KS - December 20 2024

1. House passes farm bill extension, spending bill to avert government shutdown
2. Rural attorney shortage reaches crisis level in Kansas
3. Kansas sees surge in out-of-state abortion patients
4. Sporadic power outages frustrate Valley Center residents, businesses, schools
5. In tribute to pop star, Lawrence names snow plow ‘Taylor Drift’

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1. House passes farm bill extension, spending bill to avert government shutdown

By a vote of 366-34 with one lawmaker voting present, the House has overwhelmingly passed a bill that averts a government shutdown hours before the government runs out of funding. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said earlier Friday that the new spending plan does not include President-elect Donald Trump’s demand to suspend the debt limit. The legislation would extend current fiscal levels until mid-March, provide $110 billion in relief to help natural-disaster survivors and aid farmers, and grant an extension for the farm bill, which must be reauthorized. The bill now goes to the Senate….it was far narrower than the package lawmakers initially considered. The House measure approved Friday was just over 100 pages and dropped some policies unrelated to government spending

Article Source: WaPo

2. Rural attorney shortage reaches crisis level in Kansas

Kansas's efforts to resolve a growing constitutional crisis has caught the attention of the Department of Justice. Rural areas in Kansas — and across the nation — aren't getting proper access to the legal system, but a Kansas committee has been developing strategies to increase attorney availability for all Kansans. A team from DOG's Office for Access to Justice visited Kansas in October to find out more about the Rural Justice Committee and other efforts the state is making. During a news conference Friday morning at the Cloud County Courthouse, the committee presented its findings on a study addressing legal accessibility. The study states while more than half of Kansans live in rural areas, only about 20% of attorneys work in those communities. "The lack of attorneys in rural areas has been a problem for far too long," the study reads. "But now the shortage of attorneys in rural Kansas has become a crisis."

Article Source: Topeka Capitol-Journal

3. Kansas sees surge in out-of-state abortion patients

A recent report from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment revealed a significant increase in the number of women crossing state lines into Kansas to get an abortion. The 2023 Annual Summary of Vital Statistics found that there were 19,467 abortions performed in Kansas last year. A number of those were out-of-state patients.  

Article Source: KWCH

4. Sporadic power outages frustrate Valley Center residents, businesses, schools

Recent sporadic power outages are affecting homes, businesses and schools in Valley Center. Two outages within a span of about four hours on Thursday elevated the demand for the answer to one big question: “What’s causing the outages?” The City of Valley Center has been experiencing seemingly random outages for nearly two weeks leading people to take to social media to express their concerns. Some say the outages are becoming excessive. On Thursday, the outages didn’t last more than a couple of hours altogether, but twice, the town’s schools and residents, and businesses on the city’s north side faced disruptions. In response to the concerns in Valley Center, Evergy provided a statement saying in part, “Pieces of equipment were coming into contact with each other when the wind blew in a certain direction. The outage [Thursday] was unrelated. Equipment was previously struck by lightning and ultimately failed. Repairs have been made.”

Article Source: KWCH

5. In tribute to pop star, Lawrence names snow plow ‘Taylor Drift’

Lawrence has entered a new Snow Plowing Era. One lucky snow plow that will clear Treacherous roadways into Blank Spaces for drivers will be graced with the name Taylor Drift, after the city announced Friday that name was selected by the judging panel as the winner of the city’s 2024 Snow Plow Naming Contest. The city said in a press release that this year’s naming contest was a tremendous success, with more than 650 unique and imaginative name submissions received in just one week, with tributes and wordplay that showcased the creativity, humor and pride of Lawrence residents.

Article Source: LJ World

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Sources

1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/12/20/government-shutdown-bill-house-trump-musk/

2. https://www.cjonline.com/story/news/state/2024/12/20/how-kansas-is-addressing-legal-access-issues-in-rural-communities/75688526007/

3. https://www.kwch.com/2024/12/20/kansas-sees-surge-out-of-state-abortion-patients/

4. https://www.kwch.com/2024/12/20/sporadic-power-outages-frustrate-valley-center-residents-businesses-schools/

5. https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2024/dec/20/scrape-it-off-taylor-drift-wins-naming-contest-for-lawrence-snow-plow/