Lawrence Journal-World 02-12-14

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WEDNESDAY • FEBRUARY 12 • 2014

GAY RIGHTS

Religious freedom bill advances; critics say discrimination to follow

Resident feels ‘lucky’ stray bullet didn’t do more harm ———

Gunshot through door pierced leg; missed arteries By Elliot Hughes ehughes@ljworld.com

Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo

KRISTIN SPACEK, OWNER OF OWENS FLOWER SHOP, 846 Indiana St., makes a floral arrangement Tuesday at the shop. Spacek says she intends to sell flowers to customers who want to buy them, whether the flowers are intended for gay or heterosexual weddings. A bill pending in the Kansas House would allow florists and others to refuse to provide goods and services if they have religious objections to gay marriage.

House expected to approve bill today By Caitlin Doornbos cvdoornbos@ljworld.com

With a 72-42 vote Tuesday, Kansas House members gave firstround approval to a bill that aims to protect the rights of individuals, religious groups and businesses to refuse services

or goods for gay weddings based on religious beliefs. “It’s just a protective measure to ensure the religious liberties we already have will stay in place, no matter what happens in the future,” said State Rep. Charles Macheers, R-Overland Park, referring to the

possibility that Kansas’s constitutional amendment banning gay marriage could be overturned. Michael Schuttloffel, executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, said many businesses in Kansas Please see HOUSE, page 8A

Rep. Barbara Ballard, DLawrence, intends to vote against the bill, saying it‘s discriminatory and not about religious freedom.

Curiosity got the better of Martin Gibson. A clamorous argument in a neighboring apartment lured him to the peephole in his front door. When the argument appeared to be over, and when Gibson began to turn away, there came the gunshot. Gibson recognized the sound immediately. He moved away, crouched down and looked back to find a bul- Phillip let hole in his door. “Close Howard, call,” he fig- 28, of ured. LawBut there was no hole rence, in the wall was COURTS behind the eventudoor and no ally charged with agbullet on the floor. There gravated battery and was, how- aggravated assault in ever, blood connection with the saturating his pajama pants. Jan. 18 incident at the At first Gib- Peppertree Apartson thought ment complex. He has the bullet had a preliminary hearing grazed him. He was set for Feb. 18. wrong. “It went into the meat of my thigh there, right into the inner thigh,” he said days later. Gibson, a 33-year-old personal trainer, is someone who regularly stacks 225 pounds of weight onto his shoulders for squats, so when he says the bullet went right into “the meat” of his thigh, he means it. Phillip Howard, 28, of Lawrence, was eventually charged with aggravated batPlease see BULLET, page 7A

Snow removal after recent storm cost nearly $500,000 “

By Chad Lawhorn

clawhorn@ljworld.com

More than just the snow has been piling up. City and county officials now estimate that they’ve spent about $470,000 to clear streets and roads following last week’s 14-inch snowstorm. “It is always a bit of an eye-

It is always a bit of an eye-opening number. It does take a lot of resources.” — Mark Thiel, the city’s assistant director of public works

opening number,” said Mark To clear Lawrence streets Thiel, the city’s assistant direc- and city parking lots after the tor of public works. “It does most recent storm, the city take a lot of resources.” spent an estimated $350,000,

INSIDE

A little warmer Business Classified Comics Deaths

High: 34

Low: 20

Today’s forecast, page 10A

Thiel said. At the county level, costs were $118,798, according to Keith Browning, the county’s director of public works. The 14-inch snow is one of the larger single-day snowfalls in the city’s history. The large amount of snow complicated efforts, Thiel said, but not because it was overly difficult to push.

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“Pushing 14 inches of snow isn’t that much more difficult than pushing 10 inches,” Thiel said. “The biggest issue is where do you put the snow? That is a lot of snow to push on the side of the road.” Thiel said city crews did take the unusual step of hauling off

Policy discussion

Please see SNOW, page 2A

Vol.156/No.43 38 pages

A KU law professor says the regents’ social media policy may be unconstitutional because of the chilling effect it could have on free speech. Page 3A

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