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Gov. Sam Brownback and Attorney General Derek Schmidt have proposed a bill that would strengthen the state's human trafficking statues, with an emphasis on protecting children from sexual exploitation. 

The bill they'll submit to the state legislature establishes a Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Fund to support trafficking survivors. Mandatory fines on people convicted of human trafficking and related sex crimes will pay for the fund. The bill also provides for special procedures for children who have been subjected to human trafficking.

Kansas has lots of work to do to improve its "grades" on tobacco control, according to a new report card from the American Lung Association.

Kansas gets an “A” for its Clean Indoor Air Act. However, the state gets a “D” for the relatively low rate of taxes on tobacco, and an “F” for efforts to prevent tobacco use, and to help those already using it to quit.

“It’s not a whole lot different than last year, but it’s woefully accurate,”says Linda DeCoursey, head of the non-profit Tobacco-Free Kansas Coalition.

Several events will take place in Wichita this weekend in remembrance of civil rights leader, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Activities are scheduled through the King federal holiday on Monday.

Saturday's kickoff event includes an MLK parade starting at Christian Faith Centre, on South Broadway, winding through downtown Wichita heading to the Chester I. Lewis Reflection Square on Douglas.

Jobless rate remains unchanged; Kansas officials to make anti-human trafficking announcement; Wichita to celebrate MLK day with several events.

Kansas Jobless Rate Unchanged at 5.4 Percent

A new report says the Kansas unemployment rate held steady at 5.4 percent in December while the state recorded modest job growth over the previous year.

The report from the state Labor Department also says last month's jobless figure was down one full point from December 2011.

Whew! Sorry, folks, I almost didn’t make it here to the KMUW studio this morning to do my commentary. I was on time when I left my home but as I was going up Hillside my horse stumbled badly and I fell out of the saddle. He had a considerable limp after that so we slowed down and I just now tied him up to the hitching post out front where the KMUW parking lot used to be.

Gov. Sam  Brownback would like to use some the state's highway dollars to help cover the cost of bussing children to and from public schools.

Brownback proposed Wednesday that the state divert $193 million normally set aside for highway projects to school transportation programs during the next two fiscal years. The diversion would be almost $97 million each year.

One of the best-selling board games to come out of Europe in recent years is Ticket to Ride, a highly acclaimed and award-winning railway-themed game designed for two-to-five players.

Kansas is among the 10 states that are currently being hit hardest with the flu virus.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says there have now been 495 flu-related deaths in the 2012-2013 season that began in October. That number includes 35 deaths in the last week.

The number comes at the tail end of the worst week for Kansas so far in this year's flu season.

KDHE spokesperson Miranda Steele, says the rate is now starting to drop, with infection rates in Kansas down from more that 5 percent to 4.5 percent.

A bill introduced in the Kansas Senate would make it legal for patients with some medical conditions to use marijuana, with a doctor's prescription.

Senate Bill 9 was introduced by Democratic Senator David Haley, of Kansas City. Medical marijuana is already legal in 18 states, plus the District of Columbia.

Haley says it’s an issue of basic compassion.

“This becomes a pretty common-sense approach to that, especially when the alternative is to crowd our jails and prisons with people who only wanted to alleviate personal pain,” he says.

  The Kansas Senate has passed a new rule that will make it harder to increase spending in budget bills.

The rule is known as "pay as you go," or "pay-go." It requires any budget amendment added on the Senate floor to be offset with an equal cut in spending. That means once a bill leaves committee, the overall amount of spending can't be increased.

Opponents of the change say it stifles senators, because they can't add spending to the budget for things their constituents would want.