TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Aging Services Commission today issued a Request for Applications (RFA) for the Dementia-Related Behavioral Supports in Rural Nursing Facilities Pilot, a new initiative funded by the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP).
Up to six Medicaid-certified nursing facilities (one from each of the six Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) District Office areas) will receive funding to better support Medicaid recipients aged 60 and older with dementia who exhibit complex behaviors. Participating facilities may receive up to $200,000 each to provide specialized training, technical assistance, subject-matter expert consultation, and enhanced person-centered care services. The funding model provides $175 per eligible resident per Medicaid day for up to 90 days, with extensions considered on a case-by-case basis.
“By investing in training and person-centered supports for rural nursing facility staff, we can improve residents’ quality of life while helping facilities build lasting capacity to manage dementia-related behaviors,” KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said. “This pilot directly responds to the needs we have heard from rural providers and aligns with our commitment to transforming rural health care through the RHTP.”
This initiative is part of Kansas’s broader efforts under the RHTP, a major federal initiative designed to strengthen rural health systems, expand access to care, build a sustainable workforce, and improve outcomes for residents in underserved areas. Kansas developed a comprehensive state plan and is now implementing targeted strategies to address specific challenges facing rural communities. One such challenge is supporting older adults with dementia in nursing facilities, where staff often face complex behavioral needs and have limited access to specialized training and consultation.
“This pilot project reflects the kind of innovation and collaboration the RHTP is designed to advance,” KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek said. “KDHE is proud to partner with KDADS and rural nursing facilities in our shared commitment to advancing high-quality, person-centered dementia care for older Kansans.”
Eligible applicants are Medicaid-certified nursing facilities in rural Kansas counties. Facilities in Johnson, Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Miami, Linn, Douglas, Shawnee, Jefferson, Osage, Jackson, Wabaunsee, Riley, Geary, Pottawatomie, Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, and Sumner counties are ineligible. Nursing Facilities for Mental Health (NFMH) are also ineligible.
This project is supported by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $221,898,007.82, with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
The following is a news release issued July 31, 2026 by the office of U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), originally headlined “Sens. Moran, Smith Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Rural Hospitals.” It is reprinted in full, unedited. View the original release.
REH 2.0 makes changes to bolster & improve the original REH Designation
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) this week introduced the Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act (REH 2.0), bipartisan legislation to expand access to federal resources for rural hospitals through the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) Medicare designation. This legislation would allow more Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) and rural hospitals at risk of closure to sustain health care services in rural communities, and it would make technical improvements to the designation. The legislation is cosponsored by Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Roger Marshall, M.D., (R-Kan.).
“I have visited every hospital in Kansas numerous times, and these conversations help guide my efforts to make certain health care providers across our state have the support they need to provide critical services to patients in their communities,” said Sen. Moran. “During these visits, providers shared with me their recommendations for strengthening the Rural Emergency Hospital designation so it can better support the struggling facilities it was originally intended to serve. The legislation I am introducing with Senator Tina Smith is the direct result of what we have heard from rural hospitals and health care providers in our states, and it makes needed improvements to the program to help make certain patients can continue to access critical health care services in their communities for years to come.”
“Rural hospitals are vital for families in small towns and rural communities. These hospitals not only provide care close to home, they’re also economic engines for their region,” said Sen. Smith. “But many rural hospitals face increasingly dire financial strain and workforce shortages, forcing them to cut services or even close down altogether. This important legislation is just one tool in the toolbox to help rural hospitals on the verge of closure keep their doors open. Make no mistake, much more is needed to ensure the health and wellness of rural hospitals and families.
“The Rural Emergency Hospital designation has already created new opportunities to preserve health care access in rural Kansas, but experience has also shown where additional flexibility is needed,” said Chad Austin, President and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association. “The Rural Emergency Hospital Improvement Act represents the next step in strengthening this model by removing barriers that have prevented certain hospitals from participating and by providing commonsense improvements that will help more rural communities maintain access to essential services. We appreciate Senator Moran’s leadership and longstanding commitment to ensuring hospitals have the tools they need to care for their patients today and well into the future.”
“Healthcare access across rural Kansas is at a critical tipping point, with our state facing one of the highest numbers of at-risk rural hospitals in the nation,” said Tripp Owings, CEO of Ascension Via Christi. “The reality is that the needs of rural communities continue to evolve, and hospitals need the flexibility to adapt how they deliver care so they can preserve access and remain sustainable for the long term. When the Ascension Via Christi Emergency Department in Wellington opened in March 2021 to restore emergency services after the local hospital closed, we missed the initial federal REH cutoff by mere months, leaving our facility without a pathway to qualify. We thank Senator Moran for his continued support for rural hospitals in Kansas and we believe that REH 2.0 would provide important flexibilities to ensure more hospitals across Kansas and the country to adapt, stabilize, and maintain 24/7 emergency care close to home.”
“As the first Rural Emergency Hospital in Kansas, SCK Health has seen firsthand how the REH designation can preserve access to high-quality care in rural communities,” said Margaret Grismer, CEO of SCK Health. “The Rural Emergency Hospital Improvement Act builds on that success by providing the flexibility hospitals need to better serve their patients while strengthening the long-term sustainability of rural healthcare. We applaud Senator Moran’s leadership in advancing practical solutions that help ensure rural Kansans continue to receive the care they deserve, close to home.”
“In the fall of 2015, the hospital located in Independence, Kansas closed. Labette Health located 35 miles east of Independence worked with local leaders, KDHE, the USDA, and Senator Moran to open an off-campus Emergency Room, Observation Unit, and Rural Health Clinic on July 4, 2017, in Independence. This REH 2.0 will provide two paths to sustainability for Independence Healthcare Center as either an REH or as a ‘REH like’ facility,” said Brian Williams, President and CEO of Labette Health.
“REH 2.0 will provide needed updates to the Rural Emergency Hospital model by allowing those REH hospitals in America’s most rural and vulnerable areas to provide Swing Bed Skilled services for their communities, along with other vital legislative updates, such as Medicaid payment parity,” said Aaron Herbel, Administrator of Mercy Hospital. “Rural Emergency Hospitals across the U.S., including Mercy Hospital in Moundridge, Kansas, are grateful for the continued support that Senator Moran has showed by authoring this essential legislation.”
The REH Designation Improvement Act is also supported by the National Rural Health Association.
The provisions in the REH Designation Improvement Act are the result of numerous conversations Sen. Moran held with rural health care providers and CEOs of hospitals that are eligible for the REH designation. Originally created with the support of Sen. Moran as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, REH is a Medicare provider designation that offers certain rural hospitals the opportunity to convert and continue operating with limited services rather than closing.
The Rural Emergency Hospital Designation Improvement Act would:
Allow previously closed rural hospitals to re-open and apply for the Rural Emergency Hospital designation if they can demonstrate they met all eligibility requirements between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 27, 2020.
Direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to create a waiver program for facilities operating similarly to an REH in order to convert to an REH.
Allow REH facilities to maintain or create a unit for inpatient psychiatric care, obstetric care and allow for limited inpatient rehabilitation services.
Require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to provide additional funding for laboratory services.
Clarify that REH facilities are eligible for Small Rural Hospital Improvement grants.
Direct the Secretary of HHS to allow an REH to be eligible as a National Health Service Corp site.
Authorize REH facilities to transfer patients from acute care to a Skilled Nursing Facility without leaving the hospital, in accordance with the Social Security Act.
Allow an REH facility to revert back to a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) to regain necessary provider status, only if the facility was designated a necessary provider prior to converting to REH.
Clarify state Medicaid agencies can pay REH facilities as hospitals.
Late in 2025 the Fort Scott City Commission approved a property tax break of up to ten years for the vacant dialysis clinic at 2526 S. Main, to help a Joplin kidney specialist reopen it. Fort Scott has had no dialysis center since 2019. Patients drive to Pittsburg or Chanute, three times a week.
This week, FortScott.biz checked with those involved. City officials say their part is finished. The commission awarded the abatement, the bond paperwork is complete, and nothing more is pending at City Hall. The reopening is now in the hands of the physician who will run the clinic.
The building itself is quiet for now. A July 25 visit found no signage or activity yet, and county records show the property’s 2025 tax bill of $65,343.80 was paid in full. That fits the timeline in the city’s documents, which say the exemption cannot appear before the 2026 tax statement.
Where the building is
Most people know it as the low brick building in front of Walmart.
Bourbon County’s tax record for the parcel (tax ID 002-FS10762B, in the Wal-Mart Plaza Pointe subdivision) answers the abatement question directly.
The building did change hands. The county lists Moka Rentals LLC as the current owner and taxpayer of record. That is the company named in the city’s bond documents as the tenant. Before Moka, the record shows Phoenix Fort Scott LLC, and before that Wal-Mart Stores and Wellington Ft Scott Ltd.
The 2025 taxes were paid in full, with no exemption. For tax year 2025 the county appraised the property at $1,400,000 ($193,790 in land, $1,206,210 in building) for an assessed value of $350,001. At a mill levy of 186.696 that produced a bill of $65,343.80, paid on December 18, 2025.
Tax year
Owner of record
Assessed value
Total tax
2025
Moka Rentals LLC
$350,001
$65,343.80
2024
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$377,331
$72,397.38
2023
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$422,346
$80,914.32
2022
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$413,983
$79,080.28
2021
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$395,233
$78,653.34
2020
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$389,186
$77,981.20
2019
Phoenix Fort Scott LLC
$396,485
$80,160.54
So when does the abatement take effect? By the terms of the city’s own documents, the earliest it can apply is tax year 2026. Both the resolution and the ordinance say the exemption runs for ten years “commencing in the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Bonds are issued.” The draft bond documents date the bonds December 23, 2025. If they were issued on schedule, the first year the exemption could show up on a tax bill is 2026. Kansas tax statements for 2026 don’t go out until November.
That makes this November’s statement for 2526 S. Main the first place the exemption can appear in the public record.
The county’s appraisal record still lists the structure under its old name, “Fresenius Medical Care Dialysis,” a 7,992-square-foot medical office building put up in 2014.
The deal ran through taxable industrial revenue bonds. Despite the name, the city borrows nothing and owes nothing; it acts as a pass-through so a private project can reach two state-level tax breaks, a property-tax exemption and a sales-tax exemption on construction.
On November 18, 2025, after a public hearing, the commission voted 5-0 to move forward with Resolution 40-2025, declaring it advisable to issue about $800,000 in bonds to acquire, renovate, furnish and equip the building and lease it to Moka Rentals LLC (resolution; minutes).
Dr. Nadine Aboul-Magd, a kidney specialist with Joplin Nephrology Consultants who the minutes say served Fort Scott from 2015 to 2019, told the commission the abatement was essential to the project. The minutes record her saying the reopened clinic would employ at least seven people initially and would add two kidney physicians (minutes).
Steve Robb of Municipal Consulting LLC, who prepared the cost-benefit study Kansas requires before a city grants this kind of exemption, told commissioners the deal would return $9.67 for every dollar the city gave up, well above the 1.3 he called the cutoff for a worthwhile deal, mostly because a dialysis clinic uses a great deal of city water (minutes).
On December 16, 2025, the commission took up Ordinance No. 3792, which authorizes the bonds (ordinance). “There were no changes from what was discussed,” Mayor Tim Van Hoecke said as he introduced it (video, 2:07:39). A staff member called it “just procedural.” The commission voted and the mayor moved on. The city has not posted approved minutes for that meeting, so the exact tally is not on the public record.
Two details in the paperwork are worth knowing:
The break covers the bond-funded share of the property. The exemption applies only to the part of the property paid for with bond money, and it must be applied for. The one levy it cannot touch is the school district’s capital outlay levy, under the statute the resolution cites, K.S.A. 72-53,113 (resolution, § 4). For USD 234 that levy is 7.998 mills (about 4.3% of the 186.696 total on this parcel). Everything else can be abated, including Bourbon County’s share. This parcel sits in tax unit 002, which is made up of the state, Bourbon County, Fort Scott Community College, the city of Fort Scott, USD 234 and the Southwind Extension District (2025 Bourbon County levy sheet). The minutes record the city’s consultant telling commissioners that most taxing entities come out ahead, with minimal impact on the extension district and the community college (minutes).
The break is tied to actually running a dialysis center. The lease says that “[s]ubject to the Project being continually operated as a dialysis center,” the city will make the filings needed to keep the exemption alive for the full ten years (project lease, § 7.4).
What the city, the county and the doctor’s office said this week
On July 29, Mary Wyatt, Fort Scott’s Planning, Housing and Business Development Director, told FortScott.biz the city’s part of the deal is done. The commission voted to award the ten-year abatement, and the paperwork between the city’s bond counsel and the owner has been completed. “It’s all in the hands of the owner at this point,” she said. “The ball is just in their court to get their operations up and running.”
Wyatt said she had not heard from the owner recently. In their last conversation, she said, the owner told her that opening a dialysis clinic is a legally involved process, lining up physicians in particular, and that she wants to go about it carefully, given the building’s history of closing.
Bourbon County Appraiser Matt Quick confirmed that no exemption yet appears in county records. Once the remaining paperwork is complete, he said, the property goes into exempt status for ten years. Quick described the city as the lead on the bond arrangement.
Wyatt said the approval that mattered came from the city commission, because the city is the entity abating the taxes locally. The state’s remaining role, as she described it, is a document that “has to be acknowledged at the state level.”
Quick also sent FortScott.biz pages from the state Division of Property Valuation’s guide to these exemptions, which fills in the steps between the city’s vote and a smaller tax bill. After the bonds are issued, the applicant files an exemption application, called the IRBX form, with the county appraiser, who forwards it with comments to the Board of Tax Appeals. The exemption is deemed approved unless the board schedules a hearing within 30 days of receiving all the information. The break is not automatic once granted. The owner must file a claim with the county appraiser by March 1 each year of the ten; miss the filing, and the property goes back on the tax roll. Those filings square with what the city describes. Under the lease, keeping the exemption in place is tied to the building operating as a dialysis center.
At Joplin Nephrology Consultants, practice manager Heather said there are “no updates as of right now” on the Fort Scott clinic, which she described as Dr. Nadine’s project, and confirmed the reopening is still in the plans.
What the building looks like now
2526 S. Main on the afternoon of July 25, 2026. FortScott.biz photo.The covered patient drop-off at the entrance. There is no signage on the building. FortScott.biz photo, July 25, 2026.
The lot was empty on the afternoon of July 25. There is no signage on the building or at the street, the blinds are drawn, and the covered patient drop-off, the giveaway that the place was built as a clinic, sits unused.
Fort Scott has been losing health care since 2018. Mercy announced that October that it would close the hospital it had run in town since 1886 (FortScott.biz, Oct. 3, 2018). The dialysis center closed the following September. Fresenius did not publicly give a reason for the closure. “I have talked to Fresenius,” then-City Manager Dave Martin said at the time. “They haven’t made money to the point of, they can’t stay open” (FortScott.biz, Aug. 30, 2019). Ascension Via Christi closed the emergency department in December 2023 (FortScott.biz, Dec. 18, 2023). Freeman has been working toward a hospital and emergency department here (FortScott.biz, Jan. 8, 2025).
The building has been empty since Fresenius Medical Care closed it on Sept. 30, 2019. As late as May 2023, its owner at the time said it was still looking for a tenant (FortScott.biz, May 2, 2023).
If the project comes together, that vacancy — and the three-times-a-week drives to Pittsburg or Chanute — would end.
Fort Scott City Manager Brad Matkin told city commissioners on Tuesday, July 21, that he has finally found someone at the railroad willing to talk about running a rail spur into the city’s industrial park — and that the railroad is willing to bring one in.
Nothing has been agreed to, and nobody has voted on anything. But the report was the most concrete public word yet on infrastructure that would shape what kind of employers Fort Scott can try to attract.
“I finally found somebody from the railroad that wants to talk, and it happens to be an economic development person for the railroad,” Matkin said. After a meeting the previous Friday, he said, “they are willing to bring a spur up right now up to the south of Timken, actually south of Valu.”
“It sounds very possible that we will be getting a railroad spur out to Industrial Park,” he said. “And manufacturing background can tell you how big that is.” He called it “huge for economic development in the future, because not that many industries have spurs going behind them.”
Matkin said they were meeting again that Friday and would “continue meeting until we get this thing ironed out.” He said the railroad “has been listening. They’ve been cooperative. They want the business, of course.”
The railroad wants to tie the spur into a Columbus, Kansas, line rather than a Springfield, Missouri, line, Matkin said, adding that he could not explain the reasoning. Public rail maps show two BNSF lines meeting just south of the industrial park — one running southeast toward Springfield, the other southwest through Columbus.
Matkin’s own ask is that the track not stop short. Running it behind the Timken building, he said, would let more than one company use it: that “would give a runway through their parking lot that you could bring from other companies to that spur.”
That is the case for rail access. A spur ties a plant to the main line, and for a manufacturer that ships heavy or bulk freight, having or sharing one is often what decides whether a site gets a serious look. The company buying the Timken building has raised it with him directly, Matkin said: “They’ve been talking to me about the railroad spur. That’s very important to them.”
The Timken building is why the timing matters. Timken announced in November 2023 that it would wind down its belts plant at 4505 Campbell Road and close it in 2025; about 155 people worked there. On the city’s radio show on July 16, Matkin said “the Timken building is sold. The contract is signed and everything,” with the buyer’s name and line of business expected “later in the month or first of August,” pending paperwork and financing. He has not named the buyer.
Next door, Diversey, the cleaning-products company that said in May it would put a blending plant and warehouse in the former Valu Merchandisers building, is already at work on its building, Matkin said, coordinating with the city’s fire department and engineer on code. Both buildings had been sitting empty. “These are big companies that are coming in,” he said.
A second rail item came up the same night on a different project: Commissioner Matthew Wells asked about the study the city is running with Fontana and Spring Hill through the firm Wilson & Company. That one is about crossings rather than spurs. Fort Scott, Spring Hill and Fontana share a $2.15 million BNSF planning grant, of which $800,000 covers the Fort Scott end of the work; the city put up $40,000 to match it. The study is meant to determine whether Fort Scott needs an overpass, Jayhawk Road is the hoped-for location, and which existing crossing BNSF would want closed in exchange. Matkin said it is underway, with the city’s business development director, Mary Wyatt, leading it.
TOPEKA – (July 23, 2026) – Kansas Attorney General Kris W. Kobach today sent letters to the mayors of Lawrence, Roeland Park, and Prairie Village, calling on each city to immediately repeal its local ordinance banning so-called “conversion therapy,” including counseling that involves only speech.
The letters cite the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Chiles v. Salazar, which struck down a nearly identical Colorado law as a violation of the First Amendment. The Court held that such bans improperly censor therapists’ speech based on viewpoint and that therapist speech is constitutionally protected.
“The First Amendment applies to everyone – therapists, patients and everyone else. A city violates the Constitution when it attempts to forbid a therapist from providing the counseling that the therapist believes is in the best interest of the patient,” Kobach said. “The government may not declare that some words and ideas are forbidden. And now the Supreme Court of the United States has squarely ruled on the subject.”
In the letter to Lawrence Mayor Brad Finkeldei, Attorney General Kobach wrote: “Lawrence’s ordinance seeks to control speech in a nearly identical way. … In other words, only one viewpoint is allowed to be expressed. Thus, the ordinance engages in viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.”
The letters to Roeland Park and Prairie Village contain substantially similar analysis, noting that each city’s ordinance defines “conversion therapy” to include any counseling that fails to affirm a patient’s sexual orientation or gender identity. But it expressly permits counseling that supports identity exploration or gender transition—thereby allowing only one viewpoint to be expressed.
Attorney General Kobach requested that each city inform his office within 60 days whether the ordinance has been repealed. The letters were also copied to the respective city council members.
TOPEKA – (July 16, 2026) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach today announced his office will file an emergency appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court, after a district court judge issued a temporary injunction reinstituting a three-day grace period for the return of mail-in ballots. More than 44,000 ballots have already gone out.
“This judge has issued an unprecedented, poorly-reasoned decision that completely upsets the election process after absentee voting has already begun,” Kobach said. “His decision will cause massive confusion for voters. The judge delayed nearly five months in issuing his opinion. He should have issued it in April at the latest. My office is filing an emergency appeal to the Kansas Supreme Court to ensure that in Kansas, Election Day is Election Day.”
In May 2025, Kansas Appleseed filed a lawsuit challenging a Kansas law that eliminated the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day. Attorneys argued the case before Judge Folsom in February with post-trial briefing due March 2.
“Everyone can vote,” said Bourbon County Election Clerk Amber Page. “But, since August is a Primary, there will only be ballots for Republican and Democrat parties to vote on candidates.
“For those who choose not to affiliate with either of the major parties, there will be an Unaffiliated Ballot with just the Constitutional Amendment question on it.”
“The Constitutional Amendment is copied exactly how the State sent it to us to put on the ballot,” Page said. “If I understood correctly, the strike-through is over the original script that is being voted on to change or remove.”
The following constitutional amendment will be voted on during the August 4, 2026 Primary Election, taken from the Kansas Secretary of State website.
Vote Yes or No
“Explanatory statement. This amendment gives the voters the right to elect the justices of the Kansas supreme court. The justices shall serve terms of six years, with the elections of justice positions 1, 2 and 3 to occur in 2028, positions 4 and 5 to occur in 2030 and positions 6 and 7 to occur in 2032, and every six years thereafter. The rules applicable for such elections and the designation of position numbers shall be provided by law. Any vacancy on the court for an unexpired term shall be filled at an election as provided by law.
“A vote for this proposition would give Kansas citizens the right to elect Kansas supreme court justices as provided by law. Justices will hold office for terms of six years. The Kansas supreme court nominating commission, whose membership consists of a majority of lawyers, would be abolished.
“A vote against this proposition would continue the current system in which the Kansas supreme court nominating commission, whose membership consists of a majority of lawyers, provides the governor a list of three individuals to choose from for vacancies on the Kansas supreme court. Justices hold office for a term of six years and retain their offices if they win a retention election in which they do not face an opponent.
Shall the following be adopted?
Ҥ 5. Selection of justices of the supreme court.The citizens of Kansas who are qualified electors shall elect the justices of the supreme court. The rules applicable for such elections and the designation of position numbers shall be provided by law. Justice positions 1, 2 and 3 shall be elected at the general election in November of 2028, justice positions 4 and 5 in November of 2030 and justice positions 6 and 7 in November of 2032, and every six years thereafter, respectively. Any vacancy occurring on the supreme court for an unexpired term shall be filled by election as provided by law.(a) Any vacancy occurring in the office of any justice of the supreme court and any position to be open thereon as a result of enlargement of the court, or the retirement or failure of an incumbent to file his declaration of candidacy to succeed himself as hereinafter required, or failure of a justice to be elected to succeed himself, shall be filled by appointment by the governor of one of three persons possessing the qualifications of office who shall be nominated and whose names shall be submitted to the governor by the supreme court nominating commission established as hereinafter provided.
(b) In event of the failure of the governor to make the appointment within sixty days from the time the names of the nominees are submitted to him, the chief justice of the supreme court shall make the appointment from such nominees.
(c) Each justice of the supreme court appointed pursuant to provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall hold office for an initial term ending on the second Monday in January following the first general election that occurs after the expiration of twelve months in office. Not less than sixty days prior to the holding of the general election next preceding the expiration of his term of office, any justice of the supreme court may file in the office of the secretary of state a declaration of candidacy for election to succeed himself. If a declaration is not so filed, the position held by such justice shall be open from the expiration of his term of office. If such declaration is filed, his name shall be submitted at the next general election to the electors of the state on a separate judicial ballot, without party designation, reading substantially as follows:
“Shall
_______________________________
(Here insert name of justice.)
_______________________________
(Here insert the title of the court.)
be retained in office?”
If a majority of those voting on the question vote against retaining him in office, the position or office which he holds shall be open upon the expiration of his term of office; otherwise he shall, unless removed for cause, remain in office for the regular term of six years from the second Monday in January following such election. At the expiration of each term he shall, unless by law he is compelled to retire, be eligible for retention in office by election in the manner prescribed in this section.
(d) A nonpartisan nominating commission whose duty it shall be to nominate and submit to the governor the names of persons for appointment to fill vacancies in the office of any justice of the supreme court is hereby established, and shall be known as the “supreme court nominating commission.” Said commission shall be organized as hereinafter provided.
(e) The supreme court nominating commission shall be composed as follows: One member, who shall be chairman, chosen from among their number by the members of the bar who are residents of and licensed in Kansas; one member from each congressional district chosen from among their number by the resident members of the bar in each such district; and one member, who is not a lawyer, from each congressional district, appointed by the governor from among the residents of each such district.
(f) The terms of office, the procedure for selection and certification of the members of the commission and provision for their compensation or expenses shall be as provided by the legislature.
(g) No member of the supreme court nominating commission shall, while he is a member, hold any other public office by appointment or any official position in a political party or for six months thereafter be eligible for nomination for the office of justice of the supreme court. The commission may act only by the concurrence of a majority of its members.”
“§ 8. Prohibition of political activity by justices and certain judges. No justice of the supreme court who is appointed or retained under the procedure of section 5 of this article, nor any judge of the district court holding office under a nonpartisan method authorized in subsection (a) of section 6 of this article shall directly or indirectly make any contribution to or hold any office in a political party or organization or take part in any political campaign, except when such judge is a candidate for election to a position on an appellate court.”
“§ 15. Removal of justices and judges. Justices of the supreme court may be removed from office by impeachment and conviction as prescribed in article 2 of this constitution. In addition to removal by impeachment and conviction, justices may be retired after appropriate hearing, upon certification to the governor, by the supreme court nominating commission that such justice is so incapacitated as to be unable to perform adequately his duties. Other judges shall be subject to retirement for incapacity, and to discipline, suspension and removal for cause by the supreme court after appropriate hearing.”
Boil Water Advisory Issued for the City of Fulton, Bourbon County
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Fulton public water supply system located in Bourbon County.
Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:
Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.
The advisory took effect on July 15, 2026 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because the city cannot currently maintain the minimum required chlorine residual. Failure to maintain required chlorine residual levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination.
Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.
Governor Kelly Denies Both Carr Brothers’ Requests for Clemency
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly issued the following statement announcing the denial of Reginald Carr and Jonathan Carr’s clemency requests for commutation of their death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole:
“I have long supported the repeal of the death penalty, believing it an impractical, expensive burden on the state. And, because it mandates multiple opportunities for appeal, it drastically delays closure for the families of the victims. A sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole makes much more sense for all concerned.
“However, the death penalty is current law in Kansas and, if ever there were a situation in which the death penalty is justified, it is that of the unspeakably heinous acts of torture and murder committed by Reginald and Jonathan Carr.
“Because of the horrific nature of their crimes and because it appears that their punishment was meted out after thoughtful consideration by a jury of their peers, I am denying the death sentence commutation requests of both Reginald Carr and Jonathan Carr.
“I hope that this denial provides some comfort for those who still grieve their loved ones 26 years later.”
The process by which individuals who have received a death penalty sentence are allowed to make clemency requests for commutations of death sentences to life in prison without the possibility of parole is as follows:
Individuals who have received a death penalty sentence may request a commutation of that sentence to life without the possibility of parole by submitting an application to the Prisoner Review Board (PRB). The PRB must provide a 30-day notice to victims, the prosecuting attorney, and the judge of the court in which the defendant was convicted. After the 30-day notice has elapsed, the PRB must submit a report on the application to the governor within 120 days. The governor cannot take action on a request for clemency before receiving the report from the PRB, unless, if after 120 days, the PRB has not yet submitted a report. Additional information about the clemency process can be found here and here.
As of July 14, 2026, the Office of the Governor has denied clemency applications from the following individuals sentenced to death: Reginald Carr (denied), Jonathan Carr (denied), John Robinson (denied).
Governor Kelly Appoints
Judge K. Christopher Jayaram to Fill Vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today appointed Judge K. Christopher Jayaram to the Kansas Supreme Court. Jayaram will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Marla Luckert.
“Appointing a Kansas Supreme Court justice is a significant responsibility, and it is a decision I never make lightly,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “It is paramount that justices have deep understanding of the law and ability to apply it fairly, as they weigh many nuanced, complicated situations that have wide-ranging impacts on our state every day.”
“Kansas’ nomination process for selecting Supreme Court justices is rigorous and consistently produces highly qualified nominees thanks to input from both attorneys and laypeople across our state. Each of the nominees were exceptional, and I appreciate their service to our state.
“Judge Jayaram has extensive experience as a trial attorney and on the bench, which makes him well-qualified and well-prepared to step into this role as the next Kansas Supreme Court justice. I am confident that he will be a steady voice that upholds the rule of law and acts with the utmost degree of impartiality.”
Jayaram has served as a District Court Judge in Johnson County District Court since 2021. His initial assignment was as a Family Court judge, where he adjudicated matters related to divorce involving minor children, annulment requests, parentage determinations, protection from abuse and stalking cases, and third-party visitation claims. He currently presides over civil disputes as a judge in the Civil Department.
Prior to his time on the bench, Jayaram was an attorney with both the Horn, Aylward & Bandy and Smith, Freed, Heald & Chock law firms, where he practiced as a civil litigation attorney. His areas of practice included complex commercial/business litigation, product liability litigation, professional and health care provider liability matters, and transportation-related issues.
Jayaram earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Science from the University of Kansas and a Juris Doctor from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where he was an Associate Editor of the school’s primary law review publication, Environmental Law.
Jayaram has been heavily involved in legal community as a faculty member at the National Judicial College, a member of the American Judges Association, the American Bar Association, and the Johnson County Bar Association. He also served as a trustee of the Johnson County Bar Foundation, a member of the Earl E. O’Conner American Inns of Courts, the Johnson County Family Law American Inns of Court, and the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association. Beyond legal organizations, he is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the United Soccer Coaches.
In addition to his professional activities, Jayaram is involved in his community by serving as a competitive youth soccer coach for Toca FC and is a member of the Saint Thomas the Apostle’s Episcopal Church in Olathe.
“I am profoundly honored and humbled to have been selected from the group of incredibly distinguished and capable applicants for this position on the Kansas Supreme Court,” said Judge K. Christopher Jayaram. “I look forward to completing my work at the District Court over the coming days and joining my new colleagues at the Supreme Court thereafter. As I did at the District Court, I pledge to serve all Kansans in this new role through the fair, just, and impartial application of the law to cases that come before the Supreme Court.”
“There are big ‘shoes’ to fill, following the retirement of Chief Justice Luckert, and I will strive to live up to the legacy she leaves behind. I am grateful to my family, my friends, Governor Kelly, the Nominating Commission, and my colleagues on the District Court bench, as I begin this new role.”
Kansas Supreme Court Justices are appointed through a merit-based nomination process. When there is a vacancy on the court, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission submits the names of three nominees to the governor. The governor then has 60 days to make the appointment.
The Supreme Court Nominating Commission is an independent body created by the Kansas Constitution consisting of nine members. Four of its members are appointed by the governor from each of the state’s four congressional districts. These appointees are laypeople. Four other members are attorneys elected by attorneys in each of the state’s congressional districts. The commission chair is an attorney elected by attorneys in a statewide vote.
To be eligible, a nominee must be at least 30 years old and admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least 10 years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school.
Every justice must stand for a retention vote in the general election following their initial appointment. If retained by voters at that time, they then face retention votes every six years for as long as they serve on the bench.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Special Hunt Applications Now Open
PRATT– Hunters looking for unique opportunities on public and private lands across Kansas can apply for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Special Hunts program in July. The program offers more than 400 limited-access hunting opportunities throughout the fall and winter, providing access to areas that are not typically open to hunting or are managed to provide high-quality hunting experiences.
The Special Hunts program includes opportunities for deer, upland game, waterfowl, dove, turkey, and furbearers on select public lands, private lands, and wildlife areas across the state. While participation in the program is free, hunters must obtain all applicable hunting licenses, permits, tags, and stamps as required by Kansas law.
Applications for all fall and winter Special Hunts will be accepted July 1-31, 2026. Hunts can be viewed and applications submitted at ksoutdoors.gov/special-hunts. Successful applicants will be selected by a random draw with notification emails sent in mid-August.
Resident and nonresident hunters may apply, though some hunts are restricted to Kansas residents only. When applying online, hunters will select hunts by species, date, and one of four hunt type categories: Open, Youth, Mentor, or Disabled.
Open Hunts are available to all applicants with no age or experience restrictions.
Youth Hunts require each hunting party to include at least one hunter age 16 or younger, accompanied by a non-hunting adult age 18 or older. Some hunts have more specific age requirements.
Mentor Hunts are designed for youth and novice hunters supervised by a licensed adult mentor age 18 or older. Both the novice and mentor can hunt, unless otherwise specified.
Disabled Hunts are intended for hunters with disabilities. Applicants must have a valid Disabled Identification Card issued by the Kansas Department of Revenue for disabled parking privileges. Some hunts may have specific eligibility requirements.
Applicants are responsible for meeting all eligibility requirements and obtaining any required licenses, permits, tags, or stamps before participating. Hunter Education certification is required unless exempt by Kansas law. Nonresident hunters applying for deer Special Hunts must have successfully drawn the appropriate Kansas deer permit to participate in deer hunts.
For complete program information, hunt listings, eligibility requirements, and to apply, visit ksoutdoors.gov/special-hunts.
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The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of Kansas’s natural resources for the benefit of both current and future generations. KDWP manages 29 state parks, 177 lakes and wildlife areas, more than 300 public waterbodies, and 5 nature centers. Other services include management of threatened, endangered, and at-risk species, law enforcement, and wildlife habitat programs. For more information about KDWP, visit ksoutdoors.gov.
Governor Kelly Announces CMS Approval of Kansas’ Community Supports Waiver, Effective October 1, 2026
Expands options for individuals with I/DD to live independently in their communities
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly and The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), in partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has approved Kansas’ new Community Supports Waiver.
CMS approved the initial 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiver on July 1, 2026. It will operate concurrently with an amendment to Kansas’ 1915(b) KanCare managed care waiver. Both the new waiver and the KanCare amendment become effective on October 1, 2026. CMS has approved a projected enrollment of 500 individuals for the first waiver year (October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027).
“The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ approval of Kansas’ Community Supports Waiver represents what is possible through collaboration, forward-thinking, and putting the needs of Kansans first,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This is a monumental step that will empower individuals and families across Kansas to live full lives by ensuring they can access the care they need, when they need it.”
The waiver will provide targeted HCBS to Kansans ages 5 and older with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) who do not require 24-hour support but would otherwise need services in an Intermediate Care Facility for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICF/IID). Developed with the recommendations of the Kansas Legislature’s 2022 Special Committee on Intellectual and Developmental Disability Waiver Modernization in mind, the waiver offers more flexible, right-sized supports that help individuals live more independently at home and in their communities and promote competitive integrated employment.
The Community Supports Waiver includes services such as:
Individual Employment Support
Personal Care Services
Respite Care
Therapies (Behavior, Occupational, Physical, and Speech/Language)
Assistive Technology and Remote Support Services
Home and Environmental Modifications
Life Skill Services
Benefits Planning and Career Exploration
Family/Caregiver Support and Training
Individual-Directed Goods and Services
Non-Medical Transportation, and more
Services under the waiver are subject to an annual cap of $20,000 per participant.
KDADS and KDHE will now begin final implementation activities, including system updates, provider enrollment and training, policy development, and outreach. Individuals and families interested in learning more can visit www.kdads.ks.gov/kansascsw.
What They’re Saying:
“This approval marks a major milestone for Kansas and for the thousands of individuals and families who have waited for more flexible, person-centered options. The Community Supports Waiver is the result of years of collaboration among self-advocates, families, providers, community developmental disabilities organizations (CDDO), and other stakeholders. It will expand access to services, ease pressure on the I/DD waiver waitlist, and give Kansans with I/DD greater choice and control over their lives.”
– Secretary Laura Howard, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services
“Giving Kansans access to the Community Supports Waiver through Medicaid is a much-needed enhancement to the services we have worked so hard to provide our all of our members. It not only will help individuals live more independently at home and in the community, but it will offer many more opportunities for them to choose and direct their own services. This is great news for Kansas.”
– Secretary Janet Stanek, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
“Approval of the Community Supports Waiver is a major milestone for Kansas and for Kansans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. It will help individuals who need lower-level supports access services more quickly and reduce the waiting list for the comprehensive I/DD Waiver. I’m proud to have helped guide the development and funding of this new Home & Community Supports Waiver through the Legislature in my roles on Senate Ways & Means, Senate Public Health & Welfare, and the Bob Bethell Joint Committee on HCBS & KanCare Oversight. I remain committed to supporting the resources and alignment needed to ensure this waiver meets the needs of Kansans with I/DD.”
– Senator Pat Pettey, District 6
“It’s great to see the Community Supports Waiver finally up and running. I believe it will make an incredible difference for folks in the I/DD community and their families. As I’ve said many times, I believe it could take half the folks off the wait list.
“A special thanks to the many legislators, staff, and other advocates who also saw the vision and helped along the way and put up with my constant pushing in support of the Community Supports Waiver.
“Today is a great day for the I/DD community in Kansas.”
– Representative Will Carpenter, District 75
“The Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD) is proud to celebrate this historic milestone for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. As the state’s largest organization dedicated exclusively to advancing opportunities for people with I/DD, KCDD has long advocated for the creation of the Community Supports Waiver because we believe it represents an important new pathway to services while strengthening Kansas’ broader commitment to ending the longstanding I/DD waiver waitlist.
“For far too many Kansans, waiting years for critical supports has become the norm. This new waiver creates an important bridge—providing earlier access to meaningful services and helping individuals receive support while they await comprehensive waiver services. It reflects a shared commitment to building a more responsive, person-centered disability system.
“We appreciate the leadership of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the Kansas Legislature, self-advocates, families, providers, and our many partners who worked together to make this vision a reality. KCDD looks forward to continuing our partnership to ensure every Kansan with I/DD has the opportunity to live, work, and thrive in the community of their choice.”
– Sara Hart Weir, Executive Director, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities
