ACC hoops: Red Devils fall short in upset bid.
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THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Monday, January 9, 2017
Lawmakers to kick off debate on ending tax break By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and top lawmakers are not on the same page about ending an income tax break for farmers and business owners as the GOP-controlled Kansas Legislature prepares to tackle the state’s severe budget problems. Legislative leaders said last week that they see bipartisan support for repealing the tax break, which was enacted in 2012 and benefits more than
330,000 farmers and business owners. Lawmakers convene their annual session today and must close projected budget shortfalls totaling $1.1 billion through June 2019. Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, an Overland
Park Republican, predicted that even though Brownback championed the tax break, he’d allow a bill to repeal it to become law without his signature. But Brownback sent no such signals in comments to reporters. The governor defended the tax break as a pro-growth policy that particularly helps small businesses. He also said President-elect Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are considering similar ideas for helping See STATE | Page A4
Brownback’s address Tuesday TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will deliver his annual State of the State Address at 5 p.m. TuesBrownback day. Brownback will address a joint session of the Legislature the day after lawmakers open
JJA reform timeline may be extended
Persian Gulf warning shots fired WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy destroyer fired warning shots at Iranian patrol boats as they sped toward the destroyer at the entrance to the Persian Gulf, U.S. defense officials said. The crew of the USS Mahan fired the warning shots after attempting to establish contact with the Iranians and after dropping smoke flares, the officials said. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly as so spoke on condition of anonymity. The U.S. Navy occasionally has confrontations with Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf but they do not usually reach the point of warning shots by the U.S. The U.S. officials said the Mahan was transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday when the Iranian boats sped toward it and failed to halt despite U.S. cautionary moves. There were conflicting initial reports on whether the Americans and Iranians had established radio communication before the warning shots were fired. One official said the main concern aboard the Mahan was the speed with which the Iranian boats were approaching, rather than their proximity. This official said the boats were an estimated See SHOTS | Page A4
their 2017 session. Governors use the address to outline an agenda for the Legislature’s annual session and tout past policies. Fiscal issues are likely to dominate the 2017 session. The state faces projected budget shortfalls totaling $1.1 billion through June 2019. The address will be livestreamed online at www.governor.ks.gov.
By ANDY MARSO Kansas News Service
Appreciating the colors Iola’s 891st Engineer Battalion of the Kansas National Guard presented the colors before Saturday’s Allen Community College men’s basketball game against Hutchinson. Pictured, from left to right, Sean Ryan, Chris Dunn, Michael Semrad and Caleb Nitcher. The special presentation of the colors was a part of ACC’s Military Appreciation Day. REGISTER/JON DYKSTRA
As they gavel in today for the 2017 session, Kansas legislators are considering delaying juvenile justice reforms enacted last year. Last year’s John Rubin bill was intended to steer low-level juvenile offenders into diversion and treatment programs rather than group homes and detention facilities. It had broad bipartisan support, and Gov. Sam Brownback called it the premier legislation of the 2016 session when he signed it in April. But Rep. Russ Jennings, a Republican from Lakin who will chair the House Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee this year, said the timeline — which called for some of the bill to be implemented by Jan. 1 — has been difficult for the state’s judicial branch and corrections system. “There’s been some delays, administratively, in getting this done,” Jennings said. Jennings said he would meet with judges, probation officers, prosecutors and corrections officials during the See JJA | Page A4
Hacking questions persist as Trump enters critical week NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump and his aides are entering a crucial week in his presidential transition as he and his Cabinet nominees undergo public questioning about their approach to Russia and potential conflicts of interests. Most pressing during the upcoming days of confirmation hearings and Trump’s first press conference in six months likely will be whether he accepts the conclusion of U.S. intelligence officials that Russia meddled in the U.S. election to help him win the White House. Trump’s incoming chief
Donald Trump of staff, Reince Priebus, said Sunday that Trump indeed has accepted that Russia was
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responsible for the hacking, which targeted the Democratic National Committee and a top aide to former rival Hillary Clinton. “He’s not denying that entities in Russia were behind this particular campaign,” Priebus said in a Sunday television interview. That’s more than Trump himself has said. As for potential retaliation, aides said those are decisions that Trump will make after he becomes president on Jan. 20. Intelligence officials allege that Moscow directed a series of hacks in order to help Trump win the White House
in the race against Clinton. Trump has expressed skepticism about Russia’s role and declined to say whether he agrees that the meddling was done on his behalf. In an interview with The Associated Press after a briefing on the findings, Trump said he “learned a lot” from his discussions with intelligence officials, but he declined to say whether he accepted their assertion about Russia’s motives. Trump has said that improving relations with Russia would be a good thing and that only “stupid” people would disagree. “My suspicion is these
“All those who believe in psychokinesis raise my right hand.” — Ronnie Corbett, British comedian 75 Cents
hopes will be dashed pretty quickly,” said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “The Russians are clearly a big adversary. And they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election.” An unclassified version of the report directly tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to election meddling and said that Moscow had a “clear preference” for Trump over Clinton. Trump and his allies have bristled at any implication that the meddling helped him win the election. He won See TRUMP | Page A4
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