Weeks after announcing her office would not prosecute violations of a new Kansas law that criminalizes giving the appearance of an election worker, Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez will join a panel of election experts to discuss the state’s voter laws.
Sponsored by the Douglas County Democrats, the event — “New Voter Suppression Laws in Kansas: A Panel Discussion” — will analyze a number of new election laws passed during the most recent legislative session. Experts have said the laws disenfranchise groups of voters from casting ballots and can harm efforts to get voters registered.
The event begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 21 at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St., with networking in the center lobby until 10 a.m. The panel will then begin its forum discussion until 11:30 a.m. Masks are required for attendees.
The event will also be livestreamed. View the discussion here.
Those joining Valdez on the panel include:
- Mark Johnson: Voting rights attorney, KU professor of election law, campaign finance and First Amendment law
- Cille King: Board member and former president of the League of Women Voters of Kansas and League of Women Voters of Lawrence/Douglas County
- John Pierson, senior staff attorney at ACLU of Kansas
- Amii Castle: KU professor of law, board member of the ACLU of Kansas and faculty adviser to KU ACLU (moderator)
Related coverage:
Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector
Brian Grimmett / Kansas News Service
Douglas County DemocratsDouglas County DA, election experts to discuss new Kansas voting laws in Lawrence forum
Weeks after announcing her office would not prosecute violations of a new Kansas law that criminalizes giving the appearance of an election worker, Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez on Saturday will join a panel of election experts to discuss the state’s voter laws.
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