Zabe and the suspect were located in Mantoon, Illinois at 12:25 p.m. and are in custody by local authorities. The child is now safe.

SHAWNEE COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued an Amber Alert for 2-year-old Zabe Mendez, who was reportedly abducted from Topeka on July 21.

Zabe Mendez was forcibly taken from his mother by an unknown suspect.  Zabe is in imminent danger.  His mother’s white four-door Lexus with unknown Kansas tag is also missing.

Zabe Mendez is a Hispanic male, around 2 feet 5 inches tall, who weighs around 40 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

Call 911 immediately if you have seen the missing child or the suspect’s vehicle. If you have other information call 1-800-KS-CRIME.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753203309827.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Zabe and the suspect were located in Mantoon, Illinois at 12:25 p.m. and are in custody by local authorities. The child is now safe.-----SHAWNEE COUNTY– The Kansas Bureau of Investigation has issued an Amber Alert for 2-year-old Zabe Mendez, who was reportedly abducted from Topeka on July 21.Zabe Mendez was forcibly taken from his mother by an unknown suspect. Zabe is in imminent danger. His mother’s white four-door Lexus with unknown Kansas tag is also missing.Zabe Mendez is a Hispanic male, around 2 feet 5 inches tall, who weighs around 40 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.Call 911 immediately if you have seen the missing child or the suspect’s vehicle. If you have other information call 1-800-KS-CRIME.<figure>
 <img src="https://sync.intentiq.com/profiles_engine/ProfilesEngineServlet?at=20&amp;mi=10&amp;secure=1&amp;dpi=456059511&amp;iiqidtype=2&amp;iiqpcid=eaf33ece-2600-452c-a1eb-879b94753ee3&amp;iiqpciddate=1744297501662&amp;tsrnd=88_1753203141437&amp;vrref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&amp;jsver=5.082" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

KBI: Amber Alert for Kansas boy canceled, suspect in custody

JOHNSON COUNTY —First responders found the body of a missing woman in a Johnson County creek on Monday.

Just after 9:30a.m. Monday, police responded to report of a missing person in the area of W 155th Terrace and Nall Avenue in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police officer John Lacy.&nbsp; A family member reported the missing person identified as 62-year-old Anupama Vaidya of Overland Park&nbsp; frequently walked a nearby trail west of Nall Avenue.

Officers went to the trail and found Mrs. Vaidya in a nearby creek.&nbsp; Due to the heavy rain, the creek was overflowing above the banks at the time the police were notified of the missing person.&nbsp; Overland Park&nbsp; Department Fire Rescue assisted in recovery of the body. The incident remains under investigation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753180987400.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>JOHNSON COUNTY —First responders found the body of a missing woman in a Johnson County creek on Monday.Just after 9:30a.m. Monday, police responded to report of a missing person in the area of W 155th Terrace and Nall Avenue in Overland Park, according to Overland Park Police officer John Lacy.&nbsp; A family member reported the missing person identified as 62-year-old Anupama Vaidya of Overland Park&nbsp; frequently walked a nearby trail west of Nall Avenue.Officers went to the trail and found Mrs. Vaidya in a nearby creek.&nbsp; Due to the heavy rain, the creek was overflowing above the banks at the time the police were notified of the missing person.&nbsp; Overland Park&nbsp; Department Fire Rescue assisted in recovery of the body. The incident remains under investigation.

Police: Kan. woman on walk swept away in flash flooding

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; investigating a series of burglaries at Clinton Marina in Douglas County have made two arrests, according to the Douglas County. Sheriff's office.

On July 10, sheriff's department detectives asked the public for assistance in identifying individuals seen from security cameras.&nbsp; Multiple boats and slips had items stolen during the overnight hours from July 3 to early on July 4.

The sheriff's office released no additional details on the arrests or possible charges in the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752195644572.png" alt="Photos Douglas County Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Photos Douglas County Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement&nbsp; investigating a series of burglaries at Clinton Marina in Douglas County have made two arrests, according to the Douglas County. Sheriff's office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752195784609.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>On July 10, sheriff's department detectives asked the public for assistance in identifying individuals seen from security cameras.&nbsp; Multiple boats and slips had items stolen during the overnight hours from July 3 to early on July 4.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1752195626190.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>The sheriff's office released no additional details on the arrests or possible charges in the case.

Sheriff IDs suspects, makes arrest in Kansas marina burglaries

KANSAS CITY —KCFD responded to a reported swift water rescue near 103rd and Wornall just before 1 p.m. on Monday, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.

Crews found a woman approximately 50 to 75 yards off the bank grasping to a tree in fast flowing water.

Rescue crews utilized an inflatable rubber boat (IRB) to navigate their way through the flood water and retrieve the victim. She was brought to shore tired and shaken but uninjured. She was evaluated by on-scene EMS crews but refused further treatment or transport. Authorities did not release details on how the victim became trapped in the water.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753132688994.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —KCFD responded to a reported swift water rescue near 103rd and Wornall just before 1 p.m. on Monday, according to Battalion Chief Michael Hopkins.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753142698320.png" alt="Victim in the upper left portion of video image released by KCFD" />
 <figcaption>Victim in the upper left portion of video image released by KCFD</figcaption>
 </figure>Crews found a woman approximately 50 to 75 yards off the bank grasping to a tree in fast flowing water.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753142851186.png" alt="Victim pulled aboard the boat" />
 <figcaption>Victim pulled aboard the boat</figcaption>
 </figure>Rescue crews utilized an inflatable rubber boat (IRB) to navigate their way through the flood water and retrieve the victim. She was brought to shore tired and shaken but uninjured. She was evaluated by on-scene EMS crews but refused further treatment or transport. Authorities did not release details on how the victim became trapped in the water.

Kansas City crews rescue woman clinging to tree in floodwaters

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>

WASHINGTON — Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law will add $3.394 trillion to deficits during the next decade and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The updated assessment of the sweeping tax and spending cuts law came weeks after nearly every GOP lawmaker voted to approve the legislation ahead of a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.&nbsp;The law made permanent the 2017 tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term and provided billions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-megabill-allows-trump-expand-mass-deportations-curb-immigrant-benefits" target="_blank">carry out his plans&nbsp;</a>of mass deportations, an immigration crackdown and increased defense spending.

Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, wrote in a statement that it is “still hard to believe that policymakers just added $4 trillion to” deficits after Republican lawmakers “have spent months or years appropriately fuming about our unsustainable fiscal situation.”

“This is a dangerous game we are playing,” MacGuineas wrote. “It has been going on for years, and it was brought to new levels with this bill. And it is time to stop.”&nbsp;

CBO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/taxonomy/term/1756/latest" target="_blank">released numerous reports</a>&nbsp;throughout the months-long process showing how various parts of the bill would affect federal spending and health care access, but the scorekeeper needed additional time to evaluate changes Republicans made during the last few days of debate.

The latest figures are similar to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-07/61537-hr1-Senate-passed-additional-info7-1-25.pdf" target="_blank">a preliminary report</a>&nbsp;CBO released earlier this month projecting the final version of the package, which underwent considerable changes in the Senate, would likely lead to a $3.4 trillion increase in deficits between 2025 and 2034.

That total was significantly higher than the $2.4 trillion increase in deficits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-backed-giant-tax-and-spending-bill-bloats-deficit-24t-nonpartisan-cbo-says" target="_blank">CBO expected</a>&nbsp;the original House version of the bill would have had during the next decade.

Health spending to fall by more than $1 trillion

Republicans’ numerous changes to health programs, predominantly Medicaid, will reduce federal spending during the next decade by $1.058 trillion.

The law made more than a dozen changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-tax-cut-plans-may-depend-savings-medicaid-what-it-and-who-relies-it" target="_blank">the state-federal health program</a>&nbsp;for lower income individuals and certain people with disabilities, though some of those have larger budget impacts than others.

Language barring Medicaid spending from going to Planned Parenthood for one year would actually increase federal deficits during the 10-year window by $53 million.

The CBO score shows that policy change would decrease federal spending by $44 million this fiscal year and another $31 million during the next fiscal year, before increasing deficits by $91 million during fiscal year 2027 and continuing.

That section of the law is on hold for the moment after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-quickly-rules-favor-planned-parenthood-suit-over-medicaid-funding" target="_blank">issued a temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;earlier this month that required the Trump administration to continue paying Planned Parenthood for routine health care coverage for Medicaid enrollees.

Federal law for decades has barred the federal government from spending taxpayer dollars for abortion services with limited exceptions, so the one-year prohibition on Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood would have blocked patients enrolled in the program from going to their clinics for routine health appointments, like annual physicals and cancer screenings.

The CBO report didn’t include a state-by-state breakdown of the effects of the health care changes in the law, but the agency is expected to release more detailed analysis of the health impacts in the coming weeks.

Apart from Medicaid, two large projected deficit reductions in the law come in the agriculture title’s sections on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

A provision requiring states to pay for some portion of SNAP benefits starting in fiscal 2028 would save the federal government between $5.7 billion and $6 billion per year, totalling just less than $41 billion for the first seven years it will be in effect.

And new work requirements for SNAP would result in $68.6 billion less in federal spending over the 10 years starting in fiscal 2026, the CBO projected.

Republicans’ streamlining of the federal student loan program is projected to reduce federal spending in the next decade by $270.5 billion.

As part of a sweeping overhaul of higher education, the law limits repayment options for borrowers with any loans made on or after July 1, 2026, to either a standard repayment plan or an income-based repayment plan.

The extension of Trump’s 2017 tax law, plus new tax breaks, will cost $4.472 trillion over the next decade, according to the latest CBO score.

The United States collects the majority of its revenue from individual taxpayers, and the continuation of lowered income tax brackets, plus an increased standard deduction, will comprise the bulk of lost revenue over 10 years, adding up to $3.497 trillion.

Trump also campaigned on several other tax cut promises, including no tax on tips and overtime, as well as no tax on car loan interest. The temporary provisions come with stipulations and will end in 2029. Together they will cost $151.868 billion.

The child tax credit increases under the new law to $2,200, up from $2,000, though lawmakers did not increase the amount lower income families can receive as a tax refund. The CBO estimates the bumped-up tax credit will cost $626.345 billion over the next decade.

Lawmakers offset some costs of the bill by repealing clean energy tax credits, including ending tax credits for personal and commercial electric vehicles, nixing energy efficiency improvement credits for homeowners, and terminating clean electricity production credits. In all, Republicans saved $487.909 billion from axing the measures meant to address the effects of climate change.

Jacob Fischler, Shauneen Miranda and Ashley Murray contributed to this report.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1751666035602.png" alt="President Trump signed the bill into law on July 4-image from White House video" />
 <figcaption>President Trump signed the bill into law on July 4-image from White House video</figcaption>
 </figure>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">Jennifer Shutt</a>WASHINGTON — Republicans’ “big, beautiful” law will add $3.394 trillion to deficits during the next decade and lead 10 million people to lose access to health insurance, according to an analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.The updated assessment of the sweeping tax and spending cuts law came weeks after nearly every GOP lawmaker voted to approve the legislation ahead of a self-imposed Fourth of July deadline.&nbsp;The law made permanent the 2017 tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term and provided billions to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/how-megabill-allows-trump-expand-mass-deportations-curb-immigrant-benefits" target="_blank">carry out his plans&nbsp;</a>of mass deportations, an immigration crackdown and increased defense spending.Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, wrote in a statement that it is “still hard to believe that policymakers just added $4 trillion to” deficits after Republican lawmakers “have spent months or years appropriately fuming about our unsustainable fiscal situation.”“This is a dangerous game we are playing,” MacGuineas wrote. “It has been going on for years, and it was brought to new levels with this bill. And it is time to stop.”&nbsp;CBO&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/taxonomy/term/1756/latest" target="_blank">released numerous reports</a>&nbsp;throughout the months-long process showing how various parts of the bill would affect federal spending and health care access, but the scorekeeper needed additional time to evaluate changes Republicans made during the last few days of debate.The latest figures are similar to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2025-07/61537-hr1-Senate-passed-additional-info7-1-25.pdf" target="_blank">a preliminary report</a>&nbsp;CBO released earlier this month projecting the final version of the package, which underwent considerable changes in the Senate, would likely lead to a $3.4 trillion increase in deficits between 2025 and 2034.That total was significantly higher than the $2.4 trillion increase in deficits&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trump-backed-giant-tax-and-spending-bill-bloats-deficit-24t-nonpartisan-cbo-says" target="_blank">CBO expected</a>&nbsp;the original House version of the bill would have had during the next decade.<h2>Health spending to fall by more than $1 trillion</h2>Republicans’ numerous changes to health programs, predominantly Medicaid, will reduce federal spending during the next decade by $1.058 trillion.The law made more than a dozen changes to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/gop-tax-cut-plans-may-depend-savings-medicaid-what-it-and-who-relies-it" target="_blank">the state-federal health program</a>&nbsp;for lower income individuals and certain people with disabilities, though some of those have larger budget impacts than others.Language barring Medicaid spending from going to Planned Parenthood for one year would actually increase federal deficits during the 10-year window by $53 million.The CBO score shows that policy change would decrease federal spending by $44 million this fiscal year and another $31 million during the next fiscal year, before increasing deficits by $91 million during fiscal year 2027 and continuing.That section of the law is on hold for the moment after a federal judge&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/federal-judge-quickly-rules-favor-planned-parenthood-suit-over-medicaid-funding" target="_blank">issued a temporary restraining order</a>&nbsp;earlier this month that required the Trump administration to continue paying Planned Parenthood for routine health care coverage for Medicaid enrollees.Federal law for decades has barred the federal government from spending taxpayer dollars for abortion services with limited exceptions, so the one-year prohibition on Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood would have blocked patients enrolled in the program from going to their clinics for routine health appointments, like annual physicals and cancer screenings.The CBO report didn’t include a state-by-state breakdown of the effects of the health care changes in the law, but the agency is expected to release more detailed analysis of the health impacts in the coming weeks.<h2>Nutrition assistance cuts</h2>Apart from Medicaid, two large projected deficit reductions in the law come in the agriculture title’s sections on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.A provision requiring states to pay for some portion of SNAP benefits starting in fiscal 2028 would save the federal government between $5.7 billion and $6 billion per year, totalling just less than $41 billion for the first seven years it will be in effect.And new work requirements for SNAP would result in $68.6 billion less in federal spending over the 10 years starting in fiscal 2026, the CBO projected.<h2>Federal student loan program</h2>Republicans’ streamlining of the federal student loan program is projected to reduce federal spending in the next decade by $270.5 billion.As part of a sweeping overhaul of higher education, the law limits repayment options for borrowers with any loans made on or after July 1, 2026, to either a standard repayment plan or an income-based repayment plan.<h2>Extension and expansion of tax cuts</h2>The extension of Trump’s 2017 tax law, plus new tax breaks, will cost $4.472 trillion over the next decade, according to the latest CBO score.The United States collects the majority of its revenue from individual taxpayers, and the continuation of lowered income tax brackets, plus an increased standard deduction, will comprise the bulk of lost revenue over 10 years, adding up to $3.497 trillion.Trump also campaigned on several other tax cut promises, including no tax on tips and overtime, as well as no tax on car loan interest. The temporary provisions come with stipulations and will end in 2029. Together they will cost $151.868 billion.The child tax credit increases under the new law to $2,200, up from $2,000, though lawmakers did not increase the amount lower income families can receive as a tax refund. The CBO estimates the bumped-up tax credit will cost $626.345 billion over the next decade.Lawmakers offset some costs of the bill by repealing clean energy tax credits, including ending tax credits for personal and commercial electric vehicles, nixing energy efficiency improvement credits for homeowners, and terminating clean electricity production credits. In all, Republicans saved $487.909 billion from axing the measures meant to address the effects of climate change.Jacob Fischler, Shauneen Miranda and Ashley Murray contributed to this report.

Trump tax law runs up deficit by $3.4T, throws 10 million off health insurance, CBO says

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 11p.m. Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri.

A Honda Africa Twin motorcycle was eastbound on Interstate 670, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez. The motorcycle changed lanes in an attempt to take the Interstate 29/Interstate 35 entrance ramp from Interstate 670. As the motorcycle was changing lanes, it struck the right passenger side of an eastbound Dodge Charger. The motorcycle operator was ejected and was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The driver and front seat passenger of the Dodge were uninjured in the collision. This is fatality #44 compared to #52 at this time last year. The remains under investigation, according to Gonzalez. Police have not released the name of the motorcyclist.

KANSAS CITY —One person died in an accident just after 11p.m. Sunday in Kansas City, Missouri.A Honda Africa Twin motorcycle was eastbound on Interstate 670, according to KCPD Officer&nbsp;Alayna Gonzalez. The motorcycle changed lanes in an attempt to take the Interstate 29/Interstate 35 entrance ramp from Interstate 670. As the motorcycle was changing lanes, it struck the right passenger side of an eastbound Dodge Charger. The motorcycle operator was ejected and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver and front seat passenger of the Dodge were uninjured in the collision. This is fatality #44 compared to #52 at this time last year. The remains under investigation, according to Gonzalez. Police have not released the name of the motorcyclist.

Motorcyclist killed after vehicle struck passenger side of car

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Tennessee man was sentenced to 71 months in prison after being convicted of running a $1.9 million Ponzi scheme, according to the United State's Attorney.

According to court documents, Alcides Roman, 66, of Lebanon, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

Roman defrauded victims in Kansas, New York, Texas, and in Canada by soliciting their participation in purportedly high-yield investment programs. In truth, these investment opportunities were fraudulent. Roman did not invest the funds and failed to redeem the investments upon the victims’ requests. Rather, he left the funds in bank accounts he controlled and used the money for his own and others’ benefit. Roman induced victims to make additional or larger investments by making payments to them, ostensibly as returns on investment. Those payments, however, were from the same victim’s prior principal investments or another victim’s investments.

Roman used funds from the scheme to pay for his personal living expenses, to buy vehicles and land, and to send money to numerous foreign and domestic companies. The total known loss to victims was $1,977,857.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Tennessee man was sentenced to 71 months in prison after being convicted of running a $1.9 million Ponzi scheme, according to the United State's Attorney.According to court documents, Alcides Roman, 66, of Lebanon, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.Roman defrauded victims in Kansas, New York, Texas, and in Canada by soliciting their participation in purportedly high-yield investment programs. In truth, these investment opportunities were fraudulent. Roman did not invest the funds and failed to redeem the investments upon the victims’ requests. Rather, he left the funds in bank accounts he controlled and used the money for his own and others’ benefit. Roman induced victims to make additional or larger investments by making payments to them, ostensibly as returns on investment. Those payments, however, were from the same victim’s prior principal investments or another victim’s investments.Roman used funds from the scheme to pay for his personal living expenses, to buy vehicles and land, and to send money to numerous foreign and domestic companies. The total known loss to victims was $1,977,857.

Man defrauded victims in Kansas in $1.9 million Ponzi scheme

HARVEY COUNTY—A Kansas woman admits to sex crimes involving a young child.

On Friday,&nbsp;Veronica S. Darby, age 23, of Newton, pleaded guilty to two counts Aggravated Criminal Sodomy, and one count of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, in Harvey County, according to a statment from the county attorney's office. All three charges subject her to a sentence of up to life in prison with no eligibility for parole until she has served 25 years in prison. The victim of the case was a child under the age of 8 years of age.&nbsp;

Newton Police Department, Heart to Heart Child Advocacy Center, and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force helped prosecute the case. She is scheduled for sentencing on September 22.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753133757410.png" alt="Darby -photo Harvey Co." />
 <figcaption>Darby -photo Harvey Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>HARVEY COUNTY—A Kansas woman admits to sex crimes involving a young child.On Friday,&nbsp;Veronica S. Darby, age 23, of Newton, pleaded guilty to two counts Aggravated Criminal Sodomy, and one count of Aggravated Indecent Liberties with a Child, in Harvey County, according to a statment from the county attorney's office. All three charges subject her to a sentence of up to life in prison with no eligibility for parole until she has served 25 years in prison. The victim of the case was a child under the age of 8 years of age.&nbsp;Newton Police Department, Heart to Heart Child Advocacy Center, and the Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force helped prosecute the case. She is scheduled for sentencing on September 22.

Kan. woman faces life in prison for sex crimes involving young victim

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 21, 2025, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released over 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK), in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14176.

<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/mlk">Click here to see the files</a>

This unprecedented release follows through on President Trump’s commitment to fully release previously-classified records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (JFK), Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), and MLK, and was carried out in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Archives.

Unlike the majority of the JFK assassination files — which were identified and released in accordance with federal law — the MLK files in today’s release had never been digitized and sat collecting dust in facilities across the federal government for decades, until today.

The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK — including the discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, and documents related to James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot. Additionally, as James Earl Ray fled the country following the assassination, the release includes unique foreign evidence from a Canadian police department. Never-before-seen CIA records outline overseas intelligence on the international hunt for the prime suspect in the assassination.

"I am grateful to President Trump and DNI Gabbard for delivering on their pledge of transparency in the release of these documents on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr,"&nbsp;said Dr. Alveda King. "My uncle lived boldly in pursuit of truth and justice, and his enduring legacy of faith continues to inspire Americans to this day. While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve."

“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,”&nbsp;said DNI Gabbard. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history. I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support.”

“The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s great leaders,"&nbsp;said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump’s direction for this latest disclosure.”

“In partnership with ODNI and FBI, today’s release represents a significant milestone in CIA’s efforts to deliver maximum transparency to the American people,”&nbsp;said CIA Director John Ratcliffe. “CIA is proud to contribute to President Trump’s historic initiative to declassify and release intelligence information that serves the public’s interest.”

“Today’s record release marks a historic step in the Trump Administration’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,"&nbsp;said Secretary of State and Acting U.S. Archivist Marco Rubio. "Preserving, protecting, and releasing the records of the U.S. government is at the core of NARA’s mission. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and a coordinated interagency process, NARA was able to review and release the records at an unprecedented speed.”

While some of the documents released were made public through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, today’s release is the first time these records are published online in one collection with minimal redactions for privacy reasons — including redactions for Social Security Numbers and grand jury information. As agencies continue to search government facilities for additional files, the new documents will be uploaded alongside the previously released files at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/mlk" target="_blank">archives.gov/mlk</a>&nbsp;to ensure all MLK assassination documents can be found in a centralized location. Two-weeks in advance of today’s release, members of the King family were provided an opportunity to review the files.

The government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">unsealed the JFK records</a>&nbsp;in March and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-assassination-files-released-74af7098faf255d92a5bff32899a7ce7">disclosed some RFK files</a>&nbsp;in April.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753130471620.png" alt="Martin Luther King, Jr. (image National Archives)" />
 <figcaption>Martin Luther King, Jr. (image National Archives)</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON, D.C. – On July 21, 2025, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard released over 230,000 pages of documents related to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK), in accordance with President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14176.<a href="https://www.archives.gov/research/mlk">Click here to see the files</a>This unprecedented release follows through on President Trump’s commitment to fully release previously-classified records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy (JFK), Senator Robert F. Kennedy (RFK), and MLK, and was carried out in coordination with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and the National Archives.Unlike the majority of the JFK assassination files — which were identified and released in accordance with federal law — the MLK files in today’s release had never been digitized and sat collecting dust in facilities across the federal government for decades, until today.The documents include details about the FBI’s investigation into the assassination of MLK — including the discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, and documents related to James Earl Ray’s former cellmate, who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot. Additionally, as James Earl Ray fled the country following the assassination, the release includes unique foreign evidence from a Canadian police department. Never-before-seen CIA records outline overseas intelligence on the international hunt for the prime suspect in the assassination."I am grateful to President Trump and DNI Gabbard for delivering on their pledge of transparency in the release of these documents on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr,"&nbsp;said Dr. Alveda King. "My uncle lived boldly in pursuit of truth and justice, and his enduring legacy of faith continues to inspire Americans to this day. While we continue to mourn his death, the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth that the American people deserve."“The American people have waited nearly sixty years to see the full scope of the federal government’s investigation into Dr. King’s assassination,”&nbsp;said DNI Gabbard. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are ensuring that no stone is left unturned in our mission to deliver complete transparency on this pivotal and tragic event in our nation’s history. I extend my deepest appreciation to the King family for their support.”“The American people deserve answers decades after the horrific assassination of one of our nation’s great leaders,"&nbsp;said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "The Department of Justice is proud to partner with Director Gabbard and the ODNI at President Trump’s direction for this latest disclosure.”“In partnership with ODNI and FBI, today’s release represents a significant milestone in CIA’s efforts to deliver maximum transparency to the American people,”&nbsp;said CIA Director John Ratcliffe. “CIA is proud to contribute to President Trump’s historic initiative to declassify and release intelligence information that serves the public’s interest.”“Today’s record release marks a historic step in the Trump Administration’s ongoing commitment to transparency and accountability,"&nbsp;said Secretary of State and Acting U.S. Archivist Marco Rubio. "Preserving, protecting, and releasing the records of the U.S. government is at the core of NARA’s mission. Thanks to President Trump’s leadership and a coordinated interagency process, NARA was able to review and release the records at an unprecedented speed.”While some of the documents released were made public through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, today’s release is the first time these records are published online in one collection with minimal redactions for privacy reasons — including redactions for Social Security Numbers and grand jury information. As agencies continue to search government facilities for additional files, the new documents will be uploaded alongside the previously released files at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/mlk" target="_blank">archives.gov/mlk</a>&nbsp;to ensure all MLK assassination documents can be found in a centralized location. Two-weeks in advance of today’s release, members of the King family were provided an opportunity to review the files.The government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kennedy-assassination-documents-release-trump-c56ed5075b38af809f36a6388797d4ca">unsealed the JFK records</a>&nbsp;in March and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/rfk-assassination-files-released-74af7098faf255d92a5bff32899a7ce7">disclosed some RFK files</a>&nbsp;in April.

Read the newly released, controversial FBI records on MLK Jr.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —On July 17, The Kansas State Fire Marshal (KSFM) Investigation Division was requested to assist with a fatality fire in the 500 block N. School Street, according to a media release.

 KSFM Special Agents were requested by local authorities after they responded to a house fire with a fatality. Two Special Agents/Certified Fire Investigators from the KSFM and one from the Topeka Fire Department, along with their canine partner were sent to assist with this fire event.

According to the Auburn Police Department, they responded to the residence for a domestic-related police call. The man at the home left the residence with the kids. Approximately 15 minutes after leaving, a neighbor called 911 to report a house fire. Auburn Police Department responded and attempted to locate the victim but were unable to get to her. The victim, identified as Toka Flickinger, 47, was found by suppression crews in the bathtub, in water.

The fire was determined to have been set in the front hallway in front of the bathroom, trapping Flickinger.&nbsp;

The fire incident is classified as incendiary with multiple points of origin. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753135024506.png" alt="photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —On July 17, The Kansas State Fire Marshal (KSFM) Investigation Division was requested to assist with a fatality fire in the 500 block N. School Street, according to a media release. KSFM Special Agents were requested by local authorities after they responded to a house fire with a fatality. Two Special Agents/Certified Fire Investigators from the KSFM and one from the Topeka Fire Department, along with their canine partner were sent to assist with this fire event.According to the Auburn Police Department, they responded to the residence for a domestic-related police call. The man at the home left the residence with the kids. Approximately 15 minutes after leaving, a neighbor called 911 to report a house fire. Auburn Police Department responded and attempted to locate the victim but were unable to get to her. The victim, identified as Toka Flickinger, 47, was found by suppression crews in the bathtub, in water.The fire was determined to have been set in the front hallway in front of the bathroom, trapping Flickinger.&nbsp;The fire incident is classified as incendiary with multiple points of origin. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.

Fire Marshal: Kan. woman killed in house fire was trapped in bathroom

MORRIS COUNTY —A Kansas man has been identified as a drowning victim.&nbsp;

&nbsp;The body of 66-year-old Mark Moore of Topeka was found Saturday evening in Council Grove Lake, according to a statement from the Council Grove Police Department.&nbsp; &nbsp;Just after 9:30a.m. Saturday, police and other first responders responded report of a possible drowning.

Moore's body was found following a rigorous search, according to police.

&nbsp;Council Grove Fire/Rescue, Morris County Emergency Medical Services, Herington Rescue, Morris County Emergency Management, the Morris County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks also assisted with the search. Authorities released no other details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753117878350.png" alt="Google image" />
 <figcaption>Google image</figcaption>
 </figure>MORRIS COUNTY —A Kansas man has been identified as a drowning victim.&nbsp;&nbsp;The body of 66-year-old Mark Moore of Topeka was found Saturday evening in Council Grove Lake, according to a statement from the Council Grove Police Department.&nbsp; &nbsp;Just after 9:30a.m. Saturday, police and other first responders responded report of a possible drowning.Moore's body was found following a rigorous search, according to police.&nbsp;Council Grove Fire/Rescue, Morris County Emergency Medical Services, Herington Rescue, Morris County Emergency Management, the Morris County Sheriff's Office and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks also assisted with the search. Authorities released no other details.

66-year-old Kansas man identified as drowning victim

The sweeping requests raise fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information

By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jonathan-shorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states — representing data on millions of Americans — and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.

The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administration’s attention on state election activities.

At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.

The department’s focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.

For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states — and even local authorities — administer elections.

Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trump’s sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.

“Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. “With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.”

DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.

The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.

Most letters also ask about each state’s process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.

The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying it’s unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.

“They don’t make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that there’s some other purpose,” said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.

While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data that’s publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but “that’s not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.”

The DOJ didn’t respond to questions for this story.

Federal laws restrict the federal government’s ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation &amp; Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.

In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.

More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current “federal imposition” on election administrators.

“The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth — records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect,” Becker said.

In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to “all records” related to the 2024 election.

Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswold’s office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.

Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.

“The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado … it’s really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained,” said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.

Colorado elections have previously drawn Trump’s attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.

On May 5 of this year — a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold — Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a “political prisoner.” Griswold noted the timing.

“I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the ’26 and ’28 elections,” Griswold told Stateline.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the state’s master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.

Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.

Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who “works for the White House.”

Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the president’s elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso County’s election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.

Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasn’t under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.

Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didn’t return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.

“We don’t disclose every single conversation we have with them,” an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.

Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.

While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, it’s also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerk’s office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the county’s Dominion machines.

“I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, ‘No, we’re going to follow the law,’” Crane said.

The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government “has been muddied up it seems,” Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then “represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.”

Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trump’s elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task force’s efforts in an advisory role.

“I said absolutely I will advise,” Guynes said. “I said I’m frankly glad that they’re finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.”

As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2 — after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants&nbsp;provided a driver’s license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.

Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.

“We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws,” Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.

More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trump’s elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.

In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.

The email echoes the language in Trump’s elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.

The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal “election integrity laws” in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.

Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.

“With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections,” Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.

Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jshorman@stateline.org">jshorman@stateline.org</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/3/1709323737405.png" alt="Fire photo (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Fire photo (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>The sweeping requests raise fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information</h2>By:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/jonathan-shorman/">Jonathan Shorman</a> <a href="https://stateline.org/">Stateline</a>The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking the voter registration lists of several states — representing data on millions of Americans — and other election information ahead of the 2026 midterms, raising fears about how the Trump administration plans to use the information.The DOJ is also demanding Colorado turn over all records related to the 2024 election, a massive trove of documents that could include ballots and even voting equipment. The Colorado inquiry, the most sweeping publicly known request, underscores the extent of the administration’s attention on state election activities.At least nine states have received requests for information over the past three months, according to letters from the DOJ obtained by Stateline. Some states also received emails from a DOJ official last week asking for meetings to discuss information-sharing agreements.The department’s focus on elections comes after President Donald Trump directed U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in March to seek information about suspected election crimes from state election officials and empowered her to potentially withhold grants and other funds from uncooperative states.For years, Trump has advanced false claims about elections, including the idea that the 2020 election that he lost was stolen. Now back in power, his administration is taking a new level of interest in how states — and even local authorities — administer elections.Last week, a political operative approached several Republican county clerks in Colorado to enlist them in election integrity efforts in light of Trump’s sweeping March executive order overhauling elections administration. One clerk told Stateline the operative claimed to represent the White House.“Whatever the Trump administration tries to pull is very unlikely to be successful,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said in an interview, calling Colorado elections very secure. “With that said, do I think they are trying to undermine our elections at large in this country? Absolutely.”DOJ has sent letters to Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, in addition to the request to Colorado.The letters have typically asked election officials to describe how they register voters and work to identify duplicate registrations and individuals not eligible to vote, such as people with felony convictions and those who have died. The Washington Post earlier Wednesday reported on the letters; Votebeat and NPR previously reported on some of the letters as well.Most letters also ask about each state’s process for flagging noncitizen applicants. Noncitizen voting is against federal law and incredibly rare, but Trump and his allies have promoted false claims about its prevalence. The Trump administration is also conducting a general crackdown on illegal immigration.The letters call on election officials to turn over voter registration lists, which in some instances contain data on millions of residents in their states. This request has raised the most concerns, with some experts saying it’s unclear exactly why the DOJ wants the information.“They don’t make much sense as law enforcement investigations. That makes me think that there’s some other purpose,” said Justin Levitt, who served as senior policy adviser for democracy and voting rights in the Biden White House and is now a law professor at Loyola Marymount University.While many states make their voter registration lists available to the public, Levitt emphasized the data could still be largely off-limits to the federal government. Federal privacy law sometimes restricts how the government can use data that’s publicly obtainable. The DOJ may need voter information in some individual circumstances, but “that’s not blanket permission to go vacuuming up data.”The DOJ didn’t respond to questions for this story.Federal laws restrict the federal government’s ability to centralize information on Americans, said David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election Innovation &amp; Research. Even if states provide voter registration information to the public, they often redact sensitive information.In Orange County, California, the DOJ sued local election officials in June, seeking unredacted voter registration information, such as Social Security numbers and driver’s licenses, as part of an investigation into noncitizen voting.More than 350 election officials from some 33 states participated in a conference call about federal actions on Monday hosted by Becker, who was previously an attorney in the DOJ Voting Rights Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. He said the interest in the call shows the level of uncertainty and anxiety over the current “federal imposition” on election administrators.“The DOJ seems dead set on acquiring personal information on voters, including driver’s license numbers, Social Security numbers and dates of birth — records that are highly protected under federal law and under state law and which state election officials are sworn to protect,” Becker said.<h2>Sweeping Colorado requests</h2>In Colorado, the amount of data the DOJ wants is enormous. On May 12, Harmeet Dhillon, an assistant U.S. attorney general in the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, sent a letter to Griswold, the secretary of state, asking for access to “all records” related to the 2024 election.Federal law requires state election officials to preserve records related to elections for 22 months. Typically, the rule ensures records are preserved in case any lawsuits are filed over an election. In the letter, Dhillon referred to a complaint against Griswold’s office alleging noncompliance with records retention laws, but provided no details.Experts on election administration who spoke to Stateline expressed shock at the scope of the demand to Colorado. The request encompasses a vast trove of material, potentially including ballots.“The amount of records being requested from a place like Colorado … it’s really, really significant in terms of the volume of materials that are required to be retained,” said Neal Ubriani, a former voting rights litigator at the DOJ during the Obama and first Trump administrations and the current policy and research director at the nonpartisan Institute for Responsive Government.Colorado elections have previously drawn Trump’s attention. Former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, a staunch Trump supporter, is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a conviction in state court for allowing unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2021.On May 5 of this year — a week before the Dhillon letter to Griswold — Trump posted on social media that Peters should be released, calling her a “political prisoner.” Griswold noted the timing.“I think the bigger picture is Donald Trump is continuing to try and rewrite the 2020 election and destabilize the ’26 and ’28 elections,” Griswold told Stateline.The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office responded to the DOJ by providing copies of the state’s master voter file and voter history file. All of the information provided is also available to the public.Some Colorado Republican county clerks in recent days have also been approached by Jeff Small, a political operative who worked at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the first Trump administration. Stateline and Colorado Newsline spoke to three GOP clerks who said they had spoken to Small last week.Steve Schleiker, clerk of El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs and is the most populous county in the state, said that on July 9 he received a text and call from Small, who introduced himself in a voicemail as someone who “works for the White House.”Schleiker said that when he called back, Small said he wanted to build relationships with clerks because the Trump administration was unhappy with progress on the president’s elections executive order. He later connected Schleiker with a Homeland Security official who wanted to test the security of El Paso County’s election systems, said Schleiker, who added that he opposed the request.Weld County Clerk Carly Koppes said she also heard from Small, but that Small told her he wasn’t under contract or being paid for the calls. Small indicated he was making the calls on behalf of former colleagues, Koppes said.Small, a former Capitol Hill chief of staff who now works for a Colorado-based government affairs firm, didn’t return a call to his office on Wednesday. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the agency works with local partners to ensure elections remain safe.“We don’t disclose every single conversation we have with them,” an unidentified DHS spokesperson wrote in an email.Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said he was aware of 10 clerks approached by Small. He noted that every clerk approached by Small hails from a county that uses Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems.While Dominion is widely used in Colorado, it’s also been the subject of election conspiracy theories. A former candidate for county sheriff in southwest Colorado was arrested in June, accused of firebombing a clerk’s office. Colorado Public Radio reported the suspect, according to law enforcement, had spoken publicly about trying to get rid of the county’s Dominion machines.“I think the really important thing to say here is that it was Republican clerks who stood up to a Republican administration and said, ‘No, we’re going to follow the law,’” Crane said.The intent of the efforts by Small and the federal government “has been muddied up it seems,” Montrose County Clerk Tressa Guynes said. Based on her conversations with other clerks, she said, it appeared Small represented one thing to other clerks and then “represented maybe a watered-down version by the time it got to me.”Guynes said Small wanted to discuss Trump’s elections executive order. She said Small asked whether she would be willing to support a federal task force’s efforts in an advisory role.“I said absolutely I will advise,” Guynes said. “I said I’m frankly glad that they’re finally reaching out to the boots on the ground, the people who actually conduct the elections, instead of listening to those who have never conducted a Colorado election.”<h2>Letters to other states</h2>As Colorado grapples with the most far-reaching request, other states are choosing how to respond. In Wisconsin, the state election commission responded to a DOJ request for the voter registration list with instructions on how to request public voter data.Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, a Democrat, responded on June 2 — after DOJ in a May 20 letter told the state to ensure voter registration applicants&nbsp;provided a driver’s license number, if they have one, instead of a partial Social Security number. The DOJ also wanted Arizona to check voters against a state database to look for noncitizens.Fontes replied that Arizona complies with federal law and conducts checks using a state motor vehicle division database.“We are focused on dealing with DOJ in a good faith manner while ensuring we are following the letter of federal and state laws,” Fontes spokesperson JP Martin wrote in an email to Stateline.More recently, Arizona received a letter July 10 from DOJ about implementation of Trump’s elections executive order. Rhode Island Democratic Secretary of State Gregg Amore also received an email about the order the same day, according to a copy provided to the Rhode Island Current.In the email, Scott Laragy, principal deputy director in the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, asks for a call to discuss a possible information-sharing agreement to provide DOJ with information on individuals who have registered to vote or have voted despite being ineligible, or those who have committed other forms of election fraud.The email echoes the language in Trump’s elections executive order, which calls for DOJ to reach information-sharing agreements with states. While much of the order, which focused on proof of citizenship in elections, has been struck down in federal court, provisions related to information sharing remain.The executive order directs Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, to prioritize enforcement of federal “election integrity laws” in uncooperative states. It also requires her to review grants and other DOJ funds that could be withheld from states that resist.Some states have already struck deals with the Trump administration. Indiana Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales announced an agreement last week with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services allowing the state to access a database to verify the citizenship of registered voters. Alabama Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen has signed a similar agreement.“With your cooperation, we plan to use this information to enforce Federal election laws and protect the integrity of Federal elections,” Laragy wrote to Rhode Island.Janine Weisman of the Rhode Island Current and Lindsey Toomer of Colorado Newsline contributed to this report. Stateline reporter Jonathan Shorman can be reached at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:jshorman@stateline.org">jshorman@stateline.org</a>.

Trump’s DOJ wants states to turn over voter lists, election info

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 1:15p.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to a convenience store located at the intersection of Truman and Brooklyn, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez.

 Upon officers, arriving on scene, two adult male victims were located inside of the business suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma and unresponsive. Officers immediately began to render medical aid until EMS personnel could respond to take over. EMS pronounced both victims deceased on scene.

We do not have any preliminary information at this time indicating what lead up to the shooting. An adult male subject of interest was located on scene and taken into custody for further investigation by responding officers. This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police released no additioanl details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753093316841.png" alt="Photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement are investigating a double-homicide in Kansas City.Just after 1:15p.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to a convenience store located at the intersection of Truman and Brooklyn, according to&nbsp;Officer Alayna Gonzalez. Upon officers, arriving on scene, two adult male victims were located inside of the business suffering from apparent, gunshot trauma and unresponsive. Officers immediately began to render medical aid until EMS personnel could respond to take over. EMS pronounced both victims deceased on scene.We do not have any preliminary information at this time indicating what lead up to the shooting. An adult male subject of interest was located on scene and taken into custody for further investigation by responding officers. This incident is being investigated as a homicide. Police released no additioanl details.

KCPD: Two dead in convenience store shooting

Washington, D.C. --&nbsp;The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bestway (Hong Kong) International Ltd. (China) and Bestway (USA) Inc. (Chandler, Arizona) (Bestway), Intex Recreation Corp. (Long Beach, California) and Polygroup North America Inc. &nbsp;(El Paso, Texas) are announcing the recall of about 5 million 48-inch and taller above-ground pools that use compression straps. These straps wrap around the pool on the outside of the supporting poles, and may create a foothold, allowing a child to access the pool and drown.

<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721">Click here for additional information.</a>

Children can still gain access to the pools using these footholds even if the ladder is removed.&nbsp;

CPSC believes that nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old have drowned&nbsp;

after gaining access to the pools via the footholds. The incidents occurred in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri between 2007 and 2022.

CPSC is also aware of three other incidents in 2011 and 2012 where children who gained access to the recalled pools were reported to have previously used the compression strap to gain entry to the pool.

Consumers should immediately contact Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup to receive a free repair kit consisting of a rope that attaches to each of the vertical support poles at the ground level and wraps around the pool. The rope will maintain the structural integrity of the pool (a function previously served by the compression strap). Consumers should first secure the repair and then cut and remove the compression strap from the pool.&nbsp;

The pool brand names and model numbers are printed on the pool liner on the outside of the pool. Pool models of 48 inches and taller that are included in this recall are listed below:

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753114668088.png" alt="-Example of child using the compression strap to stand on above-ground pool, illustrating the hazard involved.-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission" />
 <figcaption>-Example of child using the compression strap to stand on above-ground pool, illustrating the hazard involved.-photo Consumer Product Safety Commission</figcaption>
 </figure>Washington, D.C. --&nbsp;The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bestway (Hong Kong) International Ltd. (China) and Bestway (USA) Inc. (Chandler, Arizona) (Bestway), Intex Recreation Corp. (Long Beach, California) and Polygroup North America Inc. &nbsp;(El Paso, Texas) are announcing the recall of about 5 million 48-inch and taller above-ground pools that use compression straps. These straps wrap around the pool on the outside of the supporting poles, and may create a foothold, allowing a child to access the pool and drown.<a href="https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Bestway-Intex-and-Polygroup-Recall-Certain-Above-Ground-Pools-48-Inches-and-Taller-Due-to-Drowning-Hazard-Nine-Deaths-Reported-Five-Million-Pools-Sold-Since-2002?utm_campaign=&amp;utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=20250721">Click here for additional information.</a>Children can still gain access to the pools using these footholds even if the ladder is removed.&nbsp;CPSC believes that nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old have drowned&nbsp;after gaining access to the pools via the footholds. The incidents occurred in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri between 2007 and 2022.CPSC is also aware of three other incidents in 2011 and 2012 where children who gained access to the recalled pools were reported to have previously used the compression strap to gain entry to the pool.Consumers should immediately contact Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup to receive a free repair kit consisting of a rope that attaches to each of the vertical support poles at the ground level and wraps around the pool. The rope will maintain the structural integrity of the pool (a function previously served by the compression strap). Consumers should first secure the repair and then cut and remove the compression strap from the pool.&nbsp;The pool brand names and model numbers are printed on the pool liner on the outside of the pool. Pool models of 48 inches and taller that are included in this recall are listed below:

Millions of above ground pools under recall after reports of 9 deaths

Kansas Task Force 1 continues to operate, clearing primary search areas and identifying concerns for targeted searches, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.

&nbsp;Searchers were on foot, used dones or ATVs. The primary search area remained away from the river in the flood inundation zone. The local community support for Kansas-Task Force 1 has been outstanding. Most onsite needs have been provided to the Task Force except for fuel. On Saturday, the day started early as the squads continued their expanded groundwork. When the squads departed Saturday night, their Division was reduced to three targeted searches for Sunday. Kerr County posted on their official website that the number of Kerr County missing was reduced to 3. The following was a comment on one of the posts about Kansas-Task Force 1's deployment. 

 “As Texans, we are so grateful for the help with this devastation. Our daughter brought some HERO bracelets to your finest crews and they were so beyond sweet about it. Bright lights in dark times are so important. We are just so grateful. Thank you for sending help.” - Chelsea Ellenwood

CrabtreeKSFM support staff on the deployment indicated that the highlight on Saturday was the 9-year-old who made friendship bracelets to hand out to team members. There were 50 bracelets to begin with, and she ran out, hoping to be able to make more and bring them to the squad members. On Sunday, the field squads worked the three targeted search areas with K9 assistance and chainsaw teams with heavy equipment available if needed.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753094635682.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Kansas Task Force 1 continues to operate, clearing primary search areas and identifying concerns for targeted searches, according to a statement from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management.&nbsp;Searchers were on foot, used dones or ATVs. The primary search area remained away from the river in the flood inundation zone. The local community support for Kansas-Task Force 1 has been outstanding. Most onsite needs have been provided to the Task Force except for fuel. On Saturday, the day started early as the squads continued their expanded groundwork. When the squads departed Saturday night, their Division was reduced to three targeted searches for Sunday. Kerr County posted on their official website that the number of Kerr County missing was reduced to 3. The following was a comment on one of the posts about Kansas-Task Force 1's deployment. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753094653515.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> “As Texans, we are so grateful for the help with this devastation. Our daughter brought some HERO bracelets to your finest crews and they were so beyond sweet about it. Bright lights in dark times are so important. We are just so grateful. Thank you for sending help.” - Chelsea Ellenwood<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753094616682.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>CrabtreeKSFM support staff on the deployment indicated that the highlight on Saturday was the 9-year-old who made friendship bracelets to hand out to team members. There were 50 bracelets to begin with, and she ran out, hoping to be able to make more and bring them to the squad members. On Sunday, the field squads worked the three targeted search areas with K9 assistance and chainsaw teams with heavy equipment available if needed.

Texans show appreciation for Kansas swift-water rescue team

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after a man was found dead Sunday morning at Big Eleven Lake in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Wyandotte County Sheriff.

Just after 10a.m., deputies responded to reports of an unresponsive person in the lake, according to a media release.

The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department helped remove the body from the water. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name.

WYANDOTTE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating after a man was found dead Sunday morning at Big Eleven Lake in Kansas City, Kansas, according to the Wyandotte County Sheriff.Just after 10a.m., deputies responded to reports of an unresponsive person in the lake, according to a media release.The Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department helped remove the body from the water. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released his name.

Police: Body of man pulled from Kansas lake

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement have identified the two men involved in a deadly shooting Thursday night at Edgewood Homes in Lawrence that left two people dead and a woman critically injured.

Just after 8 p.m.&nbsp; police responded to a shooting call at 1600 Haskell Avenue, according to Police spokesman Laura McCabe.&nbsp; First responders found 21-year-old Javien Hardin inside a vehicle from a gunshot wound.

Police found 24-year-old Donavon Deleon with what officers believe a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 22-year-old Lawrence woman was also found with life-threatening injuries. She remains in critical condition.

Police said they believe Deleon and the woman had recently ended a relationship. Detectives said the woman arrived home to find Deleon inside her home. After a confrontation, she ran to a vehicle occupied by Hardin.

According to police, Deleon allegedly shot and killed Hardin, then shot the woman before taking his own life. Both men who died were from Lawrence.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Police continue investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday evening at Edgewood Homes, 1600 Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, which resulted in the deaths of two men and left a woman with life-threatening injuries.

 At approximately 8:05 p.m., police responded to the scene following multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe.

 At least one caller reported a man running through the parking lot firing a weapon. Upon arrival, officers located three people: a 21-year-old man from Lawrence, dead inside a vehicle from an apparent gunshot wound; a 24-year-old Lawrence man, dead on the ground nearby from what police believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound; and a 22-year-old Lawrence woman suffering from critical injuries as a result of being shot. She was transported to an area trauma center by helicopter for emergency treatment. She remained hospitalized with critical injuries. A preliminary investigation indicates that the deceased male suspect and the female victim had recently ended a relationship, and the woman arrived home to find the suspect in her residence. 

After an altercation inside the residence, she fled to a nearby vehicle where the 21-year-old man was waiting. The suspect then allegedly approached the vehicle and fatally shot the man in the truck before pursuing and shooting the woman as she ran away. 

The suspect is believed to have then taken his own life near the injured victim.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement have identified the two men involved in a deadly shooting Thursday night at Edgewood Homes in Lawrence that left two people dead and a woman critically injured.Just after 8 p.m.&nbsp; police responded to a shooting call at 1600 Haskell Avenue, according to Police spokesman Laura McCabe.&nbsp; First responders found 21-year-old Javien Hardin inside a vehicle from a gunshot wound.Police found 24-year-old Donavon Deleon with what officers believe a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 22-year-old Lawrence woman was also found with life-threatening injuries. She remains in critical condition.Police said they believe Deleon and the woman had recently ended a relationship. Detectives said the woman arrived home to find Deleon inside her home. After a confrontation, she ran to a vehicle occupied by Hardin.According to police, Deleon allegedly shot and killed Hardin, then shot the woman before taking his own life. Both men who died were from Lawrence.----------------DOUGLAS COUNTY —Police continue investigating a shooting that occurred Thursday evening at Edgewood Homes, 1600 Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, which resulted in the deaths of two men and left a woman with life-threatening injuries. At approximately 8:05 p.m., police responded to the scene following multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire, according to police spokesperson Laura McCabe. At least one caller reported a man running through the parking lot firing a weapon. Upon arrival, officers located three people: a 21-year-old man from Lawrence, dead inside a vehicle from an apparent gunshot wound; a 24-year-old Lawrence man, dead on the ground nearby from what police believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound; and a 22-year-old Lawrence woman suffering from critical injuries as a result of being shot. She was transported to an area trauma center by helicopter for emergency treatment. She remained hospitalized with critical injuries. A preliminary investigation indicates that the deceased male suspect and the female victim had recently ended a relationship, and the woman arrived home to find the suspect in her residence. After an altercation inside the residence, she fled to a nearby vehicle where the 21-year-old man was waiting. The suspect then allegedly approached the vehicle and fatally shot the man in the truck before pursuing and shooting the woman as she ran away. The suspect is believed to have then taken his own life near the injured victim.

Domestic violence: Police ID victims who died in Kansas shooting

Conservative legislator joins crowded GOP field ahead of 2026 primary

By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson on Sunday became the latest prominent Republican to plunge into the 2026 campaign for governor.

Masterson, who has held the top leadership post in the state Senate since 2021, joined a field of candidates that included Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and former Gov. Jeff Colyer. They GOP primary is set for August 2026. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly can’t seek a third term.

“Tangling with Laura Kelly these last few years has taught me I can only do so much from the position I’m in,” Masterson said in an announcement video. “Big change comes from the big seat. It’s time to take the fight to the status quo.”

In the video, Masterson took credit for work in the Legislature on a $2 billion reduction in state taxes and improvements to election security. He said he advanced bills forbidding transgender health care for minors and blocking transgender individuals from taking part in sports teams designated for girls or women. He said he devoted himself to getting the “woke ideology off our college campuses.”

He said Kansas needed a governor capable of reducing property taxes, lowering crime and addressing excessive spending by state government.

“President Trump is breaking the ice dam on the federal bureaucracy,” Masterson said. “We need to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to bring the Kansas economy roaring back and prevent things that are holding us back.”

Masterson, 55, of Andover, has served in the Kansas Senate since 2009 and previously was a member of the Kansas House. He was reelected to another four-year Senate term in 2024 while earning 65% of the vote in his district. That meant he could run for statewide office in 2026 without giving up his seat in the Legislature.

Schwab, the secretary of state and a former member of the Kansas House, greeted Masterson’s announcement by saying Kansas voters deserved “a robust airing of the issues that face our state that the next governor will have to address.” Schwab said Republicans had to nominate a candidate capable of winning.

Masterson has sought to be a conservative counterpoint to Kelly’s vision of centrist governance by mustering votes to override her vetoes, expanding state regulation of abortion and opposing broadening access to Medicaid health services for lower-income Kansans.

The Senate president endorsed diversion of state tax dollars to private education and championed placement on 2026 ballots an amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would allow direct election of Kansas Supreme Court justices. He advocated replacing the state’s three-tier income tax structure with a single tax rate regardless of income. Kansas has adopted a two-rate system.

Masterson placed significance on deepening the Republican supermajority in the House and Senate to help blunt Kelly’s policy agenda. Before the 2025 session of the Legislature, he also collaborated with House Speaker Dan Hawkins of Wichita to reduce Kelly’s influence over state budget recommendations.

At the same time, Masterson has spoken about his ability to work collaboratively with the Democratic governor.

“While we’ve certainly had our differences, I’ve been pleased with our ability to work together across an array of issues,” he said in a January rebuttal to Kelly’s State of the State speech to the Legislature. “While the controversial differences certainly garner the most headlines, the vast majority of our work is bipartisan in nature, and that’s a good thing.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753064640882.png" alt="Ty Masterson announced his run for governor -courtesy image" />
 <figcaption>Ty Masterson announced his run for governor -courtesy image</figcaption>
 </figure>Conservative legislator joins crowded GOP field ahead of 2026 primaryBy&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson on Sunday became the latest prominent Republican to plunge into the 2026 campaign for governor.Masterson, who has held the top leadership post in the state Senate since 2021, joined a field of candidates that included Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and former Gov. Jeff Colyer. They GOP primary is set for August 2026. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly can’t seek a third term.“Tangling with Laura Kelly these last few years has taught me I can only do so much from the position I’m in,” Masterson said in an announcement video. “Big change comes from the big seat. It’s time to take the fight to the status quo.”In the video, Masterson took credit for work in the Legislature on a $2 billion reduction in state taxes and improvements to election security. He said he advanced bills forbidding transgender health care for minors and blocking transgender individuals from taking part in sports teams designated for girls or women. He said he devoted himself to getting the “woke ideology off our college campuses.”He said Kansas needed a governor capable of reducing property taxes, lowering crime and addressing excessive spending by state government.“President Trump is breaking the ice dam on the federal bureaucracy,” Masterson said. “We need to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to bring the Kansas economy roaring back and prevent things that are holding us back.”Masterson, 55, of Andover, has served in the Kansas Senate since 2009 and previously was a member of the Kansas House. He was reelected to another four-year Senate term in 2024 while earning 65% of the vote in his district. That meant he could run for statewide office in 2026 without giving up his seat in the Legislature.Schwab, the secretary of state and a former member of the Kansas House, greeted Masterson’s announcement by saying Kansas voters deserved “a robust airing of the issues that face our state that the next governor will have to address.” Schwab said Republicans had to nominate a candidate capable of winning.Masterson has sought to be a conservative counterpoint to Kelly’s vision of centrist governance by mustering votes to override her vetoes, expanding state regulation of abortion and opposing broadening access to Medicaid health services for lower-income Kansans.The Senate president endorsed diversion of state tax dollars to private education and championed placement on 2026 ballots an amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would allow direct election of Kansas Supreme Court justices. He advocated replacing the state’s three-tier income tax structure with a single tax rate regardless of income. Kansas has adopted a two-rate system.Masterson placed significance on deepening the Republican supermajority in the House and Senate to help blunt Kelly’s policy agenda. Before the 2025 session of the Legislature, he also collaborated with House Speaker Dan Hawkins of Wichita to reduce Kelly’s influence over state budget recommendations.At the same time, Masterson has spoken about his ability to work collaboratively with the Democratic governor.“While we’ve certainly had our differences, I’ve been pleased with our ability to work together across an array of issues,” he said in a January rebuttal to Kelly’s State of the State speech to the Legislature. “While the controversial differences certainly garner the most headlines, the vast majority of our work is bipartisan in nature, and that’s a good thing.”In that speech, he celebrated election of Trump in 2024 and viewed the president’s victory in Kansas as a mandate to “put Kansans first, control the overreach of government and keep our promises.” Masterson said that included a pledge to lower property taxes. “For too long it’s just been a political talking point,” he said.During the 2024 and 2025 legislative sessions, however, the GOP leadership placed emphasis on reducing state income taxes and eliminating the state’s sales tax on groceries.