By&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/dale-hogg/">DALE HOGG</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/25/kansas-homeowners-carry-bigger-tax-burden-than-commercial-property-owners/">Kansas Reflector</a>

GREAT BEND — A yawning gap between surging home values and stagnant commercial assessments has fueled a significant shift in the Kansas property tax burden, forcing homeowners to shoulder a larger share of government needs, state and local officials say.

Driven by an overheated residential market and decades of commercial exemptions, a flip in the tax base has left families paying the lion’s share for schools, roads and emergency services.

Despite commercial property being taxed at more than double the rate of residential property, Rep. Adam Smith, a Weskan Republican and chair of the House Taxation Committee, said the “sheer velocity” of home price increases has outpaced the higher commercial rate.

“Value is whatever you are willing to pay for it,” Smith said.

Sean Robertson, Saline County appraiser and legislative liaison for the Kansas County Appraisers Association, said that residential and commercial property tax burdens shifted toward businesses after changes that began 40 years ago.

In 1985, the Legislature authorized a statewide reappraisal of all real estate properties. New valuations were set for 1989.

“Most properties at that time had not been revalued for many years, and sometimes decades, which created horrible inequities between similar properties in terms of valuation and taxes,” Robertson said.

Kansans passed a constitutional amendment by popular vote in 1990 that set the tax rate for residential properties at 11.5% of appraised value and the rate for commercial properties at 25%.

Although there are other property classifications — including agricultural, nonprofit, vacant and utility — residential and commercial are the largest revenue drivers by a wide margin.

“Once the dust settled” from these changes, Robertson said, residential property owners in 1997 paid 38% of total statewide property taxes while other classifications, primarily commercial, accounted for the remaining 62%.

“Over the past 30-plus years, though, those percentages have changed dramatically,” Robertson said.

In 2024, residential property owners paid 57% of all property taxes while commercial and other property owners paid 43%.

Three factors caused this shift, Robertson said.

“First, exempting properties from paying taxes does not simply absolve those properties from paying taxes,” he said. “Exemptions cause a shift of property tax responsibility onto other properties which are not exempted.”

In 2006, any newly acquired commercial or industrial machinery and equipment was exempted from property tax. This pushed commercial property owners to purchase new equipment that would then be exempt going forward.

Barton County Commissioner Barb Esfeld, the county’s former appraiser of 30 years, said the Kansas Legislature has systematically removed items from tax rolls, including certain business machinery, boats and personal property, often to attract new business.

“What they’ve done is taken that pie and put more of it on real estate and residential,” Esfeld said. “Residential feels it the most because it’s not income-generating.”

Commercial properties built with Industrial Revenue Bonds or given economic development exemptions by local boards can be avoid property taxes for up to 10 years.&nbsp;

“Although these exemptions are useful economic incentive tools that can be beneficial to a community in the long run, they remove possible revenue streams that pay for public services and transfer the tax burden to other property types for a period,” Robertson said.

Second, commercial properties are often given special considerations. For example, he said, if a commercial property has its value reduced as part of a hearing with the county appraiser or the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals, that value is maintained for an additional two years.

“This does not apply to residential properties that get a valuation reduced through the same process,” Robertson said. “That combination results in a wide swath of statutorily stagnant commercial values.”

Finally, home sale prices — driven by low supply, high demand, increased cost of building materials and low interest rates — have increased nearly 100% in the past eight years, from a median sale price of $159,000 in 2016 to $305,000 in 2024.

At the same time, commercial loan values (a measure of commercial sales activity) have increased by half that margin.

“The short version is that the market value of residential properties is rising at a much faster rate than the market value of commercial properties,” Robertson said.

“There have been two things in recent years that have kept the disparity between residential and commercial taxes at a relative minimum,” Robertson said.&nbsp;

In 2024, the median appraised valuation of residential properties for taxation purposes was lower than the median sale price in all 105 Kansas counties. So, despite still rising values, counties in Kansas are undervaluing residential properties, on the whole, compared to sale prices.

Additionally, there is an exemption of up to $172.50 currently taken off the property tax bill for every residential property in Kansas. This is an increase of the $46 exemption taken off each residential tax bill as recently as 2021.

“Without these two realities, residential property owners in Kansas would be paying an even greater share of taxes compared to commercial property owners than they already do,” he said. “This trend does not need to continue, though.”

Most of the solutions for narrowing the disparity between residential and commercial property taxes require legislative or constitutional changes, Robertson said.

Raising the exemption for residential properties from $172.50 would help reduce residential taxes, and, therefore, narrow the difference. Targeted circuit breakers or means-testing could be introduced to provide residential property owners with rebates or refunds.

“Also, a lower assessment rate for residential properties could be applied,” Robertson said. “A cousin to that approach is the Gallagher Amendment, which was used in Colorado for many years.”

This method (before its repeal in 2020) made it a requirement for residential properties to pay no more than 45% of the total property taxes in the state. This required a recalculation of the residential assessment rate each year, but kept the balance between residential and commercial taxes even.

In an effort to curb the effect of rising market values, Kansas lawmakers have proposed the Cap Assessed Value Protection Amendment, Esfeld said. This constitutional change would limit annual property tax assessment increases to 3% for most real estate and residential mobile homes beginning in 2027.

To address recent market volatility, the measure includes a look-back provision that would cap 2027 assessments at no more than 3% above their 2022 levels, effectively rolling back significant valuation spikes seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the cap would generally remain in place even after a property is sold, exceptions would be made for new construction, major improvements or assessment errors.

Critics like Esfeld argue the amendment is a superficial solution to a deeper systemic problem.

Because local government budgets for essential services are relatively fixed, Esfeld warns that capping valuations will simply force a mathematical spike in the mill levy to cover the funding gap. She said that the real issue is an eroding tax base caused by decades of state-level exemptions, which have steadily shifted the overall tax burden onto homeowners.

She said the cap acts as a “Band-Aid on a bleeding ulcer” that may offer temporary relief while potentially destabilizing local government funding and penalizing economic growth.

Also, by looking back to 2022 and its lower values for the 2027 tax year, it won’t take long before many properties are extremely undervalued, Smith said. That would lead to a painful correction for taxpayers, similar to the mass statewide reappraisal in the late 1980s.

This was a massive and costly undertaking designed to ensure all properties were valued at their fair market value. Today, state statute requires that appraisals remain within 10% of market value.

“We don’t want to go back to then,” Smith said.

Currently, the state collects 20 mills on each tax bill for school funding, Robertson said.&nbsp;

“It may be possible, depending on the courts’ interpretation of how a school funding plan is administered, to eliminate that portion of the property tax bill for Kansans and fund schools through some other mechanism” he said.

That would lower the tax rate on every property tax bill in Kansas by a significant amount.

“On the local level, budget equals tax. It is no more complicated than that; reducing a budget is the only way to reduce taxes,” Robertson said. But, here is the rub — reducing a budget at the local level likely means reducing or eliminating services.”

However, “citizens like police protection, fire protection, ambulance services, roads that are passable, parks that are clean, etc.,” he said. “What are citizens willing to forego in favor of lower taxes? That is a question that can only be answered by local taxing authority boards and their constituents.”

Ultimately, “it comes down to growth,” Smith said.&nbsp;“We have to grow our valuation. It’s a matter of economic development.”

Esfeld suggested that true relief would require a more drastic reduction in mill levies, perhaps supported by state-level sales tax transfers, rather than capping appraisals.

“I keep thinking that is the answer,” Esfeld said. “The only thing that would keep this from being a problem is new construction.”

This would include homes, businesses and industrial expansion. Not only would such construction spread the property tax burden out, but it would also generate sales taxes and hospitality taxes, she said.

Esfeld noted that even though the proposed cap looks back to 2022, properties that saw improvements between then and now would not qualify. This would remove any incentive for new building.

“Economic development might as well go out the window,” she said. “It penalizes growth.”

Kansas homeowners carry bigger tax burden than commercial property owners

The Annual Statewide Tornado Drill will be Wednesday, at 10am.

Geary County Emergency Mnagement announced that storm sirens in Junction City, Grandview Plaza, Milford City, and Milford Township will be sounded as part of the Statewide Drill. &nbsp;

Statewide Tornado Drill

TOPEKA—Cindy MacDonald said she hoped to finish her final year as court clerk for Dickinson County District Court without fanfare.

“I just wanted to retire quietly after 24 years,” she said.

But Chief Judge Benjamin Sexton, 8th Judicial District, wanted MacDonald to experience a rare honor before she retired. He nominated her to be honorary bailiff for the Kansas Supreme Court special session in Abilene on March 10.

As bailiff, MacDonald will call the audience to order at 6:30 p.m. as the Supreme Court enters for its special session.

“Cindy is so deserving of this honor,” Sexton said. “She is a tremendous leader whose work ethic is an example for our trial court clerks.”

MacDonald said legal careers run in her family. Her father was one of the first court administrators in Kansas, and her mother was an administrative secretary for judges in Salina.

“I started working part-time at a law firm while I was in high school,” she said. “Both of my sisters also worked for firms, and at one time all three of us were at the same one, but I was the only one who stayed in the field.”

MacDonald began as a legal secretary and later became a certified legal assistant working at various law firms. After 18 years, she was ready for a new challenge.

“When I saw the district court clerk position, I knew it was the right opportunity for me,” she said.

She said it appealed to her because it would allow her to learn more about legal processes beyond the specialized areas of practice in the law firms where she had worked.

“In district court, we handle all case types, so clerks have to know how to process every one of them and also be flexible about change,” she said. “Whether it’s updates to state statutes, changes to court rules, or new processes, being a clerk means you’re always learning something new every day.”

Having worked at both law firms and in the courts, MacDonald said she prefers her current role in the courthouse.

“I love the administrative side of the courts,” she said. “I get to work with the judges, train new trial court clerks, and connect the public with court resources.”

MacDonald said she also enjoys the planning and organizing that go into keeping the court running smoothly, skills she used during the Dickinson County Courthouse renovation in 2021.

The Supreme Court visit to Abilene is part of its outreach to familiarize Kansans with the court, its work, and the overall role of the Kansas judiciary.

The court will be in session from 6:30 p.m. to about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, in the&nbsp;Library Building Indoor Courtyard at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, 200 SE 4th Street, Abilene.

After the special session ends, justices will greet the public in an informal reception.

Details about the special session, including the case that will be heard, an explanation of oral argument, and tips for attending in person are at&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://go.kansascourts.gov/l/324QLG27zYNmrWCecS1zZJFfF4iYRRqzn7AzcYKJMmcoXHZs_Zo1ZQSgGXGG8CH5ZyvCL3gA0MjDqWD_u_FCUkPDIkClk0RWlnATLL-UqRZ_EruvyhfV9f9aGJ1DN61h">kscourts.gov/travel-docket</a>

District court clerk to serve as honorary bailiff for Supreme Court visit to Abilene

Following weekend airstrikes in Iran, rising crude oil prices could push gasoline costs higher within weeks.

By RAFAEL GARCIA <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/news/articles/2026/03/economist-forecasts-gas-price-increase-following-iran-attacks.html">K-State News and Communications Services</a> It may be months or even years before the long-term geopolitical ramifications of this weekend's airstrikes in Iran become clear, but a Kansas State University agricultural economist says gas prices are likely to spike in the coming weeks.

<a href="https://www.ageconomics.k-state.edu/about/people/directory/faculty_directory/ibendahl/">Gregg Ibendahl</a>, associate professor of agricultural economics, specializes in agricultural production and finance, especially fuel pricing seasonality and impacts to the ag industry.

As a region, the Middle East is the world's leading producer of oil, and any uncertainty in the stability of the region's governments, economies and shipping capacity has typically resulted in price shocks, Ibendahl said.

Following airstrikes on Saturday that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and subsequent reciprocal strikes, crude oil futures had already risen 8%, from $67 per barrel on Friday to $72 on Monday morning.

By&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agmanager.info/production-economics/prices-and-price-forecasts/what-does-middle-eastern-war-mean-gas-prices">analyzing 20 years of oil and gas price data</a>, Ibendahl found that in the immediate term, gas prices typically go up about 2.4 cents per gallon for every $1 increase in oil's price per barrel.

"Prior to this weekend, U.S. regular gasoline averaged $2.98 per gallon nationally," Ibendahl said. "With the baseline $6 per barrel increase, prices could rise to between $3.10 and $3.16 within a month. Remember too, oil prices rose to $130 per barrel shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leading to gas prices of $5 per gallon."

Spikes in crude oil prices usually lead to a similar change in gasoline prices in the subsequent week, Ibendahl said. But crucially, crude oil movements can influence pump prices for more than a month, especially when uncertainty remains about the future stability of an oil-producing region.

Ibendahl's forecast, he pointed out, does not take into account other factors, such as extended violence or suspended traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — an Iranian-controlled 21-mile chokepoint through which about 20% of globally traded oil passes.

A shutdown of the strait could lead to oil prices that are well over $100 per barrel, or even more if warfare in the region starts targeting oil production facilities.

At that point, gas prices at the pump quickly start approaching $4 per gallon — or even more, if oil prices follow a similar trajectory to the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Longer term, the price increase could be 4.2 cents per gallon for every dollar per barrel," Ibendahl said. "While conflict may be occurring in the Persian Gulf, the resulting impact on gas prices will be felt at stations nationwide before the end of the month."

Will gas hit $4? K-State economist breaks down numbers

The following is a summary of arrests, citations by the Riley County Police Department. Those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Riley County Arrest Report March 3

On Monday, President Trump at a White House ceremony&nbsp;presented the Congressional Medal of Honor to&nbsp;three U.S. Army soldiers for extraordinary valor.

Among the honorees was Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Terry P. Richardson of Fort Riley, who was awarded the nation’s highest military decoration for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War on September 14, 1968. On that day, his courage and decisive leadership under enemy fire saved the lives of 85 fellow soldiers.

🎥Fort Riley’s 39th Medal of Honor recipient recognized at White House

&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly,&nbsp;in accordance with&nbsp;Executive Order #20-30,&nbsp;on Monday&nbsp;directed flags&nbsp;be flown at half-staff on all state buildings, grounds, and facilities&nbsp;effective&nbsp;immediately&nbsp;until sundown on the day of interment in honor of Kansas State Representative John Resman.

 He&nbsp;represented&nbsp;Kansas House District&nbsp;121&nbsp;since 2017.&nbsp;

“Representative Resman&nbsp;has a decorated history of serving&nbsp;his community, our state, and our country throughout his time in the Army, Kansas National Guard,&nbsp;the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, and the Kansas Legislature,”&nbsp;Governor Laura Kelly said.&nbsp;“My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends&nbsp;during this&nbsp;difficult time.&nbsp;

This flag order will be updated when the date of interment is&nbsp;determined.&nbsp;

Gov. Kelly orders flags to be flown at half-staff

MILFORD, KS&nbsp;— The City of Milford, KS and Acorns Resort, in coordination with official data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Kansas City, MO, are excited to announce a landmark year for North Central Kansas tourism. In 2025, Milford Lake welcomed&nbsp;1,374,209 visitors, officially cementing its status as a top-tier destination in the Sunflower State.

This visitation surge places the state’s largest lake among the elite tier of Kansas outdoor attractions. Outpacing many of the state’s metropolitan cultural icons, Milford Lake’s 1.37 million visitors highlight a growing national trend of travelers seeking high-quality outdoor recreation and "lake life" experiences."

Welcoming 1.37 million people is a massive achievement that underscores the importance of Milford Lake to the local, regional, and state economy," said&nbsp;Mike Harris, Owner of Acorns Resort. "Whether they are here for our fishing, boating, hunting, or hiking the Flint Hills, it is clear that Milford Lake is the heavyweight champion of the Kansas outdoors."

The growth is translating into more than just weekend tourism; it is driving a shift in the regional housing market.

"The impact of Milford Lake’s growth is visible everywhere, even in our housing market," stated&nbsp;Brad Roether, Mayor of the City of Milford. "We are seeing growth across&nbsp;Geary and Clay County&nbsp;because our natural resources, especially the fishing—have turned us into a multi-state regional attraction. People are buying homes here just to be closer to our outdoors; I don’t know if that is good or bad, but it is certainly taking place."

The economic impact of this visitation level is a vital engine for the region, supporting local businesses, infrastructure, and job creation through a massive influx of tourism dollars into North Central Kansas.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Milford Lake Achieves "Heavyweight" Status with Over 1.3 Million Visitors in 2025

RILEY COUNTY —One person was injured in an accident just before 9p.m. Sunday in Riley County.

A 2022 Toyota Camry driven by Pamela Martin, 59, of Blue Rapids, slid on ice and crashed on a bridge&nbsp;on Tuttle Creek Blvd near Randolph, according to the Riley County Police Department activity report.

EMS transported Martin to Via Christi Hospital. The RCPD released no additional details.

Kansas woman injured after car crash on icy bridge

Riley County Arrest Report March 2

The Geary County Sheriff's Office said that on Saturday afternoon Deputies responded to I70 W/B MM 308 for a single vehicle injury accident. Maricris M. Solano of Junction City was traveling westbound in a 2014 Infiniti Q Series when it went off the road, striking a tree. 

Solano was transported to Irwin Army Community Hospital due to her injuries.

Sheriff's authorities respond to injury accident

WYANDOTTE COUNTY —Police have released the names of the victims in Sunday’s early morning two-vehicle crash at 10th and Quindaro.

Tiera Laster, 30 and Ashli McGough, 37, both residents of Kansas City, Kan., died from their injuries, according to a statement from Kansas City, Kansas Police.

Based on video obtained from the scene, the driver of the eastbound vehicle on Quindaro Boulevard crossed the double yellow line into the west bound lane and struck the vehicle driven by Laster. The driver and sole occupant of the eastbound vehicle and three passengers from Laster’s vehicle remain hospitalized in serious to critical condition.

This incident remains under investigation by the KCKPD Traffic Division. 

Police ID two Kansas women who died in wrong-way crash

By:<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">Sherman Smith</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/mchilson/">Morgan Chilson</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/02/24/gov-laura-kelly-skeptical-kansas-houses-anti-tenure-legislation-will-reach-her-desk/">Kansas Reflector</a>

LAWRENCE — Attorneys will argue Friday in court over whether a judge should delay enforcement of a state law that invalidates driver’s licenses and birth certificates for those who changed their gender marker and restricts bathroom use based on sex assigned at birth.

Two trans men from Lawrence&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/27/trans-men-file-lawsuit-over-kansas-law-that-restricts-bathroom-use-and-invalidates-drivers-licenses/">filed a lawsuit last week</a>&nbsp;in Douglas County District Court to challenge&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb244/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 244</a>, which took effect Feb. 26. The unnamed plaintiffs say the law violates constitutional rights to personal autonomy, privacy, equity, due process and expression, could subject them to harassment and violence, and would jeopardize their mental health and employment.

Attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Philadelphia-based Ballard Spahr law firm, which represent the plaintiffs, appeared by Zoom for a scheduling conference Tuesday in Douglas County District Court with Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach and other attorneys for the state. Journalists from Kansas Reflector and the Kansas City Star and an attorney from the University of Kansas observed the hearing from an otherwise empty courtroom.

Douglas County District Judge James McCabria told attorneys they needed to find a time this week to hold oral arguments on a motion by plaintiffs for a temporary restraining order, which would block enforcement of the law. He set the hearing for Friday afternoon.

McCabria could rule quickly on the motion. He acknowledged a restraining order would be an “extraordinary remedy” for a law that has “broad application.” He noted the ruling would not be “a determination of final merits” in the case, and that he could continue to “weigh things later.”

The plaintiffs in the case are identified in court documents as Daniel Doe and Matthew Moe. During Tuesday’s hearing, the judge questioned Kobach about the use of pseudonyms. Kobach said it wasn’t typical but that he wouldn’t object, “just to make this thing move along.”

McCabria, who was appointed to the bench by Gov. Sam Brownback in 2014, said the use of pseudonyms “raises some questions,” and that he was concerned about the public’s right to know. He said he would wait until Friday to see if a news outlet objects to the plaintiffs’ request to proceed unnamed.

“I do see a reasonable and articulated reason for the request,” McCabria said.

The GOP-led Legislature fast-tracked passage of the law this year while bending rules to avoid public input and silence debate. Every Republican except Emporia Rep. Mark Schreiber voted to pass the law and to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto, despite objections from Democrats about the cost to local governments, harm to transgender people, unclear provisions in the law, and constitutional problems.

Republicans argued, without evidence, that the bathroom provision of the law was necessary to ensure the safety of women. They ignored the reality that the law now requires trans men to use women’s facilities.

The law contains a bounty-style provision that allows individuals who feel “aggrieved” by someone’s bathroom use to sue the individuals for monetary gain. Any public entity that fails to properly police bathrooms could be subject to a $25,000 fine on first offense and $125,000 fines on subsequent offenses.

The Kansas Department of Revenue&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/02/26/trans-kansans-struggle-with-reality-of-legislatures-cruelty-as-drivers-licenses-are-invalidated/">sent a letter to trans people</a>&nbsp;shortly before the law took effect to inform them their driver’s licenses were invalid. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thehandbasket.co/p/kansas-republicans-sb-244-trans-drivers-licenses" target="_blank">independent journalist Marisa Kabas</a>&nbsp;reported&nbsp;<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ejihld4sywvvqwe67cdkn4jq/post/3mfucyhno7s2z" target="_blank">an internal KDOR memo</a>&nbsp;to DMVs says no records have been invalidated.

The memo also says the agency sent a letter to 300 Kansans, although the agency has publicly said 1,700 records were affected.

Zach Denney, a KDOR spokesman, told Kansas Reflector that while the new law invalidates licenses immediately,&nbsp;agency employees must look at each record to determine why the gender marker was changed, as some could have been changed because of data entry errors. He encouraged individuals to check their status on the KDOR website.

“The KDOR driver’s license status check page accurately reflects KDOR’s internal system, and what law enforcement entities will see if they check a license,” he said. “The system is being updated, and as it is, the status check website will reflect changes made within the system.”

Kansas judge orders Friday hearing on whether to tap brakes on anti-trans law

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A man accused of sexually assaulting a teen while she was waiting for a school bus in Wichita is due back in court Tuesday afternoon.&nbsp;

Gonzalo Ramirez, 31, will appear in Judge Rodger Woods courtroom for a preliminary hearing, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney' office.

He was charged with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated criminal sodomy and aggravated indecent solicitation of a child..&nbsp; The judge will determine if there is evidence to move the case forward.

Just before 6a.m. on Sept. 15, police were dispatched to a report of a sexual assault of a minor that occurred in the 1500 block of South Kansas in Wichita, according to a media release.

The investigation revealed that a minor was waiting for the school bus when they were approached by a 31-year-old male suspect, not known to her.&nbsp; The suspect, identified according to Sedgwick County booking records as Gonzalo Ramirez, lured the minor into a vehicle and committed the assault.

Officers quickly located Ramirez who was taken into custody and booked into the Sedgwick County Jail.&nbsp; He remains in custody on a $500,000.00 bond, according to online jail records.

Preliminary hearing for suspect in Kan. school bus stop sex assault

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man who gave his teenage son the gun he's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-high-school-lockdown-3969d34cf6a7adc787facf21c469ef4d">accused of using to kill two students and two teachers</a>&nbsp;at a high school was convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday.

Jurors took less than two hours to find Colin Gray guilty of all charges in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta. Gray now joins a growing number of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shootings-parents-charged-bbe07bf6f882fd44f893639dc36c0825">parents being held responsible in court after children were accused</a>&nbsp;in shootings across the country.

Colin Gray was found guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia law defines second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children. Gray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

Another teacher and eight other students were wounded. Gray was also convicted of multiple counts of reckless conduct and cruelty to children.

He showed little emotion as the verdict was read and each juror was polled by the judge. Deputies then handcuffed him behind his back as he stood at the defense table, consulting with his lawyer. He will be sentenced at a later date. Second-degree murder is punishable by at least 10 but no more than 30 years in prison, while involuntary manslaughter carries a penalty of one to 10 years in prison.

Some relatives of victims wept as the verdicts were read. They declined to comment after court. Gray’s defense lawyers left without speaking to reporters.

“We talk a lot about rights in our country,” Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said after the verdict. “But God gave us a duty to protect our children, and I hope that we remember that, as parents, as community members, to protect our children because that is our God-given duty.”

The teen's mother, Marcee Gray, wasn't charged.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-school-shooting-trial-colin-gray-82af44f531a374c3480b4fd6aaac6454">She testified that she had urged her estranged husband</a>&nbsp;to take any guns and lock them inside his truck so they would not be not accessible to their son. She and Colin Gray were separated in the months leading up to the shooting, and Colt lived mostly with his father during that time. She declined to comment when reached by phone after the verdict.

Prosecutors said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/apalachee-high-school-colin-colt-gray-04346f61a8fc8cba2520343866c56eb6">Gray gave his son, Colt, the gun as a Christmas gift</a>&nbsp;and allowed him access to it along with ammunition despite the boy's deteriorating mental health. They said he had “sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger” other people.

Fourteen at the time of the shooting, Colt Gray pleaded not guilty to a total of 55 counts, including murder. His judge set a status hearing for mid-March.

Investigators said Colt Gray carefully planned the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school attended by 1,900 students.

He boarded the school bus with a semiautomatic, assault-style rifle in his book bag, the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board, investigators said. He left his second-period class and emerged from a bathroom with the gun and then shot people in a classroom and hallways, investigators said.

Colin Gray knew his son was obsessed with school shooters, even having a shrine in his bedroom to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/nikolas-cruz">Nikolas Cruz</a>, the shooter in the 2018 massacre at Florida's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, prosecutors said.

“It wasn’t like one parent missed one warning,” Smith told reporters. “This was multiple warnings over a lengthy period of time and, like we said, you just had to do one thing — take that rifle away and this would have been prevented.”

Jennifer and James Crumbley, the first U.S. parents held criminally responsible for a mass school shooting&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pontiac-michigan-oxford-high-school-shooting-crime-shootings-ff69e26f96bb07af5dcb76bddc650bb4">committed by a child,</a>&nbsp;are serving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/james-crumbley-jennifer-crumbley-oxford-school-shooting-e5888f615c76c3b26153c34dc36d5436">10-year prison terms</a>&nbsp;for involuntary manslaughter after their son Ethan killed four students and wounded others in Michigan in 2021.

Colin Gray was the first such parent to be charged in Georgia. Smith said Marcee Gray had seen what happened in Michigan and asked her husband to remove the weapons as a result. “So Michigan was able to move the needle to the point that it almost stopped this tragedy,” he said. “We hope we’ve moved the needle a little further.”

Associated Press writer Kate Brumback in Atlanta contributed reporting.

History: Father who gave gun to school shooting suspect convicted of murder

NEW YORK (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/elections">2026 midterm season</a>&nbsp;begins in earnest on Tuesday with two of the nation's most consequential Senate primaries playing out in Texas, a political behemoth that Democrats have been fighting to flip for decades.

Is this the year? Republican leaders in Washington openly fret that a victory by conservative firebrand Ken Paxton over four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn would give Democrats a rare shot of winning the seat come November. The contest has already cost Republicans tens of millions of dollars, and there will be much more spent ahead of a May 26 runoff if no one gets 50% in the three-way primary that also includes Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Democrats, meanwhile, are picking between two rising stars with conflicting styles. There's U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who made a name for herself through confrontation, and state Rep. James Talarico, a former middle school teacher who is working toward a divinity degree.

Primaries are also taking place in North Carolina and Arkansas. Voting comes just days after President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;launched a major&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">military campaign against Iran</a>, injecting an urgent foreign policy component in races otherwise focused on domestic issues.

Is the Democrats’ Texas threat for real this time?

Democrats have been raising the prospect of a Texas upset for decades. And yet the party hasn't won a Senate race there since Lloyd Bentsen's reelection in 1988.

Both sides believe this could be the year that things change. But much depends on Tuesday's results.

Some Republican leaders in Washington, including key allies of Trump, warn that a victory by Paxton, who has well-documented&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ken-paxton-impeachment-texas-547f46284c7858905b067fefa2c48f0b">personal baggage</a>, would undermine their chances in November. If he's the nominee, the party would need to divert tens of millions of dollars from other states to protect the seat.

Paxton could finish first on Tuesday, although he's not expected to earn the 50% needed to avoid a May 26 runoff election against the second-place finisher. For now, Cornyn is most likely to claim that position, while Hunt has made an aggressive case as well.

The runoff could get even uglier for a party that has already spent more than $100 million on the nomination fight, making it the most expensive primary in state history.

Democrats have a tough choice on their side as they decide what kind of fighter it wants to run against Trump's Republican Party.

Privately, Republicans say they're most worried about Talarico. The 36-year-old Democrat blends progressive politics with biblical fluency in a way that is uncommon among many national Democratic figures.

Talarico denounces “politics as a blood sport” and says people want “a return to more timeless values of sincerity and honesty and compassion and respect.”

On the other side is 44-year-old Crocket, a former civil rights attorney who has feuded with Republicans and drawn Trump's scorn. One of her advertisements boasts that she “drives the president crazy.” Another has the tagline “Crockett fights for us.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris backed Crockett in a recorded call that went out across the state over the weekend.

“Texas has the chance to send a fighter like Jasmine Crockett to the United States Senate,” Harris said.

The primary elections come just three days after the U.S., in coordination with Israel, launched a major attack against Iran. Trump has suggested the military campaign could take at least four weeks. At least six U.S. soldiers have already been killed and the president predicts more deaths.

Foreign policy rarely shapes U.S. elections, although the timing of the conflict could certainly help shift voters' attention in primaries that have largely focused on issues at home. Texas, after all, is home to many military families.

The Republican candidates have overwhelmingly aligned themselves with Trump and his “America First” movement. The president's aggressive interventions overseas could complicate that message and force his allies to answer difficult questions.

So far,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/john-cornyn">Cornyn</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/ken-paxton">Paxton</a>&nbsp;have been quick to line up behind Trump. “Hopefully lives will not be lost needlessly, but this always entails risk,” Cornyn said Saturday.

The president sits at the very center of Tuesday's contests whether he is on the ballot or not.

Trump visited Texas on Friday and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-texas-cornyn-paxton-hunt-gop-primary-cd31dbec10c54ce230ae915e51cbccf0">dangled a potential endorsement</a>&nbsp;in the Senate race. But on the eve of the primary, he had yet to make a pick.

All of the Republican candidates have worked to convince voters they are aligned with Trump, who remains overwhelmingly popular among the primary electorate. Former Trump campaign chief Chris LaCivita is on the Cornyn payroll as well.

Trump stars in the Democratic primary as well, where Crockett, far more than Talarico, has grown a national brand based on her fierce opposition to Trump.

Depending on Tuesday's results, Texas may play a prominent role in the balance of power in Congress for the last two years of Trump's term. And he certainly doesn't want to be known as the Republican president who presided over Texas' shift blue.

Texas may dominate the chattering class, but North Carolina may be just as important — if not more — for the makeup of the Senate come November.

Even before Republican Sen. Thom Tillis&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/tillis-senate-north-carolina-trump-reelection-republicans-382f72ff5228d864b38009904cbc4e6b">announced his retirement</a>&nbsp;last June, North Carolina presented Democrats with one of few opportunities to flip a Republican-held seat in an otherwise difficult electoral map.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-senate-roy-cooper-tillis-49e7b69b20db803f75a1893e1e890f18">Former two-term Gov. Roy Cooper</a>&nbsp;is the dominant figure in the six-person Democratic field. The most prominent name in the Republican field is Michael Whatley, the former Republican National Committee chair who has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-north-carolina-whatley-senate-cooper-cb3b4109f85bf2f23fee93f05f253d7b">Trump’s backing</a>.

A more competitive primary is expected in North Carolina's 4th District, where incumbent Rep. Valerie Foushee, 69, is facing progressive Nida Allam, 32, who has endorsements from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., among other progressives.

Allam, a county commissioner and the first Muslim woman ever elected to public office in North Carolina, is campaigning on a message of a “brighter future.”

A mess in Texas? What to watch in Tuesday's primaries

Washington&nbsp;–&nbsp;U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, is urgently calling on any Kansan currently in the Middle East — or anyone with a loved one there — to evacuate immediately. His office is actively assisting with departures. Anyone needing assistance should email&nbsp;<a href="mailto:EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov">EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov</a>&nbsp;or call (785) 829-9000.

The U.S. State Department has advised any American currently in the following countries to depart immediately:

Senator Marshall strongly encourages all Americans abroad to enroll in the U.S. State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) at step.state.gov to receive the latest security updates directly from the nearest U.S. embassy.

If you or a loved one needs assistance evacuating, contact Senator Marshall's office immediately by emailing&nbsp;<a href="mailto:EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov">EvacHelp@marshall.senate.gov</a>&nbsp;or calling (785)829-9000.

Kan. U.S. Senator's office assisting Kansans evacuate from Middle East

By&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-chapman">MICHELLE CHAPMAN</a> Associated Press

The average price for a gallon of gasoline jumped 11 cents overnight to about $3.11 in the U.S., according to motor club AAA.

Gas prices were already rising before the U.S. launched&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/fc413267e23c8b36fd6521216033adaf">strikes on Iran</a>&nbsp;as refiners switch over to summer blends of fuel, but crude futures have risen sharply this week because of the war.

On Tuesday, oil futures soared to levels not seen in more than a year as Iran launched a series of retaliatory attacks, including a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-03-03-2026-8755877b603e46ed3df8107689c1ee23">drone strike&nbsp;</a>on the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

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