Kansas
Medicaid expansion, school vouchers, child care among priorities in Kansas
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Elected lawmakers from all over Kansas will gather in Topeka Monday to kick off the state’s annual legislative session. Over the next four months, legislators will take up several issues from school funding, to income tax rates and whether to expand Medicaid.
Since her election, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has asked the legislature to expand medicaid. Her proposal this year is expected to include a compromise which might get the Republican-controlled statehouse to approve expansion. Kelly’s compromise is to include a work-requirement for Medicaid recipients.
Medicaid is free or low-cost health insurance for mostly low-income and disabled people. Estimates predict expanding eligibility in Kansas would benefit about 150,000 people. The federal government would pay for roughly 90% of costs associated with expanding Medicaid.
Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, a Republican from Wichita, said he plans to revisit implementing a flat tax income rate. His proposal this year will also include reforms to property and social security taxes.
Kelly vetoed a flat tax rate last year. She said the proposal would unfairly raise taxes on low-income Kansans and lower taxes on the wealthy. Currently, Kansas has three income tax brackets for annual income under $30,000, under $60,000 and over $60,000.
A spokesperson from Hawkins’ office told KSHB 41 News Republicans plan to fully-fund public education this session. Experts expect debates over whether to fund school vouchers. These vouchers promote school choice by using tax dollars to pay tuition at private schools.
The legislature will take up transgender issues again. One proposed bill would ban gender reassignment surgery on children. In 2023, the legislature passed several transgender bills, including one that banned transgender student athletes from playing girls sports, and another which prevents transgender people from changing the gender on their driver’s license.
Legislators will consider implementing a sales tax holiday during the back-to-school season. Missouri gives shoppers a break on sales tax in August.
Other priorities could include making child care more affordable, improving the state’s protections from cyberattacks and deciding whether to place restrictions on abortion medication.
The legislative session ends in April.
Kansas
Where to watch Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 30
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Saturday as the Kansas City Royals visit the Texas Rangers.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers?
First pitch between the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, May 30.
How to watch Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers on Saturday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
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MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for May 30 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Bates County Circuit Court judge Friday sentenced a Linn County, Kansas, man in connection with the December 2025 death of Airen Andula, 13.
Damon Leonard, 47, was sentenced to four years in prison for abandonment of a corpse, according to court records.
He pleaded guilty to the charge of abandoning a corpse on May 22.
Andula disappeared from his Pleasanton, Kansas, home on Dec. 21, 2025. A day later, law enforcement found the boy’s body in a ravine in Bates County, Missouri. He had died from multiple dog bite injuries.
Police were led to the boy’s body after a phone call from Leonard.
Court documents said Leonard “admitted that he transported the deceased child from Kansas to Missouri and left the body in the bottom of the creek” before he returned home.
KSHB 41 reporter Fernanda Silva spoke with Andula’s family earlier this week — after the guilty plea and ahead of Friday’s sentencing.
His family shared that the guilty plea brought a small sense of justice, but it didn’t do much to ease the pain of their loss.
READ MORE | Family of Airen Andula speaks out ahead of sentencing
“We’re missing our kid every day of our lives,” the boy’s father Charles Andula told Silva.
Leonard received credit for time served of 158 days in his sentence, per court records.
—
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – It may not seem like a lot of relief, but gas and diesel prices have declined over the past week.
Friday morning’s national average for a gallon of unleaded gas was $4.39, according to the Automobile Association of America.
That’s down three cents from $4.42 on Thursday; down 16 cents from a week ago; but was up 17 cents from $4.22 a month ago and up $.23 from $3.16 a year ago.
In Kansas, AAA says, unleaded gas on Friday was averaging $3.96 a gallon — down four cents from $4.00 on Thursday; down 13 cents from $3.96 a week ago; but up 26 cents from $3.70 a month ago; and up $1.07 over $2.89 a year ago.
Diesel fuel also was dropping in price. AAA says Friday’s national average for a gallon of diesel was $5.52 a gallon — down three cents from $5.55 on Thursday; down 12 cents from $5.64 a week a go; but up six cents from $5.46 a month ago and up $1.98 from $3.54 a year ago.
Kansas diesel fuel prices, according to AAA, checked in at an average of $4.98 on Friday. That’s five cents below $5.03 on Thursday; down 16 cents from $5.14 a week ago; but up 24 cents over $4.74 a month ago; and up $1.72 from $3.26 a year ago.
In Topeka, GasBuddy.com on Friday morning showed unleaded gas prices ranging between $3.77 and $4.09 in Topeka, with diesel fuel going for between $4.94 and $5.29 a gallon.
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