By JOHN HANNA

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — If Kansas’ highest court is going to force state lawmakers to boost public education funding again, some conservative Republicans want something in return, including a say in how the extra money is spent and a voucher program to allow bullied kids to switch to private schools.

A state House committee expects to hold hearings this week on a public-school funding billdrafted by its conservative chairwoman and introduced Tuesday. It’s an alternative to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s proposal for an increase of roughly $90 million in the state’s more than $4 billion a year in education funding.

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled last yearthat the state’s education funding remains inadequate despite increases in recent years. It gave the state’s attorneys until April 15 to report in writing how lawmakers addressed the problem.

“Many of us don’t subscribe to that theory, that if you just add more money and you do the same thing you’ve always done, you’re going to get a different result,” said state Rep. Kristey Williams, a Wichita-area Republican who is the House committee’s chairwoman. “It’s not just how much money you put in. It’s how the money is used.”

The House bill shows that conservative Republicans haven’t given up on a long-standing goal to create a voucher program that would give tax money to parents with students in struggling public schools so they could send their children to other schools, including private ones. In 2014, legislators created a corporate tax credit to encourage contributions to scholarship funds for low-income students.

The new House bill would allow parents of bullied public school students to claim state tax dollars for their local public school as a scholarship for another school.

Williams unveiled the new legislation as the Senate prepared to debate Kelly’s plan this week. Even if the Senate approves the governor’s plan, negotiators for the two chambers are likely to draft the final version of the funding bill. Williams would lead the House’s team, so policy ideas could remain in play.

Such a scenario played out in 2014, when an earlier Supreme Court ruling forced lawmakers to increase education funding. Conservative Republicans used their leverage to strip teachers of guaranteed tenure.

“It’s that same kind of issue,” said House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, a Wichita Democrat. “It’s a horrible bill.”

The state Supreme Court has issued six rulings in the past five years requiring increases in education funding, saying lawmakers have a duty under the state constitution to provide a suitable education for every child.

A 2018 law phased in a $548 million increase in annual funding by the 2022-23 school year. The court said it was inadequate because it did not account for inflation.

“Just put the money in,” said Mark Desetti, a lobbyist for the state’s largest teachers union, summarizing the view of many educators.

The new House bill would provide $14 million more than Kelly’s plan for schools during the budget year that begins in July, but it would direct much of the new money into programs for students with behavioral or mental health problems and other at-risk kids.

The measure also would require school districts with large cash reserves to burn through some of those reserves instead of relying on state dollars to finance their operations.

And it would strike provisions of the 2018 funding law that promised increases in the state’s basic per-pupil aid to school districts for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr., a conservative Olathe Republican, said legislators only should make “promises that we can keep.”

The House bill would require the state to post data online about how well students perform and issue an annual “financial accountability” report detailing how districts spent their money — and what they spent on lawsuits against the state.

“We’re all wanting what’s best for kids,” Ryckman said.

But with the Supreme Court’s deadline looming and education groups advocating a narrow school funding bill, it’s not clear how many moderate Republicans will stick with conservative leaders.

“Clean and simple is always my preference,” said Rep. Brenda Dietrich, a moderate Topeka Republican and former school superintendent.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri House panel on Tuesday significantly dialed back legislation that backers contend is aimed at ensuring those accused of rape and sex-based discrimination in college are treated fairly.

House Judiciary Committee members stripped down the bill following pushback from universities and victims-rights advocates, who warned the measure could mean fewer victims report abuse.

The legislation deals with complaints filed under Title IX, a federal law that bans sex-based discrimination in education. The Missouri bill would apply to both public and private colleges and universities.

Republican Rep. Dean Dohrman’s original proposal would have allowed people who report abuse to be sued for filing false complaints, and it also would have allowed university staffers who handle those complaints to be sued.

Committee members cut those provisions from the bill.

“The last thing we want is a victim, a complainant being afraid to come forward because they could get sued personally for bringing a complaint,” said Chairman Rep. David Gregory, a St. Louis Republican who proposed the changes. “If you’re going to bring a complaint in a closed, confidential situation you should not able to be sued for that.”

The legislation still would allow for cross-examination of witnesses, which could mean that victims face questioning. But Gregory’s amendment banned discussion of a complainant’s past sexual history, a change meant to prevent rape victims from being asked irrelevant questions intended to embarrass them.

Gregory also proposed allowing the decision maker to be questioned and kicked off the case if they are biased or have a conflict of interest.

Lawmakers cut a provision that have would have allowed students who were previously disciplined to appeal their cases to the state Administrative Hearing Commission, even if that discipline occurs before the proposed policy takes effect.

The revised bill would allow either party to appeal cases to the commission, but it would only apply to cases that occur after the measure is enacted.

Two of three sitting members on that commission have ties to backers of the bill .

Commissioner Renee Slusher is married to Columbia defense attorney Chris Slusher, who previously testified in favor of the measure and told lawmakers he has represented people facing Title IX allegations. Presiding and Managing Commissioner Audrey Hanson McIntosh is married to lobbyist Richard McIntosh, who is pushing the measure.

Dohrman on Tuesday said they’re “fair-minded jurists who can handle the job.”

The legislation also would require that students be guaranteed the right to be represented by an attorney. It would require that colleges “refrain from using the term ‘survivor’ or any other term that presumes guilt” before a final decision is reached.

House Judiciary Committee members voted to advance Dohrman’s scaled-back bill. A similar proposal is awaiting debate in the Senate.

As of Tuesday, records show at least 23 lobbyists were registered to represent Kingdom Principles, which is backing a group called Missouri Campus Due Process Coalition.

A spokesman for the coalition has confirmed wealthy St. Louis businessman David Steward is financially supporting the coalition. Spokesman Gregg Keller on Tuesday declined to comment further about other donors.

FULTON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri woman is accused of accidentally killing her boyfriend as they acted out a movie scene involving a gun, only to have the gun go off.

Kalesha Marie Peterson of Fulton is charged with second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon in the death of David Dalton.

Peterson called 911 Thursday night and officers found Dalton in a bedroom with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police say Peterson told investigators that the two were watching a movie and drinking when Dalton suggested they play out a movie scene involving a firearm. Police did not identify the movie.

Peterson is jailed and does not yet have a listed attorney.

KANSAS CITY (AP) — A Romanian national who used skimming devices on ATMs to steal debit card information has been sentenced to nearly four years in federal prison without parole.

Federal prosecutors say 24-year-old David Velcu, also known as Luca Antoni, was in the U.S. illegally when he committed the crimes on ATMs in Kansas and Missouri in April 2018.

He was sentenced Monday to three years and 10 months in prison and ordered to pay $5,904 in restitution.

Velcu pleaded guilty in September to possessing counterfeit unauthorized access devices. He admitted using skimmers and pin cameras at ATMs to capture account numbers and personal identification numbers. He transferred the information to 78 re-encoded magnetic strips on gift cards, and used the information to withdraw money from stolen accounts.