KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces a charge of Animal Abuse, an E felony, in connection with a dog's abuse and death in October 2022, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Ryan R. Jackson, 30, faces Property Damage 1st Degree and Animal Abuse.

According to court records, in October 2022, Kansas City police were dispatched to a residence on a disturbance. Officers were told by a caller that the defendant had just told him that he had messed up the caller's home and harmed his dog, named Rom. 

Officers on the scene observed a white and grey bulldog in the roadway. The dog had numerous injuries and was bleeding from the mouth and face. The dog was unable to move. The dog later succumbed to his injuries. Inside the residence, officers found heavy damage. Kitchen cabinets were ripped out of the wall.

KC Pet Project responded to the scene of the dog's abuse and transported the injured animal to Blue Pearl Emergency Animal Hospital for treatment.

The animal abuses charges were filed in April 2023. An arrest warrant was signed June 22. The following day, Jackson was involved in a fatal shooting near 10th and Locust in Downtown Kansas City. Jackson faces charges of Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action in that case and is being held without bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688215396434.png" alt="Jackson is being held without bond in Jackson County Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Jackson is being held without bond in Jackson County Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces a charge of Animal Abuse, an E felony, in connection with a dog's abuse and death in October 2022, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Ryan R. Jackson, 30, faces Property Damage 1st Degree and Animal Abuse.According to court records, in October 2022, Kansas City police were dispatched to a residence on a disturbance. Officers were told by a caller that the defendant had just told him that he had messed up the caller's home and harmed his dog, named Rom. Officers on the scene observed a white and grey bulldog in the roadway. The dog had numerous injuries and was bleeding from the mouth and face. The dog was unable to move. The dog later succumbed to his injuries. Inside the residence, officers found heavy damage. Kitchen cabinets were ripped out of the wall.KC Pet Project responded to the scene of the dog's abuse and transported the injured animal to Blue Pearl Emergency Animal Hospital for treatment.The animal abuses charges were filed in April 2023. An arrest warrant was signed June 22. The following day, Jackson was involved in a fatal shooting near 10th and Locust in Downtown Kansas City. Jackson faces charges of Murder 2nd Degree and Armed Criminal Action in that case and is being held without bond.

Murder suspect also accused in deadly abuse of dog

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man found guilty of murdering his twin brother and his sister-in-law has been sentenced for the crime.

District Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced Luis Alvarado-Meraz, 33 of Wichita, to life without parole, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

On January 14, 2015, Alvarado-Meraz shot his brother 24-year-old Manuel and Manuel’s wife 22-year-old Lucero Rodriquez.

 Alvarado-Meraz was found guilty of capital murder on October 5, 2018.

The delay in sentencing was the result of the filing of multiple post-trial motions which required days of evidentiary hearings over the course of several years. Ultimately, the defendant’s motion for a new trial was denied over four years after he was convicted at trial.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688071148693.png" alt="Alvarado-Meraz-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Alvarado-Meraz-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man found guilty of murdering his twin brother and his sister-in-law has been sentenced for the crime.District Judge Jeffrey Goering sentenced Luis Alvarado-Meraz, 33 of Wichita, to life without parole, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.On January 14, 2015, Alvarado-Meraz shot his brother 24-year-old Manuel and Manuel’s wife 22-year-old Lucero Rodriquez. Alvarado-Meraz was found guilty of capital murder on October 5, 2018.The delay in sentencing was the result of the filing of multiple post-trial motions which required days of evidentiary hearings over the course of several years. Ultimately, the defendant’s motion for a new trial was denied over four years after he was convicted at trial.

Kan. man found guilty of murder in 2018 finally sentenced 

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly gunfight that left a teen dead.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 block of North Glendale in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.

Officers arrived on the scene and located a 17-year-old victim unconscious and not breathing with several gunshot wounds to his upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived.

The teen was pronounced deceased at the scene.

While officers were processing the scene a 21-year-old male victim arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his hand. The 21-year-old victim had serious but non-life-threatening injuries. 

The 21- year-old victim was treated by medical staff and dismissed from the hospital and transported to investigations for further questioning.

Detectives learned that the 17-year-old and the 21-year-old had an encounter before multiple shots were fired. Police did not report an arrest or additional details early Sunday.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688315722286.png" alt="First responders at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>First responders at the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a deadly gunfight that left a teen dead.At approximately 6:30 p.m. Saturday, officers were dispatched to report of a shooting in the 900 block of North Glendale in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo.Officers arrived on the scene and located a 17-year-old victim unconscious and not breathing with several gunshot wounds to his upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived.The teen was pronounced deceased at the scene.While officers were processing the scene a 21-year-old male victim arrived at a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his hand. The 21-year-old victim had serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The 21- year-old victim was treated by medical staff and dismissed from the hospital and transported to investigations for further questioning.Detectives learned that the 17-year-old and the 21-year-old had an encounter before multiple shots were fired. Police did not report an arrest or additional details early Sunday.

Police: 17-year-old dead after gunfight in Wichita

SEDGWICK—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting inside a Wichita nightclub.

Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police responded to a club in the 200 Block of North Washington in Old Town, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses on Wichita Police Department social media near the scene of the investigation.

There were seven people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp; Police have one person in custody.

The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police have also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.

The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses.

Sedgwick County EMS transported five of the victims to area hospitals. Private vehicles transported two others to the hospital.

Wichita Police requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to assist with the investigation.

Police encouraged the public to avoid the Old Town area near Washington Street for most of the day as the investigation continues.

"Seven people were shot and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club."

There were no fatalities, but there was one critical injury. All the victims were being treated at area hospitals, according Moses. The victims range in age from 21-34 years.

One person was detained by police for questioning, Moses said.

Police encouraged the public to avoid the Old Town area near Washington Street for most of the day as the investigation continues.&nbsp;

Wichita Police, the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department, EMS and Wichita Fire Department all responded to the incident.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688300318332.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation early Sunday -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation early Sunday -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting inside a Wichita nightclub.Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police responded to a club in the 200 Block of North Washington in Old Town, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses on Wichita Police Department social media near the scene of the investigation.There were seven people with gunshot wounds and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club.&nbsp; Police have one person in custody.The investigation indicates there were at least four firearms discharged inside the club. Police have also seized an additional four firearms as part of the investigation.The shooting victims included a 21-year-old man, 26-year-old man, 24-year-old woman, 34-year-old man, 21-year-old woman, 30-year-old man, 24-year-old man. The traumatic injury victims were a 31-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man, according to Moses.Sedgwick County EMS transported five of the victims to area hospitals. Private vehicles transported two others to the hospital.Wichita Police requested the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to assist with the investigation.Police encouraged the public to avoid the Old Town area near Washington Street for most of the day as the investigation continues.-------------SEDGWICK—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting inside a Wichita nightclub.Just before 1a.m. Sunday, police responded to a club in the 200 Block of North Washington in Old Town, according to Police Lt. Aaron Moses on Wichita Police Department social media near the scene of the investigation."Seven people were shot and two people were trampled during the mass exodus out of the club."There were no fatalities, but there was one critical injury. All the victims were being treated at area hospitals, according Moses. The victims range in age from 21-34 years.One person was detained by police for questioning, Moses said.Police encouraged the public to avoid the Old Town area near Washington Street for most of the day as the investigation continues.&nbsp;Wichita Police, the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Department, EMS and Wichita Fire Department all responded to the incident.

1 in custody: 9 hospitalized after shooting at Kan. night club

By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids grabbed a shovel and flipped a chunk of dirt with state and local officials to mark the start of a $61 million road project in support of the 4,000-job Panasonic Energy electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant.

The state’s Eisenhower transportation construction fund and required matching contributions from municipal government were earmarked to address a 4.5-mile stretch of road needed to handle the surge in traffic around the manufacturing plant. The goal is to finish in 2024 conversion of a two-lane asphalt road to a divided four-lane roadway with curb, gutter and sidewalks near the Kansas 10 building site.

“Folks traveling to the Panasonic plant in the future will be able to do so safely and efficiently,” said Davids, a Democrat who serves the 3rd District that includes the Panasonic location. “Panasonic’s $4 billion investment is a game changer for our community, but we must make sure our public systems, from housing to education to infrastructure, can keep up with this growth.”

She was joined at the event Thursday by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Gov. Laura Kelly, De Soto Mayor Rick Walker, Johnson County assistant manager Aaron Otto, Clarkson Construction president Bill Clarkson, and Allan Swan, deputy leader of Panasonic’s Global Mobility Energy Division.

“This project is a testament to the state, county and city working together to invest in the success of Panasonic and attract new businesses to the area,” Moran said.

Davids said the photo-opportunity ceremony was a physical reminder of the elevated level of coordination necessary to make the best use of massive private and public investment in the Johnson County battery plant.

In May, Davids initiated a series of conversations among local officials, community leaders and federal administrators with community development expertise relevant to the Panasonic project. The first in the series involved Angela Belden Martinez, regional director for U.S. Economic Development Association’s office in Denver.

Davids said the objective was to build bridges so local officials had the best opportunity to learn about and secure federal aid. Sometimes, she said, cities and counties didn’t learn about availability of federal funding until it was too late to apply or experienced frustration with the cumbersome application process.

The Economic Development Association, for example, could support city governments with project planning grants, Davids said.

“I’m doing everything I can to make sure the federal government is an active partner in moving this project forward,” she said. “One of the key ways I can do that is by convening national, regional and local stakeholders to keep things on track.”

Kelly said the Panasonic project announced one year ago represented the largest private investment in Kansas history. The state of Kansas, through a series of economic development programs, was expected to provide about $800 million in incentives to Panasonic.

“This De Soto project is one more example of why Kansas is truly a winning investment for companies small, large and mega-sized,” the governor said. “Kansas is delivering the transportation infrastructure improvements needed to support the Panasonic facility during its construction and to serve employees, suppliers, and shippers once it is up and running.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688258712941.png" alt="U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, second from left, joined state and local officials to highlight investment of $61 million in road upgrades to serve the $4 billion Panasonic battery plant to be built in De Soto. Davids is conducting a series of meetings to bring local and federal officials together to address infrastructure, education, housing and other challenges raised by the project. (Submitted/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, second from left, joined state and local officials to highlight investment of $61 million in road upgrades to serve the $4 billion Panasonic battery plant to be built in De Soto. Davids is conducting a series of meetings to bring local and federal officials together to address infrastructure, education, housing and other challenges raised by the project. (Submitted/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids grabbed a shovel and flipped a chunk of dirt with state and local officials to mark the start of a $61 million road project in support of the 4,000-job Panasonic Energy electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant.The state’s Eisenhower transportation construction fund and required matching contributions from municipal government were earmarked to address a 4.5-mile stretch of road needed to handle the surge in traffic around the manufacturing plant. The goal is to finish in 2024 conversion of a two-lane asphalt road to a divided four-lane roadway with curb, gutter and sidewalks near the Kansas 10 building site.“Folks traveling to the Panasonic plant in the future will be able to do so safely and efficiently,” said Davids, a Democrat who serves the 3rd District that includes the Panasonic location. “Panasonic’s $4 billion investment is a game changer for our community, but we must make sure our public systems, from housing to education to infrastructure, can keep up with this growth.”She was joined at the event Thursday by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, Gov. Laura Kelly, De Soto Mayor Rick Walker, Johnson County assistant manager Aaron Otto, Clarkson Construction president Bill Clarkson, and Allan Swan, deputy leader of Panasonic’s Global Mobility Energy Division.“This project is a testament to the state, county and city working together to invest in the success of Panasonic and attract new businesses to the area,” Moran said.Davids said the photo-opportunity ceremony was a physical reminder of the elevated level of coordination necessary to make the best use of massive private and public investment in the Johnson County battery plant.In May, Davids initiated a series of conversations among local officials, community leaders and federal administrators with community development expertise relevant to the Panasonic project. The first in the series involved Angela Belden Martinez, regional director for U.S. Economic Development Association’s office in Denver.Davids said the objective was to build bridges so local officials had the best opportunity to learn about and secure federal aid. Sometimes, she said, cities and counties didn’t learn about availability of federal funding until it was too late to apply or experienced frustration with the cumbersome application process.The Economic Development Association, for example, could support city governments with project planning grants, Davids said.“I’m doing everything I can to make sure the federal government is an active partner in moving this project forward,” she said. “One of the key ways I can do that is by convening national, regional and local stakeholders to keep things on track.”Kelly said the Panasonic project announced one year ago represented the largest private investment in Kansas history. The state of Kansas, through a series of economic development programs, was expected to provide about $800 million in incentives to Panasonic.“This De Soto project is one more example of why Kansas is truly a winning investment for companies small, large and mega-sized,” the governor said. “Kansas is delivering the transportation infrastructure improvements needed to support the Panasonic facility during its construction and to serve employees, suppliers, and shippers once it is up and running.”

Kan. rep. strives to link local, federal officials in support of $4B Panasonic project

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10p.m. Saturday in Montgomery County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford F550 driven by Gaylan D. Hamilton, 71, Elk City, was responding to a medical call with emergency lights activated, northbound on Franklin Street

The vehicle made a wide turn and struck 72-year-old Victoria L. Eddington of Elk City who sitting in her chair on the west side of&nbsp; the street.

She was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other injuries reported.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY—One person died in an accident just before 10p.m. Saturday in Montgomery County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2004 Ford F550 driven by Gaylan D. Hamilton, 71, Elk City, was responding to a medical call with emergency lights activated, northbound on Franklin StreetThe vehicle made a wide turn and struck 72-year-old Victoria L. Eddington of Elk City who sitting in her chair on the west side of&nbsp; the street.She was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other injuries reported.

Kan. woman dies after struck by vehicle responding to emergency call

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Makia Green believes she benefited from a program that gave preference to students of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds when she was admitted over a decade ago to the University of Rochester.

As a borrower who still owes just over $20,000 on her undergraduate student loans, she had been counting on President Joe Biden's promised debt relief to wipe nearly all of that away.

Now, the student loan cancellation plan has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court</a>, which on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">struck down affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions. Both policies disproportionately help Black students. To Green and many other people of color, the efforts to roll them back reflect a larger backlash to racial progress in higher education.

“I feel like working people have been through enough — I have been through enough,” said Green, a community organizer. “From a pandemic, an uprising, a recession, the cost of living price going up. I deserved some relief.”

The rulings could also have political consequences among a generation of young voters of color who took Biden at his word when he campaigned on canceling debt.

“Despite today’s upsetting ruling, we demand that the Biden Administration delivers on the promise of student loan debt relief,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson, in a statement. “Education has long been regarded as a path toward generational wealth, economic liberation, and securing the American dream. Let’s be clear — student debt is killing that dream.”

The president's plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">forgave up to $10,000</a>&nbsp;in federal student debt for borrowers, and doubled the debt relief to $20,000 for borrowers who also received Pell Grants. About half of the average debt held by Black and Hispanic borrowers would have been wiped out, according to the White House.

Six Republican-led states filed a legal challenge questioning whether the president, a Democrat, had authority to forgive the debt. On Friday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">Supreme Court held</a>&nbsp;the administration needed Congress’ endorsement before undertaking so costly a program.

In the affirmative action cases, the court was considering the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-college-admissions-affirmative-action-196ab930c799bcdc8b2a4a220641dd48">race-conscious admissions policies</a>&nbsp;that many selective colleges have used for decades to help build diversity on their campuses. The cases were brought by a conservative activist who argues the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions.

Together, the cases are crushing to Black Americans, the Rev. Al Sharpton said.

“The reality is race plays a factor in admissions, from pre-K to post-doctorate, and institutions just saw their best tool for fairness outlawed,” Sharpton said.

On student loans, Sharpton said: “Generations of Black youth were sold a bill of goods that higher education was a pathway out of poverty – only to be saddled with crushing debt that never lets them see their dreams fully realized.”

Both cases focused on policies that address historic racial disparities in access to higher education, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-education-07bf5c4ff1928793f01e907a63cafa36">Black borrowers</a>&nbsp;tend to take on disproportionately more debt to afford college, said Dominique Baker, an education policy professor at Southern Methodist University.

Backlash to racial progress tends to follow periods of social change and advancement, Baker said. In a study published in 2019, Baker found states were more likely to adopt bans on affirmative action when white enrollment at public flagship universities dropped.

“These are policy tools that have an explicit aim around reducing the power of white supremacy,” Baker said. The two court challenges, she said, can be seen “as linked backlash to two attempts towards racial justice.”

Green, who grew up in a low-income household in Harlem, New York, graduated from Rochester with about $40,000 in federal loan debt. Some of that was erased under a public service forgiveness program when she completed two terms with Americorps, and she whittled it down further with monthly installments until the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-default-0eb5a2bdb0ed4cfbd9663f822dfd457c">paused repayment</a>&nbsp;due to the pandemic. Payments will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-payment-pause-end-642276f724b30890669a60ea2c0bbfd5">restart in September</a>.

Green said she sees both court cases as connected to conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-race-ban-schools-4c4df1728f5265eee3684268035570c2">attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>. Critics say opposition to such programs is rooted in questions of fairness and in white grievances over the advancement of nonwhite people.

“This is white supremacy at work,” Green said. “This is a long tactic of conservative, white supremacist-leaning groups to use education and limit Black people’s access to education, as a way to further control and oppress us.”

In the 1960s and 1970s, many colleges developed affirmative action plans to address the fact that many predominantly white schools struggled to attract people from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. Policies were also created to promote greater inclusion of women.

Since the late 1970s, the Supreme Court had three times&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-education-higher-8bd85791095f617f6fa66c1552670f3d">upheld affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions on grounds that institutions have a compelling interest to address past discrimination that shut nonwhite students out of higher learning. Justices had also agreed with arguments that more diverse student bodies promoted cross-racial understanding.

Some students and advocates worried about how the ruling would affect diversity on campuses.

Tarina Ahuja, a rising senior at Harvard College, said being part of a diverse student body has been a crucial part of her undergraduate experience. She recalled classes where students discussed their lived experiences on topics such as police violence, colonialism and labor movements — discussions that would have fallen flat without a diverse range of student perspectives.

In anticipation of a ruling against race-conscious admissions, some colleges have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">considering adding more essays</a>&nbsp;to get a better picture of an applicant’s background — an approach seemingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-affirmative-action-race-0ec3f355ea77828d9a7aa07fa1b2ebde">endorsed by Thursday's Supreme Court ruling</a>. Others have been planning to boost recruiting in racially diverse areas. But in states that have already banned affirmative action, similar efforts at selective colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-diversity-5551cdb2b7206cd9112433e858be4d59">largely failed to maintain diversity gains</a>.

Jonathan Loc, a graduate student at Harvard who helped organize teach-ins in support of affirmative action, said that for students of color, it's impossible to speak about their lives without mentioning race, whether through hardships faced or simply their pride in their cultural heritage.

“I grew up as the son of refugees in a low-income community and a single-parent family burdened with the model minority myth,” he said. “But I think that that kind of narrative also helps me to be an Asian American focused on racial justice, focused on making sure that everyone who has a unique story related to their racial background or any background has that story heard.”

It will be important for colleges to find ways to show they see the students as more than a number on paper, said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

“We need the schools to say, 'Look, the court says we can’t consider race, but we still see you,'” said Hewitt, whose organization defended affirmative action before the Supreme Court in October.

The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/8/1566222092492.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — As a Black student who was raised by a single mother, Makia Green believes she benefited from a program that gave preference to students of color from economically disadvantaged backgrounds when she was admitted over a decade ago to the University of Rochester.As a borrower who still owes just over $20,000 on her undergraduate student loans, she had been counting on President Joe Biden's promised debt relief to wipe nearly all of that away.Now, the student loan cancellation plan has been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">dismantled by the U.S. Supreme Court</a>, which on Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-race-f83d6318017ec9b9029b12ee2256e744">struck down affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions. Both policies disproportionately help Black students. To Green and many other people of color, the efforts to roll them back reflect a larger backlash to racial progress in higher education.“I feel like working people have been through enough — I have been through enough,” said Green, a community organizer. “From a pandemic, an uprising, a recession, the cost of living price going up. I deserved some relief.”The rulings could also have political consequences among a generation of young voters of color who took Biden at his word when he campaigned on canceling debt.“Despite today’s upsetting ruling, we demand that the Biden Administration delivers on the promise of student loan debt relief,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson, in a statement. “Education has long been regarded as a path toward generational wealth, economic liberation, and securing the American dream. Let’s be clear — student debt is killing that dream.”The president's plan&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-biden-plan-d9c8e18774a744187c9af634bf4eb728">forgave up to $10,000</a>&nbsp;in federal student debt for borrowers, and doubled the debt relief to $20,000 for borrowers who also received Pell Grants. About half of the average debt held by Black and Hispanic borrowers would have been wiped out, according to the White House.Six Republican-led states filed a legal challenge questioning whether the president, a Democrat, had authority to forgive the debt. On Friday, the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-forgiveness-supreme-court-653c2e9c085863bdbf81f125f87669fa">Supreme Court held</a>&nbsp;the administration needed Congress’ endorsement before undertaking so costly a program.In the affirmative action cases, the court was considering the use of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-ketanji-brown-jackson-us-supreme-court-college-admissions-affirmative-action-196ab930c799bcdc8b2a4a220641dd48">race-conscious admissions policies</a>&nbsp;that many selective colleges have used for decades to help build diversity on their campuses. The cases were brought by a conservative activist who argues the Constitution forbids the use of race in college admissions.Together, the cases are crushing to Black Americans, the Rev. Al Sharpton said.“The reality is race plays a factor in admissions, from pre-K to post-doctorate, and institutions just saw their best tool for fairness outlawed,” Sharpton said.On student loans, Sharpton said: “Generations of Black youth were sold a bill of goods that higher education was a pathway out of poverty – only to be saddled with crushing debt that never lets them see their dreams fully realized.”Both cases focused on policies that address historic racial disparities in access to higher education, as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-covid-health-education-07bf5c4ff1928793f01e907a63cafa36">Black borrowers</a>&nbsp;tend to take on disproportionately more debt to afford college, said Dominique Baker, an education policy professor at Southern Methodist University.Backlash to racial progress tends to follow periods of social change and advancement, Baker said. In a study published in 2019, Baker found states were more likely to adopt bans on affirmative action when white enrollment at public flagship universities dropped.“These are policy tools that have an explicit aim around reducing the power of white supremacy,” Baker said. The two court challenges, she said, can be seen “as linked backlash to two attempts towards racial justice.”Green, who grew up in a low-income household in Harlem, New York, graduated from Rochester with about $40,000 in federal loan debt. Some of that was erased under a public service forgiveness program when she completed two terms with Americorps, and she whittled it down further with monthly installments until the government&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-forgiveness-supreme-court-default-0eb5a2bdb0ed4cfbd9663f822dfd457c">paused repayment</a>&nbsp;due to the pandemic. Payments will&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/student-loan-payment-pause-end-642276f724b30890669a60ea2c0bbfd5">restart in September</a>.Green said she sees both court cases as connected to conservative&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lgbtq-race-ban-schools-4c4df1728f5265eee3684268035570c2">attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion programs</a>. Critics say opposition to such programs is rooted in questions of fairness and in white grievances over the advancement of nonwhite people.“This is white supremacy at work,” Green said. “This is a long tactic of conservative, white supremacist-leaning groups to use education and limit Black people’s access to education, as a way to further control and oppress us.”In the 1960s and 1970s, many colleges developed affirmative action plans to address the fact that many predominantly white schools struggled to attract people from historically disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. Policies were also created to promote greater inclusion of women.Since the late 1970s, the Supreme Court had three times&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-race-and-ethnicity-racial-injustice-education-higher-8bd85791095f617f6fa66c1552670f3d">upheld affirmative action</a>&nbsp;in college admissions on grounds that institutions have a compelling interest to address past discrimination that shut nonwhite students out of higher learning. Justices had also agreed with arguments that more diverse student bodies promoted cross-racial understanding.Some students and advocates worried about how the ruling would affect diversity on campuses.Tarina Ahuja, a rising senior at Harvard College, said being part of a diverse student body has been a crucial part of her undergraduate experience. She recalled classes where students discussed their lived experiences on topics such as police violence, colonialism and labor movements — discussions that would have fallen flat without a diverse range of student perspectives.In anticipation of a ruling against race-conscious admissions, some colleges have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0">considering adding more essays</a>&nbsp;to get a better picture of an applicant’s background — an approach seemingly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-admissions-affirmative-action-race-0ec3f355ea77828d9a7aa07fa1b2ebde">endorsed by Thursday's Supreme Court ruling</a>. Others have been planning to boost recruiting in racially diverse areas. But in states that have already banned affirmative action, similar efforts at selective colleges have&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-diversity-5551cdb2b7206cd9112433e858be4d59">largely failed to maintain diversity gains</a>.Jonathan Loc, a graduate student at Harvard who helped organize teach-ins in support of affirmative action, said that for students of color, it's impossible to speak about their lives without mentioning race, whether through hardships faced or simply their pride in their cultural heritage.“I grew up as the son of refugees in a low-income community and a single-parent family burdened with the model minority myth,” he said. “But I think that that kind of narrative also helps me to be an Asian American focused on racial justice, focused on making sure that everyone who has a unique story related to their racial background or any background has that story heard.”It will be important for colleges to find ways to show they see the students as more than a number on paper, said Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.“We need the schools to say, 'Look, the court says we can’t consider race, but we still see you,'” said Hewitt, whose organization defended affirmative action before the Supreme Court in October.___The Associated Press education team receives support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The AP is solely responsible for all content.___

In student loan, affirmative action rulings, advocates fear losses for racial equality

LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a violent altercation in Lyon County.

Just before 4p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the west central part of Emporia for a report of a domestic violence call, according to Police Captain Ray Mattas.

At the scene, the officers were confronted by a man later identified as 55-year-old Dwayne L. Ford who was armed with a machete.&nbsp; The officers were able to get all other people out of the house and the officers exited the house as well. 

Detective Kevin Shireman was called to the scene to negotiate with Ford. During the negotiation&nbsp; Ford left the residence, still armed with the machete. Officers deployed a 40 mm rubber blunt impact projectile, striking Ford in the leg. 

Ford retreated back into the residence and after additional negotiations . Ford surrendered. He was taken into custody just before 7p.m., according to Mattas.

Ford will be treated for any possible injuries sustained from the impact projectile. Once he is cleared medically he will be transported to the Lyon County Jail. 

The Emporia Police Department will propose the charges of battery and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office for their review. Ford also had an outstanding warrant for bond revocation through the Lyon County District Court.&nbsp;Ford has previous convictions for robbery and drugs, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688000652555.png" alt="Ford has previous convictions for robbery and drugs, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Ford has previous convictions for robbery and drugs, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>LYON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect after a violent altercation in Lyon County.Just before 4p.m. Wednesday, police were dispatched to the west central part of Emporia for a report of a domestic violence call, according to Police Captain Ray Mattas.At the scene, the officers were confronted by a man later identified as 55-year-old Dwayne L. Ford who was armed with a machete.&nbsp; The officers were able to get all other people out of the house and the officers exited the house as well. Detective Kevin Shireman was called to the scene to negotiate with Ford. During the negotiation&nbsp; Ford left the residence, still armed with the machete. Officers deployed a 40 mm rubber blunt impact projectile, striking Ford in the leg. Ford retreated back into the residence and after additional negotiations . Ford surrendered. He was taken into custody just before 7p.m., according to Mattas.Ford will be treated for any possible injuries sustained from the impact projectile. Once he is cleared medically he will be transported to the Lyon County Jail. The Emporia Police Department will propose the charges of battery and aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer to the Lyon County Attorney’s Office for their review. Ford also had an outstanding warrant for bond revocation through the Lyon County District Court.&nbsp;Ford has previous convictions for robbery and drugs, according to the Kan. Dept. of Corrections.

Kansas felon threatened police with a machete

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting and crash made a court appearance in the case this week.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Damion Hazelton, 24 of Wichita, is charged with 2nd degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office

Hazelton is also charged in two other cases, aggravated battery and interference with law enforcement.&nbsp;

Just before 2:30p.m. June 23, police in Wichita received a series of 911 calls about a vehicle collision and a shooting in the 7000 Block of East Lincoln in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Officer Aaron Moses.

First responders located a red GMC Yukon that struck a building and a victim later identified as&nbsp;49-year-old Chris Baker of Wichita, inside the SUV with a gunshot wound.. Life-saving measures were attempted, but Baker would be pronounced deceased on the scene.

Investigators at the scene learned from witnesses that someone involved in the crash had fled into one of the nearby buildings, according to Moses. A small group of the Wichita Police SWAT team responded to the scene.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Investigators worked through the evening hours and were able to determine that Hazelton was the shooter. 

Police located and arrested him without incident.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is due back in court on July 12 and remains jailed on a $600,000 bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;has previous convictions for falsely reporting a crime and Giving false alarm - false information regarding violent criminal activity or threat to persons life, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687694361794.png" alt="Hazelton has previous convictions for falsely reporting a crime and Giving false alarm - false information regarding violent criminal activity or threat to persons life, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Hazelton has previous convictions for falsely reporting a crime and Giving false alarm - false information regarding violent criminal activity or threat to persons life, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A Kansas man accused in a deadly shooting and crash made a court appearance in the case this week.&nbsp;&nbsp;Damion Hazelton, 24 of Wichita, is charged with 2nd degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's officeHazelton is also charged in two other cases, aggravated battery and interference with law enforcement.&nbsp;Just before 2:30p.m. June 23, police in Wichita received a series of 911 calls about a vehicle collision and a shooting in the 7000 Block of East Lincoln in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Officer Aaron Moses.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1687565978422.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>First responders located a red GMC Yukon that struck a building and a victim later identified as&nbsp;49-year-old Chris Baker of Wichita, inside the SUV with a gunshot wound.. Life-saving measures were attempted, but Baker would be pronounced deceased on the scene.Investigators at the scene learned from witnesses that someone involved in the crash had fled into one of the nearby buildings, according to Moses. A small group of the Wichita Police SWAT team responded to the scene.&nbsp;&nbsp;Investigators worked through the evening hours and were able to determine that Hazelton was the shooter. Police located and arrested him without incident.&nbsp; &nbsp;He is due back in court on July 12 and remains jailed on a $600,000 bond.&nbsp;&nbsp;has previous convictions for falsely reporting a crime and Giving false alarm - false information regarding violent criminal activity or threat to persons life, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kan. felon charged with murder of man who crashed SUV

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a chase, traffic stop.

&nbsp;On June 26, Officer Dustin Christina was actively patrolling and observed a black SUV at a high rate of speed traveling south on Blue Ridge Blvd. in Raytown, according to a media release.

With his experience as an officer, he could estimate the vehicle exceeded 100mph. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the SUV continued to evade him and he lost sight of the SUV.

The officer located the vehicle again shortly after and activated his emergency lights and sirens for a traffic stop, but once more, it SUV fled. 

However, this time, officer Christina could read the license plate, which came to an address close to the area the vehicle was navigating through.

Officer Christina responded to the plate's registered address and waited for the vehicle. About 15 minutes later, the SUV returned to the address, and when the driver saw the patrol car, he tried to circle to leave. 

However, Officer Christina predicted this outcome and had stop sticks deployed. The SUV could not flee without hitting them, so the driver decided to park his car instead.

When Officer Christina contacted the driver, he spontaneously uttered, "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to go back to jail. I'm on house arrest." 

He was then arrested and detained in the patrol vehicle. Officer Christina then returned to the driver's vehicle, which was still running with the driver's door open, and he observed what looked to be an AK47 sticking up from the vehicle's passenger side within the driver's reach. 

Officer Christina secured the weapon and confirmed it was an AK47 with the buttstock removed. 

It was loaded with a magazine and one in the chamber.The male driver was transported to the Raytown Police Headquarters. He was issued citations for C&amp;I, fleeing and eluding, operating a motor vehicle without a license, and no proof of insurance.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/6/1688035314698.png" alt="Photo Raytown Police" />
 <figcaption>Photo Raytown Police</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on multiple charges after a chase, traffic stop.&nbsp;On June 26, Officer Dustin Christina was actively patrolling and observed a black SUV at a high rate of speed traveling south on Blue Ridge Blvd. in Raytown, according to a media release.With his experience as an officer, he could estimate the vehicle exceeded 100mph. The officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the SUV continued to evade him and he lost sight of the SUV.The officer located the vehicle again shortly after and activated his emergency lights and sirens for a traffic stop, but once more, it SUV fled. However, this time, officer Christina could read the license plate, which came to an address close to the area the vehicle was navigating through.Officer Christina responded to the plate's registered address and waited for the vehicle. About 15 minutes later, the SUV returned to the address, and when the driver saw the patrol car, he tried to circle to leave. However, Officer Christina predicted this outcome and had stop sticks deployed. The SUV could not flee without hitting them, so the driver decided to park his car instead.When Officer Christina contacted the driver, he spontaneously uttered, "I'm sorry, I just didn't want to go back to jail. I'm on house arrest." He was then arrested and detained in the patrol vehicle. Officer Christina then returned to the driver's vehicle, which was still running with the driver's door open, and he observed what looked to be an AK47 sticking up from the vehicle's passenger side within the driver's reach. Officer Christina secured the weapon and confirmed it was an AK47 with the buttstock removed. It was loaded with a magazine and one in the chamber.The male driver was transported to the Raytown Police Headquarters. He was issued citations for C&amp;I, fleeing and eluding, operating a motor vehicle without a license, and no proof of insurance.

KC-area officer found loaded AK 47 after 100mph chase

By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>

At the center of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/u-s-supreme-court-rules-against-biden-administration-student-loan-debt-relief-plan/">U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;program on Friday was a little-known Missouri nonprofit that goes by MOHELA.

Based in St. Louis, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is a quasi-governmental entity created by state lawmakers in 1981 to service student loans.

And when former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt went looking for legal standing in order to bring a lawsuit challenging the president’s program, he relied on the relationship between the state and MOHELA — even though the company wanted nothing to do with the lawsuit.

On Friday, the six conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Schmitt that, despite the company’s reluctance, MOHELA gave Missouri standing to sue. The court then struck down the program, with Chief Justice John Roberts accusing the executive branch of a power grab over the legislature.

“Today, we have concluded that an instrumentality created by Missouri, governed by Missouri, and answerable to Missouri is indeed part of Missouri; that the words ‘waive or modify’ do not mean ‘completely rewrite;’ and that our precedent — old and new — requires that Congress speak clearly before a Department Secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-506_nmip.pdf">Roberts wrote</a>.

The ruling affects more than 777,000 Missourians with federal student loans who would have received $10,000-$20,000 of relief under the proposal.

In addition to Schmitt, five other attorneys general from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, seeking to bar the Secretary of Education from providing student loan relief.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">The attorneys general argued&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;the secretary didn’t have authority and the forgiveness program would hurt state tax revenue.

The Supreme Court had to decide whether Missouri’s attorney general could sue on behalf of MOHELA before determining the validity of the loan relief.

The district-court judge dismissed the case, saying MOHELA can represent itself in litigation. But the Supreme Court reversed that decision, finding that MOHELA is an “instrumentality of Missouri.”

“The secretary’s plan will cut MOHELA’s revenues, impairing its efforts to aid Missouri college students. This acknowledged harm to MOHELA in the performance of its public function is necessarily a direct injury to Missouri itself,” Roberts wrote.

Some predict that debt cancellation would increase MOHELA’s revenue.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rooseveltinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/RI_Flawed-Claims-of-Legal-Standing-in-Biden-v-Nebraska_brief_202305.pdf">Projections from the Roosevelt Institute</a>&nbsp;show a steep increase as MOHELA takes over federal loans dropped by other servicers and is paid for each cancellation.

The dissenting opinion, written by Justice Elena Kagan, said MOHELA qualifies as a third party, not an arm of the government. Thus, Missouri had no standing to bring the lawsuit, she argued.&nbsp;

“If MOHELA had brought this suit, we would have had to resolve it, however hot or divisive. But Missouri? In adjudicating Missouri’s claim, the majority reaches out to decide a matter it has no business deciding. It blows through a constitutional guardrail intended to keep courts acting like courts,” Kagan wrote.

Although MOHELA is named 85 times in the court’s opinion, the nonprofit’s employees were opposed to the loan servicer’s inclusion, as recently revealed by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/internal-mohela-emails-press-release/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>.

This month, the SBPC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SBPC-SLR-10-19-2022-Internal-E-Mails-z_Redacted.pdf">released internal MOHELA emails</a>&nbsp;it obtained through Missouri’s Sunshine Law showing employees discussing the case, with some confused at the organization’s inclusion in the lawsuit.

“The MO state AG needed to claim that our borrowers were harmed for standing, so they’re making us look bad by filing it not only with MO on it, but especially bad because they filed it in MO,” another employee wrote.

In October, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush sent a letter to MOHELA’s executive director Scott Giles and asked for the company’s stance on the attorney general’s lawsuit and accused MOHELA of being involved.&nbsp;

MOHELA had been largely silent up to that point.

“​​In Missouri alone, your efforts to halt cancellation could rob Missouri families — particularly Black and brown families who are disproportionately impacted by the student debt crisis — of more than $12.7 billion in life-changing economic relief,” Bush wrote.

MOHELA responded to Bush’s letter by distancing itself from the litigation. It informed the congresswoman that it was not involved in the decision to file the federal case.

“MOHELA has not had, and does not have, a contractual relationship or agreement with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office on any topic including as to student debt relief. The only communications between MOHELA and that office as it relates to student debt relief, is that the office recently filed a series of sunshine law requests on MOHELA seeking copies of documents relative to MOHELA’s federal loan servicing contract,” the company wrote in a letter to Bush.&nbsp;

<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.moed.198213/gov.uscourts.moed.198213.1.0_1.pdf">Attorneys argued</a>&nbsp;that loan cancellations would deprive MOHELA from the interest it would otherwise receive. Bush asked the organization about its capacity to serve as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program servicer.

MOHELA took over the PSLF program July 1, 2022,&nbsp; after the former servicer resigned. These loans are not the Federal Student Aid contested by the attorneys general and are actively being forgiven.

MOHELA said it had “available funds in excess of operating expenses” with its reserves dedicated to student financial aid.

“We are committed to meeting the expectations and requirements as directed and administered by Federal Student Aid,” it said.

Federal student loan relief isn’t new. The secretary of education has paused student loan payments during national emergencies historically through the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, or HEROES Act.

In March 2020, then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos chose to use this precedent to stop payments and the accrual of interest during the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As federal employees in the Biden Administration looked toward the resumption of loan payments, they learned that Americans were at a higher risk of delinquency and faced economic pressures,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">the secretary of education said in litigation.</a>.

The Department of Education decided that $10,000 in relief, and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, would keep delinquency rates at or below pre-pandemic levels.

The secretary of education was planning to use the HEROES Act to forgive the payments, but Friday’s Supreme Court decision found that would be beyond the scope of the act. The secretary said he is allowed to “modify” the HEROES Act, but Roberts wrote that the widespread student-loan forgiveness was beyond a simple edit.

Schmitt, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1674791643000754179">wrote on Twitter</a>&nbsp;he was “proud to have brought this case.”

“Working folks who paid off their loans or took another path shouldn’t have to pay for the unpaid loans of the tenured college professor,” he said.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said on Twitter that the ruling showed a commitment to inequality.

“On eliminating student loan relief, the Supreme Court again shows its activist stripes,” he wrote,&nbsp;“working overtime to protect the wealthy, erase opportunity for the poor, and to build permanent inequality, harming the chance for millions to build their lives free of burdensome debt.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673377040107.png" alt="White House image" />
 <figcaption>White House image</figcaption>
 </figure>By ANNELISE HANSHAW <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/30/open-enrollment-missouri-school-choice/">Missouri Independent</a>At the center of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/30/u-s-supreme-court-rules-against-biden-administration-student-loan-debt-relief-plan/">U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness</a>&nbsp;program on Friday was a little-known Missouri nonprofit that goes by MOHELA.Based in St. Louis, the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority is a quasi-governmental entity created by state lawmakers in 1981 to service student loans.And when former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt went looking for legal standing in order to bring a lawsuit challenging the president’s program, he relied on the relationship between the state and MOHELA — even though the company wanted nothing to do with the lawsuit.On Friday, the six conservative justices on the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with Schmitt that, despite the company’s reluctance, MOHELA gave Missouri standing to sue. The court then struck down the program, with Chief Justice John Roberts accusing the executive branch of a power grab over the legislature.“Today, we have concluded that an instrumentality created by Missouri, governed by Missouri, and answerable to Missouri is indeed part of Missouri; that the words ‘waive or modify’ do not mean ‘completely rewrite;’ and that our precedent — old and new — requires that Congress speak clearly before a Department Secretary can unilaterally alter large sections of the American economy,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/22pdf/22-506_nmip.pdf">Roberts wrote</a>.The ruling affects more than 777,000 Missourians with federal student loans who would have received $10,000-$20,000 of relief under the proposal.In addition to Schmitt, five other attorneys general from Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and South Carolina filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, seeking to bar the Secretary of Education from providing student loan relief.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">The attorneys general argued&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;the secretary didn’t have authority and the forgiveness program would hurt state tax revenue.The Supreme Court had to decide whether Missouri’s attorney general could sue on behalf of MOHELA before determining the validity of the loan relief.The district-court judge dismissed the case, saying MOHELA can represent itself in litigation. But the Supreme Court reversed that decision, finding that MOHELA is an “instrumentality of Missouri.”“The secretary’s plan will cut MOHELA’s revenues, impairing its efforts to aid Missouri college students. This acknowledged harm to MOHELA in the performance of its public function is necessarily a direct injury to Missouri itself,” Roberts wrote.Some predict that debt cancellation would increase MOHELA’s revenue.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://rooseveltinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/RI_Flawed-Claims-of-Legal-Standing-in-Biden-v-Nebraska_brief_202305.pdf">Projections from the Roosevelt Institute</a>&nbsp;show a steep increase as MOHELA takes over federal loans dropped by other servicers and is paid for each cancellation.The dissenting opinion, written by Justice Elena Kagan, said MOHELA qualifies as a third party, not an arm of the government. Thus, Missouri had no standing to bring the lawsuit, she argued.&nbsp;“If MOHELA had brought this suit, we would have had to resolve it, however hot or divisive. But Missouri? In adjudicating Missouri’s claim, the majority reaches out to decide a matter it has no business deciding. It blows through a constitutional guardrail intended to keep courts acting like courts,” Kagan wrote.Although MOHELA is named 85 times in the court’s opinion, the nonprofit’s employees were opposed to the loan servicer’s inclusion, as recently revealed by the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/internal-mohela-emails-press-release/">Student Borrower Protection Center</a>.This month, the SBPC&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://protectborrowers.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/SBPC-SLR-10-19-2022-Internal-E-Mails-z_Redacted.pdf">released internal MOHELA emails</a>&nbsp;it obtained through Missouri’s Sunshine Law showing employees discussing the case, with some confused at the organization’s inclusion in the lawsuit.“Are we the bad guys?” one asked.“The MO state AG needed to claim that our borrowers were harmed for standing, so they’re making us look bad by filing it not only with MO on it, but especially bad because they filed it in MO,” another employee wrote.In October, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush sent a letter to MOHELA’s executive director Scott Giles and asked for the company’s stance on the attorney general’s lawsuit and accused MOHELA of being involved.&nbsp;MOHELA had been largely silent up to that point.“​​In Missouri alone, your efforts to halt cancellation could rob Missouri families — particularly Black and brown families who are disproportionately impacted by the student debt crisis — of more than $12.7 billion in life-changing economic relief,” Bush wrote.MOHELA responded to Bush’s letter by distancing itself from the litigation. It informed the congresswoman that it was not involved in the decision to file the federal case.“MOHELA has not had, and does not have, a contractual relationship or agreement with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office on any topic including as to student debt relief. The only communications between MOHELA and that office as it relates to student debt relief, is that the office recently filed a series of sunshine law requests on MOHELA seeking copies of documents relative to MOHELA’s federal loan servicing contract,” the company wrote in a letter to Bush.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.moed.198213/gov.uscourts.moed.198213.1.0_1.pdf">Attorneys argued</a>&nbsp;that loan cancellations would deprive MOHELA from the interest it would otherwise receive. Bush asked the organization about its capacity to serve as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program servicer.MOHELA took over the PSLF program July 1, 2022,&nbsp; after the former servicer resigned. These loans are not the Federal Student Aid contested by the attorneys general and are actively being forgiven.MOHELA said it had “available funds in excess of operating expenses” with its reserves dedicated to student financial aid.“We are committed to meeting the expectations and requirements as directed and administered by Federal Student Aid,” it said.Federal student loan relief isn’t new. The secretary of education has paused student loan payments during national emergencies historically through the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003, or HEROES Act.In March 2020, then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos chose to use this precedent to stop payments and the accrual of interest during the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.As federal employees in the Biden Administration looked toward the resumption of loan payments, they learned that Americans were at a higher risk of delinquency and faced economic pressures,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/22/22-506/251435/20230104222942852_22-506tsUnitedStates.pdf">the secretary of education said in litigation.</a>.The Department of Education decided that $10,000 in relief, and $20,000 for Pell Grant recipients, would keep delinquency rates at or below pre-pandemic levels.The secretary of education was planning to use the HEROES Act to forgive the payments, but Friday’s Supreme Court decision found that would be beyond the scope of the act. The secretary said he is allowed to “modify” the HEROES Act, but Roberts wrote that the widespread student-loan forgiveness was beyond a simple edit.Schmitt, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in November,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Eric_Schmitt/status/1674791643000754179">wrote on Twitter</a>&nbsp;he was “proud to have brought this case.”“Working folks who paid off their loans or took another path shouldn’t have to pay for the unpaid loans of the tenured college professor,” he said.Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said on Twitter that the ruling showed a commitment to inequality.“On eliminating student loan relief, the Supreme Court again shows its activist stripes,” he wrote,&nbsp;“working overtime to protect the wealthy, erase opportunity for the poor, and to build permanent inequality, harming the chance for millions to build their lives free of burdensome debt.”

Company played central role in downfall of Biden loan forgiveness program

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused in a series of burglary been charged in multiple crimes.

According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office, Harold Deloach, 49, was charged this week with four counts of burglary non-residence, four counts of theft which included the theft of a firearm, and six&nbsp; counts of unlawful use of financial card.&nbsp;

The crime spree occurred in February, according&nbsp;to police spokesman Officer Chad Ditch. 

Seven officers and two sergeants from Patrol West in Wichita coordinated 9 cases, 4 victims and 9 witnesses in connection with the crime spree.

The&nbsp; investigation led to the arrest of&nbsp; Deloach and 39-year-old Princess Karibo.&nbsp; Deloach has a previous forgery conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681409703672.png" alt="Deloach-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Deloach-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A Kansas felon accused in a series of burglary been charged in multiple crimes.According to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office, Harold Deloach, 49, was charged this week with four counts of burglary non-residence, four counts of theft which included the theft of a firearm, and six&nbsp; counts of unlawful use of financial card.&nbsp;The crime spree occurred in February, according&nbsp;to police spokesman Officer Chad Ditch. Seven officers and two sergeants from Patrol West in Wichita coordinated 9 cases, 4 victims and 9 witnesses in connection with the crime spree.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/4/1681409536968.png" alt="Karibo-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Karibo-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>The&nbsp; investigation led to the arrest of&nbsp; Deloach and 39-year-old Princess Karibo.&nbsp; Deloach has a previous forgery conviction, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Kansas felon charged with string of theft and burglaries

More than 75 laws surviving 2023 legislative gauntlet take root

TOPEKA — Jay Schumacher was locked up at the Ellis County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of his wife, but under Kansas law could spend the couple’s assets while awaiting trial for offenses capable of sending him to prison for decades.

A loophole in the state’s so-called slayer law compelled Jeremiah Schumacher, the son of alleged perpetrator Jay and domestic violence victim Karen, to plead with the 2023 Kansas Legislature to adopt a statute to prevent distribution of assets until resolution of criminal proceedings involving anyone arrested or charged with killing a person sharing financial interest in an estate.

Under Kansas law in place at time of the March 2022 slaying, alleged perpetrators could procure estate assets until convicted of killing someone.

“He’s arrested for the murder of his spouse,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/18/son-sister-of-slain-hays-resident-urge-kansas-house-members-to-amend-estate-law/">Jeremiah Schumacher told lawmakers</a>&nbsp;days after the session began in January. “I can’t wrap my head around it.”

Gov. Laura Kelly as well as the Senate and House heard his plea. The House vote on House Bill 2027 was 123-0. The Senate paired that with a 40-0 vote. The law signed by Kelly allowed as of July 1 a court to block sale, distribution, spending or other use of a decedent’s assets by a person arrested or charged in that killing. That order must stand until charges were dismissed, the accused was acquitted or convicted, and if records were expunged.

“This change is necessary, reasonable and will close what amounts to a loophole in the slayer provision of Kansas probate law by limiting those individuals, who kill a spouse or person from whom they will inherit, from receiving those proceeds,” said Hays attorney Chris McGowne.

The amended slayer law was among 77 bills — three fourths of the total to survive the legislative process in 2023 — scheduled to become effective on Saturday. The 21 others went live promptly rather than await the first day of July. The new roster of laws delve into abortion, concealed guns, elections, clergy abuse, public health, retirement investments, food stamps, transgender rights, water, smoking, utilities and sports.

Republicans in the Legislature tangled with Democrats and the governor on merits of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, otherwise known as House Bill 2238. It was designed to forbid transgender girls or women from participating in girls or women school sports. The anti-transgender&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/17/kansas-governor-vetoes-legislation-banning-transgender-athletes-from-school-sports/">bill easily cleared the GOP-led Legislature, but was vetoed by Kelly</a>. Both chambers were able to override her veto.

The law required interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural and club athletic teams sponsored by public or private educational entities to group players on teams of boys or men, girls or women or on separate coeducational units based on “biological sex” of athletes. It covered sports teams from kindergarten through college.

“The fairness in women’s sports act is just that — fairness,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover. “It simply sets guidelines that ensure the fair playing field continues for women and girls that we have recognized for decades.”

The Kansas State High School Activities Association established a policy requiring participants to present a copy of their first birth certificate to verify the gender declaration at birth.

Initially, the idea of decriminalizing possession of test strips to detect the synthetic opioid fentanyl didn’t gain much political traction at the statehouse. For three years, the prevailing legislative sentiment was Senate Bill 174 and others like it sent the wrong message to people using drugs illegally.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Advocates for the change pointed with alarm to the rising death toll among Kansans</a>&nbsp;who unknowingly consumed drugs blended with fentanyl, which could be 50 to 100 times as potent as morphine.

Kelly, looking for ways to prevent overdose poisonings and fatalities, signed the bipartisan bill removing test strips from the state’s list of illegal drug paraphernalia. At the same time, the penalty for manufacture and distribution of fentanyl-laced substances was heightened.

Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/11/gov-kelly-signs-bipartisan-bill-decriminalizing-use-of-fentanyl-test-strips-in-kansas/">agonizing wait for adoption of the legislation</a>&nbsp;meant the values of kindness and compassion prevailed in the end.

“By decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips,” Probst said, “we are helping Kansans protect themselves from a deadly poison that has taken far too many lives, including the tragic and profoundly painful loss of far too many teenagers and young adults in our state.”

The contents of Senate Bill 180 also become law July 1, but conflict over interpretations of the statute could drag on for months or years.

The measure labeled by supporters as the Women’s Bill of Rights aimed to define biological sex as the determinant for use of restrooms, domestic violence shelters, locker rooms and correctional facilities. It didn’t contain enforcement mechanisms, leaving open questions about how the bill would operate in the real world outside the Capitol bubble.

Kelly vetoed the bill, but the House and Senate had votes to override the governor.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/26/kris-kobach-delivers-advice-on-new-law-targeting-transgender-kansans/">Attorney General Kris Kobach issued a nonbinding legal opinion</a>&nbsp;declaring new Kansas licenses to drive and birth certificates had to reflect gender at birth. At the same time, he said, the identification documents revised in the past to address transgender residents of Kansas had to be reissued to reflect an individual’s determination of sex at birth.

The ACLU of Kansas and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/29/kansas-governor-rejects-ags-advice-on-new-anti-trans-law-kobach-we-will-see-her-in-court/">the governor disagreed with the Republican attorney general</a>, and contended the law couldn’t impact public accommodations because it didn’t include an enforcement mechanism. Kelly said state agencies would continue to allow transgender individuals to change gender markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates.

“KDHE and KDOR disagree about its impacts on their operations and will instead keep in place their policies regarding gender markers on birth certificates and driver’s licenses,” Kelly said.

Kobach, who lost the 2018 general election for governor against Kelly, said he would proceed with a legal challenge of the governor’s decision.

The launch of a new fiscal year July 1 coincided with implementation of salary adjustments for state government employees. The package adopted by the Legislature and embraced by the governor linked pay increases to market rates for comparable job classifications in the private sector.

State workers 10% below peers in that occupational field would be brought up to that 10% figure or given a 5% adjustment. Personnel earning above 10% of the market rate would receive a 2.5% increase. Those less than 10% below market or 10% above market would qualify for a 5% raise.

Meanwhile, the Legislature pushed through a bill forbidding trustees of the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System from making investment decisions based on principles of ESG. It stands for environmental, social and corporate governance considerations relied on by investors and often associated with liberal political causes.

Majorities in the Legislature said KPERS should manage its $20 billion portfolio to bring about the highest return on investment with the least risk.

<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/07/kansas-attorney-general-craves-law-making-state-funded-esg-investment-policies-illegal/">Kobach, who lobbied for passage of the reform</a>, said it was wrong to enable corporate intruders to jeopardize pensions of state government workers, teachers and law enforcement officers.

“ESG investing uses retirement savings as leverage to force companies to reduce their carbon footprints, adopt racial and gender quotas or to succumb to the ‘woke’ social justice fad of the month,” he said.

After years of debate, a bipartisan coalition of Kansas lawmakers agreed to make it easier for victims of childhood sexual assault to make a case in court.

House Bill 2027, which received unanimous support in the Senate and House, dropped the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of the alleged crimes and extended by 10 years the opportunity to file lawsuits against alleged perpetrators.

Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/gov-laura-kelly-legislators-honor-bipartisan-reform-of-kansas-law-on-sexual-abuse-claims/">persistence of a group of survivors made the difference</a>.

“This is breakthrough legislation that will keep our children and communities safer by permitting our state to get more predators off our streets, while building a foundation to allow more survivors of childhood sexual violence to pursue justice,” she said.

Previous Kansas law dictated criminal cases had to be filed within five years of the alleged crime. Cases of rape carried a 10-year statute of limitations once a person alleging harm turned 18. In civil cases, the suit had to be filed by the time a victim turned 21 years of age.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/7/1688217568622.png" alt="Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican-led Kansas Legislature tangled over many issues in 2023 session — there were more than a dozen veto showdowns — and led to implementation Saturday of 77 new state laws, including a measure altering criminal and civil procedure in sex abuse cases. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican-led Kansas Legislature tangled over many issues in 2023 session — there were more than a dozen veto showdowns — and led to implementation Saturday of 77 new state laws, including a measure altering criminal and civil procedure in sex abuse cases. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>More than 75 laws surviving 2023 legislative gauntlet take root</h2>By TIM CARPENTER <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Jay Schumacher was locked up at the Ellis County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder in the slaying of his wife, but under Kansas law could spend the couple’s assets while awaiting trial for offenses capable of sending him to prison for decades.A loophole in the state’s so-called slayer law compelled Jeremiah Schumacher, the son of alleged perpetrator Jay and domestic violence victim Karen, to plead with the 2023 Kansas Legislature to adopt a statute to prevent distribution of assets until resolution of criminal proceedings involving anyone arrested or charged with killing a person sharing financial interest in an estate.Under Kansas law in place at time of the March 2022 slaying, alleged perpetrators could procure estate assets until convicted of killing someone.“He’s arrested for the murder of his spouse,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/18/son-sister-of-slain-hays-resident-urge-kansas-house-members-to-amend-estate-law/">Jeremiah Schumacher told lawmakers</a>&nbsp;days after the session began in January. “I can’t wrap my head around it.”Gov. Laura Kelly as well as the Senate and House heard his plea. The House vote on House Bill 2027 was 123-0. The Senate paired that with a 40-0 vote. The law signed by Kelly allowed as of July 1 a court to block sale, distribution, spending or other use of a decedent’s assets by a person arrested or charged in that killing. That order must stand until charges were dismissed, the accused was acquitted or convicted, and if records were expunged.“This change is necessary, reasonable and will close what amounts to a loophole in the slayer provision of Kansas probate law by limiting those individuals, who kill a spouse or person from whom they will inherit, from receiving those proceeds,” said Hays attorney Chris McGowne.The amended slayer law was among 77 bills — three fourths of the total to survive the legislative process in 2023 — scheduled to become effective on Saturday. The 21 others went live promptly rather than await the first day of July. The new roster of laws delve into abortion, concealed guns, elections, clergy abuse, public health, retirement investments, food stamps, transgender rights, water, smoking, utilities and sports.<h2>Just that — fairness’</h2>Republicans in the Legislature tangled with Democrats and the governor on merits of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, otherwise known as House Bill 2238. It was designed to forbid transgender girls or women from participating in girls or women school sports. The anti-transgender&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/17/kansas-governor-vetoes-legislation-banning-transgender-athletes-from-school-sports/">bill easily cleared the GOP-led Legislature, but was vetoed by Kelly</a>. Both chambers were able to override her veto.The law required interscholastic, intercollegiate, intramural and club athletic teams sponsored by public or private educational entities to group players on teams of boys or men, girls or women or on separate coeducational units based on “biological sex” of athletes. It covered sports teams from kindergarten through college.“The fairness in women’s sports act is just that — fairness,” said Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover. “It simply sets guidelines that ensure the fair playing field continues for women and girls that we have recognized for decades.”The Kansas State High School Activities Association established a policy requiring participants to present a copy of their first birth certificate to verify the gender declaration at birth.<h2>Test-strip ban lifted</h2>Initially, the idea of decriminalizing possession of test strips to detect the synthetic opioid fentanyl didn’t gain much political traction at the statehouse. For three years, the prevailing legislative sentiment was Senate Bill 174 and others like it sent the wrong message to people using drugs illegally.<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/06/grieving-moms-plea-to-kansas-lawmakers-do-something-this-epidemic-is-killing-our-kids/">Advocates for the change pointed with alarm to the rising death toll among Kansans</a>&nbsp;who unknowingly consumed drugs blended with fentanyl, which could be 50 to 100 times as potent as morphine.Kelly, looking for ways to prevent overdose poisonings and fatalities, signed the bipartisan bill removing test strips from the state’s list of illegal drug paraphernalia. At the same time, the penalty for manufacture and distribution of fentanyl-laced substances was heightened.Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson, said the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/05/11/gov-kelly-signs-bipartisan-bill-decriminalizing-use-of-fentanyl-test-strips-in-kansas/">agonizing wait for adoption of the legislation</a>&nbsp;meant the values of kindness and compassion prevailed in the end.“By decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips,” Probst said, “we are helping Kansans protect themselves from a deadly poison that has taken far too many lives, including the tragic and profoundly painful loss of far too many teenagers and young adults in our state.”<h2>Unsettled law</h2>The contents of Senate Bill 180 also become law July 1, but conflict over interpretations of the statute could drag on for months or years.The measure labeled by supporters as the Women’s Bill of Rights aimed to define biological sex as the determinant for use of restrooms, domestic violence shelters, locker rooms and correctional facilities. It didn’t contain enforcement mechanisms, leaving open questions about how the bill would operate in the real world outside the Capitol bubble.Kelly vetoed the bill, but the House and Senate had votes to override the governor.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/26/kris-kobach-delivers-advice-on-new-law-targeting-transgender-kansans/">Attorney General Kris Kobach issued a nonbinding legal opinion</a>&nbsp;declaring new Kansas licenses to drive and birth certificates had to reflect gender at birth. At the same time, he said, the identification documents revised in the past to address transgender residents of Kansas had to be reissued to reflect an individual’s determination of sex at birth.The ACLU of Kansas and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/29/kansas-governor-rejects-ags-advice-on-new-anti-trans-law-kobach-we-will-see-her-in-court/">the governor disagreed with the Republican attorney general</a>, and contended the law couldn’t impact public accommodations because it didn’t include an enforcement mechanism. Kelly said state agencies would continue to allow transgender individuals to change gender markers on driver’s licenses and birth certificates.“KDHE and KDOR disagree about its impacts on their operations and will instead keep in place their policies regarding gender markers on birth certificates and driver’s licenses,” Kelly said.Kobach, who lost the 2018 general election for governor against Kelly, said he would proceed with a legal challenge of the governor’s decision.<h2>State salaries, pensions</h2>The launch of a new fiscal year July 1 coincided with implementation of salary adjustments for state government employees. The package adopted by the Legislature and embraced by the governor linked pay increases to market rates for comparable job classifications in the private sector.State workers 10% below peers in that occupational field would be brought up to that 10% figure or given a 5% adjustment. Personnel earning above 10% of the market rate would receive a 2.5% increase. Those less than 10% below market or 10% above market would qualify for a 5% raise.Meanwhile, the Legislature pushed through a bill forbidding trustees of the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System from making investment decisions based on principles of ESG. It stands for environmental, social and corporate governance considerations relied on by investors and often associated with liberal political causes.Majorities in the Legislature said KPERS should manage its $20 billion portfolio to bring about the highest return on investment with the least risk.<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/07/kansas-attorney-general-craves-law-making-state-funded-esg-investment-policies-illegal/">Kobach, who lobbied for passage of the reform</a>, said it was wrong to enable corporate intruders to jeopardize pensions of state government workers, teachers and law enforcement officers.“ESG investing uses retirement savings as leverage to force companies to reduce their carbon footprints, adopt racial and gender quotas or to succumb to the ‘woke’ social justice fad of the month,” he said.<h2>Revise and extend</h2>After years of debate, a bipartisan coalition of Kansas lawmakers agreed to make it easier for victims of childhood sexual assault to make a case in court.House Bill 2027, which received unanimous support in the Senate and House, dropped the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution of the alleged crimes and extended by 10 years the opportunity to file lawsuits against alleged perpetrators.Sen. Cindy Holscher, D-Overland Park, said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/gov-laura-kelly-legislators-honor-bipartisan-reform-of-kansas-law-on-sexual-abuse-claims/">persistence of a group of survivors made the difference</a>.“This is breakthrough legislation that will keep our children and communities safer by permitting our state to get more predators off our streets, while building a foundation to allow more survivors of childhood sexual violence to pursue justice,” she said.Previous Kansas law dictated criminal cases had to be filed within five years of the alleged crime. Cases of rape carried a 10-year statute of limitations once a person alleging harm turned 18. In civil cases, the suit had to be filed by the time a victim turned 21 years of age.<h2>The grab bag</h2>Turn of the calendar to July also enabled implementation of a law requiring groundwater management districts to produce for the Legislature annual reports on water usage and to develop strategies for conserving a resource made scarce by drought and heavy reliance on the Ogallala Aquifer for irrigation.Conservative legislators pushed through eligibility reform in the state’s food stamp program, technically known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP. The new Kansas mandate required people 50 to 59 years of age without dependents to work 30 hours a week or participate in job training initiatives to qualify for food aid.In divorce cases, Kansans would now be permitted to change a last name to something other than a maiden name or former name.Election laws were modified to open the door to a presidential preference primary in March 2024.The cluster of abortion reforms include a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/04/26/kansas-house-overrides-governors-vetoes-of-three-anti-abortion-bills/">law requiring health professionals to perform life-saving care</a>&nbsp;when an infant was was born alive during an abortion. In 2022, Kansas doctors reported no such instances of live birth. Organizations opposed to abortion, a right protected in Kansas by the state constitution, pointed to examples of failed abortions in other states. Kelly vetoed the measure but was overridden.In addition, state lawmakers earmarked $2 million to support activities of anti-abortion centers that would be scattered across Kansas.Legislators and the governor agreed the state should limit how much public utility companies could recover through rate increases when making investments in new electricity transmission lines.The $100 fee paid to the attorney general’s office to obtain a concealed weapon license in Kansas was eliminated, but left in place a charge of $32.50 payable to a county sheriff’s department. Individuals as young as 18 can receive a permit to carry a concealed handgun.But&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/28/kansas-legislature-on-cusp-of-raising-to-21-minimum-age-to-buy-tobacco-products/">lawmakers passed a law declaring only individuals 21 years of age or older</a>&nbsp;were mature enough to purchase, possess or consume tobacco products. Until Saturday, those 18 or older could buy cigarettes.