KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a homicide at a Kansas City home have identified the victim as 45-year-old Marcus R Benson.

Just after 8p.m. Dec. 30, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6900 block of E. 17th Street, according to Police Captain Leslie Foreman.

 Upon arrival they were directed into a residence were they located Benson who was had been shot and was unresponsive. 

EMS responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. One subject of interest had been detained. Detectives and crime scene personnel&nbsp; responded to the scene and&nbsp; actively canvassed for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. 

Police released no additional details Tuesday and have not reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities&nbsp; investigating a homicide at a Kansas City home have identified the victim as 45-year-old Marcus R Benson.Just after 8p.m. Dec. 30, police were dispatched to a shooting in the 6900 block of E. 17th Street, according to Police Captain Leslie Foreman. Upon arrival they were directed into a residence were they located Benson who was had been shot and was unresponsive. EMS responded and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. One subject of interest had been detained. Detectives and crime scene personnel&nbsp; responded to the scene and&nbsp; actively canvassed for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence. Police released no additional details Tuesday and have not reported an arrest.

Police ID victim in fatal shooting at Kansas City home

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced that total tax collections for December were $1.1 billion -- $140.1 million, or 14.8%, more than the monthly estimate. That is also 21.9%, or $194.6 million, more than December 2021, according to a media release from her office.

Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAxMDMuNjkxNzI5MjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDEvMDZfRGVjZW1iZXJfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjNfMDEtMDMtMjAyM19GaW5hbC5wZGYifQ.DoBjGDxy-VotX4UiNpyWtsPahDidutvAjzuXIwFeqog/s/1303160919/br/151624659185-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the December 2022 tax receipts spreadsheet.

“Because of my administration’s work to put the state’s finances back on track, we are able to fully fund education, improve roads and bridges, and work to address mental health issues across the state, all while also providing Kansans immediate tax relief,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.

Individual income tax collections were $374.8 million. That is $5.2 million less than the estimate but $19.6 million, or 5.5%, more than the previous December. If it were not for higher-than-normal refunds in December, receipts would have surpassed the estimate by over $5.0 million. Corporate income tax collections were $281.0 million, which is $151.0 million, or 116.2%, more than the estimate.

Retail sales tax collections were $234.0 million for December. That is $14.0 million, or 5.6%, less than the estimate but $9.7 million, or 4.3%, more than December 2021. Compensating use tax collections were $73.3 million and met the $73.0 million estimate for December. Those collections are also $4.1 million, or 5.9%, more than December 2021.

“Collections for the four major tax types all show growth over December 2021,”&nbsp;said Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart.&nbsp;“The corporate income tax receipts are much higher than expected due in large part to the influence of the recently enacted SALT Parity Act, which, beginning with tax year 2022, allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax on the income flowing through to the owners.”

TOPEKA&nbsp;–&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly announced that total tax collections for December were $1.1 billion -- $140.1 million, or 14.8%, more than the monthly estimate. That is also 21.9%, or $194.6 million, more than December 2021, according to a media release from her office.Click&nbsp;<a href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMzAxMDMuNjkxNzI5MjEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL2dvdmVybm9yLmthbnNhcy5nb3Yvd3AtY29udGVudC91cGxvYWRzLzIwMjMvMDEvMDZfRGVjZW1iZXJfUmV2ZW51ZV9GWTIwMjNfMDEtMDMtMjAyM19GaW5hbC5wZGYifQ.DoBjGDxy-VotX4UiNpyWtsPahDidutvAjzuXIwFeqog/s/1303160919/br/151624659185-l" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;to view the December 2022 tax receipts spreadsheet.“Because of my administration’s work to put the state’s finances back on track, we are able to fully fund education, improve roads and bridges, and work to address mental health issues across the state, all while also providing Kansans immediate tax relief,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.Individual income tax collections were $374.8 million. That is $5.2 million less than the estimate but $19.6 million, or 5.5%, more than the previous December. If it were not for higher-than-normal refunds in December, receipts would have surpassed the estimate by over $5.0 million. Corporate income tax collections were $281.0 million, which is $151.0 million, or 116.2%, more than the estimate.Retail sales tax collections were $234.0 million for December. That is $14.0 million, or 5.6%, less than the estimate but $9.7 million, or 4.3%, more than December 2021. Compensating use tax collections were $73.3 million and met the $73.0 million estimate for December. Those collections are also $4.1 million, or 5.9%, more than December 2021.“Collections for the four major tax types all show growth over December 2021,”&nbsp;said Secretary of Revenue Mark Burghart.&nbsp;“The corporate income tax receipts are much higher than expected due in large part to the influence of the recently enacted SALT Parity Act, which, beginning with tax year 2022, allows owners of pass-through entities, such as S corporations and limited liability companies, to elect to have the pass-through entities pay tax on the income flowing through to the owners.”

Kan. December total tax collections surpass estimate by $140.1M

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday the untimely death of Deputy Sonny Johnson.

He died on Sunday while off duty, according to a social media report from the agency. 

The investigation into his death is being handled by the Kansas City Kansas Police Department. "At this time, we ask for our communities’ thoughts and prayers for our loss."

The sheriff's office released no additional details.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672745764461.png" alt="Sonny Johnson courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Sonny Johnson courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WYANDOTTE COUNTY —The Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office reported Tuesday the untimely death of Deputy Sonny Johnson.He died on Sunday while off duty, according to a social media report from the agency. The investigation into his death is being handled by the Kansas City Kansas Police Department. "At this time, we ask for our communities’ thoughts and prayers for our loss."The sheriff's office released no additional details.

Police investigate death of off-duty Kansas sheriff's deputy

BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri inmate was put to death Tuesday for a 2003 killing, becoming what is believed to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first transgender woman executed in the U.S.</a>

Amber McLaughlin, 49, was convicted of stalking and killing a former girlfriend, then dumping the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. McLaughlin’s fate was sealed earlier Tuesday when Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency request</a>.

McLaughlin spoke quietly with a spiritual adviser at her side as the fatal dose of pentobarbital was injected. McLaughlin breathed heavily a couple of times, then shut her eyes. She was pronounced dead a few minutes later.

“I am sorry for what I did,” McLaughlin said in a final, written, statement. “I am a loving and caring person.”

A database on the website for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows that 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of those put to death were men. The center said there are no known previous cases of an openly transgender inmate being executed. McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago at the state prison in Potosi.

The clemency petition cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard during her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition. It cited severe depression that resulted in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.

The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition that causes anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, her attorney, Larry Komp, said.

In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would show up at the suburban St. Louis office where the 45-year-old Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.

Guenther’s neighbors called police the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, where the body had been dumped. Authorities said she had been raped and stabbed repeatedly with a steak knife.

McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge to sentence someone to death.

A court in 2016 ordered a new sentencing hearing, but a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty in 2021.

“McLaughlin terrorized Ms. Guenther in the final years of her life, but we hope her family and loved ones may finally have some peace,” Parson said in a written statement after the execution.

McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, now 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin did not receive hormone treatments, however, Komp said.

Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after she decided to transition.

“She always had a smile and a dad joke,” Hicklin said. “If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails. Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking treatment was that of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.

The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber, side by side with the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.

Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri. Kevin Johnson was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer. Carman Deck was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.

Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7 for killing his girlfriend and her three young children.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nearly 1,600 death row inmates have been put to death in the U.S. since 1977, but an execution scheduled for Tuesday in Missouri will be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first of an openly transgender woman</a>.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday said he would not halt the execution of Amber McLaughlin, 49, who is set to die for stalking a former girlfriend and stabbing her to death nearly 20 years ago. McLaughlin's attorneys have not planned any legal appeals.

A database for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of them were men, and the center said there are no known previous cases in which an openly transgender inmate was executed.

A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency petition</a>&nbsp;submitted by her attorneys cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard about at her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler, and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition, which also cited severe depression resulting in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.

The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition causing anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, said her attorney, Larry Komp.

In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would appear at the suburban St. Louis office where Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.

Guenther’s neighbors called police on the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis where the body had been dumped.

McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge, rather than a jury, to sentence someone to death.

“McLaughlin’s culpability in Ms. Guenther’s murder has never been in question,” Parson said in a statement released by his office. “McLaughlin’s conviction and sentence remains after multiple, thorough examinations of Missouri law. McLaughlin stalked, raped, and murdered Ms. Guenther. McLaughlin is a violent criminal. Ms. Guenther’s family and loved ones deserve peace. The State of Missouri will carry out McLaughlin’s sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”

McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, a transgender inmate who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin has not had hormone treatments, however, Komp said.

Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after deciding to transition.

“She always had a smile and a dad joke," Hicklin said. "If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails.

Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking hormone therapy was that of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/chelsea-manning">Chelsea Manning</a>, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.

The U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a 2015 court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.

The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, who was put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber alongside the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.

Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-news-alert-st-louis-missouri-ae9febd877dcb197fedf0825c635e780">Kevin Johnson</a>&nbsp;was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-st-louis-sentencing-missouri-30fa4991720e49efc6690f4c99244061">Carman Deck</a>&nbsp;was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.

Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7. He was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her three young children.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671065135902.png" alt="McLaughlin-photo MODOC" />
 <figcaption>McLaughlin-photo MODOC</figcaption>
 </figure>BONNE TERRE, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri inmate was put to death Tuesday for a 2003 killing, becoming what is believed to be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first transgender woman executed in the U.S.</a>Amber McLaughlin, 49, was convicted of stalking and killing a former girlfriend, then dumping the body near the Mississippi River in St. Louis. McLaughlin’s fate was sealed earlier Tuesday when Republican Gov. Mike Parson declined a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency request</a>.McLaughlin spoke quietly with a spiritual adviser at her side as the fatal dose of pentobarbital was injected. McLaughlin breathed heavily a couple of times, then shut her eyes. She was pronounced dead a few minutes later.“I am sorry for what I did,” McLaughlin said in a final, written, statement. “I am a loving and caring person.”A database on the website for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows that 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of those put to death were men. The center said there are no known previous cases of an openly transgender inmate being executed. McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago at the state prison in Potosi.The clemency petition cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard during her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition. It cited severe depression that resulted in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition that causes anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, her attorney, Larry Komp, said.In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would show up at the suburban St. Louis office where the 45-year-old Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.Guenther’s neighbors called police the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis, where the body had been dumped. Authorities said she had been raped and stabbed repeatedly with a steak knife.McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge to sentence someone to death.A court in 2016 ordered a new sentencing hearing, but a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty in 2021.“McLaughlin terrorized Ms. Guenther in the final years of her life, but we hope her family and loved ones may finally have some peace,” Parson said in a written statement after the execution.McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, now 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin did not receive hormone treatments, however, Komp said.Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after she decided to transition.“She always had a smile and a dad joke,” Hicklin said. “If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails. Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking treatment was that of Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.In 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber, side by side with the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri. Kevin Johnson was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer. Carman Deck was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7 for killing his girlfriend and her three young children.---------ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nearly 1,600 death row inmates have been put to death in the U.S. since 1977, but an execution scheduled for Tuesday in Missouri will be the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-proceedings-st-louis-missouri-crime-mississippi-river-c2d0f65a1d20393998dc2b0ada2d0aeb">first of an openly transgender woman</a>.Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday said he would not halt the execution of Amber McLaughlin, 49, who is set to die for stalking a former girlfriend and stabbing her to death nearly 20 years ago. McLaughlin's attorneys have not planned any legal appeals.A database for the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center shows 1,558 people have been executed since the death penalty was reinstated in the mid-1970s. All but 17 of them were men, and the center said there are no known previous cases in which an openly transgender inmate was executed.A&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/missouri-b88f2b102ac82e8c44190e20631749ab">clemency petition</a>&nbsp;submitted by her attorneys cited McLaughlin’s traumatic childhood and mental health issues, which the jury never heard about at her trial. A foster parent rubbed feces in her face when she was a toddler, and her adoptive father used a stun gun on her, according to the petition, which also cited severe depression resulting in multiple suicide attempts, both as a child and as an adult.The petition also included reports citing a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, a condition causing anguish and other symptoms as a result of a disparity between a person’s gender identity and their assigned sex at birth. But McLaughlin’s sexual identity was “not the main focus” of the clemency request, said her attorney, Larry Komp.In 2003, long before transitioning, McLaughlin was in a relationship with Beverly Guenther. After they stopped dating, McLaughlin would appear at the suburban St. Louis office where Guenther worked, sometimes hiding inside the building, according to court records. Guenther obtained a restraining order, and police officers occasionally escorted her to her car after work.Guenther’s neighbors called police on the night of Nov. 20, 2003, when she failed to return home. Officers went to the office building, where they found a broken knife handle near her car and a trail of blood. A day later, McLaughlin led police to a location near the Mississippi River in St. Louis where the body had been dumped.McLaughlin was convicted of first-degree murder in 2006. A judge sentenced McLaughlin to death after a jury deadlocked on the sentence. Komp said Missouri and Indiana are the only states that allow a judge, rather than a jury, to sentence someone to death.A court in 2016 ordered a new sentencing hearing, but a federal appeals court panel reinstated the death penalty in 2021.“McLaughlin’s culpability in Ms. Guenther’s murder has never been in question,” Parson said in a statement released by his office. “McLaughlin’s conviction and sentence remains after multiple, thorough examinations of Missouri law. McLaughlin stalked, raped, and murdered Ms. Guenther. McLaughlin is a violent criminal. Ms. Guenther’s family and loved ones deserve peace. The State of Missouri will carry out McLaughlin’s sentence according to the Court’s order and deliver justice.”McLaughlin began transitioning about three years ago, according to Jessica Hicklin, a transgender inmate who spent 26 years in prison for a drug-related killing before being released a year ago. Hicklin, 43,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fd9c93c831454338b0ff185726617d61">sued the Missouri Department of Corrections</a>, challenging a policy that prohibited hormone therapy for inmates who weren’t receiving it before being incarcerated. She won the lawsuit in 2018 and became a mentor to other transgender inmates, including McLaughlin. McLaughlin has not had hormone treatments, however, Komp said.Hicklin described McLaughlin as a painfully shy person who came out of her shell after deciding to transition.“She always had a smile and a dad joke," Hicklin said. "If you ever talked to her, it was always with the dad jokes.”The Bureau of Justice Statistics has estimated there are 3,200 transgender inmates in the nation’s prisons and jails.Perhaps the best-known case of a transgender prisoner seeking hormone therapy was that of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/chelsea-manning">Chelsea Manning</a>, the former Army intelligence analyst who served seven years in federal prison for leaking government documents to Wikileaks until President Barack Obama commuted the sentence in 2017. The Army agreed to pay for hormone treatments for Manning in 2015.The U.S. Department of Justice wrote in a 2015 court filing that state prison officials must treat an inmate’s gender identity condition just as they would treat other medical or mental health conditions, regardless of when the diagnosis occurred.The only woman ever executed in Missouri was Bonnie B. Heady, who was put to death on Dec. 18, 1953, for kidnapping and killing a 6-year-old boy. Heady was executed in the gas chamber alongside the other kidnapper and killer, Carl Austin Hall.Nationally, 18 people were executed in 2022, including two in Missouri.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ap-news-alert-st-louis-missouri-ae9febd877dcb197fedf0825c635e780">Kevin Johnson</a>&nbsp;was put to death in November for the ambush killing of a Kirkwood, Missouri, police officer.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-executions-st-louis-sentencing-missouri-30fa4991720e49efc6690f4c99244061">Carman Deck</a>&nbsp;was executed in May for killing James and Zelma Long during a robbery at their home in De Soto, Missouri.Another Missouri inmate, Leonard Taylor, is scheduled to die Feb. 7. He was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her three young children.

Transgender inmate apologized before execution for murder 

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a New Year's Day incident involving a gun.

Just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 5300 Block of SW 10 Avenue in Topeka in reference to a gunshots disturbance, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. 

Upon arrival officers confirmed that no one was injured by gunshots.

As a result of the investigation, police arrested Brandon Tyler Lawton, 29, of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Shooting into an occupied dwelling, Criminal discharge in city limits, Criminal damage, Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672658878939.png" alt="Lawton-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Lawton-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect in connection with a New Year's Day incident involving a gun.Just before 2:30 p.m. Sunday, police responded to the 5300 Block of SW 10 Avenue in Topeka in reference to a gunshots disturbance, according to Lt. Edward Stanley. Upon arrival officers confirmed that no one was injured by gunshots.As a result of the investigation, police arrested Brandon Tyler Lawton, 29, of Topeka on requested charges of Aggravated Assault, Shooting into an occupied dwelling, Criminal discharge in city limits, Criminal damage, Possession of Methamphetamine and Possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kansas man accused of shooting a gun at a home New Year's Day

SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man accused in a shooting that critically injured a teen girl and a man made a first appearance in court Dec. 30.

Tmori Wright, 24 of Wichita, is charged with 2 counts of attempted 1st degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;

Just before 6a.m. Dec. 27,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1100 block of North Harding in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 23-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl with multiple gunshot wounds. The teen had been shot over a dozen times.

The victims were transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;The two victims underwent surgery and were reported in critical condition.&nbsp;

Following an investigation, police arrested&nbsp; Wright. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case with Judge Quentin Pittman on Jan. 9. Wright remains jailed on a $250,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1672240854365.png" alt="Wright-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Wright-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY — A man accused in a shooting that critically injured a teen girl and a man made a first appearance in court Dec. 30.Tmori Wright, 24 of Wichita, is charged with 2 counts of attempted 1st degree murder, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.&nbsp;Just before 6a.m. Dec. 27,&nbsp; police were dispatched to a shooting in the 1100 block of North Harding in Wichita, according to Officer Juan Rebolledo. Officers located a 23-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl with multiple gunshot wounds. The teen had been shot over a dozen times.The victims were transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries.&nbsp;The two victims underwent surgery and were reported in critical condition.&nbsp;Following an investigation, police arrested&nbsp; Wright. Attorneys are scheduled to discuss the case with Judge Quentin Pittman on Jan. 9. Wright remains jailed on a $250,000 bond, according to the district attorney's office.&nbsp;

Kansas man charged after teen girl, man shot over a dozen times

By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-01-03/kansas-is-becoming-more-divided-democrats-win-suburban-areas-and-the-gop-holds-rural-communities">Kansas News Service</a>

OVERLAND PARK — Republican Ed Roitz lives in central Overland Park, right in the middle of that state’s most populous, suburban county.

He
 ran to represent his affluent Johnson County neighbors in the Kansas 
House this fall, focusing on the tried-and-true conservative policy of 
cutting taxes.

But when he met voters on their doorsteps, he came 
face-to-face with a changing electorate. One voter, for instance, told 
him she likes paying taxes.

“She was convinced,” Roitz said, “that
 the only reason that we have it ‘so good here in Johnson County and 
Overland Park’ is because the taxes are so high.”

Meanwhile in the
 western Kansas town of Hays, Democrat Edward Hammond found himself 
similarly out of step with his neighbors. His campaign in the rural part
 of the state focused on expanding Medicaid and increasing funding for 
special education.

“I went to 7,000-plus doors,” Hammond said. “What I found is they don’t have the foggiest idea of what’s going on in Topeka.”

Both
 the Roitz and Hammond campaigns ran into a starkly divided Kansas. 
While urban and suburban areas turn to Democrats, the state’s rural 
areas remain as Republican as ever.

Democrats made gains in 
Johnson County this fall, giving the party a majority of the county’s 
seats in the Kansas House. But Democrats were unable to put much of a 
dent into the Republican Party’s vice grip on legislative control 
because they made no gains in rural parts of the state.

So even as
 Johnson County sends a voting bloc of Democrats to Topeka, it falls in a
 legislative minority likely to lose more than it wins against 
conservatives from the state’s small towns and countryside.

Overall,
 the make up of the Legislature will effectively remain the same. 
Republicans will continue to dictate policymaking, with Democrats unable
 to stop them. Instead, their hopes will often rely on the veto power of
 Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-09/kansas-governor-election-results-2022-laura-kelly-derek-schmidt-election" target="_blank">who won a second term</a> while also outpacing much of the rest of her party at the ballot box.

But
 Kelly won’t be a Democratic fail-safe, because Republicans still hold 
supermajorities in both the House and the Senate. That gives the GOP 
lawmakers the ability to override Kelly’s veto and send state 
constitutional amendments to voters — like the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-14/kansas-voters-narrowly-reject-plan-to-shift-power-from-the-governor-to-the-legislature" target="_blank">recently rejected rules and regulations amendment</a> that would have curtailed the governor’s political power.

The Republican dominance also means some popular policy changes —<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-26/kansas-voters-say-they-want-to-expand-medicaid-protect-abortion-and-ban-transgender-athletes" target="_blank"> including expanding Medicaid</a> — will likely be pushed to the wayside. Republicans will instead focus on more conservative issues.

Democrats
 flipped three House seats in Johnson County this fall. Of the 27 House 
seats representing the state’s most populated county, Democrats now sit 
in 16 of them. That’s more than a third of the 40 Democrats in the 
Kansas House.

State Rep. Stephanie Clayton of Overland Park is a 
one-politician microcosm of changing Johnson County. She was elected as a
 Republican in 2012. But she <a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2018-12-19/more-kansas-legislative-republicans-jump-ship-become-democrats" target="_blank">switched to the Democratic Party</a> in 2018. Democrats have won more seats in the county since.

After the election, Clayton celebrated the county’s voters turning to moderates.

“We’re
 mostly calm, middle-of-the-road, pro-education people who just want to 
make sure women have a right to choose and that our kids don’t get shot 
at school,” Clayton said.

But outside of Johnson County, the 
political makeup looks very different. Democrats lost two seats in 
Wyandotte and Sedgwick counties, for a gain of just one seat overall. 
The party fell short of breaking the Republican Party’s two-thirds 
majority in the House.

Democrats are left with a significant 
uphill battle against Republicans, who almost exclusively control the 
vast rural areas of the state. Outside of the five most populated 
counties, Democrats only hold two seats. The remaining 47 seats are 
controlled by Republicans.

Nathaniel Birkhead, a political 
scientist at Kansas State University, said rural voters may help 
Republicans keep that advantage for the foreseeable future.

“If they’re not going more red,” Birkhead said of rural voters, “then they’re certainly staying very red.”

The result is rural Republican lawmakers having a stronger voice than
 the urban area Democrats. For example, House Republicans created a 
committee just for rural issues, but did not create an urban 
counterpart. Johnson County’s Democratic lawmakers will also have a 
harder time securing state dollars during budget negotiations that 
Republicans lead.

Roitz said he wonders if his district may now lose out.

“The effectiveness of being a minority legislator,” he said, “is very questionable.”

To
 have more of a say, Democrats will have to make a dent in rural areas. 
The party has done well turning the tide for statewide races, like 
reelecting Kelly this fall.

Birkhead said Democrats may do better 
in statewide races because they appear more often in the news, while 
local races get little media coverage. That leads to voters sticking 
with their preferred party further down the ballot.

“That’s where the partisanship really just rules the day,” Birkhead said.

But Kelly is also somewhat of a special case. She’s made more inroads
 in rural areas than the other statewide Democratic candidates. For 
example, <a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/media/Election%20Office/election-results/2022%20General.pdf" target="_blank">in Saline County</a>,
 Kelly got 45% of the vote. Almost all of the other Democrats running 
for statewide office received 30% or less of the county’s vote.

Kelly may have successfully separated herself from the state’s overall view of Democrats and given voters the idea she is a<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-26/kansas-gov-kelly-touts-economy-in-reelection-bid-as-republicans-blame-her-for-inflation" target="_blank"> business-friendly political moderate</a>.
 That image was boosted by the state’s all-time low unemployment rate 
and the fact that she just landed a $4 billion manufacturing plant.

Emma
 O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Kansas Democratic Party, said the 
party’s candidates can win rural elections by modeling Kelly.

“You know, leave no stone unturned, talk to every single voter, and continue to grow and expand on that,” O’Brien said.

In
 the meantime, Kelly and Democrat lawmakers will continue to face a 
Republican-dominated Legislature mostly unafraid of political opposition
 to their plans.

It will be very similar to the last two years. 
During that time, the Legislature pushed several amendments to the state
 constitution — including the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-02/kansas-voters-rejected-an-amendment-that-would-have-stripped-away-abortion-rights" target="_blank">overwhelmingly rejected</a>
 change that would have removed the right to abortion — focused on 
socially conservative changes in schools and ignored calls for expanding
 Medicaid.

Michael Smith, a political scientist at Emporia State 
University, said the new make up of the Legislature means Republicans 
will likely continue on that path.

“In terms of the big picture,” Smith said, “it’s not that different.”

While major policy changes are unlikely, Republicans could still push conservative changes. They may again try to pass <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-28/kansas-lawmakers-fall-a-few-votes-short-of-banning-transgender-athletes-from-womens-sports" target="_blank">the ban on transgender girls playing in girls sports</a> — a bill that Kelly vetoed twice.

They may also <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-24/most-kansas-voters-want-abortion-access-but-their-legislators-may-further-restrict-it-anyway" target="_blank">test just how strong the right to abortion</a>
 is protected by the Kansas Constitution. The rejection of the state 
constitutional amendment rules out a total ban that neighboring states 
have enacted. But lawmakers could try to pass a moderately more 
restrictive ban — like dropping the current 22-week ban to 15 weeks — to
 see if the Kansas Supreme Court would allow it.

Additionally, 
lawmakers could again try to change how the court’s justices are 
selected. That proposed constitutional amendment was considered last 
spring, but did not get the two-third majority required to send it to 
voters.

But given how voters have mostly rejected the changes to 
the state constitution this year, Smith said it may be a bad idea for 
Republicans to continue trying for amendments that could be seen as a 
power grab.

“Kansans just don’t love it when one of the branches goes messing with the separation of powers,” Smith said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672755835323.png" alt="Johnson County voters are turning to Democratic candidates, while the Republican Party dominates rural parts of Kansas. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3" />
 <figcaption>Johnson County voters are turning to Democratic candidates, while the Republican Party dominates rural parts of Kansas. Carlos Moreno / KCUR 89.3</figcaption>
 </figure>By DYLAN LYSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2023-01-03/kansas-is-becoming-more-divided-democrats-win-suburban-areas-and-the-gop-holds-rural-communities">Kansas News Service</a>OVERLAND PARK — Republican Ed Roitz lives in central Overland Park, right in the middle of that state’s most populous, suburban county.He
 ran to represent his affluent Johnson County neighbors in the Kansas 
House this fall, focusing on the tried-and-true conservative policy of 
cutting taxes.But when he met voters on their doorsteps, he came 
face-to-face with a changing electorate. One voter, for instance, told 
him she likes paying taxes.“She was convinced,” Roitz said, “that
 the only reason that we have it ‘so good here in Johnson County and 
Overland Park’ is because the taxes are so high.”Meanwhile in the
 western Kansas town of Hays, Democrat Edward Hammond found himself 
similarly out of step with his neighbors. His campaign in the rural part
 of the state focused on expanding Medicaid and increasing funding for 
special education.“I went to 7,000-plus doors,” Hammond said. “What I found is they don’t have the foggiest idea of what’s going on in Topeka.”Both
 the Roitz and Hammond campaigns ran into a starkly divided Kansas. 
While urban and suburban areas turn to Democrats, the state’s rural 
areas remain as Republican as ever.Democrats made gains in 
Johnson County this fall, giving the party a majority of the county’s 
seats in the Kansas House. But Democrats were unable to put much of a 
dent into the Republican Party’s vice grip on legislative control 
because they made no gains in rural parts of the state.So even as
 Johnson County sends a voting bloc of Democrats to Topeka, it falls in a
 legislative minority likely to lose more than it wins against 
conservatives from the state’s small towns and countryside.Overall,
 the make up of the Legislature will effectively remain the same. 
Republicans will continue to dictate policymaking, with Democrats unable
 to stop them. Instead, their hopes will often rely on the veto power of
 Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-09/kansas-governor-election-results-2022-laura-kelly-derek-schmidt-election" target="_blank">who won a second term</a> while also outpacing much of the rest of her party at the ballot box.But
 Kelly won’t be a Democratic fail-safe, because Republicans still hold 
supermajorities in both the House and the Senate. That gives the GOP 
lawmakers the ability to override Kelly’s veto and send state 
constitutional amendments to voters — like the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-11-14/kansas-voters-narrowly-reject-plan-to-shift-power-from-the-governor-to-the-legislature" target="_blank">recently rejected rules and regulations amendment</a> that would have curtailed the governor’s political power.The Republican dominance also means some popular policy changes —<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-26/kansas-voters-say-they-want-to-expand-medicaid-protect-abortion-and-ban-transgender-athletes" target="_blank"> including expanding Medicaid</a> — will likely be pushed to the wayside. Republicans will instead focus on more conservative issues.<h2>Divided Kansas</h2>Democrats
 flipped three House seats in Johnson County this fall. Of the 27 House 
seats representing the state’s most populated county, Democrats now sit 
in 16 of them. That’s more than a third of the 40 Democrats in the 
Kansas House.State Rep. Stephanie Clayton of Overland Park is a 
one-politician microcosm of changing Johnson County. She was elected as a
 Republican in 2012. But she <a href="https://www.kcur.org/politics-elections-and-government/2018-12-19/more-kansas-legislative-republicans-jump-ship-become-democrats" target="_blank">switched to the Democratic Party</a> in 2018. Democrats have won more seats in the county since.After the election, Clayton celebrated the county’s voters turning to moderates.“We’re
 mostly calm, middle-of-the-road, pro-education people who just want to 
make sure women have a right to choose and that our kids don’t get shot 
at school,” Clayton said.But outside of Johnson County, the 
political makeup looks very different. Democrats lost two seats in 
Wyandotte and Sedgwick counties, for a gain of just one seat overall. 
The party fell short of breaking the Republican Party’s two-thirds 
majority in the House.Democrats are left with a significant 
uphill battle against Republicans, who almost exclusively control the 
vast rural areas of the state. Outside of the five most populated 
counties, Democrats only hold two seats. The remaining 47 seats are 
controlled by Republicans.Nathaniel Birkhead, a political 
scientist at Kansas State University, said rural voters may help 
Republicans keep that advantage for the foreseeable future.“If they’re not going more red,” Birkhead said of rural voters, “then they’re certainly staying very red.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672755927910.png" alt=" Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Dylan Lysen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>The result is rural Republican lawmakers having a stronger voice than
 the urban area Democrats. For example, House Republicans created a 
committee just for rural issues, but did not create an urban 
counterpart. Johnson County’s Democratic lawmakers will also have a 
harder time securing state dollars during budget negotiations that 
Republicans lead.Roitz said he wonders if his district may now lose out.“The effectiveness of being a minority legislator,” he said, “is very questionable.”<h2>Moderation is key</h2>To
 have more of a say, Democrats will have to make a dent in rural areas. 
The party has done well turning the tide for statewide races, like 
reelecting Kelly this fall.Birkhead said Democrats may do better 
in statewide races because they appear more often in the news, while 
local races get little media coverage. That leads to voters sticking 
with their preferred party further down the ballot.“That’s where the partisanship really just rules the day,” Birkhead said.But Kelly is also somewhat of a special case. She’s made more inroads
 in rural areas than the other statewide Democratic candidates. For 
example, <a href="https://www.salinecountyks.gov/media/Election%20Office/election-results/2022%20General.pdf" target="_blank">in Saline County</a>,
 Kelly got 45% of the vote. Almost all of the other Democrats running 
for statewide office received 30% or less of the county’s vote.Kelly may have successfully separated herself from the state’s overall view of Democrats and given voters the idea she is a<a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-10-26/kansas-gov-kelly-touts-economy-in-reelection-bid-as-republicans-blame-her-for-inflation" target="_blank"> business-friendly political moderate</a>.
 That image was boosted by the state’s all-time low unemployment rate 
and the fact that she just landed a $4 billion manufacturing plant.Emma
 O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Kansas Democratic Party, said the 
party’s candidates can win rural elections by modeling Kelly.“You know, leave no stone unturned, talk to every single voter, and continue to grow and expand on that,” O’Brien said.<h2>Conservative Legislature</h2>In
 the meantime, Kelly and Democrat lawmakers will continue to face a 
Republican-dominated Legislature mostly unafraid of political opposition
 to their plans.It will be very similar to the last two years. 
During that time, the Legislature pushed several amendments to the state
 constitution — including the <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-02/kansas-voters-rejected-an-amendment-that-would-have-stripped-away-abortion-rights" target="_blank">overwhelmingly rejected</a>
 change that would have removed the right to abortion — focused on 
socially conservative changes in schools and ignored calls for expanding
 Medicaid.Michael Smith, a political scientist at Emporia State 
University, said the new make up of the Legislature means Republicans 
will likely continue on that path.“In terms of the big picture,” Smith said, “it’s not that different.”While major policy changes are unlikely, Republicans could still push conservative changes. They may again try to pass <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-28/kansas-lawmakers-fall-a-few-votes-short-of-banning-transgender-athletes-from-womens-sports" target="_blank">the ban on transgender girls playing in girls sports</a> — a bill that Kelly vetoed twice.They may also <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-08-24/most-kansas-voters-want-abortion-access-but-their-legislators-may-further-restrict-it-anyway" target="_blank">test just how strong the right to abortion</a>
 is protected by the Kansas Constitution. The rejection of the state 
constitutional amendment rules out a total ban that neighboring states 
have enacted. But lawmakers could try to pass a moderately more 
restrictive ban — like dropping the current 22-week ban to 15 weeks — to
 see if the Kansas Supreme Court would allow it.Additionally, 
lawmakers could again try to change how the court’s justices are 
selected. That proposed constitutional amendment was considered last 
spring, but did not get the two-third majority required to send it to 
voters.But given how voters have mostly rejected the changes to 
the state constitution this year, Smith said it may be a bad idea for 
Republicans to continue trying for amendments that could be seen as a 
power grab.“Kansans just don’t love it when one of the branches goes messing with the separation of powers,” Smith said.

Kansas facing increasing urban-rural legislative divide

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan, who emphasized victims' rights and consumer protection during four terms in office, has died at the age of 89.

Stephan died overnight, his brother, Don Stephan, told Kansas media Tuesday. No cause of death was released.

Stephan, a Republican, served as attorney general from 1979 to 1995, the longest tenure in that office in Kansas history. He first won the office after surviving cancer, an experience that later prompted him to support legalizing marijuana for medical use.

Stephan, a native of Wichita, helped develop a victims’ right amendment to the Kansas Constitution and emphasized consumer protection. His tenure also included legal battles involving Gov. Joan Finney’s role in negotiating with American Indian tribes on casino gaming and challenging the Posse Comitatus militia movement in western Kansas.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement Tuesday that Stephan left a lasting mark on the office during his tenure, particularly in the areas of crime victim rights and consumer protection.

Stephan's political career stalled after two lawsuits filed by a former clerk who accused him of sexually harassing her and of breach of contract when he revealed the amount of the settlement in the first lawsuit.

A grand jury alleged Stephan lied when he testified in the second lawsuit. He was acquitted in 1995.

After leaving office, Stephan lived in Lenexa, where he was a corporate legal consultant.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan, who emphasized victims' rights and consumer protection during four terms in office, has died at the age of 89.Stephan died overnight, his brother, Don Stephan, told Kansas media Tuesday. No cause of death was released.Stephan, a Republican, served as attorney general from 1979 to 1995, the longest tenure in that office in Kansas history. He first won the office after surviving cancer, an experience that later prompted him to support legalizing marijuana for medical use.Stephan, a native of Wichita, helped develop a victims’ right amendment to the Kansas Constitution and emphasized consumer protection. His tenure also included legal battles involving Gov. Joan Finney’s role in negotiating with American Indian tribes on casino gaming and challenging the Posse Comitatus militia movement in western Kansas.Attorney General Derek Schmidt said in a statement Tuesday that Stephan left a lasting mark on the office during his tenure, particularly in the areas of crime victim rights and consumer protection.Stephan's political career stalled after two lawsuits filed by a former clerk who accused him of sexually harassing her and of breach of contract when he revealed the amount of the settlement in the first lawsuit.A grand jury alleged Stephan lied when he testified in the second lawsuit. He was acquitted in 1995.After leaving office, Stephan lived in Lenexa, where he was a corporate legal consultant.

Former Kansas Attorney General Robert Stephan dies at 89

By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/03/crews-will-reroute-mill-creek-after-massive-keystone-pipeline-spill-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Crews will reroute Mill Creek to avoid the site of the Keystone Pipeline’s largest-ever oil spill, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tcenergy.com/incident/milepost-14-incident/">oil pipeline’s parent company announced Tuesday</a>.

The Keystone pipeline, which runs from Canada to Texas and Illinois, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/09/regulators-order-keystone-pipeline-to-investigate-after-14000-barrels-spill-in-kansas/">spilled 14,000 barrels of oil near the Kansas-Nebraska border</a> in early December. The spill —&nbsp;the latest in <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/13/keystone-pipeline-has-history-of-spills-warnings-and-fines-kansas-spill-is-largest-yet/">a number of spills and deficiencies along the pipeline</a> —&nbsp;turned Mill Creek black and deposited oil on farmland near Washington, Kansas.

Within two weeks after the spill, 
more than 400 people were onsite cleaning up the oil, including 
personnel from the pipeline’s owner, TC Energy, the Environmental 
Protection Agency and state and local officials. Crews built dams to 
contain the spill and began vacuuming oil from the creek and surrounding
 areas.

Now, those responders are working to 
“temporarily divert (Mill) Creek from a location upstream of the 
pipeline spill to downstream of the containment dams,” TC Energy said in
 a statement.

“The diversion will assist in the cleanup and reclamation of the creek,” the statement said.

TC Energy did not say in its news release how diverting the creek would assist in cleanup.

The company also has not announced an
 update on how much oil it has removed from the creek. As of Dec. 21, it
 had removed 7,599 barrels of oil from the creek, a little more than 
half of the estimated amount spilled.

TC Energy said it would give $7,500 
to purchase new mobile and radio equipment for the Washington County 
Emergency Management Office. It also pledged to <a target="_blank" href="https://tcenergy.benevity.org/community/fundraiser/56121">match donations to the Washington County Hospital</a>.

The site of the spill on Tuesday was still subject to a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/20/drone-no-fly-zone-issued-over-keystone-oil-spill-site-in-kansas/">no-fly zone for drones requested by TC Energy</a>.

Following the spill, the federal 
government ordered TC Energy to investigate the cause of the pipeline’s 
spill. It also required the company to submit a plan before resuming 
operations. The Cushing Extension — the part of the pipeline where the 
spill occurred —&nbsp;started operating again on Dec. 29.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672769192181.png" alt="Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup. (TC Energy)" />
 <figcaption>Efforts are underway to clean up the largest spill in the Keystone pipeline’s history, which happened near Washington, Kansas. The pipeline’s owner announced Mill Creek will be temporarily rerouted to help with cleanup. (TC Energy)</figcaption>
 </figure>By ALLISON KITE <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/03/crews-will-reroute-mill-creek-after-massive-keystone-pipeline-spill-in-kansas/">Kansas Reflector</a>KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Crews will reroute Mill Creek to avoid the site of the Keystone Pipeline’s largest-ever oil spill, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.tcenergy.com/incident/milepost-14-incident/">oil pipeline’s parent company announced Tuesday</a>.The Keystone pipeline, which runs from Canada to Texas and Illinois, <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/09/regulators-order-keystone-pipeline-to-investigate-after-14000-barrels-spill-in-kansas/">spilled 14,000 barrels of oil near the Kansas-Nebraska border</a> in early December. The spill —&nbsp;the latest in <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/13/keystone-pipeline-has-history-of-spills-warnings-and-fines-kansas-spill-is-largest-yet/">a number of spills and deficiencies along the pipeline</a> —&nbsp;turned Mill Creek black and deposited oil on farmland near Washington, Kansas.Within two weeks after the spill, 
more than 400 people were onsite cleaning up the oil, including 
personnel from the pipeline’s owner, TC Energy, the Environmental 
Protection Agency and state and local officials. Crews built dams to 
contain the spill and began vacuuming oil from the creek and surrounding
 areas.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1672769258266.jpeg" alt="The map shows the planned diversion of Mill Creek as crews work to clean up the site of the Keystone oil pipeline spill. (TC Energy)" />
 <figcaption>The map shows the planned diversion of Mill Creek as crews work to clean up the site of the Keystone oil pipeline spill. (TC Energy)</figcaption>
 </figure>Now, those responders are working to 
“temporarily divert (Mill) Creek from a location upstream of the 
pipeline spill to downstream of the containment dams,” TC Energy said in
 a statement.“The diversion will assist in the cleanup and reclamation of the creek,” the statement said.TC Energy did not say in its news release how diverting the creek would assist in cleanup.The company also has not announced an
 update on how much oil it has removed from the creek. As of Dec. 21, it
 had removed 7,599 barrels of oil from the creek, a little more than 
half of the estimated amount spilled.TC Energy said it would give $7,500 
to purchase new mobile and radio equipment for the Washington County 
Emergency Management Office. It also pledged to <a target="_blank" href="https://tcenergy.benevity.org/community/fundraiser/56121">match donations to the Washington County Hospital</a>.The site of the spill on Tuesday was still subject to a <a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/12/20/drone-no-fly-zone-issued-over-keystone-oil-spill-site-in-kansas/">no-fly zone for drones requested by TC Energy</a>.Following the spill, the federal 
government ordered TC Energy to investigate the cause of the pipeline’s 
spill. It also required the company to submit a plan before resuming 
operations. The Cushing Extension — the part of the pipeline where the 
spill occurred —&nbsp;started operating again on Dec. 29.

Crews will reroute creek after massive Kansas pipeline spill 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A viable challenger to McCarthy had yet to emerge.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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