The Lawrence Times runs opinion columns written by community members with varying perspectives on local issues. Occasionally, we’ll also pick up columns from other nearby news outlets. These pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Times staff.
The Lawrence Times does not publish staff editorials (unsigned opinion columns, usually about the topics we cover, that many news publications run).
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OPINION COLUMNS
Clay Wirestone: Statehouse scraps – Secrecy shrouds semiconductor deal, counting a community, silver screen plans (Column)
”Somehow we just wrapped the fourth week of the 2023 Kansas legislative session. Tracking lawmakers’ antics sometimes feels like pounding a half-dozen slushies and taking a ride on a tilt-a-whirl,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Community Children’s Center: If only they came with a manual (Column)
”The longest drive of my life was the 30-minute drive with my wife and newborn son home from the hospital in Topeka. … They give you some basic instruction at the hospital, but after that, you’re on your own,” Will Averill writes in this column from the Children’s Community Center.
Lawrence Preservation Alliance: KU campus demolitions cause concern about preservation (Column)
“Recent actions by KU administrators have left many wondering how much the current KU leadership values historic buildings and landscapes on campus,” Lawrence Preservation Alliance leaders write in this column.
Mackenzie Clark/Lawrence Times
Clay Wirestone: A Kansas woman killed her abuser. At every level, in every instance, the system failed her. (Column)
”Even after the abuse, after the violent slaying, the system failed (Sarah Gonzales-McLinn). The judge in her murder trial didn’t allow jurors to hear testimony about her abuse,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Clay Wirestone: A bomb threat at my son’s Lawrence school shattered an afternoon into emotional fragments (Column)
“I was worried because, in those lengthy Thursday afternoon minutes, I had lost the ability to protect my child,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
D.C. Hiegert: Anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and laws harm your Kansas neighbors. We can build a more welcoming state. (Column)
”I believe we can make Kansas a welcoming and accepting state where LGBTQ+ people can live authentically and thrive. But LGBTQ+ Kansans cannot do it alone,” D.C. Hiegert writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Tresa McAlhaney: Community can creatively manage changes in Lawrence Public Schools (Column)
”We have so many great resources to draw from in our community, and with some thoughtful adjustments, we can gracefully rise to conquer the coming challenges together,” Tresa McAlhaney writes in this column.
Max Kautsch: Swaths of Kansas lack written policies on exculpatory evidence, law enforcement dishonesty (Column)
”The Kansas Coalition for Open Government believes that establishing written Brady/Giglio policies is essential to promoting transparency and accountability in law enforcement,” Max Kautsch writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Dot Nary: Eat a hot meal with friends in tribute to Ed Roberts (Column)
”Imagine that, as a typical baseball-loving 14-year-old kid, … you contract a disease that paralyzes you from the neck down, except for several fingers and toes. … How would you respond?” Dot Nary writes in this tribute to disability activist Ed Roberts.
Clay Wirestone: This Kansas rep wanted to run for House speaker on a transparency platform. The GOP shut him down. (Column)
”Rep. Dennis ‘Boog’ Highberger, a Lawrence Democrat, won’t be running for Kansas speaker of the House today. Republican leaders who prize obfuscation over open government made sure of that,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Clay Wirestone: Feeble clergy sex abuse report exposes Schmidt’s sins. He betrayed his office and Kansas kids. (Column)
”Now we know the true legacy of outgoing Attorney General Derek Schmidt: allowing likely sexual abusers of children to walk free,” Clay Wirestone writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
Eric Thomas: January ushers in COVID-19 turning points year after year in Kansas (Column)
“The last three years tested us as Kansans in dramatic ways. January provided the decisive moments,” Eric Thomas writes in this Kansas Reflector column.
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