TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and legislative leaders have authorized a record $900 million in temporary borrowing to cover the state’s expenses through June 2017.

Brownback and the leaders met Wednesday as the State Finance Council and voted 8-1 to loan the state’s main bank account the money from other, idle funds. It’s a move the state has used repeatedly to cover bills when cash is projected to be tight.

The vote was 8-1. The only dissenting vote came from Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican.

The vote came after Budget Director Shawn Sullivan said the state likely would have to divert transportation funds and Medicaid fee funds and delay payments to school districts until next month to avoid a projected short-term deficit of $45 million on June 30.

 

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation to require high school students to pass a civics test and learn CPR.

The legislation signed Wednesday requires high schoolers who start ninth grade after July 2017 to pass an exam similar to the U.S. citizenship test.

The measure also creates a pilot program for rating preschools based on quality. Nixon’s office says Missouri previously was the only state to ban such a rating system.

Other provisions include mandated dyslexia screening in public schools beginning in fall 2018 and a requirement that public schools give students a chance every day to say the Pledge of Allegiance. Schools now must make time for the pledge once a week.

It also makes private schools eligible to participate in the A+ Scholarship program for community colleges.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A federal appeals court says a Harvey County sheriff’s deputy accused of entering a family’s front yard without a warrant and killing their dog must face trial in the lawsuit brought by its owners.

The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals sided Monday with Kent and Tonya Mayfield in ruling that the Halstead couple asserted sufficient facts to show a violation of their Fourth Amendment rights.

The appeals court found a district judge properly denied Deputy Jim Bethards’ request to dismiss the lawsuit against him.

Their lawsuit claims the deputy and his partner entered their property in July 2014 with the intention of killing their two dogs, firing upon both dogs and killing their Malamute Husky, Majka.

Their complaint cites a witness who said neither dog acted aggressively.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Lawmakers are voicing frustration after the state disclosed that a backlog in unprocessed Medicaid applications is four times as large as previously thought.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the disclosure late last week that Kansas had under-counted the number of unprocessed applications by 12,000 is drawing fresh attention to the state’s electronic eligibility system nearly a year into its troubled rollout.

Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, says the state needs to “figure this out” and described the problems as “getting pretty bad.” Kansas says a reporting problem from a contractor tasked with implementing the eligibility system produced the under-counting, not the eligibility system itself.

An official legislative inquiry will likely have to wait until August. House and Senate leadership have ruled out hearings during the upcoming special session.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man was sentenced to nearly 19 years in prison for causing a traffic accident that killed a part-time police officer.

Dana Patton, of Olathe, was sentenced Tuesday in the October 2015 crash that killed David Stubbs, a part-time officer in Louisburg.

The 25-year-old Patton had previously pleaded guilty to reckless second-degree murder.

Prosecutors say Patton was driving a stolen car when he ran a red light at an intersection in Overland Park and hit Stubbs’ vehicle.

The Kansas City Star reports that at the time of the wreck, Patton was free on bond in several other auto theft cases.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court is giving Gov. Sam Brownback until July 11 to tell the court why it shouldn’t force him to fill a vacant district magistrate position.

The court on Tuesday ordered the governor to explain why he didn’t make the appointment in 90 days, as required by state law.

Three 26th District judges filed a petition with the court last week after Brownback announced he would wait until after the August primaries to consider filling the vacancy, which was created when Judge Tommy Webb of Haskell County announced his retirement in February.

The petition says Kansas law requires five magistrate judges to serve the six-county district.

Brownback spokeswoman Eileen Hawley says the governor has the discretion under the Kansas constitution to make the appointment when he sees fit.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Residents of two eastern Iowa counties may notice low-flying airplanes next week as officials work to slow the spread of the gypsy moth.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that planes would fly June 27 or 28 over wooded areas in Allamakee and Jackson counties to release pheromone flakes.

The flakes, which disrupt the ability of male gypsy moths to find female gypsy moths and reproduce, will be dropped over a total of 13,520 acres at three sites.

The planes will work beginning about 7 a.m.

Gypsy moth larvae feed on over 300 species of trees and shrubs. Officials say next week’s treatment should delay the establishment of the moth in Allamakee and Jackson counties.

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) — An Independence woman was sentenced to 3½ years in prison without parole for an arson and insurance fraud scheme.

Tina Shonk was also ordered Tuesday to pay $242,717 in restitution to her victims and $62,364 to the government.

Shonk pleaded guilty in January to participating in a conspiracy to commit arson and wire fraud and one count of mail fraud.

Prosecutors say Shonk and another person set fire to a home she was about to be evicted from for past due rent and then made false claims for insurance.

She and another conspirator later moved into a different house and planned another arson fire but they were arrested before the fire was set.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A funeral has been held for a 2-year-old Nebraska boy killed by an alligator at Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The Mass for Lane Thomas Graves was held Tuesday at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in west Omaha. It was limited to family and friends. Lane was pulled into the water and drowned last week despite the frantic efforts of his father.

In a statement, Matt and Melissa Graves thanked the “friends and strangers who share in our loss and who have shown us profound compassion.”

The Graves have established the Lane Thomas Foundation, saying all donations will go to charity. On the foundation’s website they say, “while there is no way to mend our hearts, we can do good work in his honor.”

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has signed legislation to expand access to an anti-overdose medicine for opiates.

Nixon signed the bill Tuesday, and pharmacists will be able to sell the drug naloxone after the law takes effect Aug. 28. The drug blocks potentially deadly effects of heroin or opioid prescription pill overdoses.

The measure allows people to carry naloxone without a prescription and legally protects those who use it in good faith to help someone overdosing.

Nixon called the legislation an important step forward but says he’s disappointed lawmakers failed to pass a bill to create a statewide prescription drug monitoring program. Such a program would require pharmacies to report to the state health department details about medications dispensed.

Legislative opponents cited privacy concerns and questioned the effectiveness of monitoring programs.