SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide&nbsp; continue asking for the public’s help in locating 19-year-old Nassir Gill of Topeka, according to a media release from police.

 Gill is a person of interest in the homicide of Brian M. Wright Jr., 23, that occurred on June 21, in the 3100 block of SW Westover Road in Topeka.

Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.

If you see or know where Gill may be, please call or email investigators at 785-368-9551 and telltpd@topeka.org. You can also report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or online at www.p3tips.com/128.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719693545861.png" alt="Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police." />
 <figcaption>Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide&nbsp; continue asking for the public’s help in locating 19-year-old Nassir Gill of Topeka, according to a media release from police. Gill is a person of interest in the homicide of Brian M. Wright Jr., 23, that occurred on June 21, in the 3100 block of SW Westover Road in Topeka.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719001082126.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.If you see or know where Gill may be, please call or email investigators at 785-368-9551 and telltpd@topeka.org. You can also report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or online at www.p3tips.com/128.

Search continues for Kansas teen homicide suspect

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man and woman now have been charged in connection with a knife assault on Aug. 5, 2024, on a KCATA public bus as it ran its route with multiple passengers, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Shaunte L. Washington faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Mohummah S. Baker faces Assault in the 1st Degree.

According to court records, Washington boarded a KCATA bus and began wielding a knife and making threatening stabbing motions toward another female passenger. The victim confronted Washington and&nbsp; Baker t struck the victim several times with a fist. Washington then began stabbing the victim. One stab wound severed an artery.&nbsp;

Prosecutors asked for $75,000/10 percent bonds for each defendant..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723558799265.png" alt="Washington-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Washington-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man and woman now have been charged in connection with a knife assault on Aug. 5, 2024, on a KCATA public bus as it ran its route with multiple passengers, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Shaunte L. Washington faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Mohummah S. Baker faces Assault in the 1st Degree.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723558924081.png" alt="Baker photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Baker photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, Washington boarded a KCATA bus and began wielding a knife and making threatening stabbing motions toward another female passenger. The victim confronted Washington and&nbsp; Baker t struck the victim several times with a fist. Washington then began stabbing the victim. One stab wound severed an artery.&nbsp;Prosecutors asked for $75,000/10 percent bonds for each defendant..

2 charged for knife attack on Kansas City bus 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The next personalized license plate will feature the Flint Hills design after more than 30,000 Kansans&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/05/kansas-invites-voting-on-five-design-options-for-states-new-personalized-license-plate/">voted among five potential designs</a>.

Kansas Department of Revenue spokesman Zach Denny said the design was the “clear favorite,” receiving more than 56% of the vote.

The new design will be ready for purchase in 2025 for $45.50 at county treasurer’s offices.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/press/2020/pr01132020.html" target="_blank">“Powering the Future”</a>&nbsp;personalized plate, the 2020 design that featured a sunset and wind turbines, will no longer be available after Jan. 1, 2025. Kansans with the “Powering the Future” plate must replace their plate during their next renewal period to keep their personalized plate text, Denny said.

“We know how passionate Kansans are about license plates, and this initiative aims to give the public a direct say in selecting the next personalized plate design that will be featured on vehicles across the state for years to come,” KDOR Division of Vehicles director David Harper said in a statement at the beginning of the vote.

The new personalized plate, which is available along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovplates.html" target="_blank">many distinctive plates</a>, comes after last year’s controversy around the standard plate design.

The first design for the state’s new standard plate was met with bipartisan criticism, with complaints that it looked too much like the University of Missouri’s colors and that it looked like the state of New York’s standard plate. Gov. Laura Kelly pulled the plate from production and allowed Kansans to vote on alternate designs. More than half the votes went to a design featuring the state Capitol.

As of January 2024, KDOR started to replace the old standard plate with the new one.

A KDOR statement said feedback during the voting process for the standard plate led to the decision to hold another vote for the personalized plate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723474905874.png" alt="&nbsp;Kansans voted for the new personalized license plate, with the design of the Flint Hills winning more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp; (Kansas Department of Revenue)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansans voted for the new personalized license plate, with the design of the Flint Hills winning more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp; (Kansas Department of Revenue)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — The next personalized license plate will feature the Flint Hills design after more than 30,000 Kansans&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/05/kansas-invites-voting-on-five-design-options-for-states-new-personalized-license-plate/">voted among five potential designs</a>.Kansas Department of Revenue spokesman Zach Denny said the design was the “clear favorite,” receiving more than 56% of the vote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723544227052.png" alt=" The Kansas Department of Revenue is had Kansans take part in an online vote to select a new background for the state’s personalized license plates. There were five options. (Kansas Department of Revenue)" />
 <figcaption> The Kansas Department of Revenue is had Kansans take part in an online vote to select a new background for the state’s personalized license plates. There were five options. (Kansas Department of Revenue)</figcaption>
 </figure>The new design will be ready for purchase in 2025 for $45.50 at county treasurer’s offices.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/press/2020/pr01132020.html" target="_blank">“Powering the Future”</a>&nbsp;personalized plate, the 2020 design that featured a sunset and wind turbines, will no longer be available after Jan. 1, 2025. Kansans with the “Powering the Future” plate must replace their plate during their next renewal period to keep their personalized plate text, Denny said.“We know how passionate Kansans are about license plates, and this initiative aims to give the public a direct say in selecting the next personalized plate design that will be featured on vehicles across the state for years to come,” KDOR Division of Vehicles director David Harper said in a statement at the beginning of the vote.The new personalized plate, which is available along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovplates.html" target="_blank">many distinctive plates</a>, comes after last year’s controversy around the standard plate design.The first design for the state’s new standard plate was met with bipartisan criticism, with complaints that it looked too much like the University of Missouri’s colors and that it looked like the state of New York’s standard plate. Gov. Laura Kelly pulled the plate from production and allowed Kansans to vote on alternate designs. More than half the votes went to a design featuring the state Capitol.As of January 2024, KDOR started to replace the old standard plate with the new one.A KDOR statement said feedback during the voting process for the standard plate led to the decision to hold another vote for the personalized plate.

Kansas reveals winning personalized license plate design

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a guest appearance on the CBS public affairs program Face the Nation on Sunday.

Kelly is the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association. She assumed leadership of the organization last week when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz resigned to join the Kamala Harris campaign as her running mate.

Kelly told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Walz "is the epitome of the Midwestern dad" and "understands rural America."

Kelly also addressed abortion in the 2024 campaign.

Kelly served as vice chair of the DGA since December 2022.

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a guest appearance on the CBS public affairs program Face the Nation on Sunday.Kelly is the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association. She assumed leadership of the organization last week when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz resigned to join the Kamala Harris campaign as her running mate.Kelly told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Walz "is the epitome of the Midwestern dad" and "understands rural America."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovLauraKelly</a> of Kansas, a Democrat, says Tim Walz &quot;is the epitome of the Midwestern dad&quot; and &quot;understands rural America.&quot; &quot;You could put him at any state fair on any Main Street, and certainly in a Friday night football game in rural Kansas, and he would fit right in.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1UTc00ihJj">pic.twitter.com/1UTc00ihJj</a>&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1822667416909791273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kelly also addressed abortion in the 2024 campaign.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovLauraKelly</a> of Kansas, where voters upheld the right to abortion, says she does not think Democrats are miscalculating by putting abortion front-and-center as an issue, citing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a successful example. &quot;They have moved the needle in Michigan and… <a href="https://t.co/OMoAV7iqIe">pic.twitter.com/OMoAV7iqIe</a>&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1822667133718802747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kelly served as vice chair of the DGA since December 2022.

🎥Kan. governor talks 2024 campaign, abortion on 'Face the Nation'

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.

The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.

Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.

Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.

Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.

While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.

Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.

Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.

Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.

“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”

A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.

“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.

The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.

House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.

McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.

Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.

McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.

The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.

Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.

But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.

Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.

Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.

The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.

During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.

When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.

Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.

During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.

Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.

Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.

Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.

“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”

Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.

Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.

The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.

The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.

During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.

There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.

Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.

Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.

“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”

Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.

“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”

Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.

“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.

Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.

“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.

“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.

While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.

Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.

“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.

“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.

The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.

The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.

“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614817353591.png" alt="File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.<h2>What is the problem?</h2>While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.<h2>Speaker drama set the tone</h2>The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.<h2>Senate border deal goes to pieces</h2>The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.<h2>Few laws passed</h2>The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”<h2>Lame-duck session on the way</h2>Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.<h2>How to explain it</h2>Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.<h2>More time at work?</h2>Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

Congress limps toward the end of a disappointing session, with just 78 laws to show

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A funeral for Firefighter Ty Voth, who died battling a fire, was held at 10 a.m. on Friday at Hartman Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Drive in Park City.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.facebook.com/wichitafiredepartment">Click here to watch a</a> replay of the service

Before the funeral, there was a public viewing at 9 a.m. at Hartman Arena.&nbsp;

Following the service, Voth was transported to Whitewater Cemetery in Whitewater, Kansas.

Official Procession Route from the Park City Arena:

Park City Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Dr, Park City, KS 67147 To Whitewater Cemetery, 10881-11579 SE 72nd St, Whitewater, KS 67154

Voth was a 2015 graduate of Newton High School and attended Hutchinson Community College, graduating from the Fire Science Program in 2017. He then went on to work at the Manhattan Fire Department until 2019. From there, he was hired on to the Wichita Fire Department, to be closer to his family.

From day one, Ty’s passion was to be a firefighter. He was a second generation firefighter, following in his father's and uncle’s footsteps. In his spare time, he was an avid outdoorsmen, spending most of his time out in the field hunting beside his grandpa, Jack; his brother, Nic; brother-in-law, Matt; cousin, Matthew; his best friends; along with his hunting dog, Mossy.

Ty’s life revolved around his family. He was always there to help when needed and made sure his mother and family were always taken care of. The help and care that he showed extended out to his buddies and their families.

Everyone has their kin family, but Ty was lucky enough to have a second family in Station Five B-Shift. Not only were they firefighters, they enjoyed time together outside of the station, taking vacations and making memories.

He was preceded in death by: his grandmother, Jeannie Belcher; his grandfather, Ray Voth; his uncle, Mike Belcher; his cousin, Ryan Booth; along with his hunting dog, Mossy Girl.

He is survived by: his mother, Angie Voth; his father, Chad Voth; his sister, Riley (Matt); his nephew, Mason; his brother, Nic (Leticia); his sister, Lindsey; his grandpa, Jack; his grandma, Sherry "Bud"; his aunts, Kathy (Tony) and Dana (Kent); his uncle, Kyle; his cousins, Matthew (Deana), Michael (Sydney), and Chad; along with his childhood buddies.

On behalf of the family, they would like to thank the Wichita Fire Department for their support and compassion during this difficult time.

There has been a memorial fund in honor of Ty Voth that may be designated to the Wichita Police and Fire Foundation, PO Box 782736, Wichita, Kansas 67278 or the Wichita Firefighters Charitable Fund, 428 N. St. Francis, Wichita, Kansas 67202.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722607741656.png" alt="Ty Voth courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Ty Voth courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A funeral for Firefighter Ty Voth, who died battling a fire, was held at 10 a.m. on Friday at Hartman Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Drive in Park City.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/wichitafiredepartment">Click here to watch a</a> replay of the service<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Below are the links for Firefighter Voth&#39;s obituary and for those who have asked, direct links to the memorials established in his honor. <a href="https://t.co/jFhklb01lI">https://t.co/jFhklb01lI</a><a href="https://t.co/dPD1epLuLB">https://t.co/dPD1epLuLB</a><a href="https://t.co/9s3dRb6YWk">https://t.co/9s3dRb6YWk</a> <a href="https://t.co/c4D8q8ZEwD">pic.twitter.com/c4D8q8ZEwD</a>&mdash; WichitaFireDept (@WichitaFireDept) <a href="https://twitter.com/WichitaFireDept/status/1821182072787968068?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 7, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Before the funeral, there was a public viewing at 9 a.m. at Hartman Arena.&nbsp;Following the service, Voth was transported to Whitewater Cemetery in Whitewater, Kansas.Official Procession Route from the Park City Arena:Park City Arena, 8151 N Hartman Arena Dr, Park City, KS 67147 To Whitewater Cemetery, 10881-11579 SE 72nd St, Whitewater, KS 67154<ol>
 <li>Exit Park City Arena using the southwest exit (E. Briar Rose Ln.)</li><li>Turn right (west) on E. Briar Rose Ln. and proceed to Broadway</li><li>Turn right (north) on Broadway and proceed approximately 9 miles</li><li>Turn right (east) onto K-196/SE 72nd and proceed east for approximately 8 miles</li><li>Cross Harvest Hill Rd. and attendants will assist in parking in the appropriate location upon arrival to the cemetery</li>
 </ol>His obituary is belowVoth was a 2015 graduate of Newton High School and attended Hutchinson Community College, graduating from the Fire Science Program in 2017. He then went on to work at the Manhattan Fire Department until 2019. From there, he was hired on to the Wichita Fire Department, to be closer to his family.From day one, Ty’s passion was to be a firefighter. He was a second generation firefighter, following in his father's and uncle’s footsteps. In his spare time, he was an avid outdoorsmen, spending most of his time out in the field hunting beside his grandpa, Jack; his brother, Nic; brother-in-law, Matt; cousin, Matthew; his best friends; along with his hunting dog, Mossy.Ty’s life revolved around his family. He was always there to help when needed and made sure his mother and family were always taken care of. The help and care that he showed extended out to his buddies and their families.Everyone has their kin family, but Ty was lucky enough to have a second family in Station Five B-Shift. Not only were they firefighters, they enjoyed time together outside of the station, taking vacations and making memories.He was preceded in death by: his grandmother, Jeannie Belcher; his grandfather, Ray Voth; his uncle, Mike Belcher; his cousin, Ryan Booth; along with his hunting dog, Mossy Girl.He is survived by: his mother, Angie Voth; his father, Chad Voth; his sister, Riley (Matt); his nephew, Mason; his brother, Nic (Leticia); his sister, Lindsey; his grandpa, Jack; his grandma, Sherry "Bud"; his aunts, Kathy (Tony) and Dana (Kent); his uncle, Kyle; his cousins, Matthew (Deana), Michael (Sydney), and Chad; along with his childhood buddies.On behalf of the family, they would like to thank the Wichita Fire Department for their support and compassion during this difficult time.There has been a memorial fund in honor of Ty Voth that may be designated to the Wichita Police and Fire Foundation, PO Box 782736, Wichita, Kansas 67278 or the Wichita Firefighters Charitable Fund, 428 N. St. Francis, Wichita, Kansas 67202.

Funeral for fallen Kansas firefighter

JERUSALEM—U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on Thursday as part of U.S. force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies, according to a statement from Central Command.

In addition, U.S. Forces in the Middle East continue to face daily threats.

Since Tuesday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed seven Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles and one Houthi ground control station in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. 

Additionally, on Wednesday and Thursday U.S. forces successfully destroyed four Houthi uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea, two&nbsp; drones and one Houthi ground control station.

These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723133168145.png" alt="Photo U.S. Central Command" />
 <figcaption>Photo U.S. Central Command</figcaption>
 </figure>JERUSALEM—U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility on Thursday as part of U.S. force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies, according to a statement from Central Command.In addition, U.S. Forces in the Middle East continue to face daily threats.Since Tuesday, U.S. forces successfully destroyed seven Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles and one Houthi ground control station in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. Additionally, on Wednesday and Thursday U.S. forces successfully destroyed four Houthi uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea, two&nbsp; drones and one Houthi ground control station.These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security.

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors arrive in Middle East

By ALLISON KITE &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>

Missourians on Tuesday voted to require Kansas City to spend more of its municipal budget on policing, reinstating a policy that had been overturned by the state supreme court.&nbsp;

The race was called by the Associated Press at 11:30 p.m., with the amendment winning&nbsp;51% to 48%. That means the Missouri Constitution will be amended to require Kansas City to spend at least 25% of its general revenue on police, amounting to tens of millions of dollars per year.

While it provides funding for the department, Kansas City is the only major city in the U.S. that doesn’t have local control of its police. The Kansas City Police Department is governed by the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, which includes the mayor and four members appointed by the Missouri governor. That means while the City Council writes the checks for the Kansas City police, they have no control over how funds are spent.

Between the 1950s and 2022, Kansas City was required to spend at least 20% of its general revenue on police and often exceeded that. But in 2020, as racial justice protesters pushed for police reform across the nation, Kansas City sought to exert more influence over the police budget.

Following the protests, sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Kansas City officials attempted to set aside $42 million in police funding —&nbsp;above its obligatory 20% spending — for “community engagement, outreach, prevention, intervention and other public services” in an attempt to increase police accountability.

But the move was lambasted by Missouri Republicans, who claimed City Hall was trying to “defund” the police.

Missouri lawmakers responded with legislation requiring Kansas City to spend at least 25% of its revenue on police, which passed in the spring of 2022 on a largely party-line vote with Republicans supporting increased police spending.&nbsp;

Voters then, in the fall of 2022, approved the legislation with 63% of the vote. The policy was unpopular, however, in the Jackson County portion of Kansas City where 61% of voters rejected it. It passed in Platte and Clay counties, which include suburban parts of Kansas City.

After the vote, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas challenged the election in court, saying a summary printed on voters’ ballots “materially misstated” the cost of the proposal.

The fiscal note summary accompanying the 2022 amendment said the requirement that Kansas City spend at least 25% of its revenue on police would result in “no additional costs or savings.” The state argued that because the city had voluntarily granted that much in the past, the amendment simply removed the city’s discretion rather than imposing a new cost.

City Hall, however, argued the mandate could potentially cost other departments up to $38.7 million in budget cuts.

The Missouri Supreme Court agreed with the city and ordered the results of that election be tossed and a new vote be held, paving the way for Tuesday’s vote.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1690892603114.png" alt="File photo&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE &nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/2022/09/21/missouri-judge-once-again-delays-decision-on-closing-agape-boarding-school/">Missouri Independent</a>Missourians on Tuesday voted to require Kansas City to spend more of its municipal budget on policing, reinstating a policy that had been overturned by the state supreme court.&nbsp;The race was called by the Associated Press at 11:30 p.m., with the amendment winning&nbsp;51% to 48%. That means the Missouri Constitution will be amended to require Kansas City to spend at least 25% of its general revenue on police, amounting to tens of millions of dollars per year.While it provides funding for the department, Kansas City is the only major city in the U.S. that doesn’t have local control of its police. The Kansas City Police Department is governed by the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, which includes the mayor and four members appointed by the Missouri governor. That means while the City Council writes the checks for the Kansas City police, they have no control over how funds are spent.Between the 1950s and 2022, Kansas City was required to spend at least 20% of its general revenue on police and often exceeded that. But in 2020, as racial justice protesters pushed for police reform across the nation, Kansas City sought to exert more influence over the police budget.Following the protests, sparked by the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Kansas City officials attempted to set aside $42 million in police funding —&nbsp;above its obligatory 20% spending — for “community engagement, outreach, prevention, intervention and other public services” in an attempt to increase police accountability.But the move was lambasted by Missouri Republicans, who claimed City Hall was trying to “defund” the police.Missouri lawmakers responded with legislation requiring Kansas City to spend at least 25% of its revenue on police, which passed in the spring of 2022 on a largely party-line vote with Republicans supporting increased police spending.&nbsp;Voters then, in the fall of 2022, approved the legislation with 63% of the vote. The policy was unpopular, however, in the Jackson County portion of Kansas City where 61% of voters rejected it. It passed in Platte and Clay counties, which include suburban parts of Kansas City.After the vote, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas challenged the election in court, saying a summary printed on voters’ ballots “materially misstated” the cost of the proposal.The fiscal note summary accompanying the 2022 amendment said the requirement that Kansas City spend at least 25% of its revenue on police would result in “no additional costs or savings.” The state argued that because the city had voluntarily granted that much in the past, the amendment simply removed the city’s discretion rather than imposing a new cost.City Hall, however, argued the mandate could potentially cost other departments up to $38.7 million in budget cuts.The Missouri Supreme Court agreed with the city and ordered the results of that election be tossed and a new vote be held, paving the way for Tuesday’s vote.&nbsp;

Voters approve amendment requiring more police spending in Kansas City

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">MAYA SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a>&nbsp;- <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — Kansas voters on Tuesday ousted an incumbent Senate Republican and House Democrat who were seen as traitors by their parties, expanding an expected shakeup of the Legislature and setting the stage for a high-stakes general election.

In the 40-member Senate, there will be at least 12 newcomers by January. In the 125-member House, there will be at least 21 newcomers. Those numbers could increase, depending on November results, when Democrats hope to break GOP supermajorities in both chambers.

Democratic voters in Kansas City favored educator Wanda Brownlee Paige over incumbent Rep. Marvin Robinson, who voted almost exclusively with Republicans for most of his single term in office. He was backed by GOP-aligned special interest groups, which flooded the district with mailers favorable to Robinson. But Paige prevailed with 49% of the vote, compared with 22% for Robinson, 20% for Michelle Watley and 9% for Kimberly DeWitt.

“I am so excited, grateful, thankful and just want to continue to turn the page,” Paige said. “After I noticed this man wasn’t going for the people in the district, he voted with the Republicans and for the Republicans, I thought we needed to do something to help the people.”

Sen. Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha Republican who has represented his district for 20 years, finished in third place. Pyle rankled party members who accused him of helping Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly win reelection by running as an independent candidate for governor in 2022. He also routinely challenged Senate leadership, who redrew his district to make it more difficult for him to win reelection.

Craig Bowser, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran from Holton, was leading the race with 41% of the vote over Rep. John Eplee, an Atchison physician, with 37%. Pyle had 23%.

In a Democratic primary in Lawrence, five-term Sen. Marci Francisco held off a challenge from Rep. Christina Haswood, who was backed by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

In a victory speech Tuesday night at Black Stag Brewery and Pub, Francisco told supporters she “absolutely did not get here on my own.”

“I have had so many people come out, be willing to walk, be willing to talk to their friends, be willing to write postcards, give me advice, give me endorsements,” Francisco said.

Francisco emphasized her experience as a legislator, during which she has never missed a vote, in a race where there was little policy difference between the two candidates.

“I mean, it was two people who are essentially saying the same thing, right?” Francisco said. “We want to expand Medicaid. We want to be concerned about the environment. We want to fund public education.”

In a Democratic Senate primary in Topeka, Navy veteran Patrick Schmidt won 54% of the vote to defeat longtime legislator and House Minority Leader Vic Miller, who had 34%, and educator ShaMecha King Simms with 12%.

Republican Sens. Chase Blasi, of Wichita; Brenda Dietrich, of Topeka; Beverly Gossage, of Eudora; Caryn Tyson, of Parker; Tim Shallenburger, of Baxter Springs; and Elaine Bowers, of Concordia, defeated or held large leads over primary challengers. Democratic Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, also defeated a challenger.

Rep. Tory Marie Blew, of Great Bend, defeated John Sturn, of Ellinwood, in the GOP primary for a Senate seat.

Seven other House members who are seeking a Senate seat didn’t have a primary opponent.

Among contested House races, Leavenworth County Commissioner Mike Stieben led Rep. Lance Neelly, of Tonganoxie, by 41 votes after all ballots were counted Tuesday night in the GOP primary for Neelly’s House seat. But the outcome could depend on mail-in ballots, as long as they are postmarked by Tuesday and received by Friday, as well as provisional ballots.

Rep. Mark Schreiber, an Emporia Republican, won 64% of the vote to defeat businessman Will Spencer.

Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, praised voters for favoring Schreiber, who is viewed as a moderate, and for disposing of Robinson, who cast anti-LGBTQ+ votes. The ACLU of Kansas PAC targeted both races with “educational materials.”

“Kansans have had enough of politicians’ misinformation or misrepresentation of their positions,” Kubic said. “When given truthful, reliable, and accurate sources focused on issues of civil liberties and civil rights, voters prioritize those issues even amidst the noise of the campaign season.”

Former Rep. Steve Huebert, a Valley Center Republican, won 64% of the vote in a four-way race for a seat he held until two years ago. Rep. Carl Maughan, of Colwich, was on the ballot but stopped campaigning after the Kansas Supreme Court in June suspended his law license for engaging in a conflict of interest. Maughan also was arrested in March after driving drunk.

Alexis Simmons, a Topeka Democrat who was the spokeswoman for House Democrats, won 85% of the vote in Miller’s House district.

Brooklynne Mosley, a Lawrence Democrat and Air Force veteran, won 67% of the vote in a three-way race for a House seat.

In the House, 33 Republicans and 19 Democrats will be unopposed in November. In the Senate, six Republicans and three Democrats will run unopposed in November.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/7/1720316487639.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mayasmith/">MAYA SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a>&nbsp;- <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>LAWRENCE — Kansas voters on Tuesday ousted an incumbent Senate Republican and House Democrat who were seen as traitors by their parties, expanding an expected shakeup of the Legislature and setting the stage for a high-stakes general election.In the 40-member Senate, there will be at least 12 newcomers by January. In the 125-member House, there will be at least 21 newcomers. Those numbers could increase, depending on November results, when Democrats hope to break GOP supermajorities in both chambers.Democratic voters in Kansas City favored educator Wanda Brownlee Paige over incumbent Rep. Marvin Robinson, who voted almost exclusively with Republicans for most of his single term in office. He was backed by GOP-aligned special interest groups, which flooded the district with mailers favorable to Robinson. But Paige prevailed with 49% of the vote, compared with 22% for Robinson, 20% for Michelle Watley and 9% for Kimberly DeWitt.“I am so excited, grateful, thankful and just want to continue to turn the page,” Paige said. “After I noticed this man wasn’t going for the people in the district, he voted with the Republicans and for the Republicans, I thought we needed to do something to help the people.”Sen. Dennis Pyle, a Hiawatha Republican who has represented his district for 20 years, finished in third place. Pyle rankled party members who accused him of helping Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly win reelection by running as an independent candidate for governor in 2022. He also routinely challenged Senate leadership, who redrew his district to make it more difficult for him to win reelection.Craig Bowser, a U.S. Army Reserve veteran from Holton, was leading the race with 41% of the vote over Rep. John Eplee, an Atchison physician, with 37%. Pyle had 23%.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723043984598.png" alt="Democratic Sen. Marci Francisco waits for results at her watch party Aug. 6, 2024, at Black Stag Brewery and Pub in Lawrence. Francisco defeated Rep. Christina Haswood. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Democratic Sen. Marci Francisco waits for results at her watch party Aug. 6, 2024, at Black Stag Brewery and Pub in Lawrence. Francisco defeated Rep. Christina Haswood. (Maya Smith for Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>In a Democratic primary in Lawrence, five-term Sen. Marci Francisco held off a challenge from Rep. Christina Haswood, who was backed by former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.In a victory speech Tuesday night at Black Stag Brewery and Pub, Francisco told supporters she “absolutely did not get here on my own.”“I have had so many people come out, be willing to walk, be willing to talk to their friends, be willing to write postcards, give me advice, give me endorsements,” Francisco said.Francisco emphasized her experience as a legislator, during which she has never missed a vote, in a race where there was little policy difference between the two candidates.“I mean, it was two people who are essentially saying the same thing, right?” Francisco said. “We want to expand Medicaid. We want to be concerned about the environment. We want to fund public education.”In a Democratic Senate primary in Topeka, Navy veteran Patrick Schmidt won 54% of the vote to defeat longtime legislator and House Minority Leader Vic Miller, who had 34%, and educator ShaMecha King Simms with 12%.Republican Sens. Chase Blasi, of Wichita; Brenda Dietrich, of Topeka; Beverly Gossage, of Eudora; Caryn Tyson, of Parker; Tim Shallenburger, of Baxter Springs; and Elaine Bowers, of Concordia, defeated or held large leads over primary challengers. Democratic Sen. David Haley, of Kansas City, also defeated a challenger.Rep. Tory Marie Blew, of Great Bend, defeated John Sturn, of Ellinwood, in the GOP primary for a Senate seat.Seven other House members who are seeking a Senate seat didn’t have a primary opponent.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723044047344.png" alt="Rep. Mark Schreiber appears at an April 25, 2024, event in Emporia with Gov. Laura Kelly to promote Medicaid expansion. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Mark Schreiber appears at an April 25, 2024, event in Emporia with Gov. Laura Kelly to promote Medicaid expansion. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>Among contested House races, Leavenworth County Commissioner Mike Stieben led Rep. Lance Neelly, of Tonganoxie, by 41 votes after all ballots were counted Tuesday night in the GOP primary for Neelly’s House seat. But the outcome could depend on mail-in ballots, as long as they are postmarked by Tuesday and received by Friday, as well as provisional ballots.Rep. Mark Schreiber, an Emporia Republican, won 64% of the vote to defeat businessman Will Spencer.Micah Kubic, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, praised voters for favoring Schreiber, who is viewed as a moderate, and for disposing of Robinson, who cast anti-LGBTQ+ votes. The ACLU of Kansas PAC targeted both races with “educational materials.”“Kansans have had enough of politicians’ misinformation or misrepresentation of their positions,” Kubic said. “When given truthful, reliable, and accurate sources focused on issues of civil liberties and civil rights, voters prioritize those issues even amidst the noise of the campaign season.”Former Rep. Steve Huebert, a Valley Center Republican, won 64% of the vote in a four-way race for a seat he held until two years ago. Rep. Carl Maughan, of Colwich, was on the ballot but stopped campaigning after the Kansas Supreme Court in June suspended his law license for engaging in a conflict of interest. Maughan also was arrested in March after driving drunk.Alexis Simmons, a Topeka Democrat who was the spokeswoman for House Democrats, won 85% of the vote in Miller’s House district.Brooklynne Mosley, a Lawrence Democrat and Air Force veteran, won 67% of the vote in a three-way race for a House seat.In the House, 33 Republicans and 19 Democrats will be unopposed in November. In the Senate, six Republicans and three Democrats will run unopposed in November.

Senate Republican and House Democrat ousted by primary challengers in Kansas legislative races

WASHINGTON —On Tuesday, a complaint was unsealed in Brooklyn charging Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, 46, with murder-for-hire as part of an alleged scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil. Law enforcement foiled the charged plot before any attack could be carried out. Merchant is in federal custody.

<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1362846/dl?inline">Click here to read</a> the criminal complaint

“For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”

“This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s complaint allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.&nbsp;“A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI.” &nbsp;

“The complaint unsealed today underscores, yet again, that those who engage in lethal plotting on U.S. soil will face the full force of the American justice system,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The targeting of former and current officials by foreign actors is an affront to our sovereignty and our democratic institutions and the Department of Justice will use every possible tool to expose and disrupt this egregious activity.”

“Working on behalf of others overseas, Merchant planned the murder of U.S. government officials on American soil,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This prosecution demonstrates that this office and the entire Department of Justice will take swift and decisive action to protect our nation’s security, our government officials and our citizens from foreign threats

“Fortunately, the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents,” said Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office. “This case underscores the dedication and formidable efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors in New York, Houston, and Dallas.&nbsp;Their success in neutralizing this threat not only prevented a tragic outcome but also reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to protecting our nation and its citizens from both domestic and international threats.”

According to allegations contained in the complaint and related publicly filed court documents, Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil. In approximately April 2024, after spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme. That person reported Merchant’s conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source (the CS).&nbsp;

In early June, Merchant met the CS in New York and explained his assassination plot. Merchant told the CS that the opportunity he had for the CS was not a one-time opportunity and would be ongoing. Merchant then made a “finger gun” motion with his hand, indicating that the opportunity was related to a killing. Merchant further stated that the intended victims would be “targeted here,” meaning in the United States. Merchant instructed the CS to arrange meetings with individuals whom Merchant could hire to carry out these actions.&nbsp;Merchant explained that his plot involved multiple criminal schemes: (1)&nbsp;stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; (2) planning a protest; and (3) killing a politician or government official.&nbsp;

At that meeting, Merchant began planning potential assassination scenarios and quizzed the CS on how he would kill a target in the various scenarios. Specifically, Merchant asked the CS to explain how a target would die in different scenarios. Merchant told the CS that there would be “security [] all around” the person.&nbsp;

Merchant stated that the assassination would occur after he left the United States and he would communicate with the CS from overseas using code words. The CS asked whether Merchant had spoken to the unidentified “party” back home with whom Merchant was working. Merchant responded that he had and that the party back home told him to “finalize” the plan and leave the United States.

In mid-June, Merchant met with the purported hitmen, who were in fact undercover U.S. law enforcement officers (the UCs) in New York. Merchant advised the UCs that he was looking for three services from them: theft of documents, arranging protests at political rallies, and for them to kill a “political person.” Merchant stated that the hitmen would receive instructions on who to kill either the last week of August or the first week of September, after Merchant had departed the United States.&nbsp;

Merchant then began arranging means to obtain $5,000 in cash to pay the UCs as an advance payment for the assassination, which he eventually received with assistance from an individual overseas. On June 21, Merchant met with the UCs in New York and paid them the $5,000 advance. After Merchant paid the $5,000 to the UCs, one of the UCs stated, “now we’re bonded,” to which Merchant responded “yes.”&nbsp;The UC then stated “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” to which Merchant responded “Yes, absolutely.” &nbsp;

Merchant subsequently made flight arrangements and planned to leave the United States on Friday, July 12, 2024. On July 12, law enforcement agents placed Merchant under arrest before he could leave the country. Merchant has stated that he has a wife and children in Iran and a wife and children in Pakistan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722990788867.png" alt="Merchant photo Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>Merchant photo Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON —On Tuesday, a complaint was unsealed in Brooklyn charging Asif Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, 46, with murder-for-hire as part of an alleged scheme to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil. Law enforcement foiled the charged plot before any attack could be carried out. Merchant is in federal custody.<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1362846/dl?inline">Click here to read</a> the criminal complaint“For years, the Justice Department has been working aggressively to counter Iran’s brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Soleimani,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will spare no resource to disrupt and hold accountable those who would seek to carry out Iran’s lethal plotting against American citizens and will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and endanger America’s national security.”“This dangerous murder-for-hire plot exposed in today’s complaint allegedly was orchestrated by a Pakistani national with close ties to Iran and is straight out of the Iranian playbook,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray.&nbsp;“A foreign-directed plot to kill a public official, or any U.S. citizen, is a threat to our national security and will be met with the full might and resources of the FBI.” &nbsp;“The complaint unsealed today underscores, yet again, that those who engage in lethal plotting on U.S. soil will face the full force of the American justice system,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The targeting of former and current officials by foreign actors is an affront to our sovereignty and our democratic institutions and the Department of Justice will use every possible tool to expose and disrupt this egregious activity.”“Working on behalf of others overseas, Merchant planned the murder of U.S. government officials on American soil,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “This prosecution demonstrates that this office and the entire Department of Justice will take swift and decisive action to protect our nation’s security, our government officials and our citizens from foreign threats“Fortunately, the assassins Merchant allegedly tried to hire were undercover FBI Agents,” said Acting Assistant Director Christie Curtis of the FBI New York Field Office. “This case underscores the dedication and formidable efforts of our agents, analysts and prosecutors in New York, Houston, and Dallas.&nbsp;Their success in neutralizing this threat not only prevented a tragic outcome but also reaffirms the FBI’s commitment to protecting our nation and its citizens from both domestic and international threats.”According to allegations contained in the complaint and related publicly filed court documents, Merchant orchestrated a plot to assassinate a politician or U.S. government official on U.S. soil. In approximately April 2024, after spending time in Iran, Merchant arrived in the United States from Pakistan and contacted a person he believed could assist him with the scheme. That person reported Merchant’s conduct to law enforcement and became a confidential source (the CS).&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722990871698.png" alt="&nbsp;Merchant paid the undercover officers $5,000 -photo Dept. of Justice" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Merchant paid the undercover officers $5,000 -photo Dept. of Justice</figcaption>
 </figure>In early June, Merchant met the CS in New York and explained his assassination plot. Merchant told the CS that the opportunity he had for the CS was not a one-time opportunity and would be ongoing. Merchant then made a “finger gun” motion with his hand, indicating that the opportunity was related to a killing. Merchant further stated that the intended victims would be “targeted here,” meaning in the United States. Merchant instructed the CS to arrange meetings with individuals whom Merchant could hire to carry out these actions.&nbsp;Merchant explained that his plot involved multiple criminal schemes: (1)&nbsp;stealing documents or USB drives from a target’s home; (2) planning a protest; and (3) killing a politician or government official.&nbsp;At that meeting, Merchant began planning potential assassination scenarios and quizzed the CS on how he would kill a target in the various scenarios. Specifically, Merchant asked the CS to explain how a target would die in different scenarios. Merchant told the CS that there would be “security [] all around” the person.&nbsp;Merchant stated that the assassination would occur after he left the United States and he would communicate with the CS from overseas using code words. The CS asked whether Merchant had spoken to the unidentified “party” back home with whom Merchant was working. Merchant responded that he had and that the party back home told him to “finalize” the plan and leave the United States.In mid-June, Merchant met with the purported hitmen, who were in fact undercover U.S. law enforcement officers (the UCs) in New York. Merchant advised the UCs that he was looking for three services from them: theft of documents, arranging protests at political rallies, and for them to kill a “political person.” Merchant stated that the hitmen would receive instructions on who to kill either the last week of August or the first week of September, after Merchant had departed the United States.&nbsp;Merchant then began arranging means to obtain $5,000 in cash to pay the UCs as an advance payment for the assassination, which he eventually received with assistance from an individual overseas. On June 21, Merchant met with the UCs in New York and paid them the $5,000 advance. After Merchant paid the $5,000 to the UCs, one of the UCs stated, “now we’re bonded,” to which Merchant responded “yes.”&nbsp;The UC then stated “Now we know we’re going forward. We’re doing this,” to which Merchant responded “Yes, absolutely.” &nbsp;Merchant subsequently made flight arrangements and planned to leave the United States on Friday, July 12, 2024. On July 12, law enforcement agents placed Merchant under arrest before he could leave the country. Merchant has stated that he has a wife and children in Iran and a wife and children in Pakistan.The FBI is investigating the case.

‘Iranian agent’ tried to hire hitmen for assassination of Trump, other gov't officials

CHARLOTTESVILLE&nbsp; – A Winchester, Virginia man, who made online threats against the Vice President and&nbsp;thousands of posts and replies in online forums targeting the President of the United States, FBI Director, and other public officials, was arrested on federal charges, according to the United State's Attorney

<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230.1.1.pdf">Click here to read </a>the criminal complaint

Frank Lucio Carillo, 66, made his initial court appearance this morning in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Virginia after being arrested last week at his home in Winchester. Carillo is charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of making threats against the Vice President of the United States.

“Open political discourse is a cornerstone of our American experience. We can disagree. We can argue and we can debate. However, when those disagreements cross the line to threats of violence, &nbsp;law enforcement must step in,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said today.

“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people. We take all threats of violence seriously, and we will investigate them to the fullest and hold those responsible accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today.

According to court documents, on July 27, 2024, the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office notified the FBI’s Phoenix Office of potential threats being made on the social media platform GETTR. The threats were being made by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”

FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to, President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

Vice President Harris was mentioned 19 times by “joemadarats1,” including numerous threats of violence.

In a February 2024 post, “joemadarats1” said he had his “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”

Authorities used GETTR subscriber information and other investigative methods to match the &nbsp;“joemadarats1” username with Carillo and to locate his physical location in Winchester, Virginia.

On August 2, 2024, authorities at the FBI Richmond executed a search warrant at Carillo’s home and seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

The FBI in both Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722966189254.png" alt="Carillo-photo Roanoke City Jail" />
 <figcaption>Carillo-photo Roanoke City Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>CHARLOTTESVILLE&nbsp; – A Winchester, Virginia man, who made online threats against the Vice President and&nbsp;thousands of posts and replies in online forums targeting the President of the United States, FBI Director, and other public officials, was arrested on federal charges, according to the United State's Attorney<a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230/gov.uscourts.vawd.132230.1.1.pdf">Click here to read </a>the criminal complaintFrank Lucio Carillo, 66, made his initial court appearance this morning in U.S. District Court in Roanoke, Virginia after being arrested last week at his home in Winchester. Carillo is charged in a federal criminal complaint with one count of making threats against the Vice President of the United States.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722966333633.png" alt="A portion of the criminal complaint -Western District of Virginia&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>A portion of the criminal complaint -Western District of Virginia&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>“Open political discourse is a cornerstone of our American experience. We can disagree. We can argue and we can debate. However, when those disagreements cross the line to threats of violence, &nbsp;law enforcement must step in,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh of the Western District of Virginia said today.“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people. We take all threats of violence seriously, and we will investigate them to the fullest and hold those responsible accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today.According to court documents, on July 27, 2024, the Maricopa County, Arizona, Recorder’s Office notified the FBI’s Phoenix Office of potential threats being made on the social media platform GETTR. The threats were being made by a user with the name “joemadarats1.”FBI searched the “joemadarats1” user account and discovered approximately 4,359 posts and replies made by the user targeting various public officials including, but not limited to, President Joseph Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.Vice President Harris was mentioned 19 times by “joemadarats1,” including numerous threats of violence.In a February 2024 post, “joemadarats1” said he had his “AR-15 LOCKED AND LOADED.”Authorities used GETTR subscriber information and other investigative methods to match the &nbsp;“joemadarats1” username with Carillo and to locate his physical location in Winchester, Virginia.On August 2, 2024, authorities at the FBI Richmond executed a search warrant at Carillo’s home and seized a 9 mm pistol, an AR-15 rifle and thousands of rounds of ammunition.The FBI in both Richmond, Virginia and Phoenix, Arizona, and the United States Secret Service are investigating the case.Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh is prosecuting the case.

Read charging docs: Man made online threat to kill Kamala Harris

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — With a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-d3937ca2c3e089fe7505720e619d5682">rebuilt statue of Jackie Robinson in bronze</a>&nbsp;back in Kansas, some of the late baseball icon's biggest fans are breathing a sigh of relief.

The original sculpture depicting Robinson resting a bat on his shoulder was cut off at its ankles in January, leaving only Robinson’s cleats behind at McAdams Park in Wichita, home of urban youth baseball League 42.

The statue is not only a piece of art or even just a tribute to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jackie-robinson">first Black player in Major League Baseball,</a>&nbsp;said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.

“That statue had become a symbol: a symbol of hope, a symbol of inspiration, of the core values that were part of Jackie’s legacy. Those were fixtures here in the ballpark,” Kendrick said.

He said that made it difficult to explain the statue's theft to the 600 children who play in League 42, which was named after Robinson's uniform with the Brooklyn Dodgers, where Robinson broke Major League Baseball's racial barrier in 1947. Kendrick and others worried the children might lose faith in humanity.

That is until people from across the country stepped up to help replace it six months after thieves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">destroyed the original.</a>

“It reminds us that there has always been more good people in this world than bad people,” Kendrick said. “The minute that you’re ready to give up on people, what happens? The good people in this case literally stepped up to the plate. And it renews your faith in people.”

Little League players and former Major League Baseball players, including All-Stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cc-sabathia-honored-in-final-season-at-all-star-game-4ea19a107e184950b05465ce92ae738a">CC Sabathia</a>&nbsp;and Dellin Betances, were set to gather for a ceremony Monday evening to unveil an identical statue now standing in the park where League 42 plays.

The league was met with an outpouring of support and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations after news of the stolen statue shocked the community and spread across the country. The donations helped fund the replacement statue, as well as improvements to the plaza where it stands, the nonprofit league’s facilities and its programming, said Bob Lutz, its executive director.

The rebuilt statue is identical to the original because the mold was still viable. Dedicated in 2021, it was created by artist John Parsons, a friend of Lutz's who died in 2022.

Firefighters found burned remnants of the original statue five days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-45c08bbbd29322c05e6136a67f687459">after</a>&nbsp;it disappeared. One man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-arrest-f70fcf6fbc51c275bf6d0e1ac3a75815">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;and will spend about 15 years in prison, although most of that time is related to a burglary that happened a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">statue heist.</a>

Ricky Alderete was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-stolen-wichita-league-42-12a991dd637e54c8ee474ff1aa7bc914">sentenced Friday</a>&nbsp;to 18 months and ordered to pay $41,500 restitution for stealing the statue, an act he said stemmed from his addiction to fentanyl.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-cleats-brooklyn-dodgers-df1a8c2350877eb7fc3dbf55087d1688">lonely cleats</a>&nbsp;of the original found a new home at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.

Robinson played for the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. His impact was felt beyond sports; he galvanized the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">civil rights movement</a>. He died in 1972.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722891041343.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — With a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-d3937ca2c3e089fe7505720e619d5682">rebuilt statue of Jackie Robinson in bronze</a>&nbsp;back in Kansas, some of the late baseball icon's biggest fans are breathing a sigh of relief.The original sculpture depicting Robinson resting a bat on his shoulder was cut off at its ankles in January, leaving only Robinson’s cleats behind at McAdams Park in Wichita, home of urban youth baseball League 42.The statue is not only a piece of art or even just a tribute to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/jackie-robinson">first Black player in Major League Baseball,</a>&nbsp;said Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri.“That statue had become a symbol: a symbol of hope, a symbol of inspiration, of the core values that were part of Jackie’s legacy. Those were fixtures here in the ballpark,” Kendrick said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722891019727.png" alt="Photo courtesy KWCH" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy KWCH</figcaption>
 </figure>He said that made it difficult to explain the statue's theft to the 600 children who play in League 42, which was named after Robinson's uniform with the Brooklyn Dodgers, where Robinson broke Major League Baseball's racial barrier in 1947. Kendrick and others worried the children might lose faith in humanity.That is until people from across the country stepped up to help replace it six months after thieves&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">destroyed the original.</a>“It reminds us that there has always been more good people in this world than bad people,” Kendrick said. “The minute that you’re ready to give up on people, what happens? The good people in this case literally stepped up to the plate. And it renews your faith in people.”Little League players and former Major League Baseball players, including All-Stars&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/cc-sabathia-honored-in-final-season-at-all-star-game-4ea19a107e184950b05465ce92ae738a">CC Sabathia</a>&nbsp;and Dellin Betances, were set to gather for a ceremony Monday evening to unveil an identical statue now standing in the park where League 42 plays.The league was met with an outpouring of support and hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations after news of the stolen statue shocked the community and spread across the country. The donations helped fund the replacement statue, as well as improvements to the plaza where it stands, the nonprofit league’s facilities and its programming, said Bob Lutz, its executive director.The rebuilt statue is identical to the original because the mold was still viable. Dedicated in 2021, it was created by artist John Parsons, a friend of Lutz's who died in 2022.Firefighters found burned remnants of the original statue five days&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-45c08bbbd29322c05e6136a67f687459">after</a>&nbsp;it disappeared. One man&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-arrest-f70fcf6fbc51c275bf6d0e1ac3a75815">pleaded guilty</a>&nbsp;and will spend about 15 years in prison, although most of that time is related to a burglary that happened a few days after the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-baseball-statue-stolen-beea370b17079ad30092affe6aaea3c1">statue heist.</a>Ricky Alderete was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-stolen-wichita-league-42-12a991dd637e54c8ee474ff1aa7bc914">sentenced Friday</a>&nbsp;to 18 months and ordered to pay $41,500 restitution for stealing the statue, an act he said stemmed from his addiction to fentanyl.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706214143377.png" alt="City of Wichita" />
 <figcaption>City of Wichita</figcaption>
 </figure>The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jackie-robinson-statue-theft-cleats-brooklyn-dodgers-df1a8c2350877eb7fc3dbf55087d1688">lonely cleats</a>&nbsp;of the original found a new home at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.Robinson played for the Negro Leagues' Kansas City Monarchs before joining the Brooklyn Dodgers. His impact was felt beyond sports; he galvanized the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/mlb-entertainment-sports-los-angeles-baseball-d73b75a6965310bfd087c165e93dc0c6">civil rights movement</a>. He died in 1972.----------

Kbct