EARTH DAY
USA TODAY
FESTIVITIES ON THE WAY
Annual parade and celebration in South Park returns Saturday. In Going Out, Page 7A.
Prince recalled as pop music prodigy. 1B
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FRIDAY • APRIL 22 • 2016
Both sides rest cases in murder trial Jurors to begin deliberating today
By Conrad Swanson Twitter: @Conrad_Swanson
Jurors heard from a police detective and a medical examiner Thursday as the prosecution rested its case in the jury trial of Joshaua Back, who is accused of second-degree murder. Back’s defense also rested its
case without calling a witness, and without Back testifying. Back, 34, of Oskaloosa, faces both felony second-degree murder and theft charges. His trial began Monday. In the early morning hours
of May 25, 2015, police say Back stabbed 45-year-old Tracy Dean Lautenschlager in the neck outside a home at 700 Arkansas St. and fled in a stolen truck. Please see TRIAL, page 2A
Back
POLE POSITION
Legislators rail against budget proposals By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
Topeka — Kansas lawmakers Thursday grilled Gov. Sam Brownback’s budget director over the administration’s proposals to balance the state budget over the next 16 months, and particularly over the governor’s refusal to consider any new taxes. “The short answer The short is that he doesn’t believe now is the answer is right time to have that (Gov. a debate or discussion about raising Sam Browntaxes, particularly back) doesn’t on small business- believe now is es,” Budget Director Shawn Sullivan told the right time a joint meeting of the to have a House and Senate debate or disbudget committees. cussion about Sullivan’s appearance before the panel raising taxes, came one day after particularly revenue estimates on small busiwere released showing that the state gen- nesses.” eral fund is likely to take in $228 million — Budget Director less than previously Shawn Sullivan forecast between now and the end of the next fiscal year. Based on spending lawmakers have already approved, that would create a projected $140 million deficit in the current fiscal year that ends June 30 and a $151 million deficit in the next fiscal year that begins July 1. To address those shortfalls, the Brownback administration has laid out three options, all of which begin with sweeping roughly $185 million out of the state highway fund to shore up the general fund both this year and next year, and extending for another year a $17.7 million, or 3 percent, cut in funding for the state’s six universities, including Kansas University. “We continue to work with the governor’s office and legislators in support of stable funding for higher education in Kansas,” KU vice chancellor of public affairs Tim Caboni told the JournalWorld on Thursday.
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Richard Gwin/Journal-World Photo
FORMER KU VAULTER JORDAN SCOTT TAKES OFF DOWN THE RUNWAY in front of a cheering crowd of about 500 spectators at the men’s street vault event Thursday night at the Salty Iguana, 4931 W. Sixth St. Scott cleared 17 feet, finishing in second place. More in Sports, Page 1D.
Rules for local massage industry in the works By Nikki Wentling Twitter: @nikkiwentling
At the urging of the Lawrence Police Department, the City Attorney’s office is working on potential additions to city code aiming to suppress sex-trafficking operations
disguised as massage parlors. On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council approved a new, extensive licensing procedure for massage parlors that bans sex activity and nudity in such shops. Maria Garcia, assistant city attorney
for Lawrence, said she’s reviewing the measures Wichita is adopting, as well as ordinances in other cities, to determine what to propose for Lawrence. “The police department is interested in having more language on massage regulations,” Garcia said.
“They’ve come to us with that request, and so we’re looking at the issue.” It’s still early in the process of creating a new ordinance, Garcia said, and it will require input from the City Commission. Please see MASSAGE, page 2A
Please see BUDGET, page 2A
Donor to match next $5K given to fund named for paralyzed student Heard on the Hill
Sara Shepherd sshepherd@ljworld.com
A
donor who wishes to remain anonymous has agreed to match the next $5,000 in donations — made before 5 p.m. today — to the new Tom Babb Student Accessibility Scholarship, according to the Kansas University Endowment Association. Babb, a freshman member of KU’s Beta Theta Pi fraternity, was paralyzed from the neck down while vacationing with his family in Hawaii over winter break. After more than three months of hospitalization, he’s now
Business Classified Comics Deaths
Low: 45
Today’s forecast, page 10A
MEMBERS OF KANSAS UNIVERSITY’S BETA THETA PI FRATERNITY pose with freshman Tom Babb at a special initiation ceremony for Babb Feb. 20 in in Evergreen, Colo. A scholarship fund named after Babb has been established for students with disabilities who require full-time care from a professional caregiver. Contributed photo
Please see FUND, page 2A
INSIDE
Plenty of sun
High: 72
home with his family in Colorado but hopes to return to KU this fall. If you missed my story about Babb in Sunday’s paper, check it out at LJWorld.com. He had to miss Beta’s Feb. 7 initiation, but a couple weeks later the fraternity chartered a bus and drove to Colorado to initiate him there. Now they’re planning a 5K run, set for Sunday on campus, to raise money for the scholarship in his name.
2A 4C-8C 6A 2A
Events listings 10A, 2C Puzzles Hometown Lawrence 1C-3C Sports Horoscope 8A Television Opinion 9A USA Today
School budget plans 8A 1D-4D 8A, 10A, 2D 1B-8B
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Lawrence school district officials say a mill levy increase may be necessary to avoid substantial cuts next school year. 3A
Vol.158/No.113 32 pages