Lawrence Journal-World 01-19-2017

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MEET KANSAS’ MAGNIFICENT 7 OF 1974. SPORTS, 1C TRUMP STOKES HOPE, WORRY IN RUST BELT THAT HELPED SWING ELECTION. PAGE 1B

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Wednesday • January 19 • 2017

Medicaid expansion bill introduced in Kansas House Republican-controlled Congress repeals the federal Affordable Care Act that makes the expansion possible. In fact, although supporters believe the idea has more than enough support to pass the 125seat Kansas House, all

By Peter Hancock phancock@ljworld.com

Topeka — A bill to expand the state Medicaid program has been introduced in the Kansas House, but lawmakers may have to rush in order to pass it before the

of whose members were just elected in November, the state’s entire delegation in the U.S. House is on record supporting repeal of the federal law, even though they were all re-elected on the same ballot. “What we heard during

the campaign season was that there are a lot of Kansans who want us to talk about this,” said Rep. Sue Concannon, R-Beloit. Concannon, who asked for the bill to be introduced, is vice chair of the Health and Human Services Committee that

is scheduled to hold hearings on it in early February. Last week, both chambers of Congress took initial steps toward repealing the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Three of Kansas’ four U.S. House

HAPPY TO HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL

members and both of the state’s senators voted in favor of the measure. “Today, I joined my House colleagues in taking the first step in repealing the president’s flawed health care law

> MEDICAID, 2A

Regents’ policy allows stun guns, gun storage on campus By Sara Shepherd sshepherd@ljworld.com

Elvyn Jones/Journal-World Photo

EUDORA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER NATE ROBINSON IS BACK in his computer and video editing classroom after a first semester in which he was in the hospital for 20 days from heart complications and ended up having surgery to place an artificial valve in his heart. During winter break, Robinson learned he won $50,000 in an online contest.

Fortune takes big turn for teacher after long health ordeal juniors Haley Hoffman and Lindsey Fry on how to improve their video preejones@ljworld.com sentations. It was a job he here was little indica- loved and was extremely tion Wednesday of the fortunate to have, Robinson ordeal teacher Nate said. Robinson endured in He had another reason to the first semester of smile. On New Year’s Day, his eighth year at Eudora he learned he had won a High School. $50,000 online contest ofAfter the last bell of the fered by dbrand.com, an onday, he sat smiling, workline marketer of cell phone ing before a computer with and laptop accessories. BY ELVYN JONES l l l

T

Although at first he thought he was being pranked, Robinson eventually responded to an email to claim the money while solving a required tricky math problem with the help of EHS math teacher Scott Keltner. That good fortune followed five months of heart problems that made the self-described “high-energy person” something of a zombie.

“He was really not himself for a while,” Hoffman said. “He would be curled up in a blanket at his desk. I remember we had an evening political debate we were videotaping. He stretched out on the floor the whole time.” He got spider bites while on the floor, Robinson said. They were part

> TEACHER, 2A

Topeka — The Kansas Board of Regents tweaked its statewide guns on campus policy to respond to issues that arose as individual universities drafted their policies. First, for people who don’t want to or can’t legally carry a concealed handgun but do want a form of self-defense, the statewide policy now says universities can allow BOARD OF REGENTS stun guns. Second, for people who do carry concealed guns, the statewide policy now allows universities to permit storage in additional secure places. Such storage locations are envisioned to avoid gunwearers having to run to their cars or residences to lock up their guns each time they move from an area where concealed carry is allowed to an area where it’s prohibited, according to the Regents policy proposal. “Whether a particular university will choose to provide or authorize additional secure storage locations will be up to each individual university,” said Julene Miller, an attorney for the Regents. The Board first approved its new statewide policy a year ago, then OK’d individual universities’ policies last month.

> GUNS, 2A More from the Board of Regents on Page 5A: l Student health insurance rates to climb. l KU to award honorary degree.

Kansas legislators leery of budget fix, yet moving toward it KANSAS BUDGET DIRECTOR SHAWN SULLIVAN discusses an accounting move proposed by Gov. Sam Brownback to cover a projected $342 million shortfall in the current state budget during a meeting of the House Appropriations Committee Wednesday at the Statehouse in Topeka.

By John Hanna The Associated Press

Topeka — Kansas legislators on Wednesday slammed Gov. Sam Brownback’s accounting move to mask a hole in the state budget, then signaled they may approve it anyway. The House and Senate budget committees began their review Wednesday of the Republican governor’s budget plan, which doesn’t include widespread spending cuts that some

John Hanna/AP Photo

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Fog; mostly cloudy | High: 51 CLASSIFIED..............5C-6C COMICS...........................6A

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We’re all out of good ideas — there are no good ideas.”

— Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka legislators have advocated. Kansas is one of several states, including Oklahoma and Indiana, where the problems are serious enough that legislators are reconsidering past tax cuts designed to stimulate the economy. But Kansas can’t raise taxes quickly enough to plug the

projected $342 million hole in the budget for current fiscal year before it ends June 30. As an alternative to cuts in aid to public schools and further reductions in other spending, Brownback proposed a plan to shuffle funds to push immediate budget problems into the future. “We’re kicking the can down the road. Pretty soon, there won’t be no more cans to kick,” said Sen. John Doll, a Garden City Republican who serves on the > BUDGET, 2A

Low: 40 | Forecast, 8A

HOROSCOPE...................4A OPINION..........................7A

PUZZLES.........................4A SPORTS.....................1C-4C


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