By CLARA BATES <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/28/emotional-roller-coaster-delays-in-effort-to-shut-down-agape-dishearten-former-students/">Missouri Independent</a>

When he read the news back in 
September that Missouri had moved to shut down Agape Boarding School, 
Allen Knoll felt a sense of vindication.&nbsp;

”For me personally,” he said, “but also for current victims.”&nbsp;

It was over a year and a half after 
Knoll had traveled to Missouri from Washington state to testify in front
 of the legislature about his time as a student at the Stockton-based 
Christian boarding school, detailing the abuse he says he suffered at the school and urging lawmakers to pass legislation to regulate faith-based unlicensed boarding schools.&nbsp;

It was also over a year after the legislation he pushed for had gone into effect.&nbsp;

The state filed for an injunction to 
close the school — a measure activists like Knoll, who co-founded a 
nonprofit advocating for reform to the so-called troubled teen industry,
 had been publicly demanding for months. And a judge seemed ready to 
close the school for good.&nbsp;

“I felt like, cool, those kids are going to be somewhere safe,” Knoll said of the students then at the school.&nbsp;

But his vindication quickly turned to resignation.

The judge initially signaled the 
school could shut down immediately, then delayed any decision over a 
weekend. More delays followed, and three months later, the school 
remains open, pending a still-unscheduled trial set to take place 
sometime next year.

“I was happy and then heartbroken,” 
Knoll said in an interview last week. “I feel like I didn’t do my job 
good enough, maybe there’s something I can do.”

The delays are just the latest 
frustration for former students who have publicly accused the school of 
physical, mental and sexual abuse.&nbsp;

Criminal charges against school 
leaders fell short of what the state attorney general recommended, and a
 push by the state to put the school’s director on a child abuse 
registry — and thus ban him from working at the school — was upended, 
for the time being, <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/21/judge-grants-injunction-keeping-longtime-agape-director-off-missouri-child-abuse-registry/">by a Cole County judge last week</a>.

The school, which has been subject to
 intense social media pressure from activists and at least 20 lawsuits, 
remains open and has vehemently denied allegations of wrongdoing.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, efforts to shut Agape down
 continue to drag on as Attorney General Eric Schmitt, whose office is 
leading the charge to shutter the school, is set to step down in January
 to join the U.S. Senate.

“Everyone’s flabbergasted by it,” 
James Griffey, who attended Agape as a student from 1998 to 2001 and 
left in 2002 after working on staff, said of the developments that have 
allowed the school to stay open.

“What kind of evidence do they need?”

‘Immediate health and safety concern’

In more than 20 lawsuits against the 
school, former students detail a range of allegation, from having food 
withheld as punishment to being forced to submit to physical labor and 
extreme exercise to being taken off prescribed medications.&nbsp;

An investigation by The Kansas City 
Star beginning in 2020 included interviews from dozens of former 
students spanning decades who made similar abuse allegations. Agape 
denies any wrongdoing.

Missouri’s attorney general, along with the state Department of Social Services, <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/08/court-order-would-close-agape-boarding-school-after-years-of-abuse-allegations/">filed for an injunction</a> on Sept. 7 seeking to close Agape, alleging an “immediate health and safety concern” to the children there.&nbsp;

The state’s push to close Agape 
relies on a law passed in 2021, which granted the attorney general’s 
office and Department of Social Services, as well as county prosecuting 
or circuit attorneys, the authority to seek injunctive relief to cease 
the operation of a residential care facility, and provide for 
appropriate removal of children in certain instances. The law also 
required residential facilities to conduct background checks on staff, 
which the state alleges Agape has violated.

After being tied up in court over 
several procedural matters, Agape Boarding School remains open despite 
the state’s findings that staff perpetrated child abuse and neglect.&nbsp;

There is no definite end in sight in the case.&nbsp;

Agape’s attorney told The Independent he expects the trial to occur early next year.&nbsp;

The social services department was 
allowed 24/7 emergency access to Agape beginning in September, when the 
case was originally delayed for a weekend, in order to monitor 
children’s safety. Over three months later, the social services 
department is still operating under court-approved access to the 
facility to monitor it.&nbsp;

“Agape
 remains open and the boys residing there are being safely cared for and
 educated,” John Schultz, Agape’s attorney in this case, said in an 
interview.

There are around 25 students there now, down from 121 early last year.

The state has <a target="_blank" href="https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/2022-09-19-second-amended-petition.pdf?sfvrsn=fdb0d573_2">argued</a>
 that if not for the presence of social service workers there would be 
“real, immediate concerns that children at Agapé may be subject to 
current and future incidents of child abuse or neglect, and their health
 and safety cannot be assured.”&nbsp;

The judge in the case, Thomas Pyle in
 Cedar County, is set to retire December 31 and a new judge will be 
assigned, the Cedar County circuit clerk confirmed Tuesday by email.

Chris Nuelle, spokesperson for the 
attorney general’s office said, by email to The Independent last week: 
“We have fought hard to protect the students at Agape and litigate this 
case as aggressively as possible, and the office will continue to do 
so.”

A series of procedural delays 
hampered the state’s effort to close Agape. But the most significant 
hold up since September came awaiting a decision from the court of 
appeals that arrived earlier this month and possibly cleared the path 
forward for trial to occur more quickly in the new year.

Agape’s attorneys in early October 
sought to require the state to appoint court-appointed representatives, 
called guardian ad litems, for each child currently at Agape and to add 
all of their parents as parties in the case.&nbsp;

Pyle granted the request, which in turn inspired a push by Agape to move any potential trial date back.&nbsp;

Schultz said he asked for an extended
 trial date because appointing “28 guardian ad litems and bringing in 56
 parents getting all their schedules, it’d be kind of difficult.”

The state argued that the case’s 
focus was to “cease business operations and return the children to their
 parents or legal guardians,” not a child custody case where a guardian 
ad litem would be required.

The Missouri Southern District Court 
of Appeals sided with the state, successfully vacating the judge’s 
order. But that took two months to decide.

Without the need for parents to 
become involved or guardian ad litems to appoint, Schultz said, “we can 
do it in pretty quick order, so whenever the judge can schedule, we’ll 
be ready.”&nbsp;

Griffey pointed to a Cole County 
judge’s decision last week not to place Agape’s longtime director, Bryan
 Clemensen, on the state child abuse registry as just the latest twist 
in an “emotional roller coaster.”&nbsp;

The state <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/13/long-time-agape-director-testifies-in-missouri-court-to-stay-off-state-child-abuse-registry/">said</a>
 it substantiated five preponderance of evidence findings against 
Clemensen — one count of child neglect and four of physical abuse. The 
judge said Clemensen should remain off the registry until a final 
judgment is issued in a full trial, or until further order from the 
court.

“I don’t know what they would think 
is abuse,” said Griffey, who alleges among the abuse he suffered was 
being punched in the face by a staff member the first night he was at 
Agape for saying the word “gosh.”&nbsp;

Last year, Cedar County prosecuting attorney Ty Gaither filed <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/prosecutor-files-felony-charges-against-five-agape-staffers-accused-of-abuse/">only a fraction of the criminal counts </a>against Agape that Schmitt recommended after his office conducted an investigation.&nbsp;

The state blamed the local prosecutor’s office, saying they’d been “<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/08/court-order-would-close-agape-boarding-school-after-years-of-abuse-allegations/">stymied</a>” by “an uncooperative prosecutor at nearly every turn.” The Star has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article253856868.html">investigated</a> ties between Agape and Cedar County law enforcement, including sheriff’s deputies who worked at Agape.

Gaither <a target="_blank" href="https://cedarrepublican.com/stories/gaither-responds-to-house-speakers-allegation-of-undeniable-corruption,57089">said</a>
 recently that he filed so few counts because he does not believe the 
restraint and pain compliance techniques Agape staff allegedly performed
 qualify as abuse under Missouri law.&nbsp;

“We’ve laid down all the evidence, 
countless stories, countless testimonies,” said Colton Schrag, an Agape 
student from 2003 to 2004 and 2006 to 2010. “Staff members were found to
 have substantiated claims of abuse against them, and they’re still 
managing to operate.”

At Agape, where Knoll began as a 
student at age 13, in 1999 and left in 2001, he alleges he was routinely
 subject to physical abuse, including being pinned down by several staff
 members daily for hours at a time as a form of “compliance through 
pain.”

He alleges three or four staff 
members would hold down his arms, legs, and put a knee on his back, 
sometimes twisting his arms and pushing on the pressure point behind his
 neck he said, daily for over two months as a form of punishment when he
 refused to comply with directions, such as refusing to go to church.&nbsp;

Knoll said the activism of former 
students online has created its own kind of victory, although the 
“elation” among survivors they felt when they got the new regulations on
 boarding schools passed in 2021 has given way to frustration and a 
sense of “deflation.”

As Clemensen explained in testimony 
earlier this month, Agape is struggling financially, forced to 
transition to a group-home setup amid dwindling numbers of students.

“It’s a victory that’s to no credit 
to the politicians, it’s a victory to the survivors that have gone out 
there and gotten their stories told,” Knoll said. “These politicians 
aren’t responsible for the 90% decrease in enrollment. It was the 
survivors that went out there and were bold enough to tell their 
stories.”

Nonetheless, Knoll said, he still wants the state to remove the remaining children.

“They got the kids that are still 
there. They were like me, I was the throwaway child. Who’s gonna leave 
their kid at Agape after all these allegations?” Knoll said. “These are 
people that have abandoned their children. I was one of those kids.”&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672770565214.png" alt="Allen Knoll, who was sent to Agape Boarding School in Missouri, testified during a committee hearing on Feb. 10, 2021, about abuse he says he endured there. (Photo by Tim Bommel/House Communications)" />
 <figcaption>Allen Knoll, who was sent to Agape Boarding School in Missouri, testified during a committee hearing on Feb. 10, 2021, about abuse he says he endured there. (Photo by Tim Bommel/House Communications)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CLARA BATES <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/28/emotional-roller-coaster-delays-in-effort-to-shut-down-agape-dishearten-former-students/">Missouri Independent</a>When he read the news back in 
September that Missouri had moved to shut down Agape Boarding School, 
Allen Knoll felt a sense of vindication.&nbsp;”For me personally,” he said, “but also for current victims.”&nbsp;It was over a year and a half after 
Knoll had traveled to Missouri from Washington state to testify in front
 of the legislature about his time as a student at the Stockton-based 
Christian boarding school, detailing the abuse he says he suffered at the school and urging lawmakers to pass legislation to regulate faith-based unlicensed boarding schools.&nbsp;It was also over a year after the legislation he pushed for had gone into effect.&nbsp;The state filed for an injunction to 
close the school — a measure activists like Knoll, who co-founded a 
nonprofit advocating for reform to the so-called troubled teen industry,
 had been publicly demanding for months. And a judge seemed ready to 
close the school for good.&nbsp;“I felt like, cool, those kids are going to be somewhere safe,” Knoll said of the students then at the school.&nbsp;But his vindication quickly turned to resignation.The judge initially signaled the 
school could shut down immediately, then delayed any decision over a 
weekend. More delays followed, and three months later, the school 
remains open, pending a still-unscheduled trial set to take place 
sometime next year.“I was happy and then heartbroken,” 
Knoll said in an interview last week. “I feel like I didn’t do my job 
good enough, maybe there’s something I can do.”The delays are just the latest 
frustration for former students who have publicly accused the school of 
physical, mental and sexual abuse.&nbsp;Criminal charges against school 
leaders fell short of what the state attorney general recommended, and a
 push by the state to put the school’s director on a child abuse 
registry — and thus ban him from working at the school — was upended, 
for the time being, <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/21/judge-grants-injunction-keeping-longtime-agape-director-off-missouri-child-abuse-registry/">by a Cole County judge last week</a>.The school, which has been subject to
 intense social media pressure from activists and at least 20 lawsuits, 
remains open and has vehemently denied allegations of wrongdoing.&nbsp;Meanwhile, efforts to shut Agape down
 continue to drag on as Attorney General Eric Schmitt, whose office is 
leading the charge to shutter the school, is set to step down in January
 to join the U.S. Senate.“Everyone’s flabbergasted by it,” 
James Griffey, who attended Agape as a student from 1998 to 2001 and 
left in 2002 after working on staff, said of the developments that have 
allowed the school to stay open.“What kind of evidence do they need?”<h2>‘Immediate health and safety concern’</h2>In more than 20 lawsuits against the 
school, former students detail a range of allegation, from having food 
withheld as punishment to being forced to submit to physical labor and 
extreme exercise to being taken off prescribed medications.&nbsp;An investigation by The Kansas City 
Star beginning in 2020 included interviews from dozens of former 
students spanning decades who made similar abuse allegations. Agape 
denies any wrongdoing.Missouri’s attorney general, along with the state Department of Social Services, <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/08/court-order-would-close-agape-boarding-school-after-years-of-abuse-allegations/">filed for an injunction</a> on Sept. 7 seeking to close Agape, alleging an “immediate health and safety concern” to the children there.&nbsp;The state’s push to close Agape 
relies on a law passed in 2021, which granted the attorney general’s 
office and Department of Social Services, as well as county prosecuting 
or circuit attorneys, the authority to seek injunctive relief to cease 
the operation of a residential care facility, and provide for 
appropriate removal of children in certain instances. The law also 
required residential facilities to conduct background checks on staff, 
which the state alleges Agape has violated.After being tied up in court over 
several procedural matters, Agape Boarding School remains open despite 
the state’s findings that staff perpetrated child abuse and neglect.&nbsp;There is no definite end in sight in the case.&nbsp;Agape’s attorney told The Independent he expects the trial to occur early next year.&nbsp;The social services department was 
allowed 24/7 emergency access to Agape beginning in September, when the 
case was originally delayed for a weekend, in order to monitor 
children’s safety. Over three months later, the social services 
department is still operating under court-approved access to the 
facility to monitor it.&nbsp;“Agape
 remains open and the boys residing there are being safely cared for and
 educated,” John Schultz, Agape’s attorney in this case, said in an 
interview.There are around 25 students there now, down from 121 early last year.The state has <a target="_blank" href="https://ago.mo.gov/docs/default-source/press-releases/2022-09-19-second-amended-petition.pdf?sfvrsn=fdb0d573_2">argued</a>
 that if not for the presence of social service workers there would be 
“real, immediate concerns that children at Agapé may be subject to 
current and future incidents of child abuse or neglect, and their health
 and safety cannot be assured.”&nbsp;The judge in the case, Thomas Pyle in
 Cedar County, is set to retire December 31 and a new judge will be 
assigned, the Cedar County circuit clerk confirmed Tuesday by email.Chris Nuelle, spokesperson for the 
attorney general’s office said, by email to The Independent last week: 
“We have fought hard to protect the students at Agape and litigate this 
case as aggressively as possible, and the office will continue to do 
so.”<h2>One hurdle to trial cleared</h2>A series of procedural delays 
hampered the state’s effort to close Agape. But the most significant 
hold up since September came awaiting a decision from the court of 
appeals that arrived earlier this month and possibly cleared the path 
forward for trial to occur more quickly in the new year.Agape’s attorneys in early October 
sought to require the state to appoint court-appointed representatives, 
called guardian ad litems, for each child currently at Agape and to add 
all of their parents as parties in the case.&nbsp;Pyle granted the request, which in turn inspired a push by Agape to move any potential trial date back.&nbsp;Schultz said he asked for an extended
 trial date because appointing “28 guardian ad litems and bringing in 56
 parents getting all their schedules, it’d be kind of difficult.”The state argued that the case’s 
focus was to “cease business operations and return the children to their
 parents or legal guardians,” not a child custody case where a guardian 
ad litem would be required.The Missouri Southern District Court 
of Appeals sided with the state, successfully vacating the judge’s 
order. But that took two months to decide.Without the need for parents to 
become involved or guardian ad litems to appoint, Schultz said, “we can 
do it in pretty quick order, so whenever the judge can schedule, we’ll 
be ready.”&nbsp;<h2>‘Emotional roller coaster’</h2>Griffey pointed to a Cole County 
judge’s decision last week not to place Agape’s longtime director, Bryan
 Clemensen, on the state child abuse registry as just the latest twist 
in an “emotional roller coaster.”&nbsp;The state <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/12/13/long-time-agape-director-testifies-in-missouri-court-to-stay-off-state-child-abuse-registry/">said</a>
 it substantiated five preponderance of evidence findings against 
Clemensen — one count of child neglect and four of physical abuse. The 
judge said Clemensen should remain off the registry until a final 
judgment is issued in a full trial, or until further order from the 
court.“I don’t know what they would think 
is abuse,” said Griffey, who alleges among the abuse he suffered was 
being punched in the face by a staff member the first night he was at 
Agape for saying the word “gosh.”&nbsp;Last year, Cedar County prosecuting attorney Ty Gaither filed <a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/prosecutor-files-felony-charges-against-five-agape-staffers-accused-of-abuse/">only a fraction of the criminal counts </a>against Agape that Schmitt recommended after his office conducted an investigation.&nbsp;The state blamed the local prosecutor’s office, saying they’d been “<a target="_blank" href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/08/court-order-would-close-agape-boarding-school-after-years-of-abuse-allegations/">stymied</a>” by “an uncooperative prosecutor at nearly every turn.” The Star has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/state/missouri/article253856868.html">investigated</a> ties between Agape and Cedar County law enforcement, including sheriff’s deputies who worked at Agape.Gaither <a target="_blank" href="https://cedarrepublican.com/stories/gaither-responds-to-house-speakers-allegation-of-undeniable-corruption,57089">said</a>
 recently that he filed so few counts because he does not believe the 
restraint and pain compliance techniques Agape staff allegedly performed
 qualify as abuse under Missouri law.&nbsp;“We’ve laid down all the evidence, 
countless stories, countless testimonies,” said Colton Schrag, an Agape 
student from 2003 to 2004 and 2006 to 2010. “Staff members were found to
 have substantiated claims of abuse against them, and they’re still 
managing to operate.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672770643644.jpeg" alt="Colton Schrag, left, at 16 years old while he attended the Agape Boarding School (Photo submitted)." />
 <figcaption>Colton Schrag, left, at 16 years old while he attended the Agape Boarding School (Photo submitted).</figcaption>
 </figure>At Agape, where Knoll began as a 
student at age 13, in 1999 and left in 2001, he alleges he was routinely
 subject to physical abuse, including being pinned down by several staff
 members daily for hours at a time as a form of “compliance through 
pain.”He alleges three or four staff 
members would hold down his arms, legs, and put a knee on his back, 
sometimes twisting his arms and pushing on the pressure point behind his
 neck he said, daily for over two months as a form of punishment when he
 refused to comply with directions, such as refusing to go to church.&nbsp;Knoll said the activism of former 
students online has created its own kind of victory, although the 
“elation” among survivors they felt when they got the new regulations on
 boarding schools passed in 2021 has given way to frustration and a 
sense of “deflation.”As Clemensen explained in testimony 
earlier this month, Agape is struggling financially, forced to 
transition to a group-home setup amid dwindling numbers of students.“It’s a victory that’s to no credit 
to the politicians, it’s a victory to the survivors that have gone out 
there and gotten their stories told,” Knoll said. “These politicians 
aren’t responsible for the 90% decrease in enrollment. It was the 
survivors that went out there and were bold enough to tell their 
stories.”Nonetheless, Knoll said, he still wants the state to remove the remaining children.“They got the kids that are still 
there. They were like me, I was the throwaway child. Who’s gonna leave 
their kid at Agape after all these allegations?” Knoll said. “These are 
people that have abandoned their children. I was one of those kids.”&nbsp;

Delays in effort to shut down Agape school dishearten former students

OKLAHOMA CITY. (AP) — A football player at Fort Hays State University in Kansas was shot and killed outside a bar in Oklahoma City on New Year's Day, police said.

Daniel Howard, 22, died and four other people were injured in the shooting at Sunset Patio Lounge early Sunday, Oklahoma City police said.

Several people were kicked out of the bar after a fight broke out. The shooting occurred when the argument continued in a nearby parking lot, police said.

Some of the injured were bystanders, according to the police news release. Their conditions were not available.

Howard played two years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M before transferring to Fort Hays State in Kansas in spring of 2022. Howard, a defensive back, played in all 11 games last season, recording 53 tackles.

Officials at Fort Hays and Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M issued statements on social media expressing grief after Howard's death and support for his family and friends.

The investigation into the shooting is continuing, police said in a news release.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672768574845.jpeg" alt="Howard photo courtesy FHSU Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Howard photo courtesy FHSU Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY. (AP) — A football player at Fort Hays State University in Kansas was shot and killed outside a bar in Oklahoma City on New Year's Day, police said.Daniel Howard, 22, died and four other people were injured in the shooting at Sunset Patio Lounge early Sunday, Oklahoma City police said.Several people were kicked out of the bar after a fight broke out. The shooting occurred when the argument continued in a nearby parking lot, police said.Some of the injured were bystanders, according to the police news release. Their conditions were not available.Howard played two years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M before transferring to Fort Hays State in Kansas in spring of 2022. Howard, a defensive back, played in all 11 games last season, recording 53 tackles.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Tiger Family, We are deeply saddened to say that we have lost a member of our family, Daniel Howard. We are so grateful to have been able to be a part of his life and he will be missed greatly. Please keep Daniel&#39;s family in your prayers as they go through this difficult time. <a href="https://t.co/BqLfWP4NJK">pic.twitter.com/BqLfWP4NJK</a>&mdash; FHSU Football (@FHSUFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/FHSUFootball/status/1610006504484048901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Officials at Fort Hays and Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M issued statements on social media expressing grief after Howard's death and support for his family and friends.The investigation into the shooting is continuing, police said in a news release.

Police: Fort Hays State football player shot and killed in Oklahoma

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is falling far short in voting to become House speaker. House Republicans fell into a tangle on the opening day of the new Congress, refusing to elect McCarthy by more than a dozen votes in two rounds.&nbsp;

Needing 218 votes in the full House, McCarthy got just 203 in both rounds — less even than Democrat Hakeem Jeffries in the GOP-controlled chamber.

Three members of the Kansas delegation, Tracy Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner all voted for McCarthy.  Kansas Democrat Rep. Sharice Davids voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Members of the Missouri delegation also voted along party lines for McCarthy and Jeffries.

McCarthy had pledged a “battle on the floor” for as long as it took to overcome right-flank fellow Republicans who were refusing to give him their votes. But it was not at all clear how the embattled GOP leader could rebound after becoming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kentucky-kevin-mccarthy-e177c4405ef9b8a7b38641a15855764c">first House speaker nominee in 100 years to fail</a>&nbsp;to win the gavel from his fellow party members on the initial vote.

Before the second vote, rival-turned-McCarthy ally, conservative Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, who got six votes in the first round, rose to urge his colleagues, even those who backed him as an alternative, to drop their opposition.

“We have to rally around him, come together” Jordan said of McCarthy.

But Rep Matt Gaetz of Florida followed with a vigorous re-endorsement of Jordan. underscoring the chaos within the party.

“I rise to nominate the most talented, hardest working member of the Republican conference, who just gave a speech with more vision that we have ever heard from the alternative,” Gaetz said.

Smiling through it all, McCarthy huddled briefly with aides then appeared intent on simply trying to wear down his colleagues. Earlier, he strode into the chamber, posed for photos, and received a standing ovation from many on his side of the aisle after being nominated by the third-ranking Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik, who said the Californian from gritty Bakersfield “has what it takes” to lead House Republicans.

“No one has worked harder for this majority than Kevin McCarthy,” said Stefanik, R-N.Y.

But on that first vote a challenge was quickly raised by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a conservative former leader of the Freedom Caucus, who was nominated by a fellow conservative as speaker. In all, 19 Republicans peeled away, denying McCarthy the majority he needs as they cast votes for Biggs, Jordan or others in protest.

The mood was tense, at least on the Republican side, as lawmakers rose from their seats, in a lengthy first round of in-person voting. Democrats were joyous as they cast their own historic votes for their leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

In the final first-round tally, McCarthy won 203 votes, with 10 for Biggs and nine for other Republicans. Jeffries, the Democratic leader, won the most, 212 votes. But no nominee won a majority.

After a raucous private GOP meeting, a core group of conservatives led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with Donald Trump's MAGA agenda were furious, calling the meeting a “beat down” by McCarthy allies and remaining steadfast in their opposition to the GOP leader.

“There’s one person who could have changed all this,” said Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., the chairman of the Freedom Caucus and a leader of Trump's effort to challenge the 2020 presidential election.

The group said McCarthy refused the group's last-ditch offer for rules changes in a meeting late Monday at the Capitol.

“If you want to drain the swamp you can't put the biggest alligator in control of the exercise,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

“He eagerly dismissed us,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo.

Lawmakers convened in a new era of divided government as Democrats relinquish control of the House after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/2022-midterm-elections">midterm election</a>&nbsp;losses. While the Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely, House Republicans are eager to confront&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joe-biden">President Joe Biden’s agenda</a>&nbsp;after two years of a Democratic Party control of both houses of Congress.

Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled closed the last session, moving aside for new House leadership in her Democratic Party, to a standing ovation from colleagues on her side of the aisle.

The chaplain opened with a prayer seeking to bring the 118th Congress to life.

But first, House Republicans had to elect a speaker, second in succession to the presidency.

Even with an endorsement from former President Trump, McCarthy fell short.

Democrats enthusiastically nominated Jeffries, D-.N.Y., who is taking over as party leader, as their choice for speaker — a typically symbolic gesture in the minority but one that took on new importance as Republicans were in disarray.

“A Latino is nominating in this chamber a Black man for our leader for the the first time in American history,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar of California, the third-ranking Democrat, in nominating his colleague.

A new generation of Trump-aligned Republicans led the opposition to McCarthy. They don't think he is conservative enough or tough enough to battle Democrats. It's reminiscent of the last time Republicans took back the House majority, after the 2010 midterms, when the tea-party class ushered in a new era of hardball politics, eventually sending Speaker John Boehner to an early retirement.

“Nothing’s changed,” said Rep. Bob Good, R-Va. “The problem is Kevin McCarthy.”

With just 222 GOP seats, McCarthy could afford to lose only a handful of their votes. A speaker can win with fewer than 218 votes, as Pelosi and Boehner did, if some lawmakers are absent or simply vote present.

But McCarthy has failed to win over a core — and potentially growing — group of right-flank Republicans led by the conservative Freedom Caucus, despite weeks of closed-door meetings and promised changes to the House rules.

Some of the staunch Republican conservatives challenged McCarthy in the private session. He pushed back, according to a Republican in the room and granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door session.

A sizable but less vocal group of McCarthy supporters started theirs own campaign, “Only Kevin,” as a way to shut down the opposition and pledge their support only to him.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., a leader of a more pragmatic conservative group, said “frustration was rising” with the minority faction.

A viable challenger to McCarthy had yet to emerge.

The second-ranking House Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, could be a next choice, a conservative widely liked by his colleagues and seen by some as a hero after surviving a gunshot wound suffered during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017.

Once rivals, McCarthy and Scalise have become a team. Scalise’s office rejected as “false” a suggestion Monday by another Republican that Scalise was making calls about the speaker’s race.

A speaker's contest last went multiple rounds in 1923.

“This is a lot more important than about one person,” said Doug Heye, a former Republican leadership senior aide. “It’s about whether Republicans will be able to govern.”

Without a speaker, the House cannot fully form — naming its committee chairmen, engaging in floor proceedings and launching investigations of the Biden administration.

It was all in stark contrast to the other side of the Capitol, where Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will officially become the chamber's longest-serving party leader in history.

Despite being in the minority in the Senate, where Democrats hold a slim 51-49 majority, McConnell could prove to be a viable partner as Biden seeks bipartisan victories in the new era of divided government. The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/biden-new-year-pitch-bipartisanship-fa34cf2386e48332d1e76cf7a170a1bb">two men were expected to appear together</a>&nbsp;later in the week in the GOP leader's home state of Kentucky to celebrate federal infrastructure investment in a vital bridge that connects Kentucky and Ohio.

McCarthy’s candidacy for speaker should have been an almost sure thing. He led his party into the majority, raising millions of campaign dollars and traveling the country to recruit many of the newer lawmakers to run for office.

Yet McCarthy has been here before, abruptly dropping out of the speaker’s race in 2015 when it was clear he did not have support from conservatives to replace Boehner.

One core demand from the holdouts this time is that McCarthy reinstate a rule that allows any single lawmaker to make a “motion to vacate the chair” — in short, to call a vote to remove the speaker from office.

Pelosi eliminated the rule after conservatives used it to threaten Boehner's ouster, but McCarthy agreed to add it back in — but at a higher threshold, requiring at least five lawmakers to sign on to the motion. Conservatives said it was insufficient.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leader&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/kevin-mccarthy">Kevin McCarthy</a>&nbsp;appeared headed toward a historic defeat in first-round voting Tuesday to become House speaker, sending the new Congress into a tangle as conservative colleagues opposed his leadership

Three members of the Kansas delegation, Tracy Mann, Ron Estes and Jake LaTurner all voted for McCarthy.&nbsp; Kansas Democrat Rep. Sharice Davids voted for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Members of the Missouri delegation also voted along party lines for McCarthy and Jeffries.

McCarthy had pledged a “battle on the floor” for as long as it takes to overcome right-flank fellow Republicans who were refusing to give him their votes. But it was not at all clear how the embattled GOP leader could rebound after becoming the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-house-of-representatives-kentucky-kevin-mccarthy-e177c4405ef9b8a7b38641a15855764c">first House speaker nominee in 100 years to fail</a>&nbsp;to win the gavel from his fellow party members on the initial vote.

McCarthy strode into the chamber, posed for photos, and received a standing ovation from many on his side of the aisle after being nominated by the third-ranking Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik, who said he “has what it takes” to lead House Republicans.

But a challenge was quickly raised by Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., a conservative former leader of the Freedom Caucus, who was nominated by a fellow conservative as speaker. In all, 19 Republicans peeled away, denying McCarthy the majority as they cast votes for Biggs or others in protest.

The mood was tense, at least on the Republican side, as lawmakers rose from their seats, in a lengthy first round of in-person voting. Democrats were joyous as they cast their own historic votes for their leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the first Black person to lead a major American political party.

"We may have a battle on the floor, but the battle is for the conference and the country,” McCarthy said earlier at the Capitol.

McCarthy emerged from a contentious closed-door meeting with fellow House Republicans unable to win over detractors and lacking the support needed to become speaker. He vowed to fight to the finish — even if it takes multiple tries in a public spectacle that would underscore divisions in his party and weaken its leadership in the first days of the new Congress.

A core group of conservatives led by the Freedom Caucus and aligned with Donald Trump's MAGA agenda were furious, calling the private meeting a “beat down” by McCarthy allies and remaining steadfast in their opposition to the GOP leader.

Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had gaveled closed the last session moments earlier, moving aside for new Democratic leadership, to a standing ovation from colleagues on her side of the aisle.

Democrats enthusiastically nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-.N.Y., who is taking over as party leader, as their choice for speaker — a typically symbolic gesture in the minority but one that took on new importance as Republicans were in disarray.

The morning meeting of House Republicans turned raucus ahead what’s traditionally a celebratory day as newly elected members arrive to be sworn into office. Families in tow, the members of the new Congress prepare to be sworn into the House and Senate for the start of the two-year legislative session.

A new generation of Trump-aligned Republicans led the opposition to McCarthy. They don't think McCarthy is conservative enough or tough enough to battle Democrats. It's reminiscent of the last time Republicans took back the House majority, after the 2010 midterms, when the tea-party class ushered in a new era of hardball politics, eventually sending Speaker John Boehner to an early retirement.

Typically it takes a majority of the House's 435 members, 218 votes, to become the speaker. With just 222 GOP seats, McCarthy could afford to lose only a handful of their votes. A speaker can win with fewer than 218 votes, as Pelosi and Boehner did, if some lawmakers are absent or simply vote present.

But McCarthy has failed to win over a core — and potentially growing — group of right-flank Republicans led by the conservative Freedom Caucus, despite weeks of closed-door meetings and promised changes to the House rules. Nearly a dozen Republicans have publicly raised concerns about McCarthy.

A sizable but less vocal group of McCarthy supporters started its own campaign, “Only Kevin,” as a way to shut down the opposition and pledge their support only to him.

“Kevin McCarthy is the right guy to lead this conference, the right guy to be speaker of the House,” Johnson said.

A viable challenger to McCarthy had yet to emerge. Biggs, R-Ariz., was running as a conservative option, but was not expected to pull a majority. McCarthy defeated him in the November nominating contest,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-dc947aadd41de192e4d1f018d0eaf193">188-31</a>.

The second-ranking House Republican, Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, would be an obvious next choice, a conservative widely liked by his colleagues and seen by some as a hero after surviving a gunshot wound suffered during a congressional baseball game practice in 2017.

3 Kan. Reps support McCarthy who suffers historic defeat for speaker

By RUDI KELLER <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/03/andrew-bailey-officially-takes-over-as-missouris-new-attorney-general/">Missouri Independent</a>

Andrew
 Bailey was sworn in Tuesday morning as Missouri’s new Attorney General.
 He replaces Eric Schmitt, who was also sworn in Tuesday as the newest 
U.S. Senator from the state.

Bailey, 41, was appointed by Gov. 
Mike Parson just before Thanksgiving. He began working for Parson in 
2019 as deputy counsel and spent the past year working for as general 
counsel in the governor’s office.

Prior to going to work for Parson, 
Bailey was general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections. 
He began working in state government in 2014, when he was hired as an 
assistant attorney general.

He is an army veteran that was 
awarded two Army Achievement Medals, an Army Accommodation Medal, a 
Combat Action Badge and two Bronze Star Medals for his service.

Bailey has never held elected office 
but has said he intends to run for a full term as attorney general in 
2024. He has yet to form a political action committee that would allow 
him to raise money for a 2024 run, but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/bailey-begins-fundraising-for-missouri-attorney-general-campaign-with-help-from-lobbyist/article_47d322b1-28f3-5211-81b2-626c480a0b5b.html">an independent PAC supporting him has held at least one fundraiser</a>.

During his tenure with Parson, Bailey has kept a relatively low public profile.&nbsp;

His closest brush with headlines came
 after records revealed he helped craft talking points the governor’s 
office used to advocate for the criminal prosecution of a journalist who
 uncovered a security problem in a state website.&nbsp;

Bailey’s appointment marks the second time Parson has selected a new attorney general following a U.S. Senate campaign.

Schmitt got the job in 2018, after then-Attorney General Josh Hawley was elected to the Senate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672770432992.png" alt="Andrew Bailey was announced as Gov. Mike Parson’s choice to be Missouri attorney general on Nov. 23, 2022 (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office)." />
 <figcaption>Andrew Bailey was announced as Gov. Mike Parson’s choice to be Missouri attorney general on Nov. 23, 2022 (photo courtesy of Missouri Governor’s Office).</figcaption>
 </figure>By RUDI KELLER <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/01/03/andrew-bailey-officially-takes-over-as-missouris-new-attorney-general/">Missouri Independent</a>Andrew
 Bailey was sworn in Tuesday morning as Missouri’s new Attorney General.
 He replaces Eric Schmitt, who was also sworn in Tuesday as the newest 
U.S. Senator from the state.Bailey, 41, was appointed by Gov. 
Mike Parson just before Thanksgiving. He began working for Parson in 
2019 as deputy counsel and spent the past year working for as general 
counsel in the governor’s office.Prior to going to work for Parson, 
Bailey was general counsel for the Missouri Department of Corrections. 
He began working in state government in 2014, when he was hired as an 
assistant attorney general.He is an army veteran that was 
awarded two Army Achievement Medals, an Army Accommodation Medal, a 
Combat Action Badge and two Bronze Star Medals for his service.Bailey has never held elected office 
but has said he intends to run for a full term as attorney general in 
2024. He has yet to form a political action committee that would allow 
him to raise money for a 2024 run, but <a target="_blank" href="https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/bailey-begins-fundraising-for-missouri-attorney-general-campaign-with-help-from-lobbyist/article_47d322b1-28f3-5211-81b2-626c480a0b5b.html">an independent PAC supporting him has held at least one fundraiser</a>.During his tenure with Parson, Bailey has kept a relatively low public profile.&nbsp;His closest brush with headlines came
 after records revealed he helped craft talking points the governor’s 
office used to advocate for the criminal prosecution of a journalist who
 uncovered a security problem in a state website.&nbsp;Bailey’s appointment marks the second time Parson has selected a new attorney general following a U.S. Senate campaign.Schmitt got the job in 2018, after then-Attorney General Josh Hawley was elected to the Senate.

Bailey officially takes over as Missouri’s new attorney general

MIAMI COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a woman to the hospital.

Just after 7:30p.m. Sunday, deputies responded to the area of 299th Street and Sumerset Road in rural&nbsp; Paola, according to Undersheriff Matthew Kelly.

First responders found a woman in her 40s in a ditch with an apparent gunshot wound. EMS transported her to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The sheriff's office released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

MIAMI COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that sent a woman to the hospital.Just after 7:30p.m. Sunday, deputies responded to the area of 299th Street and Sumerset Road in rural&nbsp; Paola, according to Undersheriff Matthew Kelly.First responders found a woman in her 40s in a ditch with an apparent gunshot wound. EMS transported her to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.The sheriff's office released no additional details. Check the Post for more information as it becomes available.

Sheriff: Woman found with gunshot wound in rural Kan. ditch

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Top priorities in the legislative session that begins Wednesday will be making it harder to amend Missouri’s Constitution, sports betting, and education issues ranging from attending out-of-district schools to how children are educated about racism.

GOP lawmakers have been trying for years to crack down on initiative petitions, which have been used to enact policies that the Republican-led Legislature either avoided dealing with or opposed.

For example, voters this year legalized the recreational use of marijuana in response to inaction by lawmakers, and a 2020 citizen-led ballot initiative forced the state to expand Medicaid coverage, despite years of resistance from Republicans.

Rep. Jon Patterson, the incoming House majority floor leader, said Republicans have not yet agreed on the best way to tighten the ballot initiative process. One House proposal would require signatures from 15% of voters in each of the state’s eight congressional districts to put initiatives to a public vote. Currently, petitioners must gather signatures from 8% of voters in six districts.

Caleb Rowden, who is expected to take over as Senate president pro tem, said he wants to keep the current process for putting measures to a public vote but raise the threshold for enacting those proposals.

“There's a distinction between making it harder to get there and then just ensuring that if we're going to change the Constitution and put bingo language in there and 40 pages of marijuana language that there's a higher threshold,” Rowden said.

Although Republicans are still hammering out the details, GOP lawmakers are for the most part unified in their desire to tamp down on voter-driven constitutional changes. The issue is an opportunity for the party to band together despite division over social policies, such as the treatment of transgender students.

Senate leaders last year pushed off debate over transgender athletes and critical race theory — a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism, but one that is not a fixture in U.S. schools — to focus on tax cuts and less disputed issues. This year, Rowden said those social issues will get a spotlight.

Patterson said top House GOP priorities also include policies on transgender athletes and education on race, as well as allowing school districts to enroll out-of-district students.

Bipartisan priorities include expanding Medicaid coverage for new mothers and increasing access to pre-kindergarten programs. Patterson said more child care options could help parents reenter the workforce.

Democratic and Republican legislative leaders also have said that legalizing sports betting, another perennial issue that has not yet been passed, will be high on the list of priorities for the session.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Top priorities in the legislative session that begins Wednesday will be making it harder to amend Missouri’s Constitution, sports betting, and education issues ranging from attending out-of-district schools to how children are educated about racism.GOP lawmakers have been trying for years to crack down on initiative petitions, which have been used to enact policies that the Republican-led Legislature either avoided dealing with or opposed.For example, voters this year legalized the recreational use of marijuana in response to inaction by lawmakers, and a 2020 citizen-led ballot initiative forced the state to expand Medicaid coverage, despite years of resistance from Republicans.Rep. Jon Patterson, the incoming House majority floor leader, said Republicans have not yet agreed on the best way to tighten the ballot initiative process. One House proposal would require signatures from 15% of voters in each of the state’s eight congressional districts to put initiatives to a public vote. Currently, petitioners must gather signatures from 8% of voters in six districts.Caleb Rowden, who is expected to take over as Senate president pro tem, said he wants to keep the current process for putting measures to a public vote but raise the threshold for enacting those proposals.“There's a distinction between making it harder to get there and then just ensuring that if we're going to change the Constitution and put bingo language in there and 40 pages of marijuana language that there's a higher threshold,” Rowden said.Although Republicans are still hammering out the details, GOP lawmakers are for the most part unified in their desire to tamp down on voter-driven constitutional changes. The issue is an opportunity for the party to band together despite division over social policies, such as the treatment of transgender students.Senate leaders last year pushed off debate over transgender athletes and critical race theory — a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism, but one that is not a fixture in U.S. schools — to focus on tax cuts and less disputed issues. This year, Rowden said those social issues will get a spotlight.Patterson said top House GOP priorities also include policies on transgender athletes and education on race, as well as allowing school districts to enroll out-of-district students.Bipartisan priorities include expanding Medicaid coverage for new mothers and increasing access to pre-kindergarten programs. Patterson said more child care options could help parents reenter the workforce.“It’s a no-brainer,” Rowden said.Democratic and Republican legislative leaders also have said that legalizing sports betting, another perennial issue that has not yet been passed, will be high on the list of priorities for the session.

Missouri GOP focused on raising bar to change Constitution

MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged kidnapping in Manhattan and have three men in custody.

Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, the Riley County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting shots were fired at the Links Apartments in the 500 block of Gatlinburg Way, according to a media release.

A witness reported a shooting followed by a man being forced from an apartment and into a vehicle. officers located Joseph Varvel, 25, of Manhattan in the area and detained him for questioning.

The Communications Center received an additional 911 call shortly before 11:00 p.m. from the victim, a 26-year-old man, who said he needed help and was located in the 1200 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan. 

The man was transported to Via Christi for treatment of stab wounds and facial injuries. A man identified as Zane Thomas, 27, of Junction City was present with the victim when officers arrived and detained for questioning.

After further investigation, Thomas was arrested on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and possession of marijuana. He remains confined on a total bond of $500,000. 

Varvel was arrested on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, unlawful discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling, and possession of cocaine. He also remains confined on a total bond of $500,000. 

A third suspect Cooper Brown, 21, of Manhattan was identified and arrested on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, and aggravated kidnapping. He remains confined on a total bond of $300,000.

MANHATTAN — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged kidnapping in Manhattan and have three men in custody.Just before 8:30p.m. Monday, the Riley County Communications Center received a 911 call reporting shots were fired at the Links Apartments in the 500 block of Gatlinburg Way, according to a media release.A witness reported a shooting followed by a man being forced from an apartment and into a vehicle. officers located Joseph Varvel, 25, of Manhattan in the area and detained him for questioning.The Communications Center received an additional 911 call shortly before 11:00 p.m. from the victim, a 26-year-old man, who said he needed help and was located in the 1200 block of Colorado Street in Manhattan. The man was transported to Via Christi for treatment of stab wounds and facial injuries. A man identified as Zane Thomas, 27, of Junction City was present with the victim when officers arrived and detained for questioning.After further investigation, Thomas was arrested on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, and possession of marijuana. He remains confined on a total bond of $500,000. Varvel was arrested on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated battery, unlawful discharge of a firearm into an occupied dwelling, and possession of cocaine. He also remains confined on a total bond of $500,000. A third suspect Cooper Brown, 21, of Manhattan was identified and arrested on requested charges of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, and aggravated kidnapping. He remains confined on a total bond of $300,000.

Police: 3 accused of aggravated kidnapping in Manhattan

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital.

Just after 9:30a.m. Monday, police responded to a report of a person who was shot in the 400 block of SE Leland Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Matt Danielson.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Officers located a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported. to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; Late Monday, officers and detectives determined the man accidentally shot himself, according to Danielson.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police released no additional details including the man's name.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a shooting that sent a man to the hospital.Just after 9:30a.m. Monday, police responded to a report of a person who was shot in the 400 block of SE Leland Avenue in Topeka, according to Lt. Matt Danielson.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officers located a man suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported. to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; Late Monday, officers and detectives determined the man accidentally shot himself, according to Danielson.&nbsp; &nbsp;Police released no additional details including the man's name.

Kansas man critically injured in accidental shooting

WASHINGTON —Lawmakers return to work Tuesday to a new era of divided government as Democrats relinquish control of the House after&nbsp;midterm election&nbsp;losses. The Senate remains in Democratic hands, barely.

Late last week, President Biden signed the $1.7 trillion government spending bill that will finance federal agencies through September and provide $45 Billion in additional aid to Ukraine.&nbsp;

The Democratic-controlled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kevin-mccarthy-nancy-pelosi-ed54dbd327c4362ee052f851f497fcd4">House passed the bill</a>&nbsp;225-201, mostly along party lines, just before Christmas. The House vote came a day after the Senate, also led by Democrats voted 68-29 to pass the bill with significantly more Republican support including from Kansas Senator Jerry Moran and Missouri Senator Roy Blunt.

<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/23/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-passage-of-the-bipartisan-year-end-omnibus/">Click here to read</a> President Biden's statement on the bill.

<a href="https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Omni%20Dem%20Highlight.pdf">The legislation includes the following,</a> according to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Support for Public Schools: Congress secured historic levels of funding to support public school teachers and students and invest in our children’s future. The bill includes:

• $17.5 billion, the largest increase in more than a decade, for Title I-A grants to local educational agencies to support student achievement, including through preschool programs for eligible children.

• $14.2 billion, a $433 million increase, for special education state grant programs that support services to nearly 9 million students and children with a disability.

• $75 million, double the funding from last year, for Full Community Services Schools, which integrate student supports and family engagement to improved student attendance.

• $1.29 billion, an increase of $30 million, for 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which serves 1.6 million students across the country.

College Access, Affordability, and Completion: Affordable access to higher education is a pillar to achieving the American dream and essential to driving our economy forward in the 21st century. The bill includes:

• $400 increase in the maximum Pell grant award, the largest increase in more than a decade, which will help 7 million students pursue a postsecondary education.

• $1.1 billion, an increase of $40 million, for TRIO, which helps more than 800,000 lowincome individuals, first generation college students, and individuals with disabilities prepare for and get into college and succeed when they’re there.

• $378 million, an increase of $10 million for GEAR UP, which helps almost 600,000 lowincome students beginning in middle school and through high school prepare for a postsecondary education.

$65 million, an increase of $10 million, for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program to increase access to affordable and convenient child care options for student parents.

• $885 million, an increase of $96 million, for a programs to strengthen HBCUs, MSI, and other historically under-resourced institutions of higher education serving a high percentage of low-income students.

Making Housing More Affordable and Safe: Democrats included critical resources to expand opportunities for affordable housing and provide assistance to families struggling to avoid unsafe housing conditions or from falling into homelessness. In addition to providing the resources to preserve rental assistance to the more than 5 million HUD-assisted, low-income households amid significant rent increases, the bill includes:

• $280 million for 32,800 new housing vouchers.

• $3.2 billion, a 16 percent increase, for public housing capital formula funds.

• $350 million, a 75 percent increase, for Choice Neighborhoods.

• $1.5 billion, an 11 percent increase and the highest level of funding provided in the past decade, for new affordable housing production through the HOME program.

• $4.8 billion for community and economic development.

• More than $1 billion, a 21 percent increase, for Housing for the Elderly.

• $352 million, a 55 percent increase, for Housing for Persons Disabilities.

• More than $1 billion, a 24 percent increase, for Native community housing programs.

• $415 million, a 15 percent increase, for the Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes to address lead-based paint and other environmental hazards in low-income and HUD-assisted housing.

• $489 million, a $24 million increase, for the Legal Services Corporation, which provides civil legal assistance to low-income persons including those involved in housing and foreclosure cases.

Child Care and Early Child Education: Any young family understands that the cost of child care is far too high and the pandemic forced millions of women to leave the workforce because they could not afford child care. Democrats secured strong support to lower the cost of child care, including:

• $11.036 billion, a $288.7 million increase, for Head Start. This increase will allow a cost-of-living adjustment for Head Start teachers and staff, and includes quality improvement funding to help Head Start programs recruit and retain teachers.