Latest Kansas Headlines

All the headlines from our Kansas Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Kansas Democrats File Complaint Against Speaker Over Comp Fund Suit

Mar 15 2010 // Top Democrat lawmakers in Kansas filed a complaint in the Kansas House against its Republican speaker, accusing him of misconduct for representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the...

Kansas Debates Ignition Lock Reporting Amendment

Mar 8 2010 // Some fear a proposed amendment to a drunken driving bill would make it easier for DUI offenders to avoid getting a device that prevents them from starting their vehicles if they have had too much to drink. That’s...

Kansas Insurance Commissioner Honored by American Medical Assoc.

Mar 3 2010 // Kansas Insurance Commissioner and former National Association of Insurance Commissioners President Sandy Praeger was honored with the American Medical Association’s (AMA) top government service award for an elected...

Kansas Insurance Chief Opposed to Interstate Health Insurance Options

Mar 2 2010 // Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger has joined colleagues from two other states in opposing interstate health insurance options. Praeger, along with state insurance commissioners from Oklahoma and West Virginia,...

Kansas Storm Related Losses in 2009 Surpass Those of Previous Year

Mar 1 2010 // Insured losses in Kansas in 2009 that resulted from storms are higher than the record set during 2008, the Kansas Insurance Department reports. In 2009, storm-related losses based on some 137,000 insurance claims are...

Heat Builds on Kansas House Speaker over Insurance-Related Lawsuit

Feb 26 2010 // Democrats in the Kansas House demanded Feb. 24 that its Republican speaker remove himself and his law firm from a lawsuit against the state, threatening “formal action” if he doesn’t comply. Six Democrats...

4 Companies Told to Stop Selling Insurance Products in Kansas

Feb 16 2010 // Kansas Commissioner of Insurance Sandy Praeger has issued a cease and desist order to four companies and four individuals for selling unauthorized health insurance and distributing deceptive advertising. The Kansas...

Kansas-based Vortex Offers New Weather Insurance Product Offering

Feb 10 2010 // Vortex Insurance Agency LLC (Vortex), based in Overland Park, Kan., has added “Drought Shield” to its list of available weather insurance products. Drought affects a countless number of agriculture related...

Adults in Kansas Could Be Ticketed for Helmet-Less Teen Motorcyclists

Feb 9 2010 // It’s illegal in Kansas for someone under 18 to drive or ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet, and teenagers can be ticketed if they’re caught doing so. Now, a new Senate bill proposes adults face...

Manhattan, Kansas, Lawmakers Vote to Ban Driving With Cell Phones

Feb 8 2010 // The days of drivers with a cell phone to their ear could be coming to an end in Manhattan, Kan., this summer. City commissioners have unanimously approved a ban on handheld phones night, the ban to take effect July...

Democrat: Kan. House Speaker Should Step Down Due to Insurance Ties

Feb 8 2010 // A Democratic legislator called for Kansas’ Republican House speaker to step down because he is representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in a lawsuit against the state. State Rep. Marti Crow said...

Kansas City Agent Convicted of Fraud Sentenced to 15 Years in Jail

Jan 28 2010 // The Kansas Insurance Department (KID) reported that a former Kansas City-area insurance agent has been convicted on federal charges of insurance and mortgage fraud, and handed a 15-year jail term. Investigators from the...

IMA Adds Allen, Davies-Downing in Wichita, Kansas, Office

Jan 27 2010 // Mark Allen and Christy Davies-Downing have joined the Wichita, Kan., office of insurance broker IMA Inc. as sales executives. Allen has extensive sales experience as an entrepreneur and in other industries including...

Kansas State Fair Wants to Opt Out of Workers’ Comp Pool

Jan 27 2010 // Kansas State Fair officials are asking the legislature to allow the fair to opt out of the state workers’ compensation insurance pool. Fair officials want to be able to buy insurance from a private company, but state...

From Zero to 200 in 5

Jan 10 2010 // The Rise of Kansas City-based Ascension Insurance Len Kline and his business partners, the private equity firms Parthenon Capital and Century Capital Management, had an ambitious goal when they created Kansas City,...

From Zero to 200 in 5

Jan 10 2010 // The Rise of Kansas City-based Ascension Insurance Len Kline and his business partners, the private equity firms Parthenon Capital and Century Capital Management, had an ambitious goal when they created Kansas City,...

Lockton Re Adds Executives in Kansas City and New York

Jan 8 2010 // Privately owned, independent reinsurance brokerage Lockton Re has expanded its presence in the United States with the appointments of three new executives – Larry Hunter-Blank, Joe Zuk and Scott D. Polkinghorne at...

Kansas Insurance Department Recovers $15M for Consumers

Jan 8 2010 // The Kansas Insurance Department reports that it helped consumers recover more than $15 million through resolution of disputes with insurance companies in 2009. This is the second time in three years the department has...

States Get Tough on Distracted Drivers in 2010

Dec 29 2009 // Illinois, Kansas, New Hampshire and Oregon will bring in the new year with new state laws aimed at cracking down on distracted driving, according to the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). Of the four...

Kansas Commissioner Fines Progressive Direct, Calls for Premium Refunds

Dec 22 2009 // The Kansas Insurance Department (KID) reported Dec. 21 that Commissioner Sandy Praeger has levied a $5,000 fine against a Kansas-licensed insurance company and has ordered premium refunds for those consumers affected by...