KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Now that Missouri is entering the medical marijuana industry, two Democratic lawmakers from Kansas City want to give businesses owned by women and minorities a slight edge in entering the market.

The  virtually identical proposals by Rep. Barbara Washington and Sen. Kiki Curls give minority- and women-owned businesses a 10 percent bonus when the state scores license applications on a variety of measurements.

Advocates of the bills say affirmative action is appropriate since studies have shown that marijuana-related arrests have typically fallen disproportionately on black and Latino users, even though white people use marijuana at about the same rate.

Missouri voters in November approved medical marijuana. The constitutional amendment requires the state to issue at least 24 licenses to sell medical marijuana in each of the state’s eight congressional districts, or 192 total.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services probably won’t decide who gets licenses until the end of 2019. But the department has already accepted more than $2 million in application fees from more than 250 people hoping to start medical marijuana businesses, so competition appears to be strong.

Efforts by Washington and Curls face big hurdles since Republicans have large majorities in both chambers.

Rep. Nick Schroer, an O’Fallon Republican who has introduced other medical marijuana legislation, said he’s a believer in the free market.

“I don’t think anybody should get a leg up one way or the other,” Schroer said.

Legal challenges are likely, even if one of the bills passes.

An Ohio judge in November declared unconstitutional a bill mandating that the state award at least 15 percent of its medical marijuana business licenses to racial minorities.

A similar bill in Maryland was recently altered, now instructing the state licensing commission to use other methods to increase minority licensees, such as community outreach.

Still, there is evidence of racial discrimination in some states with established legal marijuana industries. A 2016 Seattle Times investigation found that black and Latino businesspeople, and women, were underrepresented in Washington’s marijuana trade.

Julita Latimer, a black woman interested in starting a medical marijuana business in Kansas City, said that when she goes to marijuana-related business conferences in other states, she sees mostly white males. She hopes the bill proposals get hearings.

“We all know that women make less than men that are doing the same jobs. That same disparity happens in all types of industries, and the cannabis industry is no different,” Latimer said

___

CAMDEN COUNTY— One person died in an accident just after 12:30a.m. Saturday in Camden County.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2008 Polaris RZR driven by Michael J. Fox, 48, Sunrise Beach, was traveling on Route F just south of Route TT. The ATV traveled off the road and overturned.

Fox was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to Alee-Holman Funeral Home.

By MADELINE FOX

Kansas goes further than any other state in kicking local and state government out of decisions about nutrition labels and portion sizes, leaving that and other food policy up to federal lawmakers.

In a recent study, New York University researcher Jennifer Pomeranz said Kansas did more to limit local control than the 13 other states that passed similar laws.

A 2016 Kansas law keeps counties, school districts, councils and other lower levels of government from enacting restrictive policies around food sales. So even if a city with a really high obesity rate wants to require calorie listings, it can’t.

Food policy preemption bills have been cropping up across the country. In 2013, Mississippi — which then had the highest rate of obesity in the country — banned its cities and counties from preventing restaurants from selling super-sized soft drinks or forcing eateries to post nutritional information about meals.

Kansas is among 14 states to pass new laws restricting municipalities’ food and health efforts. But Kansas went further than others by also limiting the state Legislature’s power, Pomeranz said.

“The state basically handed over to the federal government control of these issues,” she said. “It’s basically saying ‘we’re not acting, and the locals can’t act either.’”

The Kansas law, which went into effect in July 2016, prevents local authorities from restricting portion sizes, taxing soda and sugary drinks, and banning “incentive items” — such as toys in a Happy Meal. The bill was mostly cribbed from the American Legislative Exchange Council, an organization of conservative state legislators and representatives from the private sector who draft and share state-level legislation. 

For health advocates in Kansas, the bill felt like a solution in search of a problem.

The legislation seemed to reflect national anxieties about efforts elsewhere — such as when former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg famously tried to ban super-sized sodas. But, Missty Lechner, community advocacy advisor for the American Heart Association in Kansas, said it didn’t reflect what advocates and food policy councils were actually trying to do in Kansas.

“No one was talking about wanting to ban soda sizes,” Lechner said.

What localities have considered includes requiring park concession stands to provide healthy options alongside hot dogs, nachos and other typical snack foods. But Lechner says some have been scared off by the state law.

The language of the law has also created confusion. Based on ALEC’s model, it lacks some definitions that would specify what the legislation means in Kansas. When Pomeranz, the NYU researcher, analyzed the testimony on Kansas’ bill, she found that both proponents and opponents talked about issues the bill didn’t address, such as labeling for genetically engineered foods.

Adam Mills is president of the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association, which testified in favor of the bill at the time. He said his organization, working with the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the state regulatory department, was trying to avoid a patchwork of federal and local rules dictating how restaurants and hotels can serve food.

“Safe food delivery is extremely important to our industry as we continue to comply with complex food safety regulation,” he said in an email.

State lawmakers did ultimately add in allowances for some policies Kansans have been pushing, such as ensuring healthy concession foods. The 2016 law also protects the popular Double-Up Food Bucks program, which provides a dollar-for-dollar match for the value of food stamps at participating grocery stores and farmer’s markets.

Otherwise, attorneys say it’s not always clear what local rules are and aren’t permitted. Natasha Frost, an attorney at the Public Health Law Center, said it’s had a “chilling effect”,  with local authorities steering clear of policies they think might not be allowed.

“Where we’re concerned is where innovative ideas might be stifled,” Frost said.

Madeline Fox is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. Follow her on Twitter @maddycfox.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is considering running for the U.S. Senate in 2020.

He told The Associated Press on Friday: “I am seriously considering it.”

Four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts announced earlier this month that he would not seek re-election. Kobach said he does not have a timetable for deciding whether to seek the GOP nomination.

Kobach is out of political office after eight years as Kansas secretary of state after losing the governor’s race last year. Kobach has been a vocal ally of President Donald Trump and had Trump’s endorsement.

State Treasurer Jake LaTurner already is running for Roberts’ seat. Other Republicans who’ve expressed an interest include western Kansas congressman Roger Marshall, former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Authorities are investigating the death of a Missouri man who implied on social media last month that he was involved in the killing of a community activist with a criminal record.

Columbia police said they are looking into a possible connection between the deaths of 20-year-old Deonte Gainwell, whose body was found early Thursday, and that of Ahmonta Harris, who was killed on Nov. 24. But police declined to say whether Gainwell’s death was retaliatory.

The Boone County Sheriff’s Department said previously in a news release that Harris had been attempting to rob a home near Columbia when an armed 20-year-old killed him, an explanation that Harris’ family and friends rejected.

“We don’t accept it,” Shauntel Franklin, Harris’s longtime girlfriend and mother of his child said in late November. “They can say what they want, we don’t accept it. We know who he is and what he was.”

The findings of the investigation were turned over to prosecutors to review. Amid that review, Gainwell defended himself from accusations about the shooting death in a Dec. 5 Facebook post, writing that Harris “shouldn’t have been in my momma’s house” and that he was found dead with “gloves on, blacked out outfit and a mask and gun next to his body.”

Gainwell added: “Stop slandering my name. Buddy got caught with his hand in the wrong cookie jar.”

Harris had past convictions for assault and property damage. But Harris also frequented attended community meetings, where he urged youths to stay away from violence. He was known for organizing an event dubbed the “Fireworks War” in which people battled with roman candles and whatever else they stockpiled before the Fourth of July holiday. Harris described the event as a way to bring people together, but law enforcement decried it as dangerous.

Gainwell’s death isn’t the only instance of violence to follow Harris’ death. Gunfire erupted during the funeral for Harris. Prosecutors have charged an 18-year-old with unlawful use of a weapon in the incident.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A Missouri congressman who yelled “go back to Puerto Rico” at Democrats during a heated House floor debate over the partial government shutdown has apologized to a colleague who perceived the comment as a racial slur directed at him.

Rep. Jason Smith, a Republican from Salem, said when he yelled the comment Thursday he was referring to a group of about 30 Democrats who went to Puerto Rico last weekend in the midst of the shutdown, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported .

But Rep. Tony Cardenas, a Democrat from California, said he believed the comment was directed at him. Cardenas, who organized the Puerto Rico trip, said he heard “go back to Puerto Rico” several times while he was growing up in Pacoima, California.

Smith, the House Republican conference secretary, said he didn’t know Cardenas organized the trip and the comment was not directed at any individual. He said he quickly apologized to Cardenas.

“I should not have done it, the outburst on the floor,” Smith said. “It was a reaction to them vacationing while the government was shut down. I was up here last weekend working with (Republican House Leader) Kevin McCarthy and everyone else, trying to come up with a plan” to end the shutdown.

Cardenas said he appreciated Smith’s call, and the two plan to get together when the House returns to session Tuesday to become better acquainted.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A report says Kansas customers are paying more for electricity than in neighboring states because of investments in coal and wind power.

The Kansas Corporation Commission recently presented its analysis of electricity rates to lawmakers.

The commission found that utilities Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light spent billions of dollars over the last decade on coal-fired power plants in Kansas. They also spent millions of dollars complying with a now-repealed state rule for 20 percent of energy to come from renewable sources by 2020.

Commission Chief Accountant Justin Grady says Kansas decided to invest in coal when it was cheaper than gas, but the price of natural gas has since dropped.

The state Senate Utilities Committee plans to discuss the report next week.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities including the Kansas Bureau of Investigation continue the investigation into the homicide of 19-year-old Jacob Bouck.

The teen’s body was found on Christmas Eve approximately one mile West of Wamego on the Kansas River.

Bouck, a Wamego resident and 2017 graduate of Wamego High School was last seen in the Wamego area on December 21st, 2018 and was missing until his body was located on December 24th. Bouck was reported to be wearing a dark colored jacket, black shirt, gray thermal long-johns and black shoes, according to the The Pottawatomie County Sheriff.

On Friday, the sheriff reported that a reward of $1000 dollars is now being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for this crime.

Authorities are urging anyone with information on the case to contact the Pottawatomie County Sheriff at 785-457-3353 or 1-800-KS-CRIME. Tips can be anonymous.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missourians will get February food stamps early because of the federal government shutdown.

The Department of Social Services announced that participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will get payments by Sunday.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service directed states to issue food stamps early because of the shutdown.

Missouri Social Services Director Steve Corsi says families will not get additional food stamp benefits in February. He cautioned families to ration out benefits because the food stamps will need to last through both January and February.