By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

The largest electric utility in Kansas and western Missouri will add two natural gas plants by the end of 2030, the company announced Monday.

Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in the two states, plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-announces-two-new-705-mw-high-efficiency-natural-gas" target="_blank">build combined-cycle natural gas plants</a>&nbsp;— each with a 705-megawatt capacity — in two Kansas counties in 2029 and 2030, respectively.

David Campbell, Evergy’s CEO and chairman, said at a news conference in Hutchinson, Kansas, that the plants would “help maintain a diverse energy mix for our state,” ensuring “reliable, affordable, sustainable energy.”

“They’re flexible resources that can ramp production up and ramp production down based on the needs of the grid,” Campbell said, “so they pair very well with Kansas’ abundant renewable generation resources.”

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, lauded the announcement at the Hutchinson news conference, saying the construction of the plants would create 500 construction jobs and 165 permanent jobs. She said the plants would ensure reliable energy, including in emergencies or periods of high demand, like hot summer days.

“As Kansas continues to transition to more sustainable energy, we’re doing it responsibly,” Kelly said. “These plants are much cleaner than traditional coal plants.”

<a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php" target="_blank">According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration</a>, burning natural gas to create electricity produces less carbon dioxide than coal. But natural gas leaks release its primary component, methane, into the atmosphere, accounting for more than one-third of U.S. methane emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The announcement marks an increasing reliance on natural gas generation by Evergy.

In its long-range plan filed with regulators in 2022, Evergy planned to exclusively add wind and solar facilities over the coming decade.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/16/evergy-slashes-planned-renewable-energy-additions-proposes-more-natural-gas/" target="_blank">A year later, it scaled back</a>&nbsp;those planned renewable energy facilities, forecasted plans to add natural gas plants and delayed the retirement of the Lawrence coal plant.

<a href="https://investors.evergy.com/2024IRPUpdate" target="_blank">Evergy’s latest update</a>, filed earlier this year, almost doubles the amount of natural gas generation the utility will add between now and the early 2030s. At the same time, it increased planned wind and solar additions compared to last year’s plan.

Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the environmental nonprofit Sierra Club, questioned whether Evergy would be able to achieve its goals to reduce emissions given its planned investments in natural gas generation.

“I don’t know how a utility can claim that it’s affordable, reliable or sustainable,” he said, noting that gas prices can be volatile and natural gas outages contributed to rolling blackouts the Midwest experienced in 2021.

Beyond that, he said, burning gas is harmful to the environment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729533611500.jpeg" alt="Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel speaks to the crowd assembled at the Evergy announcement on Monday at the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on October 21, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell." />
 <figcaption>Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel speaks to the crowd assembled at the Evergy announcement on Monday at the 1861 Club on the Kansas State Fairgrounds on October 21, 2024. Photo by Nick Gosnell.</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>The largest electric utility in Kansas and western Missouri will add two natural gas plants by the end of 2030, the company announced Monday.Evergy, which serves 1.6 million customers in the two states, plans to&nbsp;<a href="https://investors.evergy.com/news-releases/news-release-details/evergy-announces-two-new-705-mw-high-efficiency-natural-gas" target="_blank">build combined-cycle natural gas plants</a>&nbsp;— each with a 705-megawatt capacity — in two Kansas counties in 2029 and 2030, respectively.David Campbell, Evergy’s CEO and chairman, said at a news conference in Hutchinson, Kansas, that the plants would “help maintain a diverse energy mix for our state,” ensuring “reliable, affordable, sustainable energy.”“They’re flexible resources that can ramp production up and ramp production down based on the needs of the grid,” Campbell said, “so they pair very well with Kansas’ abundant renewable generation resources.”Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, lauded the announcement at the Hutchinson news conference, saying the construction of the plants would create 500 construction jobs and 165 permanent jobs. She said the plants would ensure reliable energy, including in emergencies or periods of high demand, like hot summer days.“As Kansas continues to transition to more sustainable energy, we’re doing it responsibly,” Kelly said. “These plants are much cleaner than traditional coal plants.”<a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/natural-gas/natural-gas-and-the-environment.php" target="_blank">According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration</a>, burning natural gas to create electricity produces less carbon dioxide than coal. But natural gas leaks release its primary component, methane, into the atmosphere, accounting for more than one-third of U.S. methane emissions. Methane is a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.The announcement marks an increasing reliance on natural gas generation by Evergy.In its long-range plan filed with regulators in 2022, Evergy planned to exclusively add wind and solar facilities over the coming decade.&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/06/16/evergy-slashes-planned-renewable-energy-additions-proposes-more-natural-gas/" target="_blank">A year later, it scaled back</a>&nbsp;those planned renewable energy facilities, forecasted plans to add natural gas plants and delayed the retirement of the Lawrence coal plant.<a href="https://investors.evergy.com/2024IRPUpdate" target="_blank">Evergy’s latest update</a>, filed earlier this year, almost doubles the amount of natural gas generation the utility will add between now and the early 2030s. At the same time, it increased planned wind and solar additions compared to last year’s plan.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729533986696.png" alt="The plant site for the new Evergy plant is near South Hutchinson in Reno County. Graphic courtesy Evergy." />
 <figcaption>The plant site for the new Evergy plant is near South Hutchinson in Reno County. Graphic courtesy Evergy.</figcaption>
 </figure>Zack Pistora, a lobbyist for the environmental nonprofit Sierra Club, questioned whether Evergy would be able to achieve its goals to reduce emissions given its planned investments in natural gas generation.“I don’t know how a utility can claim that it’s affordable, reliable or sustainable,” he said, noting that gas prices can be volatile and natural gas outages contributed to rolling blackouts the Midwest experienced in 2021.Beyond that, he said, burning gas is harmful to the environment.Video of the press event is below.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/y_sGnE26DzQ?si=_qHVqdwMkTDq5EQE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

Evergy plans to build two new natural gas plants in Kansas

Three attorneys general argue federal laws around the mifepristone make it difficult for states to enforce abortion bans

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

Missouri’s attorney general has renewed a push to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone, arguing in a lawsuit filed this month that its availability hurt the state by decreasing teenage pregnancy.

The revised lawsuit was filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, alongside GOP attorneys general in Kansas and Idaho. It asks a judge in Texas to order the Federal Drug Administration to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone, one of two medications prescribed to induce chemical abortions.

The trio of attorneys general were forced to refile the litigation after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/13/breaking-u-s-supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-limit-access-to-abortion-pill/">the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the original lawsuit&nbsp;</a>after concluding the original plaintiffs — a group of anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations — did not have standing to sue because they couldn’t show they had been harmed.

In making the case that the states have standing this time, the attorneys general contend access to mifepristone has lowered “birth rates for teenaged mothers,” arguing it contributes to causing a population loss for the states along with “diminishment of political representation and loss of federal funds.”

“Younger women are more likely to navigate online abortion finders or websites ordering mail-order medication to self-manage abortions,” the filing argues.

Missouri’s teen pregnancy birth rate has steadily declined over the past several years, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/teen-births/teenbirths.htm" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,</a>&nbsp;though it still remains among the highest in the country.

The lawsuit demands the federal government restore its previous restrictions on mifepristone by requiring three in-person doctor visits, reducing the gestational period during which the medication can be taken from 10 weeks to seven and rolling back recent federal policy that allowed for the mailing of mifepristone and allowed for prescriptions to be made online or through pharmacies.

In a statement to The Independent, Bailey framed the lawsuit as an attempt to ensure “long-standing safety requirements” for use of mifepristone are put back in place.

“We are moving forward undeterred for the safety of women across the country,” Bailey said.

Molly Meegan, chief legal officer and general counsel with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the latest legal attempt to reduce access to mifepristone is based on “out-of-date and unscientific federal restrictions.”

“Science has conclusively demonstrated that mifepristone is safe and effective, including when used as directed through telehealth, and that patients of any age who become pregnant and need medication abortion can safely use the combination regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2024/10/acog-comment-on-the-newest-judicial-attack-on-mifepristone" target="_blank">she said in a statement.&nbsp;</a>”Imposing needless barriers on mifepristone will make it harder for people to access this needed care—which of course is the point—and worsen existing health disparities.”

<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">According to the FDA, mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf#page=16" target="_blank">if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever.&nbsp;</a>The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent surgical abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.

Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago, only 32 deaths have ever been reported associated with mifepristone, according to the FDA.

Bailey and his fellow GOP attorneys general, however, argue the drug is dangerous.

“The FDA has enabled online abortion providers to mail FDA-approved abortion drugs to women in states that regulate abortion — dispensing abortion drugs with no doctor care, no exam and no in-person follow-up care,” the attorneys general wrote in the amended lawsuit. “These dangerous drugs are now flooding states like Missouri and Idaho and sending women in these states to the emergency room.”&nbsp;

The filing also argues that the current regulations around mifepristone make it impossible to track and prevent medication abortions.&nbsp;

“All of this makes it difficult for state law enforcement to detect and deter state law violations and to give effect to state abortion laws,” the attorneys general wrote.&nbsp;

When the constitutional right to an abortion was overturned in June 2022, Missouri became the first state to enact a trigger law banning the procedure in all cases except for medical emergencies.

A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 due to a series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions.

Between June 2022 and March 2024, only 64 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to health department data.

Despite these laws, thousands of Missourians have still accessed abortion in the past two years,<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">&nbsp;either by driving to clinics in Illinois and Kansas&nbsp;</a>or by ordering abortion medication through the mail.&nbsp;

In the six months after the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling, the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/25/more-than-26000-self-managed-abortions-may-have-occurred-post-dobbs-study-shows/">self-managed medication abortions rose&nbsp;</a>by more than 26,000 across the U.S. according to a<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2024.4266?utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jama.2024.4266" target="_blank">&nbsp;study</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA, the American Medical Association’s journal.

The attorneys general in their filing attempt to estimate how many people may have undergone medication abortions in each state, and how many may have been on Medicaid.&nbsp;

Between April 2018 and August 2023, there were 438 abortion complication reports — including 186 from medication abortions — filed with Missouri’s health department, according to the litigation.&nbsp;

Bailey’s office estimates that just shy of 400,000 women and girls of reproductive age are eligible for Missouri Medicaid, and that about 13% of those individuals are enrolled in Medicaid.&nbsp;

Bailey raised these data points in an attempt to estimate how much abortion medication costs the state, noting that under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, public hospitals must treat anyone who comes in for emergency care, regardless of their ability to pay.&nbsp;

“If a public hospital provides medical services for complications stemming from chemical abortions,” the filing reads, “and the state’s Medicaid program does not cover the full portion of the bill, the outstanding balance is a loss to the public hospital, which is itself an instrumentality of the state.”

The attorney general’s office also noted the “loss of potential population” that resulted from an increase in access to medication abortions among Missourians.&nbsp;

“Reflecting the ease of driving to another state to receive abortion drugs, it is estimated that just 2.4%of abortion-minded women were prevented from getting abortions in Missouri after Dobbs,” the attorneys general write in the filing.&nbsp;

Fewer abortions would have occurred, the attorneys general argue, if the FDA’s previous requirements were still in place.

Bailey made a similar argument last year while attempting to inflate the estimated cost of an abortion-rights ballot measure, saying it would&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/20/judge-missouri-ag-had-absolute-absence-of-authority-to-question-abortion-initiative-cost/">cost the state $6.9 trillion in lost revenue.&nbsp;</a>A judge rejected his claim.

The filing also pointed to a November 2023 study that found abortion bans didn’t result in an increase in teenage pregnancies that ended in births for those between the ages of 15 and 19.

The study attributed this in part to young people’s ability to find online abortion medication providers.&nbsp;

“This study thus suggests that remote dispensing of abortion drugs by mail, common carrier, and interactive computer service is depressing expected birth rates for teenaged mothers in Plaintiff States, even if other overall birth rates may have been lower than otherwise was projected,” the attorneys general wrote.&nbsp;

<h2>Three attorneys general argue federal laws around the mifepristone make it difficult for states to enforce abortion bans</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missouri’s attorney general has renewed a push to restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone, arguing in a lawsuit filed this month that its availability hurt the state by decreasing teenage pregnancy.The revised lawsuit was filed by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, alongside GOP attorneys general in Kansas and Idaho. It asks a judge in Texas to order the Federal Drug Administration to reinstate restrictions on mifepristone, one of two medications prescribed to induce chemical abortions.The trio of attorneys general were forced to refile the litigation after&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/06/13/breaking-u-s-supreme-court-rejects-attempt-to-limit-access-to-abortion-pill/">the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the original lawsuit&nbsp;</a>after concluding the original plaintiffs — a group of anti-abortion doctors and medical organizations — did not have standing to sue because they couldn’t show they had been harmed.In making the case that the states have standing this time, the attorneys general contend access to mifepristone has lowered “birth rates for teenaged mothers,” arguing it contributes to causing a population loss for the states along with “diminishment of political representation and loss of federal funds.”“Younger women are more likely to navigate online abortion finders or websites ordering mail-order medication to self-manage abortions,” the filing argues.Missouri’s teen pregnancy birth rate has steadily declined over the past several years, according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/teen-births/teenbirths.htm" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,</a>&nbsp;though it still remains among the highest in the country.The lawsuit demands the federal government restore its previous restrictions on mifepristone by requiring three in-person doctor visits, reducing the gestational period during which the medication can be taken from 10 weeks to seven and rolling back recent federal policy that allowed for the mailing of mifepristone and allowed for prescriptions to be made online or through pharmacies.In a statement to The Independent, Bailey framed the lawsuit as an attempt to ensure “long-standing safety requirements” for use of mifepristone are put back in place.“We are moving forward undeterred for the safety of women across the country,” Bailey said.Molly Meegan, chief legal officer and general counsel with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said the latest legal attempt to reduce access to mifepristone is based on “out-of-date and unscientific federal restrictions.”“Science has conclusively demonstrated that mifepristone is safe and effective, including when used as directed through telehealth, and that patients of any age who become pregnant and need medication abortion can safely use the combination regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2024/10/acog-comment-on-the-newest-judicial-attack-on-mifepristone" target="_blank">she said in a statement.&nbsp;</a>”Imposing needless barriers on mifepristone will make it harder for people to access this needed care—which of course is the point—and worsen existing health disparities.”<a href="https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/questions-and-answers-mifepristone-medical-termination-pregnancy-through-ten-weeks-gestation#:~:text=When%20did%20the%20FDA%20approve,ten%20weeks%20gestation%20in%202016." target="_blank">According to the FDA, mifepristone is safe to use if taken as directed.</a>&nbsp;Cramping and bleeding are common side effects of the medication. Those prescribed mifepristone are urged to call their doctor&nbsp;<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/020687Orig1s025Lbl.pdf#page=16" target="_blank">if they experience heavy bleeding, abdominal pain or a fever.&nbsp;</a>The same guidance applies to those who recently underwent surgical abortions, experienced miscarriages or delivered a baby.Since the medication was approved for use 28 years ago, only 32 deaths have ever been reported associated with mifepristone, according to the FDA.Bailey and his fellow GOP attorneys general, however, argue the drug is dangerous.“The FDA has enabled online abortion providers to mail FDA-approved abortion drugs to women in states that regulate abortion — dispensing abortion drugs with no doctor care, no exam and no in-person follow-up care,” the attorneys general wrote in the amended lawsuit. “These dangerous drugs are now flooding states like Missouri and Idaho and sending women in these states to the emergency room.”&nbsp;The filing also argues that the current regulations around mifepristone make it impossible to track and prevent medication abortions.&nbsp;“All of this makes it difficult for state law enforcement to detect and deter state law violations and to give effect to state abortion laws,” the attorneys general wrote.&nbsp;<h2>Lost revenue and fewer teen mothers</h2>When the constitutional right to an abortion was overturned in June 2022, Missouri became the first state to enact a trigger law banning the procedure in all cases except for medical emergencies.A decade ago, more than 5,000 abortions were performed in Missouri, according to data from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. By 2020, that number dropped to 167 due to a series of “targeted regulation of abortion providers” laws enacted by the legislature, including a mandatory 72-hour waiting period between the initial appointment and a surgical abortion and mandatory pelvic exams for medication abortions.Between June 2022 and March 2024, only 64 abortions were performed in Missouri under the state’s emergency exemption, according to health department data.Despite these laws, thousands of Missourians have still accessed abortion in the past two years,<a href="https://guttmacherinstitute.github.io/provision-dashboard/" target="_blank">&nbsp;either by driving to clinics in Illinois and Kansas&nbsp;</a>or by ordering abortion medication through the mail.&nbsp;In the six months after the Supreme Court’s abortion ruling, the number of&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/25/more-than-26000-self-managed-abortions-may-have-occurred-post-dobbs-study-shows/">self-managed medication abortions rose&nbsp;</a>by more than 26,000 across the U.S. according to a<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/10.1001/jama.2024.4266?utm_campaign=articlePDF%26utm_medium=articlePDFlink%26utm_source=articlePDF%26utm_content=jama.2024.4266" target="_blank">&nbsp;study</a>&nbsp;published in JAMA, the American Medical Association’s journal.The attorneys general in their filing attempt to estimate how many people may have undergone medication abortions in each state, and how many may have been on Medicaid.&nbsp;Between April 2018 and August 2023, there were 438 abortion complication reports — including 186 from medication abortions — filed with Missouri’s health department, according to the litigation.&nbsp;Bailey’s office estimates that just shy of 400,000 women and girls of reproductive age are eligible for Missouri Medicaid, and that about 13% of those individuals are enrolled in Medicaid.&nbsp;Bailey raised these data points in an attempt to estimate how much abortion medication costs the state, noting that under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, public hospitals must treat anyone who comes in for emergency care, regardless of their ability to pay.&nbsp;“If a public hospital provides medical services for complications stemming from chemical abortions,” the filing reads, “and the state’s Medicaid program does not cover the full portion of the bill, the outstanding balance is a loss to the public hospital, which is itself an instrumentality of the state.”The attorney general’s office also noted the “loss of potential population” that resulted from an increase in access to medication abortions among Missourians.&nbsp;“Reflecting the ease of driving to another state to receive abortion drugs, it is estimated that just 2.4%of abortion-minded women were prevented from getting abortions in Missouri after Dobbs,” the attorneys general write in the filing.&nbsp;Fewer abortions would have occurred, the attorneys general argue, if the FDA’s previous requirements were still in place.Bailey made a similar argument last year while attempting to inflate the estimated cost of an abortion-rights ballot measure, saying it would&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2023/06/20/judge-missouri-ag-had-absolute-absence-of-authority-to-question-abortion-initiative-cost/">cost the state $6.9 trillion in lost revenue.&nbsp;</a>A judge rejected his claim.The filing also pointed to a November 2023 study that found abortion bans didn’t result in an increase in teenage pregnancies that ended in births for those between the ages of 15 and 19.The study attributed this in part to young people’s ability to find online abortion medication providers.&nbsp;“This study thus suggests that remote dispensing of abortion drugs by mail, common carrier, and interactive computer service is depressing expected birth rates for teenaged mothers in Plaintiff States, even if other overall birth rates may have been lower than otherwise was projected,” the attorneys general wrote.&nbsp;

Missouri AG in abortion pill lawsuit argues fewer teen pregnancies hurt state financially

DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an Oklahoma man for alleged child sex crimes in Kansas.

On&nbsp;March 29, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation after a tip was received regarding sexual exploitation of a child, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.

Investigators were able to develop a suspect in the case and during the investigation additional allegations of child sex crimes were discovered. 

On October 19, the Abilene Police Department located and arrested 45-year-old Stephen Gillenwater of Bristow, Oklahoma in reference to an arrest warrant that had been issued in the case. 

Gillenwater was booked into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, electronic Solicitation of a child, Sexual exploitation of a child and Aggravated Endangerment of a child.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729608765227.png" alt="Gillenwater photo Dickinson Co." />
 <figcaption>Gillenwater photo Dickinson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>DICKINSON COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating an Oklahoma man for alleged child sex crimes in Kansas.On&nbsp;March 29, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office began an investigation after a tip was received regarding sexual exploitation of a child, according to a media release from the sheriff's office.Investigators were able to develop a suspect in the case and during the investigation additional allegations of child sex crimes were discovered. On October 19, the Abilene Police Department located and arrested 45-year-old Stephen Gillenwater of Bristow, Oklahoma in reference to an arrest warrant that had been issued in the case. Gillenwater was booked into the Dickinson County Detention Facility on requested charges of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, electronic Solicitation of a child, Sexual exploitation of a child and Aggravated Endangerment of a child.

Oklahoma man accused of child sex crimes in Kansas

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three teens on drug allegations.

On&nbsp;October 18, 2024 the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit and Detectives Unit followed up on a tip involving runaway juvenile girls, suspected of using fentanyl and running with adults involved with the distribution and usage of fentanyl, according to a social media report from the sheriff's office.

Deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block of SE 10th Street in Topeka.&nbsp; Deputies located a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl inside the vehicle with a large amount of fentanyl pills. 

The juvenile female was identified as Bria R. Ingram, 16, a reported runaway out of Shawnee County. Ingram was taken into custody. Follow up investigation was conducted at a motel in the 3800 block of SW Topeka Boulevard. Additional fentanyl pills were located, as well as another reported runaway, Rhiannon R. Jones, 17. 

Justin A. Ray, 19, was also taken into custody. After medical clearance at a local hospital, Ingram and Jones were booked into the Shawnee County Juvenile Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant;&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body. 

Ray was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges of&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and&nbsp;Contributing to a child’s misconduct.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729513894785.png" alt="Ray photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Ray photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating three teens on drug allegations.On&nbsp;October 18, 2024 the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office Drug Enforcement Unit and Detectives Unit followed up on a tip involving runaway juvenile girls, suspected of using fentanyl and running with adults involved with the distribution and usage of fentanyl, according to a social media report from the sheriff's office.Deputies conducted a traffic stop in the 500 block of SE 10th Street in Topeka.&nbsp; Deputies located a 17-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl inside the vehicle with a large amount of fentanyl pills. The juvenile female was identified as Bria R. Ingram, 16, a reported runaway out of Shawnee County. Ingram was taken into custody. Follow up investigation was conducted at a motel in the 3800 block of SW Topeka Boulevard. Additional fentanyl pills were located, as well as another reported runaway, Rhiannon R. Jones, 17. Justin A. Ray, 19, was also taken into custody. After medical clearance at a local hospital, Ingram and Jones were booked into the Shawnee County Juvenile Department of Corrections on requested charges of&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant;&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body. Ray was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on charges of&nbsp;Possession of opiate, opium, narcotic or certain stimulant,&nbsp;Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body and&nbsp;Contributing to a child’s misconduct.

Deputies found runaway teens, fentanyl pills at Kansas motel

A Kansas federal judge decided his court did not have jurisdiction in the case brought by Denton Loudermill of Olathe against state Sens. Rick Brattin, Denny Hoskins and Nick Schroer over social media messages accusing him of being a shooter and an ‘illegal alien’

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

A federal judge on Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/04/three-missouri-state-senators-sued-for-defamation-over-posts-about-chiefs-parade-shooting/">dismissed defamation lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against three Missouri state senators who made social media posts incorrectly identifying a Kansas man as an undocumented immigrant and the shooter at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory celebration.

Denton Loudermill,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/29/wrongly-accused-kansas-city-shooting-defamation-missouri/">the plaintiff in the case</a>, had not shown that the Kansas federal court where he filed the lawsuit is the right one, U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled. In the eight-page decision, almost identical for each case except for changing names, Broomes ruled that Republican state Sens. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Denny Hoskins, of Warrensburg, and Nick Schroer, of Defiance, had shown they had not intended to target Kansas with their posts and therefore should not be sued in a Kansas court.

The decision came just about a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/judge-dismisses-kansas-mans-defamation-lawsuit-against-burchett-lawyer-vows-to-file-it-again-in-dc/51-5d03f6f3-3b1f-425c-a12a-47737151280a" target="_blank">Broomes dismissed</a>&nbsp;Loudermill’s lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/25/kansas-city-shooting-lawsuit-tennessee-defamation/">against U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee</a>&nbsp;for defamatory social media posts. Broomes gave the same reasons for dismissing the case against the three senators that he did in dismissing the lawsuit against Burchett.

The shooting at the end of the victory celebration left one person dead and at least&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/17/kansas-city-super-bowl-rally-shooting-victims-pick-up-pieces-but-gun-violence-haunts-their-lives/">24 people injured</a>.

Just because a post on the internet can be read in a particular location does not mean that location can claim jurisdiction over the person who made the post, Broomes wrote, quoting appeals court precedent.

“Plaintiff has failed to put forth any evidence from which this court could find that defendant ‘purposefully directed [its] activities at residents of the forum, and the litigation results&nbsp;from alleged injuries that arise out of or relate to those activities,’” Broomes wrote, again quoting another case.

Broomes declined to transfer the case to the Western District of Missouri, which includes the location of the victory celebration and the Missouri Capitol Building in Jefferson City.

The cases are not dead, Arthur Benson, attorney for Loudermill, said in an email to The Independent.

“They will be re-filed soon in Missouri,” he said, declining to give any more information.

In the defense provided to the three senators&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-ag-will-defend-senators-sued-for-defamation-over-posts-about-chiefs-parade-shooting/">by Attorney General Andrew Bailey</a>, they claimed they wrote the social media posts “while … engaged in … regular duties as a Missouri State Senator in Cole County, Missouri,” Broomes noted.

Broomes did not rule on the claims Brattin, Hoskins and Schroer made that they were immune from being sued for their statements because of their official positions.

Bailey’s office, in a statement, called the decision a victory for the state maintaining jurisdiction over cases involving Missourians.

“Questions of Missouri law belong in Missouri courts, not in remote courts in other states,” spokeswoman Madeline Sieren wrote in an email. “We have said that from Day One. Missourians should rest assured that Attorney General Bailey will always follow the law, even when it’s not easy.”&nbsp;

Bailey’s participation in the case generated its own dispute. In a May letter to the commissioner of the Office of Administration, the state agency that certifies payments from Missouri’s legal expense fund,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/20/parson-orders-state-agency-not-to-pay-legal-expenses-for-legislators-facing-defamation-suit/">Gov. Mike Parson wrote</a>&nbsp;that no payments related to the lawsuits should be certified “without my approval or a court order.”

“I cannot justify money spent in this way,” Parson wrote.

Bailey was protecting a legitimate state interest, Sieren said Monday.

“The state has an interest in ensuring remote courts in other states cannot answer questions of Missouri law,” she said.

The lawsuits grew out of social media posts made soon after shooting erupted after the Feb. 14 Super Bowl victory parade and rally at Union Station in Kansas City. Loudermill, who was born in Kansas and lives there now, was detained briefly because he was too slow to leave the area of the shooting, he told The Independent earlier this year.

A photo of him, seated, with his hands restrained behind his back, was posted on X, formally known as Twitter, by an account with the name Deep Truth Intel. That post incorrectly identified him with a name associated with misinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353305" target="_blank">posted after other shootings</a>&nbsp;and said he was an undocumented immigrant.

Soon after that initial social media post, the Missouri Freedom Caucus, Hoskins, Brattin, Schroer and Burchett posted their own versions, some with the photo, some without.

“These are 3 people arrested at the parade…at least one of those arrested is an illegal immigrant. CLOSE OUR BORDERS!” the Missouri Freedom Caucus posted.&nbsp;

The post was deleted and the Missouri Freedom Caucus also sought to retract its mistake, linking to a KMBC post about Loudermill’s effort to clear his name.

“Denton is an Olathe native, a father of three &amp; a proud @Chiefs fan,” the post states. “He’s not a mass shooter. Images of him being detained for being intoxicated &amp; not moving away from the crime scene at the Chiefs rally have spread online. He just wants to clear his name.”

Hoskins’ version shared a screenshot of the initial anonymous post and blamed President Joe Biden and political leaders of Kansas City for making the shooting possible.

Brattin’s first post linking Loudermill to the shooting, since deleted, demanded “#POTUS CLOSE THE BORDER” and incorporated the deleted anonymous post that kicked everything off.

Schroer was the least certain post about the immigration and arrest status of Loudermill among the three.

Schroer’s post included a link to one from Burchett stating, over Loudermill’s photo, that “One of the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade shooters has been identified as an illegal Alien.”

“Can we get any confirmation or denial of this from local officials or law enforcement?” Schroer wrote. “I’ve been sent videos or stills showing at least 6 different people arrested from yesterday but officially told only 3 still in custody. The people deserve answers.”

Brattin did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the decision.&nbsp;

Hoskins, the Republican nominee for secretary of state, said he was pleased by the decision and now wants to see the people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-shooting-kansas-city-parade-57662b493b2d987288dabca4bc5fd6f1" target="_blank">charged with the shootings</a>&nbsp;brought to trial.

“I will continue to pray for the innocent victims of the Kansas City parade shooting,” Hoskins said.

Schroer said he sees the decision as vindication and that he is considering legal action for defamation against media outlets.

“I am glad that the rule of law has been maintained and these frivolous lawsuits targeting conservative Senators were dismissed,” Schroer said. “Lawmakers absolutely should have the ability to question the validity of claims regarding whether or not criminals murdering our constituents are legal citizens.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1718363839545.png" alt="A federal judge on Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit against state Sens. Rick Brattin, center, speaking,&nbsp;Denny Hoskins, left, and Nick Schroer, second from left, over social media posts about the Kansas City Chiefs victory celebration shooting.(Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>A federal judge on Monday dismissed a defamation lawsuit against state Sens. Rick Brattin, center, speaking,&nbsp;Denny Hoskins, left, and Nick Schroer, second from left, over social media posts about the Kansas City Chiefs victory celebration shooting.(Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>A Kansas federal judge decided his court did not have jurisdiction in the case brought by Denton Loudermill of Olathe against state Sens. Rick Brattin, Denny Hoskins and Nick Schroer over social media messages accusing him of being a shooter and an ‘illegal alien’</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/rudi-keller/">RUDI KELLER</a> <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>A federal judge on Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/04/04/three-missouri-state-senators-sued-for-defamation-over-posts-about-chiefs-parade-shooting/">dismissed defamation lawsuits</a>&nbsp;against three Missouri state senators who made social media posts incorrectly identifying a Kansas man as an undocumented immigrant and the shooter at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory celebration.Denton Loudermill,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/02/29/wrongly-accused-kansas-city-shooting-defamation-missouri/">the plaintiff in the case</a>, had not shown that the Kansas federal court where he filed the lawsuit is the right one, U.S. District Judge John Broomes ruled. In the eight-page decision, almost identical for each case except for changing names, Broomes ruled that Republican state Sens. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Denny Hoskins, of Warrensburg, and Nick Schroer, of Defiance, had shown they had not intended to target Kansas with their posts and therefore should not be sued in a Kansas court.The decision came just about a month after&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/judge-dismisses-kansas-mans-defamation-lawsuit-against-burchett-lawyer-vows-to-file-it-again-in-dc/51-5d03f6f3-3b1f-425c-a12a-47737151280a" target="_blank">Broomes dismissed</a>&nbsp;Loudermill’s lawsuit&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/03/25/kansas-city-shooting-lawsuit-tennessee-defamation/">against U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee</a>&nbsp;for defamatory social media posts. Broomes gave the same reasons for dismissing the case against the three senators that he did in dismissing the lawsuit against Burchett.The shooting at the end of the victory celebration left one person dead and at least&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/17/kansas-city-super-bowl-rally-shooting-victims-pick-up-pieces-but-gun-violence-haunts-their-lives/">24 people injured</a>.Just because a post on the internet can be read in a particular location does not mean that location can claim jurisdiction over the person who made the post, Broomes wrote, quoting appeals court precedent.“Plaintiff has failed to put forth any evidence from which this court could find that defendant ‘purposefully directed [its] activities at residents of the forum, and the litigation results&nbsp;from alleged injuries that arise out of or relate to those activities,’” Broomes wrote, again quoting another case.Broomes declined to transfer the case to the Western District of Missouri, which includes the location of the victory celebration and the Missouri Capitol Building in Jefferson City.The cases are not dead, Arthur Benson, attorney for Loudermill, said in an email to The Independent.“They will be re-filed soon in Missouri,” he said, declining to give any more information.In the defense provided to the three senators&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/02/missouri-ag-will-defend-senators-sued-for-defamation-over-posts-about-chiefs-parade-shooting/">by Attorney General Andrew Bailey</a>, they claimed they wrote the social media posts “while … engaged in … regular duties as a Missouri State Senator in Cole County, Missouri,” Broomes noted.Broomes did not rule on the claims Brattin, Hoskins and Schroer made that they were immune from being sued for their statements because of their official positions.Bailey’s office, in a statement, called the decision a victory for the state maintaining jurisdiction over cases involving Missourians.“Questions of Missouri law belong in Missouri courts, not in remote courts in other states,” spokeswoman Madeline Sieren wrote in an email. “We have said that from Day One. Missourians should rest assured that Attorney General Bailey will always follow the law, even when it’s not easy.”&nbsp;Bailey’s participation in the case generated its own dispute. In a May letter to the commissioner of the Office of Administration, the state agency that certifies payments from Missouri’s legal expense fund,&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/05/20/parson-orders-state-agency-not-to-pay-legal-expenses-for-legislators-facing-defamation-suit/">Gov. Mike Parson wrote</a>&nbsp;that no payments related to the lawsuits should be certified “without my approval or a court order.”“I cannot justify money spent in this way,” Parson wrote.Bailey was protecting a legitimate state interest, Sieren said Monday.“The state has an interest in ensuring remote courts in other states cannot answer questions of Missouri law,” she said.The lawsuits grew out of social media posts made soon after shooting erupted after the Feb. 14 Super Bowl victory parade and rally at Union Station in Kansas City. Loudermill, who was born in Kansas and lives there now, was detained briefly because he was too slow to leave the area of the shooting, he told The Independent earlier this year.A photo of him, seated, with his hands restrained behind his back, was posted on X, formally known as Twitter, by an account with the name Deep Truth Intel. That post incorrectly identified him with a name associated with misinformation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68353305" target="_blank">posted after other shootings</a>&nbsp;and said he was an undocumented immigrant.Soon after that initial social media post, the Missouri Freedom Caucus, Hoskins, Brattin, Schroer and Burchett posted their own versions, some with the photo, some without.“These are 3 people arrested at the parade…at least one of those arrested is an illegal immigrant. CLOSE OUR BORDERS!” the Missouri Freedom Caucus posted.&nbsp;The post was deleted and the Missouri Freedom Caucus also sought to retract its mistake, linking to a KMBC post about Loudermill’s effort to clear his name.“Denton is an Olathe native, a father of three &amp; a proud @Chiefs fan,” the post states. “He’s not a mass shooter. Images of him being detained for being intoxicated &amp; not moving away from the crime scene at the Chiefs rally have spread online. He just wants to clear his name.”Hoskins’ version shared a screenshot of the initial anonymous post and blamed President Joe Biden and political leaders of Kansas City for making the shooting possible.Brattin’s first post linking Loudermill to the shooting, since deleted, demanded “#POTUS CLOSE THE BORDER” and incorporated the deleted anonymous post that kicked everything off.Schroer was the least certain post about the immigration and arrest status of Loudermill among the three.Schroer’s post included a link to one from Burchett stating, over Loudermill’s photo, that “One of the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade shooters has been identified as an illegal Alien.”“Can we get any confirmation or denial of this from local officials or law enforcement?” Schroer wrote. “I’ve been sent videos or stills showing at least 6 different people arrested from yesterday but officially told only 3 still in custody. The people deserve answers.”Brattin did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the decision.&nbsp;Hoskins, the Republican nominee for secretary of state, said he was pleased by the decision and now wants to see the people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/chiefs-super-bowl-shooting-kansas-city-parade-57662b493b2d987288dabca4bc5fd6f1" target="_blank">charged with the shootings</a>&nbsp;brought to trial.“I will continue to pray for the innocent victims of the Kansas City parade shooting,” Hoskins said.Schroer said he sees the decision as vindication and that he is considering legal action for defamation against media outlets.“I am glad that the rule of law has been maintained and these frivolous lawsuits targeting conservative Senators were dismissed,” Schroer said. “Lawmakers absolutely should have the ability to question the validity of claims regarding whether or not criminals murdering our constituents are legal citizens.”

Judge dismisses case against Mo. senators over Chiefs parade shooting posts

Hawley believes abortion ‘violates every principle of morality and should be barred by American law,’ while Kunce says ‘we’re taking our power back this fall’ when Missourians vote on Amendment 3

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

Missourians are set to vote on whether to unravel the state’s abortion ban or keep it intact. And as&nbsp;the debate rages across the state, access to reproductive health care has become a major flashpoint in the race for U.S. Senate between Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Lucas Kunce

Hawley, who is seeking re-election after winning the seat in 2018, is adamantly anti-abortion. Kunce, a Marine veteran, has made support for abortion rights a key piece of his insurgent campaign.&nbsp;

The stark differences mean the outcome of the multi-million showdown for Missouri’s Senate seat could have wide-reaching effects on abortion access.&nbsp;

“Abortion’s legality nationwide hangs in the balance with who controls the Senate,” said David Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University. “And if the Republicans control the Senate, I would think Josh Hawley would be a big part of driving that national abortion ban conversation.”

Hawley has vehemently opposed abortion his entire political career.

“Abortion is not a right. It is a violent act against the defenseless. It violates every principle of morality and should be barred by American law,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/missouri-ag-candidate-blasts-opponent-multiple-choice-on-life-issues/" target="_blank">Hawley said</a>&nbsp;in 2016 while running for Missouri Attorney General, adding that he supports ”every limit that can receive public support.”

Hawley said at the time that he opposed abortion at any point in pregnancy and also opposed embryonic stem-cell research, though more recently has stressed he wouldn’t support a national ban.&nbsp;

“Every person is made in the image of God,” Hawley said during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO2ui4D20II" target="_blank">a July interview with Tony Perkins</a>&nbsp;who leads the Family Research Council, an anti-LGBTQ group. “Every life matters and we ought to be clear on that, especially now that the voters and their elected voters have the say.”

Kunce is running hard in the opposite direction, voicing unwavering support for&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/25/amendment-3-challenges-abortion-missouri-legislation/">Missouri’s Amendment 3,</a>&nbsp;which would overturn the current ban and legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability. Abortion became illegal in the state in 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=188.017" target="_blank">with limited exceptions for medical emergencies</a>&nbsp;but not for survivors of rape or incest.

In his political ads and at rallies, Kunce has depicted Hawley as an extremist who plans to pass a nationwide abortion ban, calling Hawley’s recent debate remarks opposing a nationwide ban a&nbsp;ruse rather than reality.

“I’m gonna tell you right now: women’s reproductive rights, we’re taking our power back this fall,” Kunce told a rally of supporters in Jefferson City earlier this month. “And there is literally no worse member of Congress on women’s rights than Josh Hawley, which, folks, that’s an achievement.”

A recent statewide<a href="https://www.slu.edu/research/research-institute/big-ideas/slu-poll/index.php" target="_blank">&nbsp;poll by St. Louis University/YouGov</a>&nbsp;found 52% of respondents were in favor of Amendment 3, with 34% opposed.&nbsp;The same polling puts<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/29/poll-shows-missouri-voters-back-trump-hawley-abortion-rights-and-minimum-wage-hike/">&nbsp;Hawley 11 percentage points ahead of Kunce</a>.&nbsp;

Though down in the polls, Kunce’s campaign reported&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/democrat-lucas-kunce-outraises-missouri-republican-sen-josh-hawley/">raising more than double what Hawley raised</a>&nbsp;in the last three months and is endorsed by some of the state and nation’s leading abortion-rights groups.

“From the Hawleys to the highest court, these attacks on&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;at the state and federal levels are coordinated and intentional,” said Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, in an April endorsement of Kunce.

Meanwhile, Hawley maintains a perfect A+ score from&nbsp;<a href="https://sbaprolife.org/senator/josh-hawley" target="_blank">Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America</a>&nbsp;for his time in Congress.&nbsp;

“Sen. Hawley is a strong champion for both mothers and babies, advocating for the protection of unborn children from painful late-term abortions and supporting pregnancy resource centers that assist women in need,” said Sue Liebel, director of state affairs and the midwest regional director for the group, in an emailed statement.

Mingling with supporters alongside Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at a campaign event in Parkville this month, Hawley was asked by reporters about his historical positions on IVF and abortion.

“Missouri’s law on IVF is pretty darn good. I wouldn’t change it,” Hawley said. “If you’re asking me my own opinion on abortion, I would favor exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. That’s what I would like to see, like to vote for.”

As for Amendment 3, Hawley said he was glad citizens have the right to vote on the issue.

“We’ve got to allow voters to vote on these issues when it comes to abortion,” he said. “I think it’s absolutely right Missouri voters get to make a choice on this. And they can vote on it as many times as they want to.”&nbsp;

He twice declined to answer questions about his position on fetal personhood, a topic that drew attention after the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that frozen,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/03/14/1238102768/fetal-personhood-alabama-ivf" target="_blank">pre-implanted embryos have the same rights as children</a>&nbsp;in a case that left many Alabamans temporarily cut off from access to in-vitro fertilization.&nbsp;

But he did accuse Kunce of supporting abortion until the point of birth, an attack echoed by anti-abortion activists and lawmakers who’ve spoken against Amendment 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Amendment 3, if passed, would allow the Missouri legislature to regulate abortion after the point of fetal viability, generally seen as the end of the second trimester of pregnancy, with exceptions for&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">“the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”</a>

Kunce says he supports codifying Roe v. Wade at a national level, and last spring said if elected he would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/24/kamala-harris-filibuster-abortion-rights-00180699" target="_blank">“fight to end the filibuster&nbsp;</a>and enshrine reproductive freedom and abortion rights into law.”

He also supports funding contraception for everyone, regardless of who their employer is.&nbsp;

About a decade ago, Hawley assisted with the Hobby Lobby case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled that private employers could cite religious exemptions to opt out of covering contraceptives for employees.

Hawley at the time compared birth control to “abortifacients,” because they prevent an embryo from implanting in the lining of the uterus, thus preventing pregnancy.&nbsp;

“It’s all about control,” Kunce said, ticking through Hawley’s votes against bills that would have offered federal protections for IVF and pregnant workers, adding: “It’s all about making decisions for us, and I just think Missourians are smart enough to make their own decisions without creeps like Josh Hawley telling them how to live and direct in their lives.”

Senators’ power over reproductive health care

While none of the legislation Hawley has sponsored or co-sponsored related to reproductive health care has passed the closely divided Senate, he has introduced a bill to increase criminal penalties against those who damage property at pregnancy resource centers.&nbsp;

He’s backed several other abortion-related proposals, including bills that would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report abortions facilitated by the VA to Congress, prohibit research using human fetal tissue after an abortion, restrict federal funds to abortion facilities, a tax credit for pregnancy resource centers and a child tax credit for families who miscarried or suffered a stillbirth.&nbsp;

Hawley also co-sponsored a 2024 bill that would have prohibited tax deductions for abortion-related medical expenses, with exceptions for abortions performed in cases of rape, incest or to save the life or health of the mother.&nbsp;

Perhaps most notably, he co-sponsored a bill to create a national abortion ban at 15 weeks.

Hawley is also an outspoken proponent of restricting abortion nationwide through enforcement of the Comstock Act, a 1873 law that bans the mailing of obscene material, including for the use of abortion. He was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States after Roe was overturned.

If former President Donald Trump were to return to the White Hosue, it would be possible for the DOJ to enforce the Comstock Act, especially if pressured by anti-abortion senators like Hawley.

“And short of banning abortion, he could do other things like restricting funding for Planned Parenthood, trying to cut off access to abortion pills, passing legislation that restricts them,” said Cohen, the Drexel&nbsp; professor and a leading expert on constitutional law and abortion.

Hawley also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, a role that allows him to help approve hundreds of judges to federal courts, including justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.&nbsp;

Every one of those judicial positions can and has shaped the landscape of reproductive health care in America.&nbsp;

If Hawley is re-elected and Republicans take back the majority in the Senate, Cohen said it’s possible Hawley could end up with the gavel on the judiciary committee, giving him an outsized influence on who sits on America’s highest benches.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said she believes a national abortion ban is highly unlikely.&nbsp;

“After Roe was overturned, I think it became pretty apparent that the only way we are going to get a national law on abortion would be if there is some national consensus,” Tobias said.&nbsp;

National polling shows abortion remains overwhelmingly popular among Americans, with 63% in support of access and 36% opposed, according to a<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/" target="_blank">&nbsp;recent Pew Research Center poll.</a>

“We need to do more to make women and families realize that they can continue the pregnancy, if that’s what they want to do,” Tobias said, adding that she believes Hawley would do just that.

And any mention of Hawley and abortion must include the work of his wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/us/erin-hawley-abortion-pill-supreme-court.html" target="_blank">Erin Hawley,&nbsp;</a>who was part of the legal team who helped overturn Roe v Wade in 2022 and as well as an unsuccessful attempt to limit access to mifepristone, a medication commonly used to induce non-surgical abortions.&nbsp;

“They’ve failed so far, but they’re going to keep trying,” Cohen said of the Hawleys’ attempts to further limit access to abortion nationwide. “They are certainly using every power that they have at their disposal to try and restrict abortion as broadly as possible.”

The Independent’s Jason Hancock contributed to this story.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723746159729.png" alt="&nbsp;Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, left, and his Democratic challenger, Lucas Kunce, faceoff on Aug. 15 at the Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, left, and his Democratic challenger, Lucas Kunce, faceoff on Aug. 15 at the Governor’s Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Hawley believes abortion ‘violates every principle of morality and should be barred by American law,’ while Kunce says ‘we’re taking our power back this fall’ when Missourians vote on Amendment 3</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/annaspoerre/">ANNA SPOERRE</a>&nbsp; <a href="https://missouriindependent.com/briefs/missouri-senate-committee-advances-bill-to-ban-texting-while-driving/">Missouri Independent</a>Missourians are set to vote on whether to unravel the state’s abortion ban or keep it intact. And as&nbsp;the debate rages across the state, access to reproductive health care has become a major flashpoint in the race for U.S. Senate between Republican Josh Hawley and Democrat Lucas KunceHawley, who is seeking re-election after winning the seat in 2018, is adamantly anti-abortion. Kunce, a Marine veteran, has made support for abortion rights a key piece of his insurgent campaign.&nbsp;The stark differences mean the outcome of the multi-million showdown for Missouri’s Senate seat could have wide-reaching effects on abortion access.&nbsp;“Abortion’s legality nationwide hangs in the balance with who controls the Senate,” said David Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University. “And if the Republicans control the Senate, I would think Josh Hawley would be a big part of driving that national abortion ban conversation.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729593415538.png" alt=" U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley campaigns for re-election on Oct. 10 in downtown Parkville. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butler joined him at the rally (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley campaigns for re-election on Oct. 10 in downtown Parkville. Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butler joined him at the rally (Anna Spoerre/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>Hawley has vehemently opposed abortion his entire political career.“Abortion is not a right. It is a violent act against the defenseless. It violates every principle of morality and should be barred by American law,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/missouri-ag-candidate-blasts-opponent-multiple-choice-on-life-issues/" target="_blank">Hawley said</a>&nbsp;in 2016 while running for Missouri Attorney General, adding that he supports ”every limit that can receive public support.”Hawley said at the time that he opposed abortion at any point in pregnancy and also opposed embryonic stem-cell research, though more recently has stressed he wouldn’t support a national ban.&nbsp;“Every person is made in the image of God,” Hawley said during&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO2ui4D20II" target="_blank">a July interview with Tony Perkins</a>&nbsp;who leads the Family Research Council, an anti-LGBTQ group. “Every life matters and we ought to be clear on that, especially now that the voters and their elected voters have the say.”Kunce is running hard in the opposite direction, voicing unwavering support for&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/09/25/amendment-3-challenges-abortion-missouri-legislation/">Missouri’s Amendment 3,</a>&nbsp;which would overturn the current ban and legalize abortion up until the point of fetal viability. Abortion became illegal in the state in 2022,&nbsp;<a href="https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=188.017" target="_blank">with limited exceptions for medical emergencies</a>&nbsp;but not for survivors of rape or incest.In his political ads and at rallies, Kunce has depicted Hawley as an extremist who plans to pass a nationwide abortion ban, calling Hawley’s recent debate remarks opposing a nationwide ban a&nbsp;ruse rather than reality.“I’m gonna tell you right now: women’s reproductive rights, we’re taking our power back this fall,” Kunce told a rally of supporters in Jefferson City earlier this month. “And there is literally no worse member of Congress on women’s rights than Josh Hawley, which, folks, that’s an achievement.”A recent statewide<a href="https://www.slu.edu/research/research-institute/big-ideas/slu-poll/index.php" target="_blank">&nbsp;poll by St. Louis University/YouGov</a>&nbsp;found 52% of respondents were in favor of Amendment 3, with 34% opposed.&nbsp;The same polling puts<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/08/29/poll-shows-missouri-voters-back-trump-hawley-abortion-rights-and-minimum-wage-hike/">&nbsp;Hawley 11 percentage points ahead of Kunce</a>.&nbsp;Though down in the polls, Kunce’s campaign reported&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2024/10/16/democrat-lucas-kunce-outraises-missouri-republican-sen-josh-hawley/">raising more than double what Hawley raised</a>&nbsp;in the last three months and is endorsed by some of the state and nation’s leading abortion-rights groups.“From the Hawleys to the highest court, these attacks on&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;at the state and federal levels are coordinated and intentional,” said Mallory Schwarz, executive director of Abortion Action Missouri, in an April endorsement of Kunce.Meanwhile, Hawley maintains a perfect A+ score from&nbsp;<a href="https://sbaprolife.org/senator/josh-hawley" target="_blank">Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America</a>&nbsp;for his time in Congress.&nbsp;“Sen. Hawley is a strong champion for both mothers and babies, advocating for the protection of unborn children from painful late-term abortions and supporting pregnancy resource centers that assist women in need,” said Sue Liebel, director of state affairs and the midwest regional director for the group, in an emailed statement.<h2>Kunce and Hawley on abortion</h2>Mingling with supporters alongside Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker at a campaign event in Parkville this month, Hawley was asked by reporters about his historical positions on IVF and abortion.“Missouri’s law on IVF is pretty darn good. I wouldn’t change it,” Hawley said. “If you’re asking me my own opinion on abortion, I would favor exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. That’s what I would like to see, like to vote for.”As for Amendment 3, Hawley said he was glad citizens have the right to vote on the issue.“We’ve got to allow voters to vote on these issues when it comes to abortion,” he said. “I think it’s absolutely right Missouri voters get to make a choice on this. And they can vote on it as many times as they want to.”&nbsp;He twice declined to answer questions about his position on fetal personhood, a topic that drew attention after the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled that frozen,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/03/14/1238102768/fetal-personhood-alabama-ivf" target="_blank">pre-implanted embryos have the same rights as children</a>&nbsp;in a case that left many Alabamans temporarily cut off from access to in-vitro fertilization.&nbsp;But he did accuse Kunce of supporting abortion until the point of birth, an attack echoed by anti-abortion activists and lawmakers who’ve spoken against Amendment 3.&nbsp;&nbsp;Amendment 3, if passed, would allow the Missouri legislature to regulate abortion after the point of fetal viability, generally seen as the end of the second trimester of pregnancy, with exceptions for&nbsp;<a href="https://moconstitutionalfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Missourians-for-Constitutional-Freedom-Amendment.pdf" target="_blank">“the life or physical or mental health of the pregnant person.”</a>Kunce says he supports codifying Roe v. Wade at a national level, and last spring said if elected he would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/09/24/kamala-harris-filibuster-abortion-rights-00180699" target="_blank">“fight to end the filibuster&nbsp;</a>and enshrine reproductive freedom and abortion rights into law.”He also supports funding contraception for everyone, regardless of who their employer is.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729593356138.png" alt=" Lucas Kunce, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, greets supporters with his son, Harvey, at a rally on Oct. 12 at the Marine Corps League in Jefferson City (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent)." />
 <figcaption> Lucas Kunce, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, greets supporters with his son, Harvey, at a rally on Oct. 12 at the Marine Corps League in Jefferson City (Jason Hancock/Missouri Independent).</figcaption>
 </figure>About a decade ago, Hawley assisted with the Hobby Lobby case before the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled that private employers could cite religious exemptions to opt out of covering contraceptives for employees.Hawley at the time compared birth control to “abortifacients,” because they prevent an embryo from implanting in the lining of the uterus, thus preventing pregnancy.&nbsp;“It’s all about control,” Kunce said, ticking through Hawley’s votes against bills that would have offered federal protections for IVF and pregnant workers, adding: “It’s all about making decisions for us, and I just think Missourians are smart enough to make their own decisions without creeps like Josh Hawley telling them how to live and direct in their lives.”<h2>Senators’ power over reproductive health care</h2>While none of the legislation Hawley has sponsored or co-sponsored related to reproductive health care has passed the closely divided Senate, he has introduced a bill to increase criminal penalties against those who damage property at pregnancy resource centers.&nbsp;He’s backed several other abortion-related proposals, including bills that would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to report abortions facilitated by the VA to Congress, prohibit research using human fetal tissue after an abortion, restrict federal funds to abortion facilities, a tax credit for pregnancy resource centers and a child tax credit for families who miscarried or suffered a stillbirth.&nbsp;Hawley also co-sponsored a 2024 bill that would have prohibited tax deductions for abortion-related medical expenses, with exceptions for abortions performed in cases of rape, incest or to save the life or health of the mother.&nbsp;Perhaps most notably, he co-sponsored a bill to create a national abortion ban at 15 weeks.Hawley is also an outspoken proponent of restricting abortion nationwide through enforcement of the Comstock Act, a 1873 law that bans the mailing of obscene material, including for the use of abortion. He was among a number of senators who signed a letter in 2023 asking the U.S. Attorney General to enforce the Comstock Act&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24834197-20230123-letter-on-comstock-to-doj" target="_blank">and make illegal the mailing of abortion medication</a>, which has increasingly become popular and accessible across the United States after Roe was overturned.If former President Donald Trump were to return to the White Hosue, it would be possible for the DOJ to enforce the Comstock Act, especially if pressured by anti-abortion senators like Hawley.“And short of banning abortion, he could do other things like restricting funding for Planned Parenthood, trying to cut off access to abortion pills, passing legislation that restricts them,” said Cohen, the Drexel&nbsp; professor and a leading expert on constitutional law and abortion.Hawley also sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, a role that allows him to help approve hundreds of judges to federal courts, including justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.&nbsp;Every one of those judicial positions can and has shaped the landscape of reproductive health care in America.&nbsp;If Hawley is re-elected and Republicans take back the majority in the Senate, Cohen said it’s possible Hawley could end up with the gavel on the judiciary committee, giving him an outsized influence on who sits on America’s highest benches.Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said she believes a national abortion ban is highly unlikely.&nbsp;“After Roe was overturned, I think it became pretty apparent that the only way we are going to get a national law on abortion would be if there is some national consensus,” Tobias said.&nbsp;National polling shows abortion remains overwhelmingly popular among Americans, with 63% in support of access and 36% opposed, according to a<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/fact-sheet/public-opinion-on-abortion/" target="_blank">&nbsp;recent Pew Research Center poll.</a>“We need to do more to make women and families realize that they can continue the pregnancy, if that’s what they want to do,” Tobias said, adding that she believes Hawley would do just that.And any mention of Hawley and abortion must include the work of his wife,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/us/erin-hawley-abortion-pill-supreme-court.html" target="_blank">Erin Hawley,&nbsp;</a>who was part of the legal team who helped overturn Roe v Wade in 2022 and as well as an unsuccessful attempt to limit access to mifepristone, a medication commonly used to induce non-surgical abortions.&nbsp;“They’ve failed so far, but they’re going to keep trying,” Cohen said of the Hawleys’ attempts to further limit access to abortion nationwide. “They are certainly using every power that they have at their disposal to try and restrict abortion as broadly as possible.”The Independent’s Jason Hancock contributed to this story.&nbsp;

Abortion a key flashpoint in Missouri Senate race between Hawley, Kunce

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as&nbsp;43-year-old Harold Brown,&nbsp;according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino.

 Just after 3a.m. Monday,&nbsp; police responded to area of Roberts Street and Bales Avenue to investigate reports of a shooting,&nbsp; First responders found a man with gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

A short time later, police learned another victim, later identified as Brown, had arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased.

Anyone in the area who saw or heard anything is asked to contact KCPD homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043, or, call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729516321246.png" alt="Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'" />
 <figcaption>Photo Sheriff Daryl Forte'</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement investigating another homicide in Kansas City have identified the victim as&nbsp;43-year-old Harold Brown,&nbsp;according to KCPD Sergeant Phil DiMartino. Just after 3a.m. Monday,&nbsp; police responded to area of Roberts Street and Bales Avenue to investigate reports of a shooting,&nbsp; First responders found a man with gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.A short time later, police learned another victim, later identified as Brown, had arrived at a local hospital with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased.Anyone in the area who saw or heard anything is asked to contact KCPD homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043, or, call the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.

Homicide: Police ID victim in Kansas City gunfight

OSAGE COUNTY—A Kansas school district superintendent is now on administrative leave following an arrest.

Just before 5p.m. Friday, police arrested 53-year-old Bradley Marcotte, the superintendent of school at USD 421 in Lyndon, according to online jail records.

He was jailed on requested charges of child endangerment and interference with a law enforcement officer.

&nbsp;Just after 7p.m. Friday, he met the requirement of a $2,500 bond and was released.

On Monday, USD 421 reported in a media release signed by school board president Bryant Derley,&nbsp;&nbsp;"The school board voted to place Marcotte on administrative leave. We want to thank our staff for acting quickly and following safety procedures to protect students and keep them out of harm’s way."&nbsp; Law enforcement have not released details on specifics of what prompted the arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729541994425.png" alt="Marcotte photo Osage County" />
 <figcaption>Marcotte photo Osage County</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY—A Kansas school district superintendent is now on administrative leave following an arrest.Just before 5p.m. Friday, police arrested 53-year-old Bradley Marcotte, the superintendent of school at USD 421 in Lyndon, according to online jail records.He was jailed on requested charges of child endangerment and interference with a law enforcement officer.&nbsp;Just after 7p.m. Friday, he met the requirement of a $2,500 bond and was released.On Monday, USD 421 reported in a media release signed by school board president Bryant Derley,&nbsp;&nbsp;"The school board voted to place Marcotte on administrative leave. We want to thank our staff for acting quickly and following safety procedures to protect students and keep them out of harm’s way."&nbsp; Law enforcement have not released details on specifics of what prompted the arrest.

Kan. school district superintendent placed on leave after arrest

Hutchinson, KAN. –&nbsp;Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) resident Kevyn Lopez, 26, died Monday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Lopez was found unresponsive in his cell Monday morning. Staff began life-saving measures immediately and continued after emergency medical services arrived but were unsuccessful. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.

Lopez was serving a 94-month sentence for convictions of voluntary manslaughter in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

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

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729524765329.png" alt="Lopez photo Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Lopez photo Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Hutchinson, KAN. –&nbsp;Hutchinson Correctional Facility (HCF) resident Kevyn Lopez, 26, died Monday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections.Lopez was found unresponsive in his cell Monday morning. Staff began life-saving measures immediately and continued after emergency medical services arrived but were unsuccessful. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.Lopez was serving a 94-month sentence for convictions of voluntary manslaughter in Wyandotte County, Kansas.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections, the death is under investigation by the agency and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.

Kan. inmate serving time for manslaughter found dead in cell

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">SUZANNE KING</a>&nbsp;

Registered nurses at two HCA-owned Kansas City hospitals get “substantial” pay raises under new three-year contracts ratified in October.

National Nurses United, the union representing registered nurses at Research Medical Center in Kansas City and Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/nurses-at-two-hca-kansas-city-area-hospitals-ratify-new-contract" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;that the pay bump will make it easier to recruit and keep nurses.

Heavy nurse turnover at the two for-profit hospitals was one of the nurse union’s top complaints when it began contract negotiations in March. The union said 150 nurses left jobs at Research in 2023, while 89 left Menorah. Sometimes, the union said, Research and Menorah weren’t scheduling enough nurses each shift for safe patient care.

Nurses, whose previous contract expired May 31, had&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/03/15/kansas-city-nurse-union-prepared-to-strike-if-they-have-to/" target="_blank">rallied</a>&nbsp;on Meyer Boulevard outside Research calling on HCA to “put patients over profit.”

HCA Healthcare, which owns 180 hospitals across the country and reported profits of more than $5 billion in 2023, called its staffing “safe and appropriate.”

The company said it is pleased the new Kansas City contracts have been ratified.

“As we indicated all along,” HCA spokeswoman Christine Hamele said in an emailed statement, “our goal was to reach an agreement that was fair for our colleagues and maintained the flexibility that allows us to operate in an ever-changing healthcare environment, and this contract meets those goals.”

The union said new contracts would improve patient care and working conditions. In addition to pay raises, the union said, the contracts include:

National Nurses United represents almost 1,000 nurses at Research and Menorah, part of the 10,000 nurses it represents around the country.

In 2024, union contracts expired with nurses at 17 HCA-owned facilities in six states. The union said that nurses at some of those hospitals had authorized strikes, but no walkouts happened. This month, the hospital company has come to agreement with nurses at four facilities, including the two in Kansas City.

A growing number of nurses, doctors and other health care workers have turned to unions in recent years. Asking hospitals to schedule more health care workers on every shift is often at the top of their list of demands.

The pandemic revealed vulnerabilities in U.S. health care, including scarce staffing and difficult working conditions at hospitals across the country. That drove more unionization.

In 2023, about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/major-strike-activity-in-2023/" target="_blank">half</a>&nbsp;of the country’s 33 major work stoppages — defined as an event involving at least 1,000 workers and lasting for at least one shift — occurred in health care.

And nursing strikes are on the rise, according to Nurse Together, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nursetogether.com/nurse-strikes/" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;that focuses on the profession. The group counted nine nurse strikes in 2020, 14 in 2021, 16 in 2022 and 30 last year. It said that 2024 is on track to have even more strikes.

This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/10/18/pay-raise-in-new-kc-nurse-union-contract-will-mean-better-care/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/10/1729537404811.png" alt=" Nurses at Research and Menorah medical centers just ratified a new three-year contract (Scott Canon/The Beacon)." />
 <figcaption> Nurses at Research and Menorah medical centers just ratified a new three-year contract (Scott Canon/The Beacon).</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/suzanneking/">SUZANNE KING</a>&nbsp;Registered nurses at two HCA-owned Kansas City hospitals get “substantial” pay raises under new three-year contracts ratified in October.National Nurses United, the union representing registered nurses at Research Medical Center in Kansas City and Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, said in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/nurses-at-two-hca-kansas-city-area-hospitals-ratify-new-contract" target="_blank">press release</a>&nbsp;that the pay bump will make it easier to recruit and keep nurses.Heavy nurse turnover at the two for-profit hospitals was one of the nurse union’s top complaints when it began contract negotiations in March. The union said 150 nurses left jobs at Research in 2023, while 89 left Menorah. Sometimes, the union said, Research and Menorah weren’t scheduling enough nurses each shift for safe patient care.Nurses, whose previous contract expired May 31, had&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/03/15/kansas-city-nurse-union-prepared-to-strike-if-they-have-to/" target="_blank">rallied</a>&nbsp;on Meyer Boulevard outside Research calling on HCA to “put patients over profit.”HCA Healthcare, which owns 180 hospitals across the country and reported profits of more than $5 billion in 2023, called its staffing “safe and appropriate.”The company said it is pleased the new Kansas City contracts have been ratified.“As we indicated all along,” HCA spokeswoman Christine Hamele said in an emailed statement, “our goal was to reach an agreement that was fair for our colleagues and maintained the flexibility that allows us to operate in an ever-changing healthcare environment, and this contract meets those goals.”The union said new contracts would improve patient care and working conditions. In addition to pay raises, the union said, the contracts include:<ul>
 <li>A new program to ensure that nurses can take meal and rest breaks during shifts.</li><li>Measures to ensure that nurses will be temporarily reassigned or “float” to units of the hospital similar to their specialty.</li><li>The right for staff to use preferred names and pronouns on name badges.</li>
 </ul>National Nurses United represents almost 1,000 nurses at Research and Menorah, part of the 10,000 nurses it represents around the country.In 2024, union contracts expired with nurses at 17 HCA-owned facilities in six states. The union said that nurses at some of those hospitals had authorized strikes, but no walkouts happened. This month, the hospital company has come to agreement with nurses at four facilities, including the two in Kansas City.A growing number of nurses, doctors and other health care workers have turned to unions in recent years. Asking hospitals to schedule more health care workers on every shift is often at the top of their list of demands.The pandemic revealed vulnerabilities in U.S. health care, including scarce staffing and difficult working conditions at hospitals across the country. That drove more unionization.In 2023, about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.epi.org/publication/major-strike-activity-in-2023/" target="_blank">half</a>&nbsp;of the country’s 33 major work stoppages — defined as an event involving at least 1,000 workers and lasting for at least one shift — occurred in health care.And nursing strikes are on the rise, according to Nurse Together, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nursetogether.com/nurse-strikes/" target="_blank">website</a>&nbsp;that focuses on the profession. The group counted nine nurse strikes in 2020, 14 in 2021, 16 in 2022 and 30 last year. It said that 2024 is on track to have even more strikes.This&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/stories/2024/10/18/pay-raise-in-new-kc-nurse-union-contract-will-mean-better-care/" target="_blank">article</a>&nbsp;first appeared on&nbsp;<a href="https://thebeaconnews.org/" target="_blank">Beacon: Kansas City</a>&nbsp;and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Kansas City nurses say their new contract will mean higher pay and better patient care

Most Americans are in favor of some legislation regulating new technologies. Here’s how each candidate plans to handle Big Tech, AI, cryptocurrency and more if elected

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/paige-gross/">PAIGE GROSS</a>

Though technology policy isn’t&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/09/09/issues-and-the-2024-election/" target="_blank">one of the main drivers&nbsp;</a>getting voters out to the polls in the upcoming presidential election, the speed in which technology develops will undoubtedly impact the way everyday Americans communicate, work and interact with the world in the next four years.

Concern about artificial intelligence’s role in the election plague the majority of both Republicans and Democrats a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/19/concern-over-the-impact-of-ai-on-2024-presidential-campaign/" target="_blank">Pew Research Center survey</a>&nbsp;found last month. Those polled are concerned that AI is being used to influence the election, and a poll earlier in the year shows that people are wary of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/04/29/americans-views-of-technology-companies-2/" target="_blank">the amount of power</a>&nbsp;social media and Big Tech companies have over their lives.

Several bills regulating new technologies have been introduced in congress, but no federal laws regulating artificial intelligence or data privacy have yet been passed. In October 2023, President Joe Biden signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/" target="_blank">executive order&nbsp;</a>calling for federal agencies to examine the impacts of AI, and report how they might address problems.

Though tech issues aren’t central to their platforms, candidates Kamala Harris and former Donald Trump have outlined some of how they see technology playing a role in Americans’ lives.

Harris’ policies tend to focus on inclusivity, data protection, net neutrality and expanding broadband access. One of the largest wins for the tech and science communities during the Biden-Harris administration is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4346" target="_blank">CHIPS and Science Act</a>, which in 2022, provided funding for research and development for environmental projects, clean energy and American manufacturing of semiconductors, which are the basis of most electronics.

Trump’s policies would likely roll back some protections for consumers put in place by the Biden administration, and programs like the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/ev-acceleration-challenge/" target="_blank">electric vehicle challenge.</a>&nbsp;His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47" target="_blank">platform</a>&nbsp;also places a lot of focus on what he considers “<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/president-donald-j-trump-calls-for-probe-into-intelligence-communitys-role-in-online-censorship" target="_blank">illegal censorship</a>,” by Big Tech companies, especially X, formerly Twitter, which banned the candidate for “<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954760928/twitter-bans-president-trump-citing-risk-of-further-incitement-of-violence" target="_blank">risk of further incitement of violence</a>,” after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.

<h2>Most Americans are in favor of some legislation regulating new technologies. Here’s how each candidate plans to handle Big Tech, AI, cryptocurrency and more if elected</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/paige-gross/">PAIGE GROSS</a>Though technology policy isn’t&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/09/09/issues-and-the-2024-election/" target="_blank">one of the main drivers&nbsp;</a>getting voters out to the polls in the upcoming presidential election, the speed in which technology develops will undoubtedly impact the way everyday Americans communicate, work and interact with the world in the next four years.Concern about artificial intelligence’s role in the election plague the majority of both Republicans and Democrats a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/19/concern-over-the-impact-of-ai-on-2024-presidential-campaign/" target="_blank">Pew Research Center survey</a>&nbsp;found last month. Those polled are concerned that AI is being used to influence the election, and a poll earlier in the year shows that people are wary of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2024/04/29/americans-views-of-technology-companies-2/" target="_blank">the amount of power</a>&nbsp;social media and Big Tech companies have over their lives.Several bills regulating new technologies have been introduced in congress, but no federal laws regulating artificial intelligence or data privacy have yet been passed. In October 2023, President Joe Biden signed an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/10/30/executive-order-on-the-safe-secure-and-trustworthy-development-and-use-of-artificial-intelligence/" target="_blank">executive order&nbsp;</a>calling for federal agencies to examine the impacts of AI, and report how they might address problems.Though tech issues aren’t central to their platforms, candidates Kamala Harris and former Donald Trump have outlined some of how they see technology playing a role in Americans’ lives.Harris’ policies tend to focus on inclusivity, data protection, net neutrality and expanding broadband access. One of the largest wins for the tech and science communities during the Biden-Harris administration is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4346" target="_blank">CHIPS and Science Act</a>, which in 2022, provided funding for research and development for environmental projects, clean energy and American manufacturing of semiconductors, which are the basis of most electronics.Trump’s policies would likely roll back some protections for consumers put in place by the Biden administration, and programs like the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/ev-acceleration-challenge/" target="_blank">electric vehicle challenge.</a>&nbsp;His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47" target="_blank">platform</a>&nbsp;also places a lot of focus on what he considers “<a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/agenda47/president-donald-j-trump-calls-for-probe-into-intelligence-communitys-role-in-online-censorship" target="_blank">illegal censorship</a>,” by Big Tech companies, especially X, formerly Twitter, which banned the candidate for “<a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954760928/twitter-bans-president-trump-citing-risk-of-further-incitement-of-violence" target="_blank">risk of further incitement of violence</a>,” after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol.While Harris’ policies focus on finding a balance of innovation and overreach by Big Tech companies, Trump’s policies focus on a more free market approach.On the topics of AI and cryptocurrency, though, Harris and Trump see somewhat similar approaches. At a&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/kamala-harris-plans-boost-ai-160039789.html" target="_blank">fundraiser at Cipriani Wall Street&nbsp;</a>earlier this week, Harris talked about the importance of these evolving technologies in the current economy, while recognizing that they need oversight.“We will partner together to invest in America’s competitiveness, to invest in America’s future,” Harris said. ”We will encourage innovative technologies like AI and digital assets while protecting our consumers and investors.”It’s a change from the current administration, which is more focused on protections for consumers amid the evolving market, rather than industry growth. Trump has similarly taken a lighter stance on AI and crypto, saying that the industry requires some time to work itself out, and doesn’t support tough oversight at this moment.On antitrust issues, Harris’ administration would likely continue pursuing enforcement against large platforms and Big Tech companies that came from Biden’s administration. He signed an executive order<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/07/09/executive-order-on-promoting-competition-in-the-american-economy/" target="_blank">&nbsp;in 2021&nbsp;</a>against companies that use monopoly techniques and gather personal data, and his Justice Department filed lawsuits against Facebook’s parent Meta and Amazon.Trump’s administration also carried out some antitrust suits against Google and Meta toward the end of his time in office. He’s long been vocal about his distrust and dislike for major social media platforms, claiming bias against him.Most Americans are in favor of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/10/18/how-americans-view-data-privacy/" target="_blank">more tech regulation&nbsp;</a>than there is now. But they’re likely not too concerned with the nitty gritty details that have kept bills sitting in Congress, said Ryan Waite, VP of Public Affairs at digital advocacy firm Think Big.Waite has spent the last two decades working in and around political campaigns, and he said emerging technologies and AI are as influential to the future internet landscape as much as the introduction of the internet itself was to everyday life 30 years ago.He likened pending or potential AI legislation to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/104th-congress/senate-bill/652" target="_blank">Telecommunications Act of 1996</a>, which promoted competition and reduced regulation in order to bring down costs for consumers as new technologies in broadcast and internet exploded.“I think if you talked to the average American then, they wouldn’t have known what the internet was, perhaps they experienced it at some level, but probably didn’t care much about how it was legislated,” Waite said.But the legislation revamped the communications and telecommunications frameworks for the industry and changed how we work and receive information, Waite said. In that same concept, AI and other emerging technologies are being adopted at such high rates that “We’re at an earthquake moment,” Waite said.Both parties aim to strengthen the technology industry and America’s place in the world market, but they approach it differently, Waite said. Debates over legislation usually come down to trying to find appropriate, timely legislation that regulates these new technologies without stifling innovation and growth.Harris’ campaign approach is viewed as “inclusive” on these issues, Waite said, with goals to provide broadband access everywhere, and a focus on getting access to these tools for small business and underserved communities.“They’re very interested in this equality framework, of being able to say everyone should have access to these tools,” Waite said.Trump tends to lean more toward allowing businesses to innovate and do what they do well with the belief that time will iron out problems in these technologies. These policies usually favor economic impact over safeguarding technologies.Most Americans probably favor some middle ground legislation that allows for data and bias protections from quickly growing technologies while allowing American companies to become global leaders, he saidIn the end, for most Americans, tech issues aren’t as partisan as the two-party system sets them up to be, Waite said.“Voters might not always know the legislative details,” Waite said. “But they do care about having reliable broadband access, keeping their kids safe online and ensuring that innovation is advancing to keep pace with global competition.”