From the office of Gov. Laura Kelly

Governor Orders Flags at Half-Staff for Fallen Hays Officer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly on Tuesday ordered flags lowered to half-staff at all state facilities from sunrise through sundown Friday in honor of Hays Police Sgt. Scott Heimann, who was killed in the line of duty Sept. 28.

The directive, issued under Executive Order #20-30, applies to all state buildings, grounds and facilities.

Heimann, who served nearly a decade protecting the community, will be honored during services scheduled for Oct. 3.

"His sacrifice is a debt that we will never forget or be able to repay," Kelly said in a statement. "My sincere condolences go out to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy, and to all Kansans as we grieve our state's fourth line-of-duty death in the last three months."

The governor's office said residents can sign up for email alerts about future half-staff orders at the state website.

Kansas Judge Dismisses AG's Lawsuit Over Federal SNAP Data Request

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas court on Tuesday dismissed Attorney General Kris Kobach's lawsuit against Gov. Laura Kelly's administration over a federal request for food assistance program data, ruling the legal action was premature.

The court granted the Kelly administration's motion to dismiss, finding the state has no legal duty to turn over personal information while an administrative review process with the U.S. Department of Agriculture continues.

"It is unfortunate that Attorney General Kobach decided to engage in low-rent political theater, wasting taxpayer dollars, and spreading misinformation," Kelly said in a statement. She said the lawsuit could have been avoided if Kobach had met with her office beforehand.

The dispute centers on a USDA data request related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Kelly's office said Kobach has falsely claimed Kansas lost $10.4 million in administrative funding for SNAP.

The state Department for Children and Families appealed after USDA rejected its corrective action proposal, automatically preventing the federal agency from withholding the funds, according to the governor's office.

Kansas has not lost any SNAP administrative funding and the program continues operating normally, officials said.