LOUDON COUNTY, Virginia —Law enforcement have identified a suspect and a warrant has been issued for the burglary at Trump Campaign Headquarters, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.

&nbsp;Deputies also secured a warrant for the arrest of Toby Shane Kessler, 39, on the charge of Burglary; Entering dwelling house, etc., with intent to commit larceny, assault and battery or other felony) in connection with the break in at the local office of Trump for President 2024 campaign in Ashburn, VA, Sunday.

 The office, in the 20000 block of Ashbrook Place, is being leased by the Trump campaign and also serves as the headquarters of the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee.

Just after 9p.m. Sunday, the sheriff's office was contacted about the burglary and deputies responded. Investigators have video surveillance of the suspect. He is a white adult male, wearing dark clothing, a dark cap, and a backpack when he entered the location.

“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”

Anyone who believes they know the suspect, witnessed the burglary, or has any other information is asked to contact Detective Franks at 571-918-1869.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723644144685.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LOUDON COUNTY, Virginia —Law enforcement have identified a suspect and a warrant has been issued for the burglary at Trump Campaign Headquarters, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723718627492.png" alt="Kessler-photo Loudon Co. Sheriff" />
 <figcaption>Kessler-photo Loudon Co. Sheriff</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Deputies also secured a warrant for the arrest of Toby Shane Kessler, 39, on the charge of Burglary; Entering dwelling house, etc., with intent to commit larceny, assault and battery or other felony) in connection with the break in at the local office of Trump for President 2024 campaign in Ashburn, VA, Sunday. The office, in the 20000 block of Ashbrook Place, is being leased by the Trump campaign and also serves as the headquarters of the Virginia 10th District Republican Committee.Just after 9p.m. Sunday, the sheriff's office was contacted about the burglary and deputies responded. Investigators have video surveillance of the suspect. He is a white adult male, wearing dark clothing, a dark cap, and a backpack when he entered the location.“It is rare to have the office of any political campaign or party broken into,” said Sheriff Mike Chapman. “We are determined to identify the suspect, investigate why it happened, and determine what may have been taken as well as what may have been left behind.”Anyone who believes they know the suspect, witnessed the burglary, or has any other information is asked to contact Detective Franks at 571-918-1869.&nbsp;------

Sheriff IDs suspect in burglary at Trump campaign office 

BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities including the FBI, KBI and Augusta Department of&nbsp; Public Safety investigating the September 2023 murder of 93-year-old Joanne Johnson in her home in Augusta have&nbsp; arrested two juveniles, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

On Thursday afternoon two 14-year-old girls from Augusta were arrested for first-degree murder connected to Johnson’s death.

 Johnson was discovered deceased in her residence on September 3, 2023.The teens are being held at separate juvenile detention centers. Formal charges are pending.

In May, Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information that led to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Johnson’s murder. 

Under the same conditions, the family of Joanne Johnson has offered to match the reward for information, increasing the total reward to $10,000.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/5/1715093373488.png" alt="-In May, Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information that led to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Johnson’s murder." />
 <figcaption>-In May, Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information that led to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Johnson’s murder.</figcaption>
 </figure>BUTLER COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities including the FBI, KBI and Augusta Department of&nbsp; Public Safety investigating the September 2023 murder of 93-year-old Joanne Johnson in her home in Augusta have&nbsp; arrested two juveniles, according to a media release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.On Thursday afternoon two 14-year-old girls from Augusta were arrested for first-degree murder connected to Johnson’s death. Johnson was discovered deceased in her residence on September 3, 2023.The teens are being held at separate juvenile detention centers. Formal charges are pending.In May, Governor Laura Kelly has issued an executive order offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information that led to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for Johnson’s murder. Under the same conditions, the family of Joanne Johnson has offered to match the reward for information, increasing the total reward to $10,000.

14-year-olds accused in the murder of  93-year-old Kansas woman

By NATE KING Salina Post

Following multiple ceremonial bill signing events held in Leavenworth and Holton, Governor Laura Kelly called Salina Post to discuss the present and long-term impacts of tax reform, the possibility of Medicaid expansion in 2025, her reflections on the state's current financial standing, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ potential move across state lines.

After three years of debate on how best to provide tax relief to the Sunflower State, Kansas lawmakers and Gov. Kelly reached a bipartisan deal during a special session of the Kansas Legislature this summer.&nbsp;

Although the process of delivering tax reform to Kansas took years to achieve, it has been something Gov. Kelly's administration has sought since she became governor in 2019. The bill, Senate Bill One, provides a $2 billion reduction in state income and property taxes over the next five years.

“I've been wanting to provide tax relief for that amount of time. It took multiple legislative sessions to come to a consensus," Gov. Kelly said. "There was a lot of push to provide much more on the income tax side, which tends to benefit people with more means. I wanted a tax bill that would really target our middle-class, working-class families across the state of Kansas."

House and Senate Republicans' attempts to pass a flat income tax were dashed by Gov. Kelly's veto, which was followed by subsequent failed veto override votes.

According to The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a flat tax structure would have cost the state $650 million annually once phased in, and from Gov. Kelly's view, its enactment would have sent the state back to the Brownback years.

“It [flat tax] would start to take us back to the Brownback days and I just could not let that happen," Gov. Kelly said. "At that point, we had a three-tier tax system. I still believe we should have maintained a three-tier tax system. It's fair, but it's also nimble. By having that, when bad economic times come — and they do come; you don't see the kind of decrease in state revenues that you do if you have fewer tax brackets, particularly a single tax bracket.”

Lawmakers passed Senate Bill One on June 18. The Senate's final vote was 34-4 and 121-2 in the Kansas House of Representatives.

Senate Bill One establishes a two-bracket income tax system for married individuals filing jointly. Income up to $46,000 will be taxed at 5.2%, and income above that will be taxed at 5.58%.&nbsp;

Gov Kelly noted one of the crucial changes brought by Senate Bill One is the increase in the personal exemption, which goes from $2,250 to $9,160 for individuals.

Taxpayers will receive an additional $2,320 exemption for each dependent listed on their return. The bill accounts for a slight increase in the standard deduction, with single filers' deductions rising from $3,500 to $3,605 and married filers' rising from $8,000 to $8,240. Heads of household will see an additional $180 in exemptions going from $6,000 to $6,180.

"It [SB 1] will impact everybody to at least some degree. I think our seniors are going to see the most obvious relief because we will be eliminating all state taxes on Social Security," Gov. Kelly said.

Additionally, with this bill, Kansas joined more than thirty other states in eliminating state social security taxes.

Income taxes and social security aren't the only ways Kansans will see savings. The bill also reduces property taxes by raising the exemption on school general fund property tax mill levies.

"Kansans who own property will see a reduction in their property tax bill from the state. We levy right now, 20 Mills on residential property that is to help fund our schools. To date, we exempt the first $42,000 or so property value from that tax, we're lifting that exemption to $75,000," Gov. Kelly said.

Gov. Kelly said Kansans looking to start or grow their family also benefit from Senate Bill One.

"Our families will enjoy a doubling of the Childcare Dependent Care Tax Credit to $6 million, which will make a huge difference, I think, particularly for families with a lot of kids," Kelly said.

From her days as a Senator representing Kansas' 18th Senate District to serving as governor, Kelly has been a strong advocate for the expansion of Medicaid, the federal government program providing care to some 80 million Americans living on low incomes.&nbsp;

"There's no good logical reason for not having expanded Medicaid," Gov. Kelly said. "Originally, when Medicaid expansion was available to states in 2014 I think there were some legitimate questions about what it would do to the state budget."

Gov. Kelly emphasized the social and economic benefits of Medicaid expansion, which would cover an estimated 50,000 more Kansans.

"There were very legitimate concerns. What would happen if the federal government, you know, pulled the plug after you've done expansion. But over time, all of the concerns have been answered," Gov. Kelly said.

Kansas' decision not to expand Medicaid has forfeited over $7 billion in taxpayer money since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2014.

"That just makes absolutely no sense and has really done some serious harm to our economy," Gov. Kelly said.

Gov. Kelly cited the ten hospitals that have closed in Kansas since the federal government made Medicaid expansion available as one reason why Medicaid should be expanded in Kansas.

"I'm not going to say that Medicaid expansion is the complete and total answer to our issues with rural health care, but it certainly is a tool that needs to be in the toolbox in order for us to resolve those issues,"&nbsp; Gov. Kelly said. "The other thing that's very subtle, and only people in those communities notice it, but because all of the other states around us have expanded Medicaid, we are bleeding healthcare workers across our borders."

Expanding Medicaid continues to be a point of contention in Topeka. Gov. Kelly said leaders in the statehouse are out of touch with their constituents in their thinking on Medicaid.

"It has really come down to having legislative leaders who are stuck in the past, who are still concerned about the passage of the Affordable Care Act more than 10 years ago, and they just can't give up on the idea," Gov. Kelly said. "They said, then it was a bad idea, and they sort of painted themselves into a corner, and have not figured out a way to come out of that corner and let their let their caucuses in the House and in the Senate, take a vote of Medicaid expansion.”

One of the popular arguments used by Kansans against the expansion of Medicaid is that it will raise taxes on middle and low-income Kansans. According to Gov. Kelly, states that have expanded Medicaid haven't seen a negative impact on their tax structures.

"In fact, what they have seen is that premiums for people who get their health insurance through the private sector actually have stabilized," Gov. Kelly said. "Because of Medicaid expansion, our hospitals would get reimbursed for the care that they provide to these people who are eligible for Medicaid."

Gov. Kelly explained that when hospitals provide uncompensated care in emergency rooms, the most expensive place for healthcare, they have to charge other patients more to cover those costs.

"They provided in the emergency room, the most expensive place to get health care, and so hospitals then have to charge other patients more money to cover the costs of that uncompensated care that they have to provide in the emergency rooms and when they charge other patients more money, the insurance companies raise the cost of the premium, and premium costs go up for every Kansan with private healthcare."

In 2023 a survey released by the<a href="https://sunflowerfoundation.org/statewide-poll-on-medicaid-expansion/">&nbsp;Sunflower Foundation</a>&nbsp;found 68% of Kansas voters supported Medicaid expansion.

"There's no good reason. We just need to continue to push and hope that the pressure on legislative leadership gets to the point that their caucus members demand the opportunity to vote on Medicaid expansion," Gov. Kelly said.

Tax reform wasn't the only item on the agenda for the special session this summer. Lawmakers also modified existing economic incentive rules to enable the state to potentially attract professional sports teams — like the Kansas City Chiefs. Gov. Kelly had little to share on the topic, but said she appreciates the legislature expanding the economic tool box.

"I think as we look to the future in Kansas, if an opportunity should should come our way, it's nice that we now have a tool in place to make that work,”she said.

Gov. Kelly said the Kansas City Chiefs have made it clear they will make a decision regarding their location no later than the end of the year.

"We're here, and we've got the tools in place," Gov. Kelly said.

Gov. Kelly comments on Minnesota Governor and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz

Gov. Kelly praised Vice President and Democratic candidate for president Kamala Harris' own vice president pick, citing the balance Walz brings to the ticket.

"She could not have picked a better partner. Somebody that balances the ticket," Gov. Kelly said. "She's coastal. He's Midwest."

Gov. Kelly said she has gotten to know Walz over the last few years, and according to her, Walz is "as good and kind as humble as they come."

“You could not ask for somebody with a better resume and a better personality to work side by side with,” she said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1722967941078.png" alt="Gov. Kelly and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, now a candidate for Vice President" />
 <figcaption>Gov. Kelly and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, now a candidate for Vice President</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostFollowing multiple ceremonial bill signing events held in Leavenworth and Holton, Governor Laura Kelly called Salina Post to discuss the present and long-term impacts of tax reform, the possibility of Medicaid expansion in 2025, her reflections on the state's current financial standing, and the Kansas City Chiefs’ potential move across state lines.After three years of debate on how best to provide tax relief to the Sunflower State, Kansas lawmakers and Gov. Kelly reached a bipartisan deal during a special session of the Kansas Legislature this summer.&nbsp;<h2>Senate Bill One</h2>Although the process of delivering tax reform to Kansas took years to achieve, it has been something Gov. Kelly's administration has sought since she became governor in 2019. The bill, Senate Bill One, provides a $2 billion reduction in state income and property taxes over the next five years.“I've been wanting to provide tax relief for that amount of time. It took multiple legislative sessions to come to a consensus," Gov. Kelly said. "There was a lot of push to provide much more on the income tax side, which tends to benefit people with more means. I wanted a tax bill that would really target our middle-class, working-class families across the state of Kansas."House and Senate Republicans' attempts to pass a flat income tax were dashed by Gov. Kelly's veto, which was followed by subsequent failed veto override votes.According to The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a flat tax structure would have cost the state $650 million annually once phased in, and from Gov. Kelly's view, its enactment would have sent the state back to the Brownback years.“It [flat tax] would start to take us back to the Brownback days and I just could not let that happen," Gov. Kelly said. "At that point, we had a three-tier tax system. I still believe we should have maintained a three-tier tax system. It's fair, but it's also nimble. By having that, when bad economic times come — and they do come; you don't see the kind of decrease in state revenues that you do if you have fewer tax brackets, particularly a single tax bracket.”Lawmakers passed Senate Bill One on June 18. The Senate's final vote was 34-4 and 121-2 in the Kansas House of Representatives.Senate Bill One establishes a two-bracket income tax system for married individuals filing jointly. Income up to $46,000 will be taxed at 5.2%, and income above that will be taxed at 5.58%.&nbsp;Gov Kelly noted one of the crucial changes brought by Senate Bill One is the increase in the personal exemption, which goes from $2,250 to $9,160 for individuals.Taxpayers will receive an additional $2,320 exemption for each dependent listed on their return. The bill accounts for a slight increase in the standard deduction, with single filers' deductions rising from $3,500 to $3,605 and married filers' rising from $8,000 to $8,240. Heads of household will see an additional $180 in exemptions going from $6,000 to $6,180."It [SB 1] will impact everybody to at least some degree. I think our seniors are going to see the most obvious relief because we will be eliminating all state taxes on Social Security," Gov. Kelly said.Additionally, with this bill, Kansas joined more than thirty other states in eliminating state social security taxes.Income taxes and social security aren't the only ways Kansans will see savings. The bill also reduces property taxes by raising the exemption on school general fund property tax mill levies."Kansans who own property will see a reduction in their property tax bill from the state. We levy right now, 20 Mills on residential property that is to help fund our schools. To date, we exempt the first $42,000 or so property value from that tax, we're lifting that exemption to $75,000," Gov. Kelly said.Gov. Kelly said Kansans looking to start or grow their family also benefit from Senate Bill One."Our families will enjoy a doubling of the Childcare Dependent Care Tax Credit to $6 million, which will make a huge difference, I think, particularly for families with a lot of kids," Kelly said.<h2>Medicaid expansion</h2>From her days as a Senator representing Kansas' 18th Senate District to serving as governor, Kelly has been a strong advocate for the expansion of Medicaid, the federal government program providing care to some 80 million Americans living on low incomes.&nbsp;"There's no good logical reason for not having expanded Medicaid," Gov. Kelly said. "Originally, when Medicaid expansion was available to states in 2014 I think there were some legitimate questions about what it would do to the state budget."Gov. Kelly emphasized the social and economic benefits of Medicaid expansion, which would cover an estimated 50,000 more Kansans."There were very legitimate concerns. What would happen if the federal government, you know, pulled the plug after you've done expansion. But over time, all of the concerns have been answered," Gov. Kelly said.Kansas' decision not to expand Medicaid has forfeited over $7 billion in taxpayer money since the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2014."That just makes absolutely no sense and has really done some serious harm to our economy," Gov. Kelly said.Gov. Kelly cited the ten hospitals that have closed in Kansas since the federal government made Medicaid expansion available as one reason why Medicaid should be expanded in Kansas."I'm not going to say that Medicaid expansion is the complete and total answer to our issues with rural health care, but it certainly is a tool that needs to be in the toolbox in order for us to resolve those issues,"&nbsp; Gov. Kelly said. "The other thing that's very subtle, and only people in those communities notice it, but because all of the other states around us have expanded Medicaid, we are bleeding healthcare workers across our borders."Expanding Medicaid continues to be a point of contention in Topeka. Gov. Kelly said leaders in the statehouse are out of touch with their constituents in their thinking on Medicaid."It has really come down to having legislative leaders who are stuck in the past, who are still concerned about the passage of the Affordable Care Act more than 10 years ago, and they just can't give up on the idea," Gov. Kelly said. "They said, then it was a bad idea, and they sort of painted themselves into a corner, and have not figured out a way to come out of that corner and let their let their caucuses in the House and in the Senate, take a vote of Medicaid expansion.”One of the popular arguments used by Kansans against the expansion of Medicaid is that it will raise taxes on middle and low-income Kansans. According to Gov. Kelly, states that have expanded Medicaid haven't seen a negative impact on their tax structures."In fact, what they have seen is that premiums for people who get their health insurance through the private sector actually have stabilized," Gov. Kelly said. "Because of Medicaid expansion, our hospitals would get reimbursed for the care that they provide to these people who are eligible for Medicaid."Gov. Kelly explained that when hospitals provide uncompensated care in emergency rooms, the most expensive place for healthcare, they have to charge other patients more to cover those costs."They provided in the emergency room, the most expensive place to get health care, and so hospitals then have to charge other patients more money to cover the costs of that uncompensated care that they have to provide in the emergency rooms and when they charge other patients more money, the insurance companies raise the cost of the premium, and premium costs go up for every Kansan with private healthcare."In 2023 a survey released by the<a href="https://sunflowerfoundation.org/statewide-poll-on-medicaid-expansion/">&nbsp;Sunflower Foundation</a>&nbsp;found 68% of Kansas voters supported Medicaid expansion."There's no good reason. We just need to continue to push and hope that the pressure on legislative leadership gets to the point that their caucus members demand the opportunity to vote on Medicaid expansion," Gov. Kelly said.<h2>Kansas City Chiefs</h2>Tax reform wasn't the only item on the agenda for the special session this summer. Lawmakers also modified existing economic incentive rules to enable the state to potentially attract professional sports teams — like the Kansas City Chiefs. Gov. Kelly had little to share on the topic, but said she appreciates the legislature expanding the economic tool box."I think as we look to the future in Kansas, if an opportunity should should come our way, it's nice that we now have a tool in place to make that work,”she said.Gov. Kelly said the Kansas City Chiefs have made it clear they will make a decision regarding their location no later than the end of the year."We're here, and we've got the tools in place," Gov. Kelly said.<h2>Gov. Kelly comments on Minnesota Governor and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz</h2>Gov. Kelly praised Vice President and Democratic candidate for president Kamala Harris' own vice president pick, citing the balance Walz brings to the ticket."She could not have picked a better partner. Somebody that balances the ticket," Gov. Kelly said. "She's coastal. He's Midwest."Gov. Kelly said she has gotten to know Walz over the last few years, and according to her, Walz is "as good and kind as humble as they come."“You could not ask for somebody with a better resume and a better personality to work side by side with,” she said.

Gov. Kelly discusses $2B tax reform bill, Medicaid expansion, national politics

MCPHERSON COUNTY —The McPherson County Board of Public Utility crews are working to restore power outages following a storm that saw 70-80 mile per hour winds to south central Kansas.

 All available utility crews were dispatched. At this time officials estimate approximately 600 outages as a result of the storm. There were no injuries reported, according to the McPherson County Sheriff's office.

Residents who live within city limits on the south side of McPherson were expected to have their power restored overnight. Rural customers that live southwest of the city limits can expect an extended outage. Some may see an outage of 12-24 hours.

The sheriff's office asked the public to avoid the area around 22nd Avenue between Eisenhower Road and Dakota Road as multiple power lines were down, there is damage to residential structures and emergency crews working in the area.

The Board of Public Utilities reported there are approximately 2 miles of power lines down on the circuit that feeds this section of the system. 

Also, do not assume the Board of Public Utilities knows about your outage. If you lose power call their 24/hr outage number 620-504-7300 to report the outage.Thank you for your patience.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723684445843.jpeg" alt="A semi on its side in the northbound lanes of I-135 near the McPherson exit. Photo newstips@salinapost.com" />
 <figcaption>A semi on its side in the northbound lanes of I-135 near the McPherson exit. Photo newstips@salinapost.com</figcaption>
 </figure>MCPHERSON COUNTY —The McPherson County Board of Public Utility crews are working to restore power outages following a storm that saw 70-80 mile per hour winds to south central Kansas. All available utility crews were dispatched. At this time officials estimate approximately 600 outages as a result of the storm. There were no injuries reported, according to the McPherson County Sheriff's office.Residents who live within city limits on the south side of McPherson were expected to have their power restored overnight. Rural customers that live southwest of the city limits can expect an extended outage. Some may see an outage of 12-24 hours.The sheriff's office asked the public to avoid the area around 22nd Avenue between Eisenhower Road and Dakota Road as multiple power lines were down, there is damage to residential structures and emergency crews working in the area.The Board of Public Utilities reported there are approximately 2 miles of power lines down on the circuit that feeds this section of the system. Also, do not assume the Board of Public Utilities knows about your outage. If you lose power call their 24/hr outage number 620-504-7300 to report the outage.Thank you for your patience.

Summer storm left widespread damage in portions of Kansas

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>

Six months after Gabriella Magers-Darger’s legs were burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February, the 14-year-old is ready to leave the past behind.

She is dreading the pitfalls of being a high school freshman, even as she looks forward to being back with friends and at color guard, dance, and volleyball. She might even join the wrestling team to get some respect at school.

At a July Fourth gathering, a family friend brought noise-canceling headphones in case the fireworks became too much. Earlier in the summer Gabriella had a hard time viewing a relative’s gun collection, the handguns in particular. And she hyperventilated when she saw a family friend’s finger after it was sliced by accident — the sight of blood reminds her of seeing a fatally wounded Lisa Lopez-Galvan minutes after she was shot outside Union Station, the only person killed that day.

Her mom, Bridget Barton, said Gabriella has had a chip on her shoulder since the parade.

“She’s lost some softness to her, some gentleness to her,” Barton said.

Children are particularly vulnerable to the stresses of gun violence, and 10 of 24 people injured by bullets at the Feb. 14 parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children like Gabriella experienced the trauma firsthand. They’ve endured fear, anger, sleep problems, and hypersensitivity to crowds and noises.

A 15-year-old girl who was shot through the jaw and shoulder effectively dropped out of school for a time and daily panic attacks kept her from summer school, too. An 11-year-old boy shot in the side described feeling angry at school for reasons he couldn’t explain. A 5-year-old girl who was on her father’s shoulders when he was hit by gunfire panics each time her dad feels sick, fearing he has been shot again.

“She’s not the same kid. I mean, she’s definitely not,” said Erika Nelson, mother of the 15-year-old, Mireya, who has scars on her jaw and face. “You never know when she’s going to snap. You never know. You might say something or someone might bring up something that reminds her of that day.”

Guns overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children in 2020, but a far higher number of kids are hit by gunfire and survive.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-and-adolescents/" target="_blank">Research suggests</a>&nbsp;that kids sustain nonfatal firearm injuries anywhere from two to four times more often than they are killed by guns.

Scientists say the long-term effects of gun violence on kids are little researched and poorly understood. But the harm is pervasive. Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00587" target="_blank">researchers found</a>&nbsp;that during the first year after a firearm injury, child survivors experienced a 117% increase in pain disorders, a 68% increase in psychiatric disorders, and a 144% increase in substance use disorders. The mental health effects spill over — to mothers, fathers, siblings.

For many affected by the shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, the triggers began right away.

Just 10 days after Samuel Arellano was shot at the parade, he attended another big sporting event.

Samuel was invited to attend a University of Kansas men’s basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. During a break in the game, with a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KUHoops/status/1761593643909972045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1761593643909972045%7Ctwgr%5Ea69f3f0052dd3c1233485c50399f888e7abe6c39%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kshb.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fparade-shooting%2Fboy-injured-in-chiefs-rally-shooting-invited-to-ku-basketball-game-receives-video-message-from-jalen-wilson" target="_blank">video camera pointed at Samuel</a>&nbsp;and his parents, former KU star Jalen Wilson appeared on the scoreboard and addressed him directly.

“I heard about your story,” Wilson, who now plays in the NBA, said on the big screen. “I’m so very thankful that you are here today and it is a blessing that we can have you to give you the love and support you truly deserve.”

Wilson asked the 16,000 fans in attendance to stand and give Samuel a round of applause. As the crowd clapped and an announcer bellowed about him being a “brave young man,” Samuel looked at his parents, then down at his feet, smiling shyly.

But minutes later when the game resumed, Samuel started to cry and had to leave the auditorium with his mom, Abigail.

“When it got pretty loud, that’s when he started breaking up again,” his dad, Antonio, said. “So she had to step out with him for a minute. So any loud places, if it’s too loud, it’s affecting him.”

Samuel, who turned 11 in March, was shot in the ribs on his right side. The scar on his back is barely noticeable now, but lingering effects from the parade shooting are obvious. He is seeing a therapist — as is his father, though Abigail has had a tough time finding a Spanish-speaking one and still hasn’t had an appointment.

Samuel had trouble sleeping in the first weeks after the shooting and often crawled in bed with his mom and dad. He used to get good grades, but that became more difficult, Abigail said. His personality has changed, which sometimes has shown up at school.

“I get mad easily,” Samuel said. “I [have] never been like this before but like, if they tell me to sit down, I get mad. I don’t know why.”

Traumatized children often have difficulty expressing emotions and may be given to outbursts of anger, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://csw.osu.edu/faculty/johnson-motoyama-michelle-ph-d/" target="_blank">Michelle Johnson-Motoyama</a>, a professor of social work at Ohio State University.

“I’m sure for that child there is a sense of tremendous injustice about what happened,” Johnson-Motoyama said.

Especially right after the shooting, Samuel had panic attacks, Antonio said, and he’d break out in a sweat. Therapists told them that was normal. But the parents also kept him off his phone for a while, as there was so much about the shooting on the news and online.

Abigail, who works at a car dealership with Antonio, is anxious about seeing her son change, his suffering and sadness. She is also concerned for her three daughters, a 16-year-old and 13-year-old twins. Her father, Victor Salas, who was with Samuel at the parade, was also reeling in its aftermath.

“I’m crying and crying and crying about what happened,” Salas said in Spanish four days after the parade. “Because it was chaos. It doesn’t mean that families don’t love their family, but everyone took off to save their own lives. I saved my grandchildren’s lives, but what happens to the rest of the people? We’re not prepared.”

On the good side, Samuel felt very supported by the community in Kansas City, Kansas. Many people from his school stopped by in the first few days to visit, including friends and even a former bus driver, who was in tears. He has a “room full of candy,” Abigail said, mostly Skittles, his favorite.

An autographed football from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes arrived on his birthday. It made him cry, his father said, which happens pretty often.

“There are good and bad days, days that are more normal and easier, and then there are days where the family has to be a little bit more aware and supportive,” Abigail said in Spanish. “He’s always been outgoing and talkative like his mom, but that has changed since the parade.”

The Fourth of July was particularly harrowing for many of the young survivors and their families. Should they buy fireworks? Will they want to celebrate? And why do all the firecrackers going off in the neighborhood sound like gunshots?

Fourteen-year-old Gabriella needed help from her stepfather, Jason Barton, to light her fireworks this year, something she is ordinarily enthusiastic about doing herself. At the parade, like many people, the Barton family initially mistook the sound of gunfire for fireworks.

And Erika Nelson, a single mom in Belton, Missouri, feared even bringing up the holiday with Mireya, who has always loved Independence Day. Eventually Mireya said she didn’t want any big fireworks this year and wanted only her mom to set theirs off.

“Just any little trigger — I mean, it could be a light crackle — and she just clenched,” Erika Nelson said.

Patty Davis, a program manager for trauma-informed care at Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City, said even her clients who were at the parade but were not injured still flinch at the sounds of sirens or other loud noises. It’s a powerful response to gun violence, she said.

“So not just an accidental trauma,” she said, “but a trauma that was perpetrated for violent purposes, which can cause an increased level of anxiety for persons around that to wonder if it’s going to happen again. And how safe are they?”

Random sounds, bright lights, and crowds can catch the kids and their parents off guard. In June, Mireya Nelson was waiting for her older sister after a dance recital, hoping to see a boy she knew give a flower to a girl everyone said he had a crush on. Her mom wanted to go, but Mireya shushed her.

“Then all of a sudden, there was a loud boom,” Erika said. “She dropped low to the ground. And then she jumped back up. She goes, ‘Oh my God, I was getting shot again!’”

Mireya said it so loudly people were staring, so it was Erika’s turn to shush her and try to soothe her.

“I was like, ‘Mireya, it’s OK. You’re all right. They dropped a table. They’re just moving stuff out. It was an accident,’” Erika said.

It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off and Mireya later giggled about it, but Erika is always on watch.

Her daughter’s early sadness — she watched movies for hours, crying throughout — has since changed to a cheekiness. Half a year later, Mireya will joke about the shooting, which tears her mother up. But maybe that is part of the healing process, Erika says.

Before the Fourth of July, Mireya went to Worlds of Fun, a large amusement park, and had a good time. She felt OK because there were security guards everywhere. She also enjoyed a visit to the local FBI office with a friend who was with her the day of the shooting. But when someone suggested a trip to the ballet, Mireya squashed it quickly — it’s near Union Station, the site of the shooting. She doesn’t want to go downtown anymore.

Erika said the doctor appointments and financial strains have been a lot to juggle and that her biggest frustration as a parent is that she’s not able to fix things for her daughter.

“They have to go their own way, their own process of healing. I can’t shake her, like, ‘Get back to yourself,’” Erika said. “It could take months, years. Who knows? It could be the rest of her life. But I hope that she can overcome a little bit of it.”

James Lemons noticed a change in his 5-year-old daughter, Kensley, who was on his shoulders when he was shot at the parade. Before the shooting Kensley was outgoing and engaged, James said, but now she is withdrawn, like she has closed off her bubble and disconnected from people.

Large crowds and police officers remind Kensley of the parade. Both were present at a high school graduation the family attended this summer, prompting Kensley to ask repeatedly to leave. James took her to an empty football field, where, he said, she broke out in goose bumps and complained of being cold despite the sweltering heat.

Bedtime is a particular problem for the Lemons family. Kensley has been sleeping with her parents. Another child, 10-year-old Jaxson, has had bad dreams. One night, he dreamt that the shooter was coming near his dad and he tripped him, said Brandie Lemons, Jaxson’s stepmom.

Younger children like Kensley exposed to gun violence are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than older children, according to Ohio State’s Johnson-Motoyama.

Davis, of Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, said children whose brains are not fully developed can have a hard time sleeping and understanding that they are safe in their homes at night.

James got the family a new puppy — an American bulldog that already weighs 32 pounds — to help them feel protected.

“I looked up the pedigree,” he said, “They’re real protective. They’re real loving.”

Gabriella took up boxing after the shooting. Her mother, Bridget, said it restored some of her confidence and control that dimmed after the parade.

“I like beating people up — not in a mean way, I swear,” Gabriella said in April as she molded a mouthguard to her teeth before leaving for training.

She has since stopped boxing, however, so the money can instead go toward a trip to Puerto Rico with her Spanish class. They’re paying $153 a month for 21 months to cover the trip. Boxing classes were $60 a month.

Bridget thought boxing was a good outlet for leftover anger, but by the end of July Gabriella wasn’t sure if she still had the drive to fight back that way.

“The past is the past but we’re still gonna all, like, go through stuff. Does that make sense?” Gabriella asked.

“You’re mostly OK but you still have triggers. Is that what you mean?” her mother asked.

After the shooting, Mireya Nelson tried online classes, which didn’t work well. The first few days of summer school, Mireya had a panic attack every day in the car and her mother took her home.

Mireya wants to return to high school this fall, and Erika is wary.

“You know, if I do go back to school, there’s a chance at school of being shot, because most schools nowadays get shot up,” Erika recalled her daughter saying. “And I’m like, ‘Well, we can’t think like that. You never know what’s gonna happen.’”

<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723664076489.png" alt=" Ten of 24 people injured by bullets at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children experienced the trauma firsthand. Gabriella Magers-Darger (left) was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet. Samuel Arellano was shot in the side (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News)" />
 <figcaption> Ten of 24 people injured by bullets at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children experienced the trauma firsthand. Gabriella Magers-Darger (left) was burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet. Samuel Arellano was shot in the side (Christopher Smith for KFF Health News)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/bramsablesmith/">BRAM SABLE-SMITH</a>&nbsp;AND&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/peggylowe/">PEGGY LOWE</a>Six months after Gabriella Magers-Darger’s legs were burned by sparks from a ricocheted bullet at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl parade in February, the 14-year-old is ready to leave the past behind.She is dreading the pitfalls of being a high school freshman, even as she looks forward to being back with friends and at color guard, dance, and volleyball. She might even join the wrestling team to get some respect at school.But the past remains ever present.At a July Fourth gathering, a family friend brought noise-canceling headphones in case the fireworks became too much. Earlier in the summer Gabriella had a hard time viewing a relative’s gun collection, the handguns in particular. And she hyperventilated when she saw a family friend’s finger after it was sliced by accident — the sight of blood reminds her of seeing a fatally wounded Lisa Lopez-Galvan minutes after she was shot outside Union Station, the only person killed that day.Her mom, Bridget Barton, said Gabriella has had a chip on her shoulder since the parade.“She’s lost some softness to her, some gentleness to her,” Barton said.Children are particularly vulnerable to the stresses of gun violence, and 10 of 24 people injured by bullets at the Feb. 14 parade were under 18 years old. Countless more children like Gabriella experienced the trauma firsthand. They’ve endured fear, anger, sleep problems, and hypersensitivity to crowds and noises.A 15-year-old girl who was shot through the jaw and shoulder effectively dropped out of school for a time and daily panic attacks kept her from summer school, too. An 11-year-old boy shot in the side described feeling angry at school for reasons he couldn’t explain. A 5-year-old girl who was on her father’s shoulders when he was hit by gunfire panics each time her dad feels sick, fearing he has been shot again.“She’s not the same kid. I mean, she’s definitely not,” said Erika Nelson, mother of the 15-year-old, Mireya, who has scars on her jaw and face. “You never know when she’s going to snap. You never know. You might say something or someone might bring up something that reminds her of that day.”Guns overtook motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for children in 2020, but a far higher number of kids are hit by gunfire and survive.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/mental-health/issue-brief/the-impact-of-gun-violence-on-children-and-adolescents/" target="_blank">Research suggests</a>&nbsp;that kids sustain nonfatal firearm injuries anywhere from two to four times more often than they are killed by guns.Scientists say the long-term effects of gun violence on kids are little researched and poorly understood. But the harm is pervasive. Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/full/10.1377/hlthaff.2023.00587" target="_blank">researchers found</a>&nbsp;that during the first year after a firearm injury, child survivors experienced a 117% increase in pain disorders, a 68% increase in psychiatric disorders, and a 144% increase in substance use disorders. The mental health effects spill over — to mothers, fathers, siblings.For many affected by the shooting in Kansas City, Missouri, the triggers began right away.<h2>‘I get mad easily’</h2>Just 10 days after Samuel Arellano was shot at the parade, he attended another big sporting event.Samuel was invited to attend a University of Kansas men’s basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. During a break in the game, with a&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/KUHoops/status/1761593643909972045?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1761593643909972045%7Ctwgr%5Ea69f3f0052dd3c1233485c50399f888e7abe6c39%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kshb.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2Fparade-shooting%2Fboy-injured-in-chiefs-rally-shooting-invited-to-ku-basketball-game-receives-video-message-from-jalen-wilson" target="_blank">video camera pointed at Samuel</a>&nbsp;and his parents, former KU star Jalen Wilson appeared on the scoreboard and addressed him directly.“I heard about your story,” Wilson, who now plays in the NBA, said on the big screen. “I’m so very thankful that you are here today and it is a blessing that we can have you to give you the love and support you truly deserve.”Wilson asked the 16,000 fans in attendance to stand and give Samuel a round of applause. As the crowd clapped and an announcer bellowed about him being a “brave young man,” Samuel looked at his parents, then down at his feet, smiling shyly.But minutes later when the game resumed, Samuel started to cry and had to leave the auditorium with his mom, Abigail.“When it got pretty loud, that’s when he started breaking up again,” his dad, Antonio, said. “So she had to step out with him for a minute. So any loud places, if it’s too loud, it’s affecting him.”Samuel, who turned 11 in March, was shot in the ribs on his right side. The scar on his back is barely noticeable now, but lingering effects from the parade shooting are obvious. He is seeing a therapist — as is his father, though Abigail has had a tough time finding a Spanish-speaking one and still hasn’t had an appointment.Samuel had trouble sleeping in the first weeks after the shooting and often crawled in bed with his mom and dad. He used to get good grades, but that became more difficult, Abigail said. His personality has changed, which sometimes has shown up at school.“I get mad easily,” Samuel said. “I [have] never been like this before but like, if they tell me to sit down, I get mad. I don’t know why.”Traumatized children often have difficulty expressing emotions and may be given to outbursts of anger, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://csw.osu.edu/faculty/johnson-motoyama-michelle-ph-d/" target="_blank">Michelle Johnson-Motoyama</a>, a professor of social work at Ohio State University.“I’m sure for that child there is a sense of tremendous injustice about what happened,” Johnson-Motoyama said.Especially right after the shooting, Samuel had panic attacks, Antonio said, and he’d break out in a sweat. Therapists told them that was normal. But the parents also kept him off his phone for a while, as there was so much about the shooting on the news and online.Abigail, who works at a car dealership with Antonio, is anxious about seeing her son change, his suffering and sadness. She is also concerned for her three daughters, a 16-year-old and 13-year-old twins. Her father, Victor Salas, who was with Samuel at the parade, was also reeling in its aftermath.“I’m crying and crying and crying about what happened,” Salas said in Spanish four days after the parade. “Because it was chaos. It doesn’t mean that families don’t love their family, but everyone took off to save their own lives. I saved my grandchildren’s lives, but what happens to the rest of the people? We’re not prepared.”On the good side, Samuel felt very supported by the community in Kansas City, Kansas. Many people from his school stopped by in the first few days to visit, including friends and even a former bus driver, who was in tears. He has a “room full of candy,” Abigail said, mostly Skittles, his favorite.An autographed football from Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes arrived on his birthday. It made him cry, his father said, which happens pretty often.“There are good and bad days, days that are more normal and easier, and then there are days where the family has to be a little bit more aware and supportive,” Abigail said in Spanish. “He’s always been outgoing and talkative like his mom, but that has changed since the parade.”<h2>Fourth of July a weeklong trigger</h2>The Fourth of July was particularly harrowing for many of the young survivors and their families. Should they buy fireworks? Will they want to celebrate? And why do all the firecrackers going off in the neighborhood sound like gunshots?Fourteen-year-old Gabriella needed help from her stepfather, Jason Barton, to light her fireworks this year, something she is ordinarily enthusiastic about doing herself. At the parade, like many people, the Barton family initially mistook the sound of gunfire for fireworks.And Erika Nelson, a single mom in Belton, Missouri, feared even bringing up the holiday with Mireya, who has always loved Independence Day. Eventually Mireya said she didn’t want any big fireworks this year and wanted only her mom to set theirs off.“Just any little trigger — I mean, it could be a light crackle — and she just clenched,” Erika Nelson said.Patty Davis, a program manager for trauma-informed care at Children’s Mercy hospital in Kansas City, said even her clients who were at the parade but were not injured still flinch at the sounds of sirens or other loud noises. It’s a powerful response to gun violence, she said.“So not just an accidental trauma,” she said, “but a trauma that was perpetrated for violent purposes, which can cause an increased level of anxiety for persons around that to wonder if it’s going to happen again. And how safe are they?”<h2>Reliving getting shot</h2>Random sounds, bright lights, and crowds can catch the kids and their parents off guard. In June, Mireya Nelson was waiting for her older sister after a dance recital, hoping to see a boy she knew give a flower to a girl everyone said he had a crush on. Her mom wanted to go, but Mireya shushed her.“Then all of a sudden, there was a loud boom,” Erika said. “She dropped low to the ground. And then she jumped back up. She goes, ‘Oh my God, I was getting shot again!’”Mireya said it so loudly people were staring, so it was Erika’s turn to shush her and try to soothe her.“I was like, ‘Mireya, it’s OK. You’re all right. They dropped a table. They’re just moving stuff out. It was an accident,’” Erika said.It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off and Mireya later giggled about it, but Erika is always on watch.Her daughter’s early sadness — she watched movies for hours, crying throughout — has since changed to a cheekiness. Half a year later, Mireya will joke about the shooting, which tears her mother up. But maybe that is part of the healing process, Erika says.Before the Fourth of July, Mireya went to Worlds of Fun, a large amusement park, and had a good time. She felt OK because there were security guards everywhere. She also enjoyed a visit to the local FBI office with a friend who was with her the day of the shooting. But when someone suggested a trip to the ballet, Mireya squashed it quickly — it’s near Union Station, the site of the shooting. She doesn’t want to go downtown anymore.Erika said the doctor appointments and financial strains have been a lot to juggle and that her biggest frustration as a parent is that she’s not able to fix things for her daughter.“They have to go their own way, their own process of healing. I can’t shake her, like, ‘Get back to yourself,’” Erika said. “It could take months, years. Who knows? It could be the rest of her life. But I hope that she can overcome a little bit of it.”<h2>Goose bumps in the sweltering heat</h2>James Lemons noticed a change in his 5-year-old daughter, Kensley, who was on his shoulders when he was shot at the parade. Before the shooting Kensley was outgoing and engaged, James said, but now she is withdrawn, like she has closed off her bubble and disconnected from people.Large crowds and police officers remind Kensley of the parade. Both were present at a high school graduation the family attended this summer, prompting Kensley to ask repeatedly to leave. James took her to an empty football field, where, he said, she broke out in goose bumps and complained of being cold despite the sweltering heat.Bedtime is a particular problem for the Lemons family. Kensley has been sleeping with her parents. Another child, 10-year-old Jaxson, has had bad dreams. One night, he dreamt that the shooter was coming near his dad and he tripped him, said Brandie Lemons, Jaxson’s stepmom.Younger children like Kensley exposed to gun violence are more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder than older children, according to Ohio State’s Johnson-Motoyama.Davis, of Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, said children whose brains are not fully developed can have a hard time sleeping and understanding that they are safe in their homes at night.James got the family a new puppy — an American bulldog that already weighs 32 pounds — to help them feel protected.“I looked up the pedigree,” he said, “They’re real protective. They’re real loving.”<h2>Searching for an outlet to let off steam</h2>Gabriella took up boxing after the shooting. Her mother, Bridget, said it restored some of her confidence and control that dimmed after the parade.“I like beating people up — not in a mean way, I swear,” Gabriella said in April as she molded a mouthguard to her teeth before leaving for training.She has since stopped boxing, however, so the money can instead go toward a trip to Puerto Rico with her Spanish class. They’re paying $153 a month for 21 months to cover the trip. Boxing classes were $60 a month.Bridget thought boxing was a good outlet for leftover anger, but by the end of July Gabriella wasn’t sure if she still had the drive to fight back that way.“The past is the past but we’re still gonna all, like, go through stuff. Does that make sense?” Gabriella asked.“You’re mostly OK but you still have triggers. Is that what you mean?” her mother asked.“Yeah,” she replied.After the shooting, Mireya Nelson tried online classes, which didn’t work well. The first few days of summer school, Mireya had a panic attack every day in the car and her mother took her home.Mireya wants to return to high school this fall, and Erika is wary.“You know, if I do go back to school, there’s a chance at school of being shot, because most schools nowadays get shot up,” Erika recalled her daughter saying. “And I’m like, ‘Well, we can’t think like that. You never know what’s gonna happen.’”<a href="https://kffhealthnews.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF Health News</a>&nbsp;is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kff.org/about-us" target="_blank">KFF</a>.

Kids who survived KC Chiefs rally shooting are scared, suffering panic attacks and sleep problems

KANSAS CITY—A woman wounded in a shooting in Kansas City last week has died.

On August 4, police were dispatched to the 600 block of E. Gregory Boulevard on medical call, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'. 

First responders found a man and and woman in a vehicle suffering from gunshot trauma.&nbsp; Both were transported to an area hospital. He was treated and released. She died of her injuries, according to Forte'.&nbsp; Police have not released her name or reported an arrest.

KANSAS CITY—A woman wounded in a shooting in Kansas City last week has died.On August 4, police were dispatched to the 600 block of E. Gregory Boulevard on medical call, according to Sheriff Daryl Forte'. First responders found a man and and woman in a vehicle suffering from gunshot trauma.&nbsp; Both were transported to an area hospital. He was treated and released. She died of her injuries, according to Forte'.&nbsp; Police have not released her name or reported an arrest.

Sheriff: Woman wounded in Kansas City shooting has died

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide&nbsp; continue asking for the public’s help in locating 19-year-old Nassir Gill of Topeka, according to a media release from police.

 Gill is a person of interest in the homicide of Brian M. Wright Jr., 23, that occurred on June 21, in the 3100 block of SW Westover Road in Topeka.

Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.

If you see or know where Gill may be, please call or email investigators at 785-368-9551 and telltpd@topeka.org. You can also report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or online at www.p3tips.com/128.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719693545861.png" alt="Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police." />
 <figcaption>Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a homicide&nbsp; continue asking for the public’s help in locating 19-year-old Nassir Gill of Topeka, according to a media release from police. Gill is a person of interest in the homicide of Brian M. Wright Jr., 23, that occurred on June 21, in the 3100 block of SW Westover Road in Topeka.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/6/1719001082126.png" alt="Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>Police on the scene of the investigation -photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>Gill is described as 5-foot-6 and weighs approximately 160 pounds. He may no longer have blue/green hair, as seen in the photo released by police.If you see or know where Gill may be, please call or email investigators at 785-368-9551 and telltpd@topeka.org. You can also report anonymously to Shawnee County Crime Stoppers at 785-234-0007 or online at www.p3tips.com/128.

Search continues for Kansas teen homicide suspect

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man and woman now have been charged in connection with a knife assault on Aug. 5, 2024, on a KCATA public bus as it ran its route with multiple passengers, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Shaunte L. Washington faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Mohummah S. Baker faces Assault in the 1st Degree.

According to court records, Washington boarded a KCATA bus and began wielding a knife and making threatening stabbing motions toward another female passenger. The victim confronted Washington and&nbsp; Baker t struck the victim several times with a fist. Washington then began stabbing the victim. One stab wound severed an artery.&nbsp;

Prosecutors asked for $75,000/10 percent bonds for each defendant..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723558799265.png" alt="Washington-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Washington-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man and woman now have been charged in connection with a knife assault on Aug. 5, 2024, on a KCATA public bus as it ran its route with multiple passengers, according to Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Shaunte L. Washington faces Assault in the 1st Degree and Mohummah S. Baker faces Assault in the 1st Degree.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723558924081.png" alt="Baker photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Baker photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>According to court records, Washington boarded a KCATA bus and began wielding a knife and making threatening stabbing motions toward another female passenger. The victim confronted Washington and&nbsp; Baker t struck the victim several times with a fist. Washington then began stabbing the victim. One stab wound severed an artery.&nbsp;Prosecutors asked for $75,000/10 percent bonds for each defendant..

2 charged for knife attack on Kansas City bus 

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — The next personalized license plate will feature the Flint Hills design after more than 30,000 Kansans&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/05/kansas-invites-voting-on-five-design-options-for-states-new-personalized-license-plate/">voted among five potential designs</a>.

Kansas Department of Revenue spokesman Zach Denny said the design was the “clear favorite,” receiving more than 56% of the vote.

The new design will be ready for purchase in 2025 for $45.50 at county treasurer’s offices.

The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/press/2020/pr01132020.html" target="_blank">“Powering the Future”</a>&nbsp;personalized plate, the 2020 design that featured a sunset and wind turbines, will no longer be available after Jan. 1, 2025. Kansans with the “Powering the Future” plate must replace their plate during their next renewal period to keep their personalized plate text, Denny said.

“We know how passionate Kansans are about license plates, and this initiative aims to give the public a direct say in selecting the next personalized plate design that will be featured on vehicles across the state for years to come,” KDOR Division of Vehicles director David Harper said in a statement at the beginning of the vote.

The new personalized plate, which is available along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovplates.html" target="_blank">many distinctive plates</a>, comes after last year’s controversy around the standard plate design.

The first design for the state’s new standard plate was met with bipartisan criticism, with complaints that it looked too much like the University of Missouri’s colors and that it looked like the state of New York’s standard plate. Gov. Laura Kelly pulled the plate from production and allowed Kansans to vote on alternate designs. More than half the votes went to a design featuring the state Capitol.

As of January 2024, KDOR started to replace the old standard plate with the new one.

A KDOR statement said feedback during the voting process for the standard plate led to the decision to hold another vote for the personalized plate.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723474905874.png" alt="&nbsp;Kansans voted for the new personalized license plate, with the design of the Flint Hills winning more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp; (Kansas Department of Revenue)" />
 <figcaption>&nbsp;Kansans voted for the new personalized license plate, with the design of the Flint Hills winning more than 56% of the vote.&nbsp; (Kansas Department of Revenue)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/ghills/">GRACE HILLS</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a> TOPEKA — The next personalized license plate will feature the Flint Hills design after more than 30,000 Kansans&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2024/08/05/kansas-invites-voting-on-five-design-options-for-states-new-personalized-license-plate/">voted among five potential designs</a>.Kansas Department of Revenue spokesman Zach Denny said the design was the “clear favorite,” receiving more than 56% of the vote.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1723544227052.png" alt=" The Kansas Department of Revenue is had Kansans take part in an online vote to select a new background for the state’s personalized license plates. There were five options. (Kansas Department of Revenue)" />
 <figcaption> The Kansas Department of Revenue is had Kansans take part in an online vote to select a new background for the state’s personalized license plates. There were five options. (Kansas Department of Revenue)</figcaption>
 </figure>The new design will be ready for purchase in 2025 for $45.50 at county treasurer’s offices.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/press/2020/pr01132020.html" target="_blank">“Powering the Future”</a>&nbsp;personalized plate, the 2020 design that featured a sunset and wind turbines, will no longer be available after Jan. 1, 2025. Kansans with the “Powering the Future” plate must replace their plate during their next renewal period to keep their personalized plate text, Denny said.“We know how passionate Kansans are about license plates, and this initiative aims to give the public a direct say in selecting the next personalized plate design that will be featured on vehicles across the state for years to come,” KDOR Division of Vehicles director David Harper said in a statement at the beginning of the vote.The new personalized plate, which is available along with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ksrevenue.gov/dovplates.html" target="_blank">many distinctive plates</a>, comes after last year’s controversy around the standard plate design.The first design for the state’s new standard plate was met with bipartisan criticism, with complaints that it looked too much like the University of Missouri’s colors and that it looked like the state of New York’s standard plate. Gov. Laura Kelly pulled the plate from production and allowed Kansans to vote on alternate designs. More than half the votes went to a design featuring the state Capitol.As of January 2024, KDOR started to replace the old standard plate with the new one.A KDOR statement said feedback during the voting process for the standard plate led to the decision to hold another vote for the personalized plate.

Kansas reveals winning personalized license plate design

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a guest appearance on the CBS public affairs program Face the Nation on Sunday.

Kelly is the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association. She assumed leadership of the organization last week when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz resigned to join the Kamala Harris campaign as her running mate.

Kelly told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Walz "is the epitome of the Midwestern dad" and "understands rural America."

Kelly also addressed abortion in the 2024 campaign.

Kelly served as vice chair of the DGA since December 2022.

TOPEKA —Kansas Governor Laura Kelly made a guest appearance on the CBS public affairs program Face the Nation on Sunday.Kelly is the new chair of the Democratic Governors Association. She assumed leadership of the organization last week when Minnesota Governor Tim Walz resigned to join the Kamala Harris campaign as her running mate.Kelly told Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan that Walz "is the epitome of the Midwestern dad" and "understands rural America."<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovLauraKelly</a> of Kansas, a Democrat, says Tim Walz &quot;is the epitome of the Midwestern dad&quot; and &quot;understands rural America.&quot; &quot;You could put him at any state fair on any Main Street, and certainly in a Friday night football game in rural Kansas, and he would fit right in.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/1UTc00ihJj">pic.twitter.com/1UTc00ihJj</a>&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1822667416909791273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kelly also addressed abortion in the 2024 campaign.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/GovLauraKelly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovLauraKelly</a> of Kansas, where voters upheld the right to abortion, says she does not think Democrats are miscalculating by putting abortion front-and-center as an issue, citing Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as a successful example. &quot;They have moved the needle in Michigan and… <a href="https://t.co/OMoAV7iqIe">pic.twitter.com/OMoAV7iqIe</a>&mdash; Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1822667133718802747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Kelly served as vice chair of the DGA since December 2022.

🎥Kan. governor talks 2024 campaign, abortion on 'Face the Nation'

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's Newsroom

WASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.

The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.

Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.

Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.

Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.

While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.

Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.

Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.

Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.

“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”

A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.

“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.

The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.

House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.

McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.

Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.

McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.

The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.

Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.

But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.

Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.

Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.

The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.

During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.

When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.

Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.

During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.

Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.

Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.

Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.

“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”

Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/3/1614817353591.png" alt="File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>File photo Members of the Kansas Congressional delegation - Jake LaTurner, Ron Estes, Jerry Moran, Sharice Davids, Roger Marshall and Tracey Mann&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://missouriindependent.com/author/jennifer-shutt/">JENNIFER SHUTT</a>&nbsp; State's NewsroomWASHINGTON — Congress plans to spend just 35 days between now and the end of the year in the nation’s capital, a fitting end to one of the least productive sessions in decades.The deeply divided 118th Congress so far has placed just 78 public laws on the books, a fraction of the hundreds enacted during prior sessions, regardless of whether one party held control or voters elected a divided government. While there’s time left to enact a handful of laws, the number is nearly certain to remain low.Over the past several decades, lawmakers have become accustomed to bundling several bills together into sweeping legislative packages instead of voting on them individually, but that doesn’t entirely account for how unproductive this Congress has been.Members have sought to approve bipartisan legislation on immigration policy and border security, railway safety, the farm bill, tax law and children’s online safety at various points during the last 19 months — but all those major initiatives failed to make it across the finish line.Lawmakers have been able to reach consensus on must-pass items like the annual government funding bills, but did so six months behind schedule. They are on track to miss their deadline again this year, which will mean yet another stopgap spending bill.<h2>What is the problem?</h2>While election-year politics and a truncated amount of time on Capitol Hill hampered lawmakers’ productivity, there are numerous other factors dragging down this Congress.Molly Reynolds, senior fellow in governance studies at the nonprofit Brookings Institution, said Democrats are working to flip control of the House away from Republicans’ narrow majority, while at the same time the GOP is projecting it will push Democrats out of power in the Senate.Those ambitions add “an additional structural layer” to the typical disagreements within Congress, she said.Infighting within each of the political parties, as well as Democrats and Republicans moving further away from each other on policy goals, has contributed to the intransigence, she said.“Those divisions within the parties pale in comparison to the size of the difference between the parties,” Reynolds said. “And so, that does make it more challenging to find issues on which both sides are willing and interested to come to the table.”A bipartisan trio of senators spent months negotiating a deal on immigration just to have the agreement disintegrate when Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump came out in opposition. That disappointing outcome makes members of Congress reluctant to tackle tough issues, she said.“When members put in the hard work to try and reach a compromise and then don’t have the backing of their leadership, it doesn’t necessarily incentivize them to come back to the table and try to do that same thing again in the future,” Reynolds said.<h2>Speaker drama set the tone</h2>The 118th Congress included more than its fair share of drama and bickering. The turmoil prevented the Republican House and Democratic Senate from agreeing on much of anything other than the bare minimum, with even must-pass legislation finalized months behind schedule.House Republicans set the tone for their razor-thin majority in January 2023 when they trudged through 15 rounds of voting over several days and nights before California Rep. Kevin McCarthy secured the speaker’s gavel.McCarthy made several backroom deals during the stalemate and elicited anger from members of the party’s right flank, who nearly came to blows on the floor as he sought to lock in the necessary support.Less than nine months later, the House voted to oust McCarthy from the speaker’s office. The GOP then kept the chamber frozen for several weeks as members voted behind closed doors to put forward four nominees, before Louisiana’s Mike Johnson garnered the votes necessary on the floor to lead his party and the chamber.McCarthy, who repeatedly swore he would never quit, then did just that in December.<h2>Senate border deal goes to pieces</h2>The Senate has spent much of its time confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees, rarely breaking from that pattern to negotiate necessary items like the annual defense policy bill, government funding measures and legislation that avoided a default on the national debt.Senators appeared to be&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/details-proposed-major-overhaul-us-immigration-law-global-aid-package-unveiled" target="_blank">on the cusp of making bipartisan changes</a>&nbsp;to the nation’s border security and immigration policy following painstaking negotiations between Oklahoma Republican Sen. James Lankford, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy and Arizona independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. It would have been the most sweeping immigration legislation in years.But that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-kills-immigration-overhaul-hits-stalemate-israel-ukraine-aid" target="_blank">fell apart in February&nbsp;</a>after Trump signaled he didn’t want to lose the border and immigration as an election issue or see Biden claim a victory.Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky, had said the deal was necessary to move an emergency spending bill for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan through the chamber, though he later reversed course.Congress finally&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-senate-sends-foreign-aid-bill-biden-mcconnell-chides-gop-isolationist-movement" target="_blank">approved $95 billion</a>&nbsp;in military and humanitarian assistance in April after House Republicans added in a ban on the social media app TikTok that would kick in if ByteDance, the Chinese parent company, didn’t sell the platform — one of the most significant laws of the year as it turned out.Congress has also failed to negotiate a new version of the five-year farm bill, following months of delays and differences of opinion on how much nutrition assistance for low-income Americans should be in the package.<h2>Few laws passed</h2>The 78 laws&nbsp;<a href="https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/current.html" target="_blank">enacted</a>&nbsp;this Congress pale in comparison to earlier sessions.During the 116th Congress, when the GOP controlled the Senate and Democrats held the House, lawmakers reached agreement on 344 measures that went on to become law.When Democrats held control of both chambers and the presidency during the 117th Congress, they approved more than 360 measures that would later become law, the vast majority of which required bipartisan support to move through the Senate.Lawmakers have consistently enacted more than 280 public laws during their two-year sessions, going back to at least the 82nd Congress, which began in 1951 and ended the following year.During that seven-decade span, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.congress.gov/public-laws/84th-congress" target="_blank">number of laws</a>&nbsp;enacted per Congress fluctuated, reaching a low of 283 during the 112th Congress, which lasted from January 2011 through January 2013, and a high of 1,028 during the 84th Congress, which took place in 1955 and 1956. The number of laws enacted was consistently in the 400s or 500s, if not higher, during those years.Reynolds pointed out during her interview with States Newsroom that not all laws are created equal — some simply rename post offices or are confined to one issue, while others bundle several major pieces of legislation together in one package and have a much greater impact than other public laws.Congress, she noted, used to pass the annual government spending bills individually, but over time has settled into a pattern of approving just one or two omnibus spending packages, which roll together all dozen of the bills.Other examples of this include the Democrats’ signature health care, tax and climate change package, approved in the summer of 2022, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. When the GOP had unified control of Congress during the first two years of the Trump administration, they passed an overhaul of the nation’s tax code in just one bill.“If we look at the data on the number of public laws, and we look at the data on the number of pages of public laws, we do see that, on average, they have been getting longer,” Reynolds said. “Having said all of that, when we actually do dig into what the 118th Congress has been up to, it has not been an especially productive Congress.”<h2>Lame-duck session on the way</h2>Lawmakers are set to return from their summer recess for a three-week session in September, before breaking again until after Election Day.Members are expected to draft and vote on a stopgap spending bill to avoid a partial government shutdown when the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1. But not much else is likely to move through as attention turns even more toward Nov. 5.The House Appropriations Committee has approved all 12 of its spending bills for fiscal 2025 while the Senate committee has voted to send 11 to the floor. The two chambers, however, are working off very different spending levels and don’t seem inclined to conference their bills until after they learn who will control Congress next year.The lame-duck session, which spans the time between the election and when the new Congress convenes, is scheduled to last five weeks spread through late November and December.During that time, GOP leaders in the House and Democratic leaders in the Senate may seek to pass their overdue government funding bills and the annual defense policy bill.There are several other bills that have passed one chamber or the other with bipartisan majorities or have strong bipartisan support through co-sponsors, which lawmakers could seek to move through to the president’s desk. But much of that will be determined by the outcome of the elections as well as whether there is any violence or unrest connected with the results.<h2>How to explain it</h2>Members of Congress interviewed by States Newsroom had varying answers for what they tell constituents back home about this Congress’ accomplishments.Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat, said that he speaks with voters about the laws enacted during the previous Congress, when Democrats had unified control of government, as well as this Congress.“Well, first of all, I tend to talk about the sweep of accomplishments, right? Both this Congress but also the previous Congress where we were enormously productive, right?” Van Hollen said. “So usually I don’t limit it to that timeline.”Van Hollen said he was optimistic that Congress would be able to complete its work on the dozen annual government funding bills later this year.“Obviously, we’ve been able to adequately fund government agencies,” Van Hollen said. “So that may be a low bar, but in this divided Congress, it is something that I point to, because we’ve worked on the Appropriations Committee, at least in the Senate, to have bipartisan products.”Kansas GOP Sen. Jerry Moran said he predominantly talks with constituents about his work as ranking member on the Veterans Affairs Committee as well as the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations subcommittee.“I talk about my own particular accomplishments as compared to bragging about Congress in general,” Moran said.Much of the work that members do while in Washington, D.C., he said, doesn’t resonate with constituents who are focused on their own lives and families.“No, I don’t think so,” Moran said. “Most people are paying specific attention to things that matter to them.”Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, who faces a challenging reelection bid this November, said he tends to put more emphasis on the accomplishments of the upper chamber when talking with constituents back home.“I think the Senate’s been a lot more productive than the House, but we’ll let voters sort that out,” Casey said.While the Senate holds the advice and consent power to confirm certain presidential nominees, legislation must pass through both chambers of Congress and avoid the president’s veto pen, if it’s to become law.Casey said there are several occasions where the House and Senate agreed on major issues, listing off the appropriations bills for the last fiscal year, the emergency spending package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies, and a bill to address fentanyl abuse.“I think it’s a pretty long list and there’s still more work to do in the fall,” Casey said.<h2>More time at work?</h2>Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, criticized the number of days the chamber spends in session every week, saying the calendar has shortened during his decades in the chamber.“When I came to the Senate 44 years ago, we used to start at 10 a.m. on Monday and go to 4 or 5 on Friday,” Grassley said.The Senate typically comes into session around 3 p.m. on Monday, with its first vote at 5:30 p.m. The chamber usually holds its last vote of the week on Thursday around 1:45 p.m., with the vast majority of senators heading to cars to leave shortly afterward.The House keeps to a similar four-day schedule, though its “fly-in day” is sometimes on Tuesday, pushing its “fly-out day” to Friday. That chamber takes its first vote of the week around 6:30 p.m. with its last vote before noon on the fourth day.“There’s enough work for individual senators to do seven days a week if you want to work,” Grassley said. “But you can’t solve this country’s problems until you get 100 people together, and they’ve got to be together for more than two-and-a-half days a week.”

Kbct