Kansas
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoes mandatory minimum sentences for injuring police dogs
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a bill that would have increased the penalty for injuring police dogs and horses from a maximum of one year to more than four years.
The bill comes after a Wichita man killed a Sedgewick Sheriff’s Office service dog that pursued him into a storm drain. That dog’s handler and police organizations across the state supported the bill, saying the one year of jail time and a maximum fine of $5,000 were too low.
In her veto message, Kelly gave three reasons why she didn’t support the bill.
- It imposes mandatory minimums rather than letting judges decide.
- It’s out of line with sentencing of more severe crimes.
- A portion of the bill required offenders go through an anger management course during probation isn’t used in other crimes.
Kelly did, however, praise the bill’s principles.
“The death of any law enforcement animal is a tragedy. There is no question we should hold those responsible accountable for their actions,” she said. “While the intention of this bill is commendable, this legislation needs further evaluation and study.”
House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, called the veto an act of political pettiness and a “slap in the face of all law enforcement.”
“The fact that the current penalties for harming a police animal are lower than other animal cruelty laws is a disgrace to both them and their caretaker officers,” Hawkins said.
More: Here’s why Kansas could increase punishment against people who harm police dogs
In Kansas, if someone maliciously kills, injures, maims, tortures or poisons an animal, they are subject to about the same penalties as they are if they kill a police animal — a month to a year in prison and a $500 to $5,000 fine. Though Kelly said psychological evaluations and anger management programs aren’t used in other heinous crimes, they are for malicious animal cruelty, which requires an evaluation to assist the court in determining the conditions of probation.
Such lower forms of animal cruelty as abandoning or inadequately caring for an animal require two convictions before they get a mandatory fine up to $2,500 and imprisonment between five days and a year.
Hawkins committed to attempting a veto override. In the House, the bill received 115 votes in favor and only six against. It will have more trouble in the Senate, where it passed two votes shy of overturning a veto.
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas Department of Agriculture held a meeting on Thursday to discuss proposed rules regarding the Kansas Water Appropriation Act.
The Division of Water Resources is proposing new regulations and changes to current regulations under the law.
The division is looking at amending or revoking regulations related to flowmeters tracking water usage.
It is also proposing changes to groundwater usage rules on how far you can move a well from its original location to prevent harming the water rights of other landowners.
Another regulation would create voluntary Water Conservation Areas, where landowners work with the division to establish water conservation plans on their properties.
Some of the concerns raised at Thursday’s meeting dealt with property rights and the transfer of land to new owners. Some expressed concern about the sale of water rights to other landowners in the area.
There is no listed timeline for when the changes could be made.
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A rural Kansas fire department says it saw yet another increase in calls in 2025.
On Tuesday, Butler County Fire District #3 posted data about last year on social media.
It responded to 782 alarms in 2025, which is a new record.
The majority of the calls were for rescue and emergency medical services, followed by service calls.
The department’s data show the number of calls has been trending upward over the last 20 years.
From 2006 to 2010, the department handled an an average of 550 calls a year. From 2021 through 2025, that average was 720, a 31% increase.
Officials said continued growth in the community has increased the demand for emergency services.
“These numbers reinforce the importance of ongoing training, staffing, equipment planning, and community support to ensure we can continue to provide timely and effective service,” the department said on Facebook.
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Clay County Commissioner Jason Withington said Wednesday that he still loves baseball, but is “done” negotiating with the Royals on a new stadium for the team in the county.
According to Withington, Thursday, Jan. 8, was the deadline for the Royals to appear on the April 2026 ballot in the county.
Withington said the Royals told the county that they were not ready to meet that deadline.
Withington took to Facebook to explain that “the joy has been drained” out of him over the last few years and expressed his dislike towards the business of baseball.
He called negotiations with the team “a closed chapter” and said that the county is shifting its focus elsewhere.
“It’s time for the Commission to focus fully on priorities we control—either upgrading our existing county jail or building a new one,” Withington wrote.
The Royals’ lease at Kauffman Stadium in the Truman Sports Complex in Jackson County expires in January 2031.
KSHB 41’s political reporter Charlie Keegan reported in May 2025 on efforts by Missouri to keep both the Royals and Chiefs in Missouri.
While the Chiefs announced that they will move to a new stadium site in 2031 in Wyandotte County, the Royals have not announced their next steps to get a new ballpark built.
A stadium site near 119th Street and Nall Avenue in Overland Park has emerged as a possibility for a stadium site for the ball club.
Some residents in that area are not happy about that possibility.
KSHB 41 News reached out to the Royals for comment, but has not heard back.
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