Oklahoma Panhandle Wildfire Burns Over 150,000 Acres, Forces Evacuations Across Southwest Kansas

Kansas Senate Overrides Governor's Veto to Enact Biological Sex Bathroom Bill

Kansas House Passes Student Cell Phone Ban on Divided 75-48 Vote

House Tax Committee Advances Bill Allowing Voters to Block Property Tax Hikes Above 3%

Worst Flu Season in Decades Closes Kansas Schools, Floods Wichita Pharmacies

Oklahoma Panhandle Wildfire Burns Over 150,000 Acres, Forces Evacuations Across Southwest Kansas

Wildfires that swept out of the Oklahoma panhandle on Monday burned more than 150,000 acres across western Kansas, forcing evacuations in Clark County — including Ashland and Englewood — as well as Comanche, Seward and Rawlins counties, where Herndon's evacuation was later lifted after crews reached 80 percent containment. The Kansas Forest Service tracked multiple named fires: the Stevens Fire southwest of Liberal in Seward County, a second Seward County fire southeast of Liberal pushing toward Meade County, the Ranger Road Fire south of Protection in Clark County, and a grass fire near Garden City in Finney County. Blowing dust closed I-70 between Colby and Oakley and U.S. 50 west of Garden City, while evacuation shelters opened in Atwood, Coldwater, Liberal and Pratt. As of Wednesday morning, fires in Stevens, Seward and Finney counties continued to burn with some evacuations still in place; crews from as far as Marion County staged in Dodge City, and forecasters warned elevated fire danger would persist through at least Thursday.

KWCH

Kansas Senate Overrides Governor's Veto to Enact Biological Sex Bathroom Bill

The Kansas Senate voted 31-9 on Thursday to override Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of H Sub SB 244, a measure that defines biological sex for purposes of state law and restricts access to multiple-occupancy private spaces such as restrooms and locker rooms in government buildings, clearing the two-thirds supermajority threshold with votes to spare. Senate President Ty Masterson said the chamber had restored what he characterized as common-sense protections for women and girls, while the governor, a Democrat, had argued the legislation was unnecessary and harmful; the override marks a significant political victory for conservative lawmakers in a legislature where Republicans hold 31 of 40 Senate seats. The bill has drawn national attention as part of a broader wave of Republican-led legislation across the country addressing transgender individuals' access to facilities consistent with their gender identity, and opponents have warned it could expose the state to legal challenges and negatively affect transgender Kansans. Sen. Dinah Sykes, D-Lenexa, called the measure a product of a "culture war," arguing it makes Kansas less attractive to businesses and could jeopardize the economic impact of the state's role in hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in just over 100 days.

Citizen Journal | Kansas Reflector

Senate Overrides Governor’s Veto on Biological Sex Bathroom Bill

Contentious measure clears hurdle with 31-9 vote

citizen journalGreg Loving

Kansas House Passes Student Cell Phone Ban on Divided 75-48 Vote

The Kansas House passed a substitute bill for SB 281 on Tuesday that would prohibit students from using personal electronic communication devices during school hours, but the 75-48 vote revealed significant disagreement over the state's role in setting classroom technology policies. The measure, which originated in the Senate and was reworked by the House, reflects a growing national movement among state legislatures to address concerns about smartphone distraction and student mental health; supporters argued the devices undermine learning, while opponents raised concerns about parental communication during emergencies and local control of school policies. The bill now returns to the Senate for consideration of the House's substitute language, where it could face concurrence or be sent to a conference committee to resolve differences between the two chambers' versions.

House Advances Student Cellphone Restrictions in Schools

Bill moves forward after amendment battles in Committee of the Whole

citizen journalGreg Loving

House Tax Committee Advances Bill Allowing Voters to Block Property Tax Hikes Above 3%

The Kansas House tax committee approved HB 2745, introduced by Chairman Adam Smith, R-Weskan, which would cap annual city or county property tax revenue growth at 3 percent, excluding collections tied to new construction. The bill originally required a special public election to authorize any increase above that threshold, but after cities objected to the cost of such votes, an amendment by Rep. Dawn Wolf, R-Bennington, replaced the election trigger with a protest-petition process — meaning a hike above 3 percent takes effect unless residents collect signatures from 10 percent of those who voted in the last presidential election to block it. The League of Kansas Municipalities warned the measure destabilizes municipal finance and exempts school districts and the state from the same rules it imposes on cities. In the Senate, Sen. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, chair of the Assessment and Taxation Committee, is advancing SCR 1616, co-sponsored by 15 Republican senators, a constitutional amendment that would cap annual appraised property value increases at 3 percent and roll back valuations to 2022 levels.

Kansas Reflector

Worst Flu Season in Decades Closes Kansas Schools, Floods Wichita Pharmacies

The worst flu season in 25 years is forcing Kansas school districts to cancel classes and flooding Wichita pharmacies with patients seeking relief, as the CDC estimated at least 9,300 flu-related deaths nationally through mid-January — a figure that has almost certainly risen since, with cumulative hospitalizations through early February tracking as the second-highest since the 2010-11 season. Pharmacists at Wichita-area locations such as Dillons Pharmacy report a steady stream of patients asking for over-the-counter recommendations and flu shots, urging Kansans to get vaccinated even late in the season because the vaccine reduces the risk of infection and serious complications. At least three Kansas school districts have canceled classes in the past month due to widespread illness, and pharmacists advise those who do contract the flu to use over-the-counter pain relievers, fever reducers and decongestants while the season continues.

KWCH

Sources

1. KWCH — Wildfire (Feb 17) | KWCH — Wildfire Update (Feb 18)
2. Citizen Journal — Bathroom Bill | Kansas Reflector — Bathroom Bill
3. Citizen Journal — Cell Phone Ban
4. Kansas Reflector — Property Tax
5. KWCH — Flu Season

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