JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s state auditor says the Revenue Department broke the law by not using a public process to change tax withholding tables.

Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway on Tuesday said that shows a “clear pattern of mismanagement” at the agency.

Withholding tables are used to calculate how much to take from workers’ paychecks throughout the year for income taxes.

Galloway says the Revenue Department didn’t follow state law when it revised those tables in January without proposing a regulation change, which would have allowed for public input.

She also questioned why the agency didn’t publicize the January change, which she says will mean more money is withheld from paychecks throughout the year.

The former department director in a response included in the audit said the agency will work to update state regulations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As he threatens to shut down the southern border, President Donald Trump is considering bringing on a “border” or “immigration czar” to coordinate immigration policy across various federal agencies, according to four people familiar with the discussions.

Trump is weighing at least two potential candidates for the post: former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, according to the people, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the conversations publicly.

Kobach and Cuccinelli are far-right conservatives with strong views on immigration. Cuccinelli was seen at the White House on Monday.

The planning comes as Trump is threatening anew to close the U.S.-Mexico border as soon as this week if Mexico does not completely halt illegal immigration into the U.S. And it serves as the latest sign that the president plans to continue to hammer his hardline immigration rhetoric and policies as he moves past the special counsel’s Russia investigation and works to rally his base heading into his 2020 re-election campaign.

Aides hope the potential appointment, which they caution is still in the planning stages, would serve as the “face” of the administration on immigration issues and would placate both the president and his supporters, showing he is serious and taking action.

White House press aides, Kobach and Cuccinelli did not immediately respond Monday to requests for comment. Kobach previously served as vice chair of the president’s short-lived election fraud commission, which was disbanded after finding little evidence of widespread abuse.

A Department of Homeland Security official noted that White House czars have been appointed in the past when there has been an “urgent need” for sustained, inter-agency policy coordination. While Homeland Security often plays a leading role when it comes to immigration policy and enforcement, the department is not in charge of officials at the departments of Health and Human Services, State, Defense and Justice, which often play key roles.

Trump has often complained, both publicly and privately, about how he has not been able to do more to stop the tide of illegal immigration, which he has likened to an “invasion” and described as a national security crisis. Arrests along the southern border have skyrocketed in recent months and border agents were on track to make 100,000 arrests or denials of entry in March. More than half of those are families with children.

Still, Trump has been pushing. He has deployed National Guard troops to the border, forced a government shutdown to try to pressure Congress to provide more money for his long-promised border wall, and eventually signed an emergency declaration to circumvent lawmakers. He also moved Saturday to cut direct aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, where citizens are fleeing north and overwhelming U.S. resources at the southern border.

Those moves have involved a swath of government agencies. The Justice Department manages the immigration courts that decide whether a migrant is deported; Health and Human Services manages the care of migrant children apprehended at the border; agencies within Homeland Security manage the allocation of legal status, immigration enforcement and asylum requests; and the Pentagon and the Army Corps of Engineers manage facets of border wall construction.

But not all are always on the same page.

Earlier this year, for example, Health and Human Services closed down a temporary facility being used to house migrant children in Tornillo, Texas, creating a problem for border agents who ran out of bed space when the number of unaccompanied children crossing the border spiked. Homeland Security is not allowed to hold children in detention facilities for longer than 20 days.

And last year, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions instituted a “zero tolerance” policy at the border without consulting others, causing a spike in the number of migrant children separated from their families.

The separated children were placed in HHS custody, but there was no tracking system in place to link parents with their children until a federal judge ordered one, causing widespread fear and concern about whether families would ever see each other again.

It has yet to be decided whether the czar position would be housed within Homeland Security or within the White House, which would not require Senate confirmation.

A person positioned within the White House could coordinate immigration policy across various agencies, working closely with aides who are deeply involved in the issue, including senior advisers Stephen Miller and Jared Kushner, national security adviser John Bolton and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who supports the idea.

Appointing a person based within Homeland Security could be trickier because the department’s agency heads are all Senate-confirmed positions and, in the case of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, are longtime immigration officials with decades of experience dealing with the border.

While immigration officials would welcome an adviser focused specifically on policy across the varying agencies, the names being floated are likely to spark backlash and criticism.

Kobach, an immigration hardliner, ran a failed bid for governor promising to drive immigrants living in the U.S. illegally out of the country. He has recently been working for a nonprofit corporation, WeBuildtheWall Inc., which has been raising private money to build Trump’s wall.

Cuccinelli has advocated for denying citizenship to American-born children of parents living in the U.S. illegally, limiting in-state tuition at public universities only to those who are citizens or legal residents, and allowing workers to file lawsuits when an employer knowingly hires someone living in the country illegally for taking a job from a “law abiding competitor.”

Thomas Homan, the former acting ICE director, has also been mentioned as a potential pick, according to one of the people familiar with the talks.

——————

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is considering hiring a “border” or “immigration czar” to coordinate the president’s policies across various federal agencies.

That’s according to three people familiar with the discussions who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly.

Trump is considering two potential candidates: Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli — both far-right conservatives with strong views on immigration.

It has yet to be decided whether the post would be housed within the Department of Homeland Security or the White House.

White House press aides, Kobach and Cuccinelli did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The discussion comes as Trump is threatening to close the U.S.-Mexico border if Mexico doesn’t halt all illegal immigration.

–

Kate Mays
KU Statehouse Wire Service

TOPEKA — Late last month, the Federal and State Affairs Committee held a hearing over HCR 5004, which would amend Section 1 of the Kansas Constitution to extend the rights of Kansans to include fertilized eggs, thus effectively banning abortion.

The resolution is one of several “personhood” bills introduced across the United States in recent months.

Proponents of the resolution included representatives from several religious and pro-life organizations. Most of their arguments at the March 21 hearing centered around the morality of abortion.

“The truth is, no nation ever survives that kills its babies. So, if we want our nation to survive, we need to stop,” said Rep. Randy Garbner (R-Sabetha), sponsor of HCR 5004.

Opponents of HCR 5004 pointed to other states that have failed to pass the amendment.

“State after state, from North Dakota to Colorado to deep red Mississippi, has rejected personhood initiatives when they appeared on the ballot because they know the consequences are too dire,” said Rachel Sweet, regional director of Public Policy and Organizing for Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

HCR 5004 is not the only bill of its kind currently working its way through state legislatures.

Last month, South Carolina’s legislature introduced the “Personhood Act of South Carolina,” which, like HCR 5004, would alter the state’s constitution to give rights to “preborn human being vests at fertilization.” A similar act was introduced the year before, but was blocked by the Senate.

Georgia’s “Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act,” which would ban abortions once the fetus has a heartbeat, recently passed in the Georgia House and Senate, and is pending approval by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp. The Writers Guild of America wrote a letter in response to the bill that states if it passes, Georgia will not be a preferable place for people in the film and television industry to work.

The ACLU also released a statement regarding the bill, stating that if passed, the organization would take legal action.

“If Gov. Kemp signs this abortion ban bill into law, the ACLU has one message: we will see you in court,” said Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia.

In February, 27 Republican Kansas senators sponsored Senate Resolution 1606, also known as “condemning the Reproductive Health Act of New York.” The aforementioned health act was passed in January and clarifies that abortion is legal in New York if it occurs before the 24th week of pregnancy, is “necessary to protect the patient’s life or health” or if the fetus is not viable.

SCR 1606 called for New York legislatures to “reinstate protections for women and unborn children in their state.”

Current Kansas abortion law requires patients to receive counseling then wait 24 hours to have the procedure. Additionally, abortion is only legal after 20 weeks if the pregnant woman’s life is in danger.

The amendment needs to be passed by the House and Senate with a two-thirds majority to make it on the ballot in November 2020.

Kate Mays is a University of Kansas senior from Lenexa majoring in journalism.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say one person has been killed in a shooting outside a Kansas City, Kansas, apartment complex.

Police Chief Terry Zeigler says the shooting was reported around 9:20 p.m. Monday. The victim was in his 20s. Police say the shooter fled before officers arrived. No other details were immediately released, including the name of the victim or the motive.

By CRISTINA JANNEY

A former Salina woman recently recently bought out all the remaining shoes at the Hays Payless store — more than 200 pair — and donated them to flood victims in Nebraska.

The shoes were part of a flood relief shipment taken to farmers in Nebraska by FHSU’s agriculture sorority Sigma Alpha this weekend. The sorority accepted ag-related donations last week at Orscheln’s and Tractor Supply Co.

Addy Tritt, 25, a recent FHSU human resources graduate, said she felt the need to pay it forward with the shoe donation.

“I have been so blessed,” she said. “There have been so many great people in my life who have inspired me. I see so many horrible things in the news. So many people have helped me when I was down, I want to help if I can.”

Payless is going out of business, closing its stores and liquidating its assets. When the price on shoes at Hays’ Big Creek Crossing store were lowered to $1 per pair, Tritt approached Payless about buying all the shoes that were left.

She negotiated with Payless to buy its remaining 204 pair of shoes for $100. They included 162 pair of baby shoes, two pair of men’s shoes and the rest were women’s shoes. The cost of the shoes came out of Tritt’s own pocket.

The retail price of the shoes would have been more than $6,000.

Tritt is not a stranger to charity. She has also donated 66 bags of school supplies to Hays students, organized a baby clothes drive and has done two supply drives for the animal shelter.

Tritt said helping others is a part of her religious beliefs.

“I really feel I have been directed and guided to help people,” she said. “I think everything is a part of God’s plan. If you can do something for someone else, you need to find a way even if it is a pair of shoes.”

Although Tritt said she was saddened to see the destruction the flooding has left in Nebraska, she feels joy in helping others.

“I just hope this inspires other people to volunteer and donate if you have been blessed,” she said.

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — Michael Brown’s mother could soon have oversight over the police department connected to her son’s death, if voters in Ferguson, Missouri, elect her to the City Council.

Lesley McSpadden, 39, is among three candidates running in Ferguson’s 3rd Ward on Tuesday. She faces incumbent Keith Kallstrom and Fran Griffin, who has been active on several Ferguson boards.

Brown, a black 18-year-old, was fatally shot by white Ferguson officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014, touching off months of protests and violence. Wilson claimed he was forced to shoot when the unarmed Brown came at him menacingly after attacking the officer during a street confrontation. A St. Louis County grand jury’s November 2014 decision not to indict Wilson sparked renewed unrest.

“I wanted to go back and do something right in a place that did something so very wrong to my son, and I think that’s what my son would want as well,” McSpadden said in an interview with The Associated Press

McSpadden, who spelled her first name “Lezley” for an autobiography but said she otherwise goes by Lesley, is new at being a candidate but has been at the edge of politics since her son’s death. She’s been front-and-center in the national Black Lives Matter movement. She endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in early 2016, at a time when Clinton was fending off a primary challenge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

She was among seven “Mothers of the Movement” who appeared on stage at the Democratic National Convention in 2016. Those mothers lost children in police shootings, in police custody or from gun violence. Also in 2016, McSpadden testified in favor of a Missouri Senate bill aimed at increasing use of police body cameras.

Police accountability will be a top priority if she’s elected, McSpadden said.

“I think they should work much harder to prove that they are there to protect and serve, because no one believed that in August 2014 and people are still skeptical,” she said.

In the aftermath of Brown’s death, Ferguson’s criminal justice system drew heavy criticism for its treatment of poor and minority residents. Police were accused of singling out blacks for unnecessary traffic stops and harassing them on the street. The municipal court was accused of heaping on fines for minor offenses.

While the U.S. Department of Justice also found no grounds to prosecute Wilson, the agency’s blistering report of the police and municipal court practices led to a consent agreement requiring reforms that are still being implemented.

McSpadden said she wants police to build a stronger relationship with the community and engage with young people, “not just when something bad happens and you’re pressured to do it, but to be that civil servant in the community that you signed up to be.”

Not everyone believes she’s ready for a council seat. LaTasha Brown, president of the Southeast Ferguson Neighborhood Association, said she was concerned that McSpadden has largely run for office from afar rather than getting in touch with the community.

“The 3rd Ward needs somebody who’s going to mingle with the people,” Brown said. “You can’t make change from a distance. If you don’t know what your constituents are going through, if you’re not there to hear what they’re saying, how can you lead these people and make decisions for these people?”

Kallstrom was a councilman for 10 years, took seven years off, then won three-year terms in 2013 and 2016. He cited his role in helping Ferguson navigate the ongoing consent agreement with the Justice Department.

He wants to increase funding for the Ferguson Police Department “to get their pay up to where we will quit losing officers to better-paying agencies,” Kallstrom said.

Phone messages seeking comment from Griffin were not immediately returned.

McSpadden said she moved to Ferguson a year ago from a neighboring community specifically to run for the council.

“I wanted to come back to a place that caused me so much pain and did me so wrong, and to do something right,” McSpadden said.

SHAWNEE COUNTY —The Kansas Highway Patrol has identified the victim in Sunday’s fatal crash in Shawnee County.

Just after 7p.m., a 2013 Ford Taurus driven by Glenn D Smith, 85, Topeka, was westbound on U.S. 24 at U.S. 75. The Ford left the roadway to the right and struck a concrete bridge pillar.

Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. He was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Phoenix, Arizona man who moved to Kansas to run a drug house was sentenced Monday to 21 years in federal prison, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

Jose A. Badilla, 35, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute heroin and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.

In his plea, Badilla admitted that when investigators served a search warrant at 2812 N. 51st Street in Kansas City they found more than six pounds of heroin and two guns, including a .45 caliber pistol and a Panther Arms model AR-15 rifle.

Investigators learned Badilla moved to Kansas City from Phoenix in August 2017 and rented a house for the purpose of storing and distributing drugs. He was paid $2,000 to $2,500 every other week to keep the drugs at his residence. He said the drugs he stored were shipped from Mexico to Kansas City.