JOHN HANNA, Associated Press

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt says his vigorous defense of the state’s gay marriage ban is designed to get a final U.S. Supreme Court ruling on whether such bans are constitutional.

Schmidt said in an Associated Press interview Wednesday that everyone is best served by a definitive ruling from the high court.

The attorney general said that without such a ruling, uncertainty will remain about whether gay marriage legal throughout the state and whether gay couples’ unions will remain legally valid.

The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked the state from enforcing its gay marriage ban while a lawsuit moves through the federal courts. Couples have wed in some but not all of the state’s 105 counties.

Gay-rights advocate Tom Witt says Schmidt’s argument is pointless.

Seven hunters in Kansas pleaded guilty in federal court and were sentenced Wednesday for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom says the men admitted they violated the federal law protecting migratory birds when they participated in an annual opening weekend dove hunt in Graham County, Kan., on Sept. 1-2, 2013.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act classifies mourning doves as migratory game birds. It classifies owls as migratory non-game birds. Restrictions on hunting mourning doves include a daily bag limit of 15 and a possession limit of twice the daily bag limit.

PLEAS
Defendants pleading and sentenced were:

Daniel R. Dinkel, 63, Hill City, Kan., one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.
Kent A. Webber, 52, Derby, Kan., one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves, and one count of taking an owl.
Evan Webber, 25, Derby, Kan., one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves, and one count of taking an owl.
Kenneth R. Beran, 67, Derby, Kan., one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.
Clark Law, 57, Hill City, Kan., one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.
Tracy D. Higgins, 54, El Dorado, Kan., one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves, and one count of taking an owl.
John Kobler, 62, Topeka, Kan., one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves.

Another defendant, George Morgan, 52, Gordonville, Texas, who is charged with one count of exceeding the daily bag limit for mourning doves, is set for a change of plea hearing Nov. 24.

SENTENCES
*Dinkel, Kobler, Law and Beran were sentenced to a year on probation in which they are not allowed to hunt, fish or trap, a $2,000 fine, and $3,000 restitution to the state of Kansas.
*Kent Weber, Evan Weber and Higgins were sentenced to two years on probation in which they are not allowed to hunt, fish or trap, a $2,000 fine and $5,000 restitution.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A combine-sharing program touted as the first of its kind in the country aims to give farmers a chance to make some money off expensive equipment that sits idle after harvest is finished.

FarmLink announced Wednesday its farmer-to-farmer program, which allows farmers with spring or early summer harvests in Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas to rent their combines to farmers with later harvests farther north.

The Kansas City, Missouri-based company picks up the combines, maintains and repairs them as needed and then returns them to their owners. The company contends growers can make as much as $40,000 a year in extra income from equipment that would otherwise sit mostly unused.

The program begins with the 2015 harvest season, but the company already has begun signing up farmers.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Topeka city committee has declined to take action on a proposed public nudity ban that is headed to the City Council for consideration.

The council’s Public Health and Safety Committee voted 3-0 Tuesday to make no recommendation on whether public nudity should become a misdemeanor offense. Committee members say the council should make the decision.

The issue arose after a man was seen walking nude in south central Topeka earlier this year. The proposed ban wouldn’t apply to children under age 10 or breastfeeding women. Violators could face up to 30 days in jail and a fine of between $1 and $499.

Public nudity isn’t banned by state law or Topeka ordinance, though state law prohibits it in the context of sexual arousal.

It’s unclear when the council will consider the issue.

HAYS- Eagle Communications President and CEO Gary Shorman issued the following statement regarding President Barack Obama’s recent announcement calling on the FCC to move away from the longstanding, bipartisan policy of lightly regulating the Internet to a policy that applies highly regulatory Title II regulations to the Internet.

“President Obama’s call for the FCC to impose burdensome and complex Title II regulations on Internet service providers, including small, innovative companies like Eagle Communications, will hamper our ongoing efforts to deploy dynamic new broadband services to rural Kansan households and businesses.
We want to use our resources to expand and improve services and increase speeds for our customers. We would rather focus on expanding internet service to our rural customers instead of hiring legal teams to complete the complex and costly filings that Title II would require.