By Amelia Arvesen
KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA — It is a constitutional right for people to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, urged gun right activists Thursday when they testified in a hearing on Senate Bill 45 before legislators.

Sen. Majority Leader Terry Bruce (R-Hutchinson) the chief sponsor among 25 co-sponsors of 40 Senators, said the bill upholds the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

“There truly is not a reason why you need the government’s permission to protect you or defend your family,” Bruce said.

Legislators decided last year to allow citizens to carry an open or unconcealed firearm without a permit. Bruce said passing the bill would give Kansans the freedom to carry a handgun under their clothing or in their purse if they choose.

Sen. Tom Holland (D-Baldwin City) a gun rights supporter, and David Nichols, a member of the NRA, expressed concerns with the removal of formal training administered through the current conceal-and-carry permit system.

“I don’t relish the idea of someone carrying a concealed handgun for self defense, that has as much potential of inflicting deadly force on an innocent bystander as the assailant does,” Nichols said.

John Commerford, a state liaison with the National Rifle Association, said interest in education would increase, and access to training programs in Kansas wouldn’t change.

“We try to do our best to get the word out and make access as easy as possible for people so they can acquire training if they feel they need it,” Commerford said.

Since 2007, Kansas has issued permits for concealed carry. Permits cost $132.50 and a renewal application is $25.There are approximately 75,1000 permit holders in Kansas, said Joe Neville, political director for the National Association for Gun Rights.

Bill supporters also addressed concerns of increased criminal activity. Patricia Stoneking, president of the Kansas State Rifle Association, said the government should trust citizens unless they’ve provided a reason not to be trusted.

“Every law abiding citizen has a right and there’s no prohibitive law of any kind that you can ever pass that is going to prevent a criminal from doing something criminal,” Stoneking said.

Open carry and concealed carry is legal in Arizona, Alaska, Vermont and Wyoming.

Members of the Senate’s Federal and State Affairs Committee will deliberate the bill before it moves to the Senate floor.

Amelia Arvesen is a University of Kansas senior from San Ramon, Calif., majoring in journalism.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas Senate committee has approved a proposed ban on a procedure used in 8 percent of the abortions performed in the state.

The Public Health and Welfare Committee’s voice vote Thursday sends the measure to the Senate for debate. The bill was drafted by abortion opponents who describe the targeted procedure as dismembering a fetus.

The bill would prohibit a procedure known as dilation and evacuation and designate it in state law as a “dismemberment abortion.” Doctors would not be allowed to use forceps, clamps or other similar instruments to cut up a fetus and remove it from the womb in pieces.

Abortion rights advocates say the procedure is sometimes the safest way to terminate a pregnancy and also is sometimes used during the first trimester.

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) will join President Barack Obama and other members of Congress at the White house for the signing ceremony of The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act. The bill was passed by the House and the Senate without a single nay vote. A replay of the Thursday afternoon signing can be seen here (advance the video to the 18:20 mark)

“We all agree our Veterans deserve our support. Without a single nay vote, Congress and the White House have approved of a measure to address the staggering 22 veteran suicides per day. War often inflicts unseen battle scars our brave men and women then carry home with them and without professional help, these injuries often tear apart marriages and families. I am honored to join my colleagues today to commit to providing better mental health care to our Veterans when they return from the battlefield.

“I would take this opportunity to stress the need for continued accountability for those in management roles in the VA. We must improve the VA as a whole, while striving to increase Veterans’ choices for where and how they access the mental health care they

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Powerball ticket sold in northeast Kansas is worth $1 million.

The Kansas Lottery said in a news release that the ticket matched all five white-ball numbers — 11, 13, 25, 39 and 54 — in Wednesday’s drawing but not the Powerball of 19.

Another ticket, sold in southwest Kansas, matched four of the first five numbers, plus the Powerball, to win a $10,000 prize.

Tickets in North Carolina, Puerto Rico and Texas matched all six numbers to split a $564.1 million jackpot. The jackpot goes back to $40 million for the next drawing, on Saturday.

By Alyssa Scott

KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA – Traditionally, voter turnout is substantially lower during off-cycle spring elections than regular fall elections. The result is fewer people vote on city and school board issues than during presidential or mid-term elections.

According to Secretary of State Kris Kobach, between 2008-2013, local spring election voter turnout ranged from a low of 6.2 percent in Sedgwick County to a high of 56 percent in Sherman County. In comparison, fall election turnout during that same time period ranged from 37.3 percent to 85.8 percent. According to the Sedgwick County Election Office, about 67 percent of registered voters participated in fall 2012 elections.

Supporters of Senate Bill 171 said moving municipal elections to the fall of even-numbered years and making them partisan would increase voter turnout and make it more convenient for voters. Under the bill, primary party elections would occur in August prior to a November general election.

During the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee hearing Wednesday, seven bill proponents testified for more than 50 minutes as two opponents were allowed to testify in the final 15 minutes of the meeting. Committee chair Sen. Mitch Holmes (R-St. John) said additional opponent testimony will be allowed Thursday.

Clay Barker, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, said he supports SB 171 because it is a way to encourage more people to vote in city and school board elections.

“There is a lack of citizen participation, and it’s an amazingly large amount of money to spend with very few voters’ input into it, whether it’s cities or school districts,” Barker said. “What we would like to see in this bill is aligning the spring and fall elections so all the voters turn out and they get to vote on all the positions.”

Joy Eakins, a Wichita Public Schools Board of Education member, testified on behalf of the bill, saying research shows that simply moving elections from April to November raises the participation rate by 8 to 9 percent. She said while it is important to increase voter turnout there are other parts of SB 171 she wants changed.

In addition to making municipal elections partisan and holding them in the fall, SB 171 would allow county election officers to require school districts to schedule an in-service day so that school buildings are available as polling locations during elections. Eakins said she did not support that part of the bill because taking time from schools is detrimental to students and teachers.

“You’re asking a person who has no accountability to the community (county election officer) for the education of their students or for what happens in a school day to be able to commandeer buildings that belong to students, buildings that were built by the taxpayers of our communities to educate their students,” Eakins said. “They do a great job, but they shouldn’t have a say over when school’s in session.”

Mark Tallman, associate executive director for advocacy at the Kansas Association of School Boards, opposes the bill and expressed concerns with adding partisanship into municipal elections.

“Our members have repeatedly voted that they do not favor a change in law for several reasons,” Tallman said. “We hear from local boards, and they believe we are better served by keeping education somewhat nonpartisan, even though in many cases people do know that parties can get involved.”

In a news release last week, committee chair Holmes said SB 171 would help reduce the influence teachers unions have in local elections. He said based on research, teachers unions have a majority in the current off-cycle elections because they’re able to organize while overall voter turnout is low.

“The information that we have showed that the timing of the election is the single biggest variable that affects voter turnout,” Holmes said. “There are other peripheral things that can be done, but that one by itself is the most effective.”

However, Eakins said it makes sense for teachers to be highly involved in the municipal elections.

“I can’t say to what extent they control the elections, but certainly teachers would be interested in voting because it’s something they’re passionate about, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Eakins said. “It’s just who they are.”

The Senate Ethics and Elections Committee will hear from opponents of the bill when it convenes at 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Alyssa Scott is a University of Kansas junior from Wichita majoring in journalism and French.

“Synthetic drugs are a dangerous and illegal attempt to use chemistry to stay one step ahead of the law,” said Kansas AG Derek Schmidt. “They should not be given the cloak of legitimacy or safety by well-known brand name stores. Young Kansans are particularly vulnerable to marketing of these harmful products, which is why we are asking these reputable companies to make sure these products are not being sold on their shelves.”

Synthetic drugs are chemical alternatives to cocaine, marijuana and methamphetamine. They are illegal and are often just as dangerous, if not more so, than the substances they mimic. Manufacturers of synthetic drugs seek to evade state and federal law by creating chemical compounds not yet specifically regulated or prohibited in the United States. In recent years, State and federal law enforcement authorities have cracked down on synthetic drug sales in Kansas, including products commonly known as “K2” and synthetic marijuana.

In the letter sent to British Petroleum, Chevron Corporation, Citgo Petroleum Corporation, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Phillips 66, Shell Oil Company, Sunoco, and Valero Energy Corporation, the 43 attorneys general expressed concern that gas stations and convenience stores operating under brand names of reputable oil companies are selling illegal and extremely dangerous synthetic drugs, such as K2. The group urged the oil companies to enact stronger policies against the sale of synthetic drugs in retail locations to protect the public, particularly young people.

Attorneys general from the following states and territories signed onto the letter: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.