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March 29th, 2024

organdonorOrgan donation is overwhelmingly supported by the adult population of the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 95 percent of adults in the United States support organ donation. In spite of that, the DHHS notes that only 54 percent of U.S. adults are signed up as organ donors. That gap only highlights the need for education in regard to organ donation. Separating the facts and fiction surrounding organ donation might compel more people to sign up as donors, saving untold numbers of lives as a result.

  • • People with medical conditions can still be organ donors. Many people mistakenly assume that an existing medical condition precludes them from being organ donors. However, the DHHS notes that very few medical conditions would prevent people from becoming organ donors. Such conditions include HIV and active cancer. Transplant teams determine at the time of death if a donation is possible, so even prospective donors who have doubts can still sign up.
  • • There is no age limit for organ donors. The health and condition of the organs, and not their age, is what matters. In fact, the DHHS notes that the oldest donor in the United States was 93 at the time of donation.
  • • Religions do not prohibit organ donation. The DHHS notes that most major religion support organ donation, considering it a final act of love and generosity. Prospective donors who are uncertain if their religion supports organ donation can visit https://www.organdonor.gov/about/donors/religion.html for more information.
  • • Celebrity status, race or financial well-being do not dictate who receives organs. In the United States, a nationwide computer system matches donated organs to recipients. Blood type, geographic location and time on the waiting list are just some of the factors used to match donated organs to recipients. Race, celebrity status or financial well-being are never considered.
  • • Medical personnel will try to save organ donors’ lives. Some people fear that signing up as a donor might compel medical personnel to abandon lifesaving methods if they become ill or injured. But that’s not the case. Donation is not possible until all lifesaving methods have failed.

Organ donation is a selfless act that saves lives every day. Learn more at www.organdonor.gov. 

south central kansas bone joint center full page

Liberal Local News

Governor Kelly signs bill honoring wartime chaplain Father Emil Kapaun

kapaun funeral church pageThe remains of Father Emil Kapaun are brought out from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency headquarters at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in September 2021. Last Friday, Gov. Laura Kelly signed a bill directing the creation of a memorial honoring Kapaun and his service. FILE PHOTO/TRAVIS HEYING/THE WICHITA EAGLEELLY GRIMM • Leader & Times

 

Father Emil Kapaun has been a prominent figure for Kansas Catholics for many years, having served as a chaplain in the Burma Theater of World War II, then served again as a chaplain with the U.S. Army in Korea, where he was captured and ultimately died in a prisoner of war camp. 

His remains were unaccounted for until 2021, when they were finally returned to Kansas and interred in Wichita.

Last Friday, Gov. Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 431, which directs the Capitol Preservation Committee to create a memorial honoring Chaplain (Captain) Kapaun, according to a release from the State of Kansas.

“Father Emil Kapaun was known for his selfless, dedicated service and providing care to all, regardless of their religion or beliefs,” Gov. Kelly noted in the State of Kansas release. “I am proud to honor his legacy and sacrifices for our country by signing this bipartisan bill. Father Kapaun is the most highly decorated chaplain in United States Army history. After serving as a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Wichita, he tok his ministry to World War II and the Korean War. He was captured in the Battle of Unsan while refusing to leave the wounded and ultimately died as a prisoner of war in North Korea.”

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Other Interests

NATIONAL HEADLINES

Opinion

Key bills still have a chance to pass

RYCKMAN RECAP, Ron Ryckman, 38th District Senator

 

This last, Week 11, for most committees to meet in the Legislature was kind of different from past years, in that there didn’t seem to be any big “crunch” to get everything done. 

We did work a fair number of bills — particularly in Ag and Fed and State, but used our full hour of meeting time only once — and that without even approving the bill which consumed most of it (SB 446, seeking to limit foreign property ownership) because it had simply become too cumbersome. 

The big news, I suppose, was that both houses held hearings on Medicaid expansion for the first time in four years, yet without moving it out of committee. The House provided some hope that tax relief might have another shot; however, with a two-tier instead of single rate like that adopted by the Senate, there is still a lot of “negotiating” to do to get a finished product that is “veto proof.” We’ll know more after their formal Floor consideration next week, but right now I’m optimistic we can come up with something taxpayers have been waiting on far too long.

Three totally unrelated measures that have generated a lot of constituent interest and do have a good chance of making it through are S Sub HB 2124, dealing with operational enhancement for “little guy” microbreweries; HB 2783, prohibiting government agencies from restricting the sale of motor vehicles based on energy source; and SB 527/HB 2813, making it a crime to coerce a woman into having an abortion. 

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