for Missourians for Constitutional Freedom, said in a statement. “Underscoring the true grassroots nature of this movement.”Sweet said that in the days following&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/06/missouri-judge-rules-abortion-amendment-vioalates-state-requirements/">a Friday ruling by a Cole County circuit judge</a>&nbsp;that threatened to remove Amendment 3 from the ballot, more than 2,400 Missourians donated a quarter million dollars to the campaign.&nbsp;If Amendment 3 passes by a simple majority in November, Missouri could become the first state to overturn an abortion ban by the vote of the people. It would also join several other states that successfully protected abortion-rights through citizen-led ballot campaigns since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.&nbsp;Abortion is illegal in Missouri, with limited exceptions for medical emergencies. The amendment would legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability and protect access to other reproductive health care, like birth control.&nbsp;“It is truly the grassroots infrastructure in Missouri,” Kelly said. “And the leadership of in-state partners in every ballot measure campaign that advances to voters that we’ve been involved in that make it such an inspiring place to work.”

Missouri abortion-rights campaign doubles its fundraising total since qualifying for ballot

GEARY COUNTY — Law enforcement and officials with&nbsp;Geary USD 475 are investigating a post made on Snapchat on Friday morning that featured the names of students and staff from Junction City Middle School, according to a media release from the Junction City Police.

As of Friday, Sept. 13, the Junction City Police Department began working with Snapchat to try and identify the account holder where the list originated from.&nbsp;Due to the nature of this snap and as a precautionary measure, there will be an increased officer presence at Junction City Middle School, Fort Riley Middle School and Junction City High School over the coming days.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599845246253.png" alt="Snapchat Logo" />
 <figcaption>Snapchat Logo</figcaption>
 </figure>GEARY COUNTY — Law enforcement and officials with&nbsp;Geary USD 475 are investigating a post made on Snapchat on Friday morning that featured the names of students and staff from Junction City Middle School, according to a media release from the Junction City Police.As of Friday, Sept. 13, the Junction City Police Department began working with Snapchat to try and identify the account holder where the list originated from.&nbsp;Due to the nature of this snap and as a precautionary measure, there will be an increased officer presence at Junction City Middle School, Fort Riley Middle School and Junction City High School over the coming days.

Increased police presence expected at schools in Junction City

Arizona and Nevada had the biggest spikes in renters paying 30% or more of their income on housing from 2019 to 2023.

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a>

There were 21 states where a majority of tenant households spent 30% or more of their incomes on rent and utilities last year, compared with just seven states in 2019.

Nationwide, about 22 million&nbsp;renters are shouldering that percentage.&nbsp;Anyone paying more than 30% is considered “cost burdened,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and may struggle to pay for other necessities, such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care.

Three presidential swing states had among the biggest increases in the share of renters who spent that much on housing: Arizona (to 54% from 46.5%), Nevada (to 57.4% from 51.1%) and Georgia (to 53.7% from 48.4%). The numbers are based on a Stateline analysis of American Community Survey data to be released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Florida and Maine also saw large jumps.

In Arizona, low wages, a housing shortage, and short-term rental and vacation homes are eating away at the stock of affordable housing for renters,&nbsp;according to Alison Cook-Davis, associate director for research at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy.

“You’ve got people across the state kind of pulling their hair out, saying ‘I thought Arizona was supposed to be the affordable state,’” Cook-Davis said.

Rents in Arizona have shot up 40% to 60% in the last two years, she said. And the state’s eviction filings spiked 43% to 97,000 between 2022 and 2023, she said.

In places such as Arizona and Nevada where the housing bubble of the late 2000s left vacant houses, the construction of apartments and other homes has not caught up with population increases, Cook-Davis added.

A University of Nevada, Las Vegas,&nbsp;<a href="https://liedcenter.unlv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Lied-Research-Report-Volume-1-Issue-1.pdf" target="_blank">data brief</a>&nbsp;reported in May&nbsp;that the Las Vegas area had the highest percentage of cost-burdened renters in the state, at 58.3%, more even than the New York City metro area (52.6%) or San Francisco metro area (48.9%).

Today’s newly released census figures showed that in addition to Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, the states with the highest jumps in the share of cost-burdened renters were Florida, which increased to 61.7% from 55.9%, and Maine, at 49.1% from 44%.

That jump left Florida as the state with the highest rate of cost-burdened renters. It was followed by Nevada (57.4%), Hawaii (56.7%), Louisiana (56.2%) and California (56.1%).

“Florida isn't the deal it used to be,” said Christopher McCarty, director of the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. “Florida still has disproportionately lower-paying jobs compared to other states, and rents are increasing compared to other states as well.”

The states with the lowest rates of cost-burdened renters as of 2023 were North Dakota (37%), Wyoming (41.2%), South Dakota (41.3%), Kansas (43.5%) and Nebraska (44%).

The share of cost-burdened renters increased since 2019 in every state except Vermont (down to 47.8% from 54%), Wyoming (down to 41.2% from 44%), North Dakota (down to 37% from 38%) and Rhode Island (down to 48.1% from 49%).

There's hope for the future in Arizona and other states with increased home construction, Cook-Davis said.

“If you keep building, eventually this will sort itself out. But that could take years. It's a slow process," she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/7/1625411208272.png" alt="Apartment complex in Johnson County Kansas -Google image" />
 <figcaption>Apartment complex in Johnson County Kansas -Google image</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Arizona and Nevada had the biggest spikes in renters paying 30% or more of their income on housing from 2019 to 2023.</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://stateline.org/author/thenderson/">TIM HENDERSON</a>There were 21 states where a majority of tenant households spent 30% or more of their incomes on rent and utilities last year, compared with just seven states in 2019.Nationwide, about 22 million&nbsp;renters are shouldering that percentage.&nbsp;Anyone paying more than 30% is considered “cost burdened,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and may struggle to pay for other necessities, such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care.Three presidential swing states had among the biggest increases in the share of renters who spent that much on housing: Arizona (to 54% from 46.5%), Nevada (to 57.4% from 51.1%) and Georgia (to 53.7% from 48.4%). The numbers are based on a Stateline analysis of American Community Survey data to be released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Florida and Maine also saw large jumps.In Arizona, low wages, a housing shortage, and short-term rental and vacation homes are eating away at the stock of affordable housing for renters,&nbsp;according to Alison Cook-Davis, associate director for research at Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy.“You’ve got people across the state kind of pulling their hair out, saying ‘I thought Arizona was supposed to be the affordable state,’” Cook-Davis said.Rents in Arizona have shot up 40% to 60% in the last two years, she said. And the state’s eviction filings spiked 43% to 97,000 between 2022 and 2023, she said.In places such as Arizona and Nevada where the housing bubble of the late 2000s left vacant houses, the construction of apartments and other homes has not caught up with population increases, Cook-Davis added.A University of Nevada, Las Vegas,&nbsp;<a href="https://liedcenter.unlv.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Lied-Research-Report-Volume-1-Issue-1.pdf" target="_blank">data brief</a>&nbsp;reported in May&nbsp;that the Las Vegas area had the highest percentage of cost-burdened renters in the state, at 58.3%, more even than the New York City metro area (52.6%) or San Francisco metro area (48.9%).<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726157150534.png" alt="Map: Tim Henderson/StatelineSource: American Community Survey, Stateline analysis" />
 <figcaption>Map: Tim Henderson/StatelineSource: American Community Survey, Stateline analysis</figcaption>
 </figure>Today’s newly released census figures showed that in addition to Arizona, Nevada and Georgia, the states with the highest jumps in the share of cost-burdened renters were Florida, which increased to 61.7% from 55.9%, and Maine, at 49.1% from 44%.That jump left Florida as the state with the highest rate of cost-burdened renters. It was followed by Nevada (57.4%), Hawaii (56.7%), Louisiana (56.2%) and California (56.1%).“Florida isn't the deal it used to be,” said Christopher McCarty, director of the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. “Florida still has disproportionately lower-paying jobs compared to other states, and rents are increasing compared to other states as well.”The states with the lowest rates of cost-burdened renters as of 2023 were North Dakota (37%), Wyoming (41.2%), South Dakota (41.3%), Kansas (43.5%) and Nebraska (44%).The share of cost-burdened renters increased since 2019 in every state except Vermont (down to 47.8% from 54%), Wyoming (down to 41.2% from 44%), North Dakota (down to 37% from 38%) and Rhode Island (down to 48.1% from 49%).There's hope for the future in Arizona and other states with increased home construction, Cook-Davis said.“If you keep building, eventually this will sort itself out. But that could take years. It's a slow process," she said.

Rent is eating up a greater share of tenants’ income in almost every state

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 36-year-old Michael D. Porter, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

Just before 10p.m. Sept. 12, police officers dispatched to the 6300 block of&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;Avenue on a reported shooting. When officers arrived on scene, they were directed inside of an apartment where they located Porter who was unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. 

Officers checked him for any signs of life and were unable to locate a pulse. EMS personnel arrived shortly after and declared him deceased at the scene.

Preliminary investigation indicates Porter and an adult male suspect were involved in a verbal altercation that escalated into shots being fired.&nbsp; 

The suspect left the scene prior to officer arrival. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement investigating a deadly shooting in Kansas City have identified the victim as 36-year-old Michael D. Porter, according to KCPD Officer Alayna Gonzalez.Just before 10p.m. Sept. 12, police officers dispatched to the 6300 block of&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;Avenue on a reported shooting. When officers arrived on scene, they were directed inside of an apartment where they located Porter who was unresponsive and suffering from apparent gunshot trauma. Officers checked him for any signs of life and were unable to locate a pulse. EMS personnel arrived shortly after and declared him deceased at the scene.Preliminary investigation indicates Porter and an adult male suspect were involved in a verbal altercation that escalated into shots being fired.&nbsp; The suspect left the scene prior to officer arrival. Police have not reported an arrest or additional details.

KCPD: Verbal altercation at apartment led to man's murder

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As part of his town hall meeting in Dillon Hall in the Encampment Building at the Kansas State Fair Saturday night, Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall said he's been trying to get a bill voted on to require proof of citizenship at the federal level, and he gave an update on that.

"Chuck Schumer is not going to let us even vote for it on the Senate," Marshall said. "The House has already passed it, and they've attached it to the year end funding. Again, I'm trying not to bore you with all the politics of this. But the government's going to run out of money at the end of September. So they were trying to use that as leverage, saying, OK, we've got to pass funding to the government. Let's attach this bill to it that requires proof of citizenship when you register to vote. Chuck Schumer has had a fit and says he's going to blame the Republicans if we shut the government down, so I'm afraid it's stuck."

Ultimately, they have to pass a funding bill, but it's probably going to be a continuing resolution until the new Congress is seated.

"We're trying to keep the government open," Marshall said. "The fiscal year ends on September 30th. It's always disappointing to me that we get up to these strike midnight moments and we haven't done anything yet with it. Again, that's preplanned, though. This is exactly what Chuck Schumer wants. This is what the White House wants. They want to write the funding for the next year. I think where Republicans are at this point is to do what we would call a continuing resolution and fund it from now until the end of December and see what happens with the elections."

Marshall is hopeful that Republicans can win the White House and retain control in the House while getting control of the Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1726367189127.png" alt="Senator Roger Marshall&nbsp;at State Fair Town Hall-Photo by Nick Gosnell" />
 <figcaption>Senator Roger Marshall&nbsp;at State Fair Town Hall-Photo by Nick Gosnell</figcaption>
 </figure>NICK GOSNELL Hutch PostHUTCHINSON, Kan. — As part of his town hall meeting in Dillon Hall in the Encampment Building at the Kansas State Fair Saturday night, Kansas U.S. Senator Dr. Roger Marshall said he's been trying to get a bill voted on to require proof of citizenship at the federal level, and he gave an update on that."Chuck Schumer is not going to let us even vote for it on the Senate," Marshall said. "The House has already passed it, and they've attached it to the year end funding. Again, I'm trying not to bore you with all the politics of this. But the government's going to run out of money at the end of September. So they were trying to use that as leverage, saying, OK, we've got to pass funding to the government. Let's attach this bill to it that requires proof of citizenship when you register to vote. Chuck Schumer has had a fit and says he's going to blame the Republicans if we shut the government down, so I'm afraid it's stuck."Ultimately, they have to pass a funding bill, but it's probably going to be a continuing resolution until the new Congress is seated."We're trying to keep the government open," Marshall said. "The fiscal year ends on September 30th. It's always disappointing to me that we get up to these strike midnight moments and we haven't done anything yet with it. Again, that's preplanned, though. This is exactly what Chuck Schumer wants. This is what the White House wants. They want to write the funding for the next year. I think where Republicans are at this point is to do what we would call a continuing resolution and fund it from now until the end of December and see what happens with the elections."Marshall is hopeful that Republicans can win the White House and retain control in the House while getting control of the Senate.

Senator Marshall holds Town Hall at the Kansas State Fair 

JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the rest of his life for the death of a teen.

Last week, Judge Brenda M. Cameron sentenced 29-year-old Malik Jamal Delva to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25-years for first degree murder, and granted an upward durational departure due to aggravating factors to 154 months in prison for distribution of marijuana, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

In March a jury found Delva guilty in the June 2018 shooting death of 17-year-old Daniel Bowden. Police responded to an armed disturbance in the 100 Block of South Clairborne Road in Olathe.&nbsp; During an altercation between two groups, Bowden was shot.&nbsp; &nbsp;EMS transported him to a hospital where he died.&nbsp; Three others including 23-year-old Angelo Monteleone, 23-year-old Isaiah Wisinger and 22-year-old Cesar Herrera all have pleaded guilty in connection with Bowden's death and were sentenced.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725567458283.png" alt="Delva photo Johnson Co." />
 <figcaption>Delva photo Johnson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —A Kansas man is going to prison for the rest of his life for the death of a teen.Last week, Judge Brenda M. Cameron sentenced 29-year-old Malik Jamal Delva to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25-years for first degree murder, and granted an upward durational departure due to aggravating factors to 154 months in prison for distribution of marijuana, according to the Johnson County District Attorney's office.In March a jury found Delva guilty in the June 2018 shooting death of 17-year-old Daniel Bowden. Police responded to an armed disturbance in the 100 Block of South Clairborne Road in Olathe.&nbsp; During an altercation between two groups, Bowden was shot.&nbsp; &nbsp;EMS transported him to a hospital where he died.&nbsp; Three others including 23-year-old Angelo Monteleone, 23-year-old Isaiah Wisinger and 22-year-old Cesar Herrera all have pleaded guilty in connection with Bowden's death and were sentenced.

Kansas man among four sentenced for death of 17-year-old

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;

Just&nbsp;after 11 a.m. September 10, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Nissan Altima for a traffic violation on U.S. Highway 75 and 142nd Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

During the traffic stop, cocaine was located in the vehicle.  The driver, Dustin James Spooner, 39, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/9/1725995571412.png" alt="Spooner-photo Jackson County" />
 <figcaption>Spooner-photo Jackson County</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on drug allegations.&nbsp;Just&nbsp;after 11 a.m. September 10, a Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a Nissan Altima for a traffic violation on U.S. Highway 75 and 142nd Road in rural Jackson County, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.During the traffic stop, cocaine was located in the vehicle. The driver, Dustin James Spooner, 39, of Topeka, was arrested on requested charges of possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license.

Kansas deputy found cocaine during traffic stop

RENO COUNTY— A Kansas felon is going back to prison after sentenced for a violent knife attack in May.

On Friday, 26-year-old Briantey L. Baskin was sentenced to 620 months for attempted murder in the first degree, 41 months for aggravated battery, 12 months for aggravated assault and six months for criminal threat, according to the Reno County District Attorney's office.

The attempted murder and battery charges will be served concurrently, while the assault and criminal threat charges will be served consecutively.

Baskin pleaded guilty on Aug. 15 to all four charges.

On May, 9, police were dispatched to 1st Avenue and Main Street in Hutchinson for a disturbance, according to a media release from Police Capt. Dayton Gates. When officers arrived on scene, they located a man with a laceration to his body. Another victim reported a man threatening him with a knife during the same incident.

The injured victim was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment. Police arrested&nbsp; Baskin in connection with the crime.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715273871315.png" alt="Baskin has a 2023 conviction for criminal damage to property, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. " />
 <figcaption>Baskin has a 2023 conviction for criminal damage to property, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections. </figcaption>
 </figure>RENO COUNTY— A Kansas felon is going back to prison after sentenced for a violent knife attack in May.On Friday, 26-year-old Briantey L. Baskin was sentenced to 620 months for attempted murder in the first degree, 41 months for aggravated battery, 12 months for aggravated assault and six months for criminal threat, according to the Reno County District Attorney's office.The attempted murder and battery charges will be served concurrently, while the assault and criminal threat charges will be served consecutively.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715264701275.jpeg" alt="Police at the scene of the investigation in May Photo by Nick Gosnell." />
 <figcaption>Police at the scene of the investigation in May Photo by Nick Gosnell.</figcaption>
 </figure>Baskin pleaded guilty on Aug. 15 to all four charges.On May, 9, police were dispatched to 1st Avenue and Main Street in Hutchinson for a disturbance, according to a media release from Police Capt. Dayton Gates. When officers arrived on scene, they located a man with a laceration to his body. Another victim reported a man threatening him with a knife during the same incident.The injured victim was transported to Hutchinson Regional Medical Center for treatment. Police arrested&nbsp; Baskin in connection with the crime.---

Kansas felon going back to prison for violent knife attack 

A Missouri legislative committee has been holding hearings across the state about immigration and crime. Some people testifying to the lawmakers contend the premise of its work misunderstands American immigration policy

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">MARY SANCHEZ</a>

It’s like clockwork each election cycle.

Politicians reach for an old playbook, brandishing images from the southern border, claiming that undocumented migrants steal jobs and commit violent crimes at an alarming rate.

The intent is to sow fear and misinformation about immigrants for political advantage.

During Tuesday’s presidential debate, Donald Trump talked about immigration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/09/10/us/elections/trump-harris-attacks-debate-tracker.html?campaign_id=9&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240911&amp;instance_id=133990&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;regi_id=256515088&amp;segment_id=177465&amp;te=1&amp;user_id=eabfac25626c9b6f4f8057af2f92492b" target="_blank">more than any other topic</a>, most notably citing false claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in an Ohio city.

“They’re eating the dogs,” Trump said.

Messaging in 2024 is following the pattern, even supercharging it.

The Missouri General Assembly entered the fray this summer, forming the Special Interim Committee on Illegal Immigrant Crimes.

That committee recently concluded hearings around the state, including in Kansas City and St. Louis.

It got an earful, with many witnesses trying to explain immigration law and citing data that refutes common messaging that many critics of the committee find starkly anti-immigrant.

“Our immigrant community is not criminal,” Tomas Hernandez testified in Kansas City, with the help of a Spanish language translator. He migrated to the Kansas City area three years ago from El Salvador. “Rather, we are criminalized for the mere fact of being immigrants. For me, it would be terrible if this committee goes (down) this path.”

Undocumented immigrants make for fodder in political campaigns in a country that talks more about building walls or welcoming people to the American dream than it does about finding ways to do either.

Little in that political rhetoric puts statistics in context, acknowledges the need for foreign labor or discusses the dysfunctional and byzantine path to citizenship or legal entry standing in the way of people who want to play by the rules.

Testimony in St. Louis noted that violent crime is falling in Missouri and accused the committee of cherry-picking and exploiting crimes committed by immigrants,<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1745-9125.12175" target="_blank">&nbsp;which are statistically less likely compared to crimes committed by native-born people</a>.

“This is simply not good governance,” concluded a statement submitted by the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project. “Missourians should be united to solve problems, not create false narratives for political gain.”

The political battle over the immigration narrative is being amplified by plenty of cash. In the first six months of the year, politicians nationwide spent<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/republican-campaign-ads-immigration-border-security/" target="_blank">&nbsp;more than $247 million</a>&nbsp;on advertising and social media mentioning immigrants.

The outlay was $40 million more than what was spent on any other topic.

It’s a lot of attention for the estimated 3.3% of the<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/sr_24-07-22_unauthorizedimmigrants_5/" target="_blank">&nbsp;U.S. population who are undocumented immigrants</a>.

<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/sr_24-07-22_unauthorizedimmigrants_5/" target="_blank">Pew Research Center</a>&nbsp;estimates that about one in 100 people in Missouri are undocumented. In Kansas, nearly three in 100 are undocumented. They are a critical source of labor for the economy — and the focus of an ongoing debate about how the country manages its borders.

“I can’t speak for everybody on this committee, but my focus is trying to determine the facts regarding the headlines relating to illegal immigration and crime,” said Missouri Rep. David Casteel, a Republican from Jefferson County. “So without specific data, how can we determine where the truth lies?”

Kansas City Police Department officers said immigration is a federal issue. And they do not routinely ask the immigration status of people because doing so could undercut the trust officers need to solve crime and serve the entire community.

“Our officers work very hard to make sure that people feel safe to call us,” said Officer Octavio Villalobos, “regardless of accent or what they look like on the outside.”

KCPD&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcpd.org/media/news-releases/east-patrol-major-invests-in-officers-community/" target="_blank">Maj. Kari Thompson</a>&nbsp;repeatedly told the group that Black men are a heavy focus for the department, both as perpetrators and victims of violent crime — not immigrants from Latin countries.

Pressed for data about crime related to citizens and noncitizens, Thompson promised to share those concerns with superiors.

Labor expert Judy Ancel told the panel that wage theft&nbsp;from&nbsp;local immigrants is their most common brush with crime. She recounted decades of U.S. trade and foreign policy, trying to encourage the committee to understand that, in her view, the country is complicit in the factors that drive migrants to seek asylum at the southern border.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671577993523.png" alt="Poto courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales" />
 <figcaption>Poto courtesy Rep. Tony Gonzales</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Missouri legislative committee has been holding hearings across the state about immigration and crime. Some people testifying to the lawmakers contend the premise of its work misunderstands American immigration policy</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/marysanchez/">MARY SANCHEZ</a>It’s like clockwork each election cycle.Politicians reach for an old playbook, brandishing images from the southern border, claiming that undocumented migrants steal jobs and commit violent crimes at an alarming rate.The intent is to sow fear and misinformation about immigrants for political advantage.During Tuesday’s presidential debate, Donald Trump talked about immigration&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/09/10/us/elections/trump-harris-attacks-debate-tracker.html?campaign_id=9&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240911&amp;instance_id=133990&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;regi_id=256515088&amp;segment_id=177465&amp;te=1&amp;user_id=eabfac25626c9b6f4f8057af2f92492b" target="_blank">more than any other topic</a>, most notably citing false claims that Haitian immigrants are eating pets in an Ohio city.“They’re eating the dogs,” Trump said.Messaging in 2024 is following the pattern, even supercharging it.The Missouri General Assembly entered the fray this summer, forming the Special Interim Committee on Illegal Immigrant Crimes.That committee recently concluded hearings around the state, including in Kansas City and St. Louis.It got an earful, with many witnesses trying to explain immigration law and citing data that refutes common messaging that many critics of the committee find starkly anti-immigrant.“Our immigrant community is not criminal,” Tomas Hernandez testified in Kansas City, with the help of a Spanish language translator. He migrated to the Kansas City area three years ago from El Salvador. “Rather, we are criminalized for the mere fact of being immigrants. For me, it would be terrible if this committee goes (down) this path.”Undocumented immigrants make for fodder in political campaigns in a country that talks more about building walls or welcoming people to the American dream than it does about finding ways to do either.Little in that political rhetoric puts statistics in context, acknowledges the need for foreign labor or discusses the dysfunctional and byzantine path to citizenship or legal entry standing in the way of people who want to play by the rules.Testimony in St. Louis noted that violent crime is falling in Missouri and accused the committee of cherry-picking and exploiting crimes committed by immigrants,<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1745-9125.12175" target="_blank">&nbsp;which are statistically less likely compared to crimes committed by native-born people</a>.“This is simply not good governance,” concluded a statement submitted by the Migrant and Immigrant Community Action Project. “Missourians should be united to solve problems, not create false narratives for political gain.”The political battle over the immigration narrative is being amplified by plenty of cash. In the first six months of the year, politicians nationwide spent<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/interactive/2024/republican-campaign-ads-immigration-border-security/" target="_blank">&nbsp;more than $247 million</a>&nbsp;on advertising and social media mentioning immigrants.The outlay was $40 million more than what was spent on any other topic.It’s a lot of attention for the estimated 3.3% of the<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/sr_24-07-22_unauthorizedimmigrants_5/" target="_blank">&nbsp;U.S. population who are undocumented immigrants</a>.<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/sr_24-07-22_unauthorizedimmigrants_5/" target="_blank">Pew Research Center</a>&nbsp;estimates that about one in 100 people in Missouri are undocumented. In Kansas, nearly three in 100 are undocumented. They are a critical source of labor for the economy — and the focus of an ongoing debate about how the country manages its borders.“I can’t speak for everybody on this committee, but my focus is trying to determine the facts regarding the headlines relating to illegal immigration and crime,” said Missouri Rep. David Casteel, a Republican from Jefferson County. “So without specific data, how can we determine where the truth lies?”<h2>Witnesses speak</h2>Kansas City witnesses tried.Kansas City Police Department officers said immigration is a federal issue. And they do not routinely ask the immigration status of people because doing so could undercut the trust officers need to solve crime and serve the entire community.“Our officers work very hard to make sure that people feel safe to call us,” said Officer Octavio Villalobos, “regardless of accent or what they look like on the outside.”KCPD&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcpd.org/media/news-releases/east-patrol-major-invests-in-officers-community/" target="_blank">Maj. Kari Thompson</a>&nbsp;repeatedly told the group that Black men are a heavy focus for the department, both as perpetrators and victims of violent crime — not immigrants from Latin countries.Pressed for data about crime related to citizens and noncitizens, Thompson promised to share those concerns with superiors.Labor expert Judy Ancel told the panel that wage theft&nbsp;from&nbsp;local immigrants is their most common brush with crime. She recounted decades of U.S. trade and foreign policy, trying to encourage the committee to understand that, in her view, the country is complicit in the factors that drive migrants to seek asylum at the southern border.Immigration attorneys speaking to the Missouri legislative committee also highlighted<a href="https://trac.syr.edu/phptools/immigration/backlog/" target="_blank">&nbsp;nearly 49,000 cases backlogged</a>&nbsp;at the<a href="https://trac.syr.edu/phptools/immigration/ntanew/" target="_blank">&nbsp;immigration court</a>&nbsp;in downtown Kansas City.Immigrants are being told to appear in 2027 or 2028. That causes many people seeking asylum to miss their one-year window to apply for authorization to work, said Michael Sharma-Crawford, a Kansas City immigration attorney.“The process is daunting,” he said. “That’s the easiest word that I have and it’s probably not strong enough.”Backlogs in the portion of the immigration system that governs work-related entry into the nation can keep industries, such as the ranchers Sharma-Crawford has represented in western Kansas, from getting enough workers.Meanwhile, foreign-born<a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/deferred-action-childhood-arrivals-daca-profiles" target="_blank">&nbsp;children brought to the U.S. by their parents</a>&nbsp;can also find themselves without legal status even as they’re assimilated into American culture, like one student he aided who wore a Nirvana T-shirt.“You can’t get any more American than grunge rock,” Sharma-Crawford told the panel. “We now have an Americanized, educated immigrant population.”<h2>Immigration basics</h2><a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/how-united-states-immigration-system-works" target="_blank">Immigration law</a>&nbsp;is among the most complicated parts of the federal government, second only to the tax code.Those who know the convoluted system best — immigration attorneys, advocates for immigrants and scholars — argue the stakes are huge. Immigration law and policy can determine whether someone is sent back to a nation where they fear for their lives, or whether families remain separated for decades.“A lot of immigration law is just sometimes outright contradictory because it’s been glommed together over decades,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.msu.edu/faculty_staff/profile.php?prof=709" target="_blank">David Thronson</a>, a professor at Michigan State University College of Law. “It just doesn’t have any coherence to it, the way something like tax law does.”<a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/how-united-states-immigration-system-works" target="_blank">The policies and laws</a>&nbsp;are intended to uphold the reunification of families, aid the economy by admitting immigrants with needed skills, provide humanitarian protections and promote national diversity.The foreign-born population in 2022 was 14.3% of the nation’s residents, according to Pew Research Center. The historic high was 14.8% in 1890.For decades, studies have concluded that immigrants are net job creators. They tend to start&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newamericaneconomy.org/issues/entrepreneurship/" target="_blank">businesses more</a>&nbsp;often than native-born people. And immigrants are about one in every six people in the&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/04/30/kansas-city-mayor-quinton-lucas-immigration-sanctuary-city-2024/" target="_blank">workforce</a>.The U.S.-born population also is<a href="https://www.vera.org/news/debunking-the-lies-politicians-say-about-immigrants" target="_blank">&nbsp;more likely to commit crimes</a>, violent or otherwise.But politicians tend to blame worries about the U.S. economy, lost jobs and costs related to housing, education and health care on new arrivals.In 2024, the criticisms come from both Democrats and Republicans. Former President Donald Trump launched his first campaign by framing immigrants as invaders and calling for mass deportation, which most experts say isn’t feasible given legal concerns and resources. He has continued to call for mass deportation in 2024.But Lucas Kunce, a Democrat challenging Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, has&nbsp;<a href="https://lucaskunce.com/news/2024/08/19/lucas-kunce-talks-securing-our-southern-border-in-new-ad-slams-hawley-for-inaction/" target="_blank">also released ads</a>&nbsp;touting his experience training with agents at the U.S. southern border.In one ad, Kunce vows: “I’ll secure that border, no matter who the president is.”<h2>Changing rhetoric</h2>Invoking immigrants during political campaigns is not new. But there has been a shift in tone in recent decades.Thronson begins lessons on immigration and elections by asking students to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsmgPp_nlok" target="_blank">watch a 1980 GOP presidential primary debate</a>&nbsp;between Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.&nbsp; Bush replied to an audience question about undocumented children attending public schools in Houston for free.“I’d like to see something done about the illegal alien problem that would be so sensitive and so understanding about labor needs and human needs that that problem wouldn’t come up,” he said.Bush added that the lack of legal pathways for migrants marked a fundamental problem. He didn’t want young children denied an education. (By 1982, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in a Texas case,<a href="https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/research/plyler-v-doe-public-education-immigrant-students" target="_blank">&nbsp;Plyler v. Doe</a>, guaranteed those students the right to attend.)Reagan proposed what is blasphemy in the 21st century GOP — allowing legal entry and reentry, work visas and to “open the border both ways.”More than four decades later, an immigration system nimble enough to be responsive to U.S. labor needs still doesn’t exist, Thronson said.“Both (Reagan and Bush) are significantly further to the left of anybody today, even the left,” he said.In recent decades, gerrymandering has made congressional and state legislative districts more solidly for one party or the other, Thronson said, and that rewards extreme views during primaries.One result is the use of immigration as a wedge issue, despite the fact that polling shows broad public agreement that the current system isn’t working.The last significant&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/illegal_immigration_reform_and_immigration_responsibility_act" target="_blank">change to immigration law came in 1996</a>. It included several measures making it easier to deport people and taking away eligibility for some benefits.The changes imposed three- and 10-year bans on undocumented immigrants if they leave the country to try and reenter legally.“So people don’t leave,” Thronson said. “And now we have millions of people in this country who are eligible for visas. They have long-standing marriages to U.S. citizens and families … but they can’t get the visa for which they’re eligible.”In June, the Biden administration introduced a program allowing a pathway for undocumented people married to U.S. citizens, if they met certain conditions.In late August, Texas and Idaho filed suit to stop Biden’s plan. Missouri and Kansas are among the 14 states whose Republican attorneys general also joined the lawsuit, which<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/26/us/undocumented-spouses-biden-administration.html" target="_blank">&nbsp;a federal judge put on hold</a>&nbsp;while the issue goes through the courts.<h2>Playing for votes</h2>Campaigns are targeting immigration messages at particular groups.Black voters are sometimes being encouraged to see a Kamala Harris presidency as a threat. Harris, as vice president, was given the job of exploring the root causes driving many people from Central American countries to the U.S.Trump has spoken of immigrants coming to take “Black jobs.” Metal signs with&nbsp;<a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hateful-anti-immigrant-signs-referencing-kamala-harris-posted/story?id=113269714#:~:text=RTD%20is%20working%20with%20local,communities%2C%22%20the%20post%20read." target="_blank">racially offensive messaging</a>&nbsp;have appeared at bus stops in Denver and Chicago, goading Black riders to take seats at the back of the bus while “Kamala’s migrants sit in the front.”The U.S. Border Patrol documented<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/02/15/migrant-encounters-at-the-us-mexico-border-hit-a-record-high-at-the-end-of-2023/" target="_blank">&nbsp;a record 250,000 encounters</a>&nbsp;with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in December 2023, before seeing the numbers begin to drop.In August, for the first time, the largest civil rights organization working on behalf of Latinos issued<a href="https://unidosus.org/press-releases/unidosus-releases-first-of-its-kind-border-plan-to-reflect-latino-electorates-border-concerns/" target="_blank">&nbsp;a border policy paper</a>&nbsp;based on the views of Latino voters.The report was a first for the D.C. group, UnidosUS, which is led by Kansas City, Kansas-born and raised<a href="https://unidosus.org/about/team/janet-murguia/" target="_blank">&nbsp;Janet Murguia.</a>Overwhelmingly, Latino voters voiced support for an immigration system and border policies that would be “firm, fair and free of cruelty,” said Cristobal Ramón, senior adviser on immigration with UnidosUS. But he said that, like most Americans, economic issues rank higher with Latino voters.“Pocketbook issues are always the leading issues for Latinos and Americans writ large,” he said. “Inflation hits everybody.”The polling showed that Latino voters are not lining up behind hard-line approaches at the border, like separating families, especially children.But they join other voters in&nbsp;<a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/1660/immigration.aspx" target="_blank">wanting solutions</a>.“The Latino electorate has had this position for a very long time,” Ramón said. “What’s shifted is just simply that political parties, the candidates, have been starting to pay attention a little bit to where the public is, and have been shifting their positions around that.”This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/09/11/immigration-in-missouri-dominates-election-2024-campaign-rhetoric/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Missouri</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.