Plans for a new airport terminal moved ahead. And Kansas Citians got to meet the man who played Branch Rickey., Han Solo and Indiana Jones.
Harrison Ford, Celebs Boost Negro Leagues At “42” Showing
Harrison Ford fans and baseball fans were out in force to see the star outside Thursday's special pre-release showing of the movie “42” about how Jackie Robinson broke the color line in Major League Baseball.
Ford, who played Branch Rickey in the movie “42” commented that he felt the importance of the movie was that it brings Robinson's story to a new generation.
The event was a fund-raiser for Kansas City's Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
Single-terminal KCI Planning Gets Full Council Nod
Most city council members agreed Thursday that the aviation department had done a poor job of presenting its case for a new terminal at KCI. They said it was lacking in hard data and too focused on criticizing an existing airport that most citizens like.
But all but three members also agreed with Mayor Sly James, who urged them that now was the time to proceed with studying the redesign because KCI is aging and it is better not to wait on planning its replacement until it is in a state of serious decline.
The council voted 9 to 3 to continue planning for the single-terminal design. Whether it gets built depends on further council approval.
Primary Seat Belt Law Likely For Kansas City
A council committee went along with a police department's request to make not using seat belts an offense drivers can be pulled over for. Right now, the tickets can only be written if the driver is stopped for some other violation.
Police Major Jay Pruetting told the committee that the current approach, advocating voluntary compliance with a secondary seat belt law reached its maximum level of success several years ago. He also said data analysis predicted that a primary law would increase seat belt use by 10 to 12 percent and save around 46 lives a year in the city.
The ordinance also calls for seat belt violation fines to increase from $10 to $50.
Scanning, Conceal Carry List Release Gall GOP, Prompt Ad Campaign
The flap over personal documents and personal information in Jefferson City heated up even more. GOP indignation rose when highway patrol leader, Col. Ron Replogle testified that his agency had turned over Missouri's conceal carry list to an investigator from the Social Security Administration. Replogle said the patrol considered it a reasonable request in a legitimate criminal investigation. It involved checking for persons fraudulently claiming disabilities due to nonexistent mental health conditions.
Republican Senator Kurt Schaffer told the patrol director he considered the release of the names to be a violation of privacy and participating in federal intelligence gathering targeted against citizens.
In reaction, a GOP-supportive organization started a tv ad campaign against the governor and his administration and calling for an audit., both legislative chambers passed bills forbidding state scanning and retention of personal information, and Republican leadership threatened to withhold funding from the Department of Motor Vehicles.
No Missouri Challenge To Birth Control Ruling
Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced that he will not appeal a court decision that most employer-offered health insurance must include contraceptive coverage.
He said in his legal opinion a state “conscience” law that a court overturned was in direct defiance of federal law, and there was no case law to support a state's power to ignore a federal statute.
Koster did ask the court to clarify that religious organizations like churches don't have to if it is against their beliefs.
President Obama Goes To Bat For NBAF
President Obama included $714 million for a Manhattan, Kansas bio-agro-defense lab in his budget proposal.
Governor Brownback vowed to get right to work setting the wheels in motion for bonding for the $212 million in state matching funds the budget item calls for.
Royals Off To Strong Start, Lead AL Central Division.
And after trailing the Twins 1-0 for most of the game, the Kansas City Royals won their home opener 6 and 3. The Royals entered the weekend 6 and 3 and first in their division.