ST. LOUIS (AP) — St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson is urging priests to sever ties with the Girl Scouts, saying the organization promotes values “incompatible” with Catholic teachings.

The open letter to priests, scout leaders and other Catholics was posted on the archdiocese website Thursday. It urges parishes that host Girl Scout meetings to consider alternative programs that are more Catholic- or Christian-based.

Carlson’s letter says Girl Scouts USA and affiliated organizations promote role models like Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan who are “in conflict with Catholic values.” It says the organization promotes and is partners with organizations that advocate for things such as contraception and abortion rights.

Girl Scouts USA did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas lawmakers are discussing two separate proposals for lowering the state’s sales tax on groceries.

Twelve Kansas senators are sponsoring a proposal to offer voters a constitutional amendment that would reduce the sales tax to zero over three years. One of the sponsors, Democratic Sen. Tom Holland, says voters need to have a voice in how the state is handling its tax policies.

Unlike many other states, Kansas charges its full state sales tax rate on groceries. The rate was increased last year to 6.5 percent.

The Kansas City Star reports another proposal would reduce the grocery sales tax to 2.6 percent while also ending an income tax exemption for 330,000 businesses.

The House Taxation Committee plans to hold hearings on that proposal.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — A southwest Missouri woman is charged with communicating threats of violence over the Internet after prosecutors say she sent pro-Islamic State group messages over social media.

Safya Roe Yassin is a U.S. citizen charged in a federal complaint on Wednesday alleging she posted a threat last August on Twitter against two FBI agents.

An affidavit, unsealed Thursday, says the 38-year-old Buffalo, Missouri, woman posted the names, residences and phone numbers of the two FBI agents under the words “Wanted to kill.”

The affidavit says she also posted a link in a retweet listing the hometowns and phone numbers of about 150 Air Force personnel.

A federal judge on Thursday appointed the Federal Public Defenders’ Office to represent her. Nobody was available at its Springfield office after hours to answer questions.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri senator is considering whether to file a complaint against former University of Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel over his involvement in last year’s campus protests.

Senator Paul Wieland told reporters Thursday that his constituents think Pinkel’s support for the players’ game boycott amounted to extortion. He said he’ll spend the next two weeks reviewing Pinkel’s actions and whether they violate the university system’s rules.

Wieland filed a complaint Wednesday against Melissa Click, an assistant professor who tried to remove a student journalist from a protest.

Pinkel announced his retirement after November’s protests, though he will remain with the university for the next three years. Wieland said it’s inappropriate he’s still drawing a salary.

University officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A St. Louis area lawmaker who resigned from the Missouri House this week says he had an affair.

Republican Rep. Don Gosen told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Thursday that he began an affair in 2014. On the advice of his attorney, he gave no details about the events that led to his resignation.

Gosen, elected in 2010, is married with three children.

House Speaker Todd Richardson said he asked Gosen to resign Tuesday night after he was “made aware of the situation.”

Gosen is the third lawmaker to resign under pressure in the past year.

Last May, then-House Speaker John Diehl resigned after acknowledging he exchanged sexually charged text messages with a Capitol intern. Sen. Paul LeVota resigned after being accused of sexually harassing interns, which he denied.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging a Kansas law requiring proof of citizenship when people register to vote at state motor vehicle offices.

A federal lawsuit filed Thursday contends the documents requirement violates the National Voter Registration Act, a federal law that aims to increase voter participation by eligible citizens.

That law is sometimes called the “Motor-Voter Law” because of a provision requiring states to provide voter registration services in conjunction with drivers’ license applications.

The ACLU lawsuit contends more than 35,000 Kansans have been blocked from voting since Kansas implemented the documentary proof-of-citizenship requirement.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach did not immediately return phone and email messages.

Dale Ho, the ACLU’s director of voting rights project, contends Kansas has become the nation’s “epicenter of voter suppression.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A bill expanding the government records that are publically accessible has advanced in the Kansas Senate.

The bill set for a final vote Thursday would expand the Kansas Open Records Act to include documents and emails pertaining to public business, even if they’re generated or stored on personal devices.

The Lawrence Journal-World reports that the bill came in response to a 2014 controversy involving Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director, Shawn Sullivan. At issue was his use of his private email account to communicate with lobbyists about the governor’s budget plan before submitting the plan to legislators.

The bill applies to information stored on devices owned by an officer or employee of a public agency. Also, part-time officers and employees would no longer be exempted.