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Kansas lawmakers push for law restricting sex offenders from schools

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Kansas lawmakers push for law restricting sex offenders from schools


LIBERTY, Mo. — Schools in Kansas and Missouri differ in more ways than just the state line dividing them.

Kansas has never had a state law restricting certain sex offenders from being on school property.

In addition, Kansas doesn’t have residency restrictions.

Lawmakers in Kansas want that to change.

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Senate Sub for HB 2164 passed the Kansas Senate by a vote of 37-3 on Thursday.

State of Kansas

Kansas Senate votes on sex offender law

The bill was proposed by Kansas Sen. Kellie Warren after parents in the Blue Valley School District made complaints about a registered sex offender being allowed to attend an elementary school dance in a chaperone role.

If the bill becomes law, it would be a felony offense for registered adult sex offenders convicted of crimes against minors to enter school property or attend certain school activities.

In Missouri, a registered sex offender convicted of certain crimes against a minor can’t be within 500 feet of school property and can’t live within 1,000 feet of a school.

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The offenses include:

– Incest
– Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree
– Use of a child in a sexual performance
– Promoting a sexual performance by a child
– Sexual exploitation of a minor
– Possession of child pornography
– Promoting child pornography
– Furnishing pornographic material to minors

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office Sex Offender Registration and Enforcement Unit oversees around 460 registered sex offenders.

Sarah Boyd, public relations manager for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, said there are some special circumstances in their law that the Kansas House could consider while debating the bill.

​”Missouri law does give the possibility for the school districts to grant exceptions, because, you know, everything is case-by-case, and everything that you see on a court paper may not represent the real circumstances of an incident. Not to say that we should just let all the sex offenders in the schools, but you know, there may be a chance someone’s child is really struggling, and we find a way to meet off-site to talk about it,” Boyd said.

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Like most law enforcement agencies, Clay County Sheriff’s deputies conduct address verification checks, investigate complaints, and follow up with offenders who haven’t registered.

Clay County Sheriff's Office

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The sheriff’s office also maintains strong partnerships with schools.

“Most of the schools in Clay County, when you come into the building, you have to present your driver’s license and they run that and it will show up if you are a sex offender,” Boyd said. “They contact us, we confirm that we’re then in touch with that sex offender. Say, ‘Hey, you cannot be at that school’”. Boyd said.

Boyd said their main challenge can be offenders without a home.

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“One of the most difficult issues for the sex offender registration and enforcement unit is transients, so we have a lot of people on the registry who are homeless,” Boyd said. “That is hard to keep track of…of where they are. They have difficulty, you know, getting here to register. They can say they will live one place, but maybe that’s just for a couple weeks, and then they’re somewhere else.”

Kansas and Missouri could soon have laws that are common to both states.

“If there’s no enforcement, then there’s not a lot of incentive to comply,” Boyd said. “I think this legislation is a helpful tool for schools and for families to feel safer where they are. While the risk is low, it’s not zero.”

The bill had significant bipartisan support in the Senate and is in the House conference committee for a vote.

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KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson covers portions of Johnson County, including Overland Park, Prairie Village and Leawood. Share your story idea with Alyssa.





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Star lineup unveiled for FIFA Fan Festival in Kansas City

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Star lineup unveiled for FIFA Fan Festival in Kansas City


KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With less than two months until the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in cities across the country, KC2026 announced the lineup of artists expected to perform at the Kansas City FIFA Fan Festival.

From the Chainsmokers to Flo Rida to Kansas City legend Tech N9ne, fans can expect to see dozens of performances from top acts over the course of the 18-day event.

Here are some headline dates scheduled during the “world’s biggest football party,” according to KC2026:

  • The Chainsmokers — June 13
  • Flo Rida — June 19
  • Cimafunk — June 20
  • Gabby Barret — July 3
  • The All-American Rejects — July 11
  • Tech N9ne — June 12 and July 11

Several other performers will take to the stage outside of the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The list of artists can be found in the poster image provided below:

According to KC2026, all acts and dates are subject to change, and tickets to the event are already available on the KC2026 Fan Fest website.

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General admission is free and open to the public; however, the organization is offering other packages to upgrade the experience. Here’s everything you need to know:

  • General Admission — Free
    • On a first-come, first-served basis
  • Premium Garden Pass — $55
    • Includes all the benefits of general admission, access to expedited entry lanes, exclusive standing-room viewing in the Premium Viewing Area, premium restrooms, a dedicated bar area and access to premium food options.
  • Legacy Lounge Pass — $225
    • The Legacy Lounge Pass includes all the benefits of the Premium Garden Pass with access to an air-conditioned lounge, a two-tiered viewing structure, all-inclusive food options, a premium beverage package,  climate-controlled restrooms, unique photo opportunities with iconic Kansas City sports memorabilia and access into the Premium Viewing Area.

The FIFA Fan Festival will serve a maximum of 25,000 people daily and include KC match days, USMNT match days and the Fourth of July.

Fans can expect the stage at the event to be twice the size of Chappell Roan’s massive October 2025 concert, when she performed two sold-out shows on the lawn of the World War I Museum and Memorial to approximately 30,000 fans each night.

Over the course of the tournament, the festival will have themed days to get fans in the World Cup spirit. For a list of those themed events, click here.

For more information about the tournament, tune into Kansas City’s World Cup headquarters, FOX4 News, for the latest announcements before and during the historic summer event.

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Kansas Governor Laura Kelly urging lawmakers to be ‘honest’ about property tax relief ahead of 2026 election

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Kansas Governor Laura Kelly urging lawmakers to be ‘honest’ about property tax relief ahead of 2026 election


TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is sending a strong message to lawmakers, who she believes are making unrealistic promises to voters about property tax relief.

As the election season approaches, all 125 members of the Kansas House of Representatives are up for re-election. Property taxes continue to be a major issue for home and business owners in the state, and it’s an issue that many Kansas lawmakers focus their campaign on. This year, Kelly is warning lawmakers against this.

“Legislators are out there promising the moon to people when it comes to property taxes,” Kelly said. “The fact of the matter is that the state has very little control over property taxes.”

Currently, the state levies 20 mills of property tax to help support Kansas schools. All other property tax in the state is being imposed and collected by local governments. Kelly is hoping that lawmakers make that clear to voters while they run their campaigns.

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“I hope on this campaign trail that candidates are honest about what they can really do, which is work with their local elected officials to come up with a resolution,” Kelly said.

Lawmakers attempted to pass legislation during the 2026 legislative session. The Kansas Senate favored a plan that would’ve placed a 3% cap on annual property value increases. The House of Representatives proposed a “rolling averages” plan, which would calculate a home’s taxable value based on the average of its market value over a set number of years.

Ultimately, neither of those plans went through. However, lawmakers did manage to pass HB 2043, a protest petition bill. It allows voters to push back on property tax increases if they go above 3%.

It now sits on Kelly’s desk waiting for her decision. She can either sign the bill or veto it. Kelly did not comment on where she stands on the bill today.


For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.

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Man arrested in Riley County for fatal southwest Kansas crash

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Man arrested in Riley County for fatal southwest Kansas crash


RILEY COUNTY—A man involved in a fatal southwest Kansas crash was arrested Tuesday in Riley County.

According to the Riley County Police Department activity reported, just before 5p.m.  Tuesday 21-year-old Nicholas Ellis Biddle of Wichita, was arrested in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Road on a Seward County District Court warrant for involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, maximum speed limits and failure to yield at a stop or yield sign.

In June of 2024,the Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2023 Chevy Silverado driven by Biddle was southbound on Road T at U.S. 160 in Seward County.

The driver failed to yield and struck a westbound 2017 Nissan Rogue driven by Jamee E. Perez, 42, Hugoton. After impact both vehicles rolled an unknown number of times before coming and came to rest in the ditch.

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EMS transported Biddle and Perez to Southwest Medical in Liberal where Perez was pronounced deceased. Both drivers were properly restrained, according to the KHP.

According to the Riley County Police Department, Biddle met the requirement of a $50,000 bond and is no longer confined in the Riley County Jail.



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