TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland today announced the Department of Commerce is seeking qualified community-based organizations to administer Individual Development Account (IDA) programs. These programs are designed to reduce both the number of Kansans receiving public income support and the number of communities with high concentrations of poverty.

Applications will be accepted through October 16.

IDA programs allow administering organizations to provide a match on deposits made by low-income participants who are saving to buy a home, making repairs on existing homes, starting or expanding a business, or attending continuing education classes at a college or technical school.

“Being an IDA program administrator gives community organizations a powerful way to invest in the people they serve by offering direct support for homeownership, education and entrepreneurship,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “We want to partner with communities that are ready to help us deploy these barrier-breaking programs across the state and build a more prosperous future for all Kansans.”

Financial assistance is provided to charitable, tribal and religious organizations that administer IDAs in their community through the sale of tax credits. Organizations that service a specific region, multiple regions or the entire state can receive up to $100,000 in tax credits annually for three years. For the first two years, organizations are granted up to 20% of the funds earned to use for operational costs and 15% for each following year.

“Individual Development Accounts are a way to help level the playing field for all Kansans by strengthening families and supporting local economies,” Assistant Secretary of Quality Places Matt Godinez said. “By partnering with local nonprofits across our state, we’re able to help Kansans reach their full potential and open new doors for themselves and their loved ones.”

Organizations interested in administrating an IDA program are encouraged to register for an informational webinar at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, September 15. Registration is required to attend. To register for the upcoming webinar, click here.

To learn more about the IDA program, visit the program webpage or contact Kerri Falletti at Kerri.Falletti@ks.gov or by phone at (785) 207-5206.

About the Quality Places Division: Established in 2024, the Quality Places Division at the Kansas Department of Commerce exists to improve quality of life in communities across the state through various programs and services. The Kansas Department of Commerce understands the immense role played by strong communities in economic development and prioritizes investments in people and communities as major contributors to the overall strength of the Kansas economy. To learn more, visit kansascommerce.gov/community-development.

About the Kansas Department of Commerce: As the state’s lead economic development agency, the Kansas Department of Commerce strives to empower individuals, businesses and communities to achieve prosperity in Kansas. Commerce accomplishes its mission by developing relationships with corporations, site location consultants and stakeholders in Kansas, the nation and world. Our strong partnerships allow us to help create an environment for existing Kansas businesses to grow and foster an innovative, competitive landscape for new businesses.

TOPEKA — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is now accepting applications for state funding to support cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training and the purchase and maintenance of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The funding, authorized through House Bill 2513, is available to eligible public and nonpublic school districts, as well as religious or charitable associations, libraries and tribal entities that have a registered and approved Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) with KDHE.

The program is designed to increase access to lifesaving training and equipment across Kansas, with an emphasis on expanding access in rural communities. Funding opportunities include CPR and AED training for public and nonpublic school districts and support for AED maintenance and purchases.

A total of $750,000 is available through three funding opportunities:

• $500,000 for AED maintenance and/or purchases for eligible public and nonpublic school districts.
• $125,000 for CPR and AED training for eligible public and nonpublic school districts.
• $125,000 for AED maintenance and/or purchases for eligible religious or charitable associations, libraries and tribal entities.

Applications will be accepted through April 30, 2027, or until all available funding has been expended. The first application review will begin Oct. 1, 2026. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and applicants are encouraged to apply early while funding remains available.

Public and nonpublic school districts can apply for available training, AED purchase and maintenance opportunities through the school entity application.

Religious or charitable associations, libraries and tribal entities can apply for AED purchase and maintenance funding through the non-school entity application.

For additional information, visit the KDHE CERP webpage.

TOPEKA—The public can now search case information from the Kansas Supreme Court and Court of Appeals on the judicial branch CaseSearch website.

Previously, only district court case information could be searched at casesearch.kscourts.gov. Now public case information from the appellate courts is also searchable through the site.

With this change, it’s also possible for visitors to any Kansas court to use a public access terminal to search for cases. Each district court and the appellate courts in the Kansas Judicial Center have a computer reserved for the public to search court cases and documents.

The branch launched CaseSearch in 2025 to replace the Kansas District Court Public Access Portal. It offers more features than the portal it replaced, including more search types, a filter to search within case events, and more data in the financial details.

Case information versus case documents

Case information includes details about a case including case number, case type, who’s involved, attorney names, and hearing dates. Case documents include the documents filed in a case.

CaseSearch results for appellate cases include both information and documents, but only documents filed after March 13, 2025, are available. Public documents filed earlier can be accessed through a courthouse terminal.

Some case types and records are not available on CaseSearch. They are described in Supreme Court Rule 22: Access to Public Electronic District Court and Appellate Case Records.

Confidential or sealed cases and documents are not public and are not available through either CaseSearch or a courthouse terminal.

Appellate case types temporarily unavailable on CaseSearch include juvenile offender, disciplinary, and original actions.

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) announced today that the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission voted to approve several regulation changes at its August 27, 2026, meeting in Pittsburg, Kansas.

The approved actions include:

• Kansas State Park fee increases for vehicle permits, overnight camping, and utilities, along with the elimination of the annual camping permit. The changes will go into effect on November 1, 2026.
• A change in hunting hours for nonresidents hunting waterfowl, coot, rail, or snipe on KDWP-managed public lands and waters. Beginning with the fall 2026 seasons, nonresidents must stop hunting before noon and must leave department lands by 1:00 pm. These limits do not apply to the September teal season or light geese hunting during the light goose conservation order. They also do not apply to Walk-In Hunting Access (WIHA and iWIHA) areas, if nonresidents are hunting other species on department lands, or during KDWP Special Hunts programs and events.
• Re-establishment of the fall turkey hunting season for Kansas residents. Permits will be valid for one bearded (male) turkey only, with the season running October 31 through January 31 except for a 12-day closure period beginning the Wednesday following Thanksgiving. Permits will be available for purchase in early October for the season opening October 31, 2026.
• Establishing a repeatable season date structure for deer hunting in Deer Management Units on military properties.

KDWP will now move the approved regulations through the final administrative requirements, including publication by the Secretary of State in an upcoming edition of the Kansas Register. The regulations will become effective 15 days after publication, except for the State Parks fees, which will take effect on November 1, 2026.

“As I shared with the Commission yesterday, many of the issues we face don’t come with a single right or wrong answer. They require judgment, balance, and collaboration,” said KDWP Secretary Christopher Kennedy. “We take the public’s input seriously as we navigate complex situations. And we do this work in close partnership with the Commission because we have a shared responsibility to steward fish and wildlife populations and manage our parks and public lands in ways that meet Kansans expectations.”

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.

TOPEKA – (August 24, 2026) – Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach today issued guidance to Kansans seeking to purchase suppressors or short-barreled shotguns in the wake of a recent federal court decision.

On August 5, Kobach and a coalition of 14 other states and a group of private associations and businesses prevailed in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). In a landmark victory, the court issued a preliminary injunction declaring that certain elements of the National Firearms Act are unconstitutional and prohibiting the ATF from imposing registration requirements on particular purchasers of suppressors, short-barreled rifles and short-barreled shotguns.

Individuals who fall into the categories below no longer need to complete ATF Form 4 or wait for ATF approval before purchasing a suppressor, short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun. These items may now be obtained by completing ATF Form 4473, the same form required for the purchase of all other firearms, at the time of purchase.

“The state of Kansas and our fellow plaintiffs won a great victory against the U.S. Department of Justice, which had been wrongly defending an unconstitutional law,” Kobach said. “The federal government has no right to demand that American citizens ask for permission before putting an accessory on a firearm to protect their hearing. Our Constitution provides for a government of limited powers at the federal level. We must always be vigilant to enforce those constitutional limits, especially when government threatens the right of Americans to keep and bear arms.”

In order to make a purchase without NFA registration, a person need only be in one of these categories:

• Current or future members of Gun Owners of America
• Customers purchasing a suppressor, short-barreled rifle or short-barreled shotgun from one of the following businesses:
  • a) Silencer Shop
  • b) Palmetto State Armory, LLC
  • c) B&T USA, LLC
  • d) SilencerCo Weapons Research, LLC
  • e) A company that is a member of the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition

At this time, it is unclear whether all residents of Kansas are included under the court’s ruling. However, the federal court may soon clarify this question. In the meantime, an individual can become a member of Gun Owners of America and qualify as a person covered by the federal court’s injunction.

The case is the latest in which Kansas has led a multi-state coalition to defend the right of Americans to acquire and own firearms. In December 2025, Kobach led 21 states in urging another federal district court to find federal regulations of untaxed firearms to be unconstitutional.

TOPEKA—The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene by videoconference at 4 p.m. Thursday, August 27, to discuss the nomination process to fill a district judge vacancy.

The vacancy will be created when District Judge Mark Ward retires October 9.

The 6th Judicial District is composed of Bourbon, Linn, and Miami counties.

The meeting will be livestreamed on the Kansas judicial branch YouTube channel at youtube.com/@KansasJudicialBranch/streams.

Public access

• Call 1-845-361-8917
• Enter Conference Code 3872788
• Press #

Accommodation

Any person with a disability who requires accommodation to access the nominating commission meeting should notify the judicial branch ADA coordinator as early as possible, preferably 10 working days before the event:

ADA Coordinator
ADA@kscourts.gov
785-296-2256
TTY at 711

Eligibility requirements

To be considered for district judge, a nominee must be:

• at least 30 years old;
• a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least five years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school; and
• a resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office.

Appointment process

The nominating commission seeks nominations and then meets to interview the nominees. Interviews are open to the public. The commission selects three to five people whose names are submitted to the governor to fill the position according to statutory qualification and residency requirements.

The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.

Term of office

After serving one year in office, a new judge must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the incumbent will serve a four-year term.

Nominating commission

The 6th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Larkin Walsh as the nonvoting chair; Mark McCoy and Zackery Reynolds, Fort Scott; Patton Apple and Ronald Wood, Louisburg; Todd Schneider, Mound City; and Mary Stephenson, Paola.