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
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Clay Wirestone: Simple reforms could make the Kansas Legislature more transparent; leaders don’t want that (Column)
“Each time journalists point out how bad things are (with transparency in the Legislature), we hear a few shocked exclamations. Then everything falls back into familiar patterns, only worse,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
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Clay Wirestone: Abortion rights are in peril in Kansas and the U.S.; shock and outrage won’t change that (Column)
“Those who believe passionately in abortion rights will … need to build a movement sturdy, motivated and well-funded enough to battle for decades to come,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
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Ask Codi, Pride Edition: Lawrence does not deserve Haus of McCoy, and it’s time to be honest about that (Column)
“I am incredibly tired, and I don’t know if I can survive the work of humanizing Black trans people in this climate, in this town and in this state,” Codi Keith Charles writes in this column.
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Tom Harper: Studio 804 pulls off another win for Lawrence with 519 Indiana (Column)
Students of Dan Rockhill’s Studio 804 class have worked together to create a sculptural, energy-efficient home in the Pinkney neighborhood. You can see it for yourself on Saturday.
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Kate Queram: The wholly unsurprising fate of Roe v. Wade (Column)
“Anti-abortion politicians do not care … about your baby. Their chosen moniker is ‘pro-life,’ but it is far more accurate to label them ‘pro-birth,’” Kate Queram writes in this column for States Newsroom.
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Syed Jamal: Lawrence’s Islamic community gives back during Ramadan (Column)
“Every Ramadan, this city witnesses an outpouring of charitable acts, compassion for others, and outreach to the community from the Muslims of Lawrence,” Syed Jamal writes in this column.
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Clay Wirestone: My grim prediction for Kansas — Abortion banned within a year if voters don’t show up (Column)
“Within the next year, the Kansas Legislature will pass a full ban on abortion, without exceptions for rape or incest. Gov. Derek Schmidt will delightedly sign it and rhapsodize about our state’s culture of life,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
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Clay Wirestone: Kelly signs anti-sanctuary city bill, and Kansas progressives face a moment of truth (Column)
“Kelly’s political course should be clear to everyone at this point. She’s working to make sure as little daylight exists between her and Schmidt as possible,” Clay Wirestone writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
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Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel: April 12 is Education and Sharing Day (Column)
April 12, Education and Sharing Day, “is a day for us to reflect on how we can be a bit like Moses and care for the spiritual and moral welfare of even one single child,” Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel writes in this column.
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Mark McCormick: High-profile law enforcement cases spotlight role of Kansas Fraternal Order of Police (Column)
“The FOP isn’t accountable to citizens yet wields enormous power to shield police officers from punishment for behavior that harms citizens,” Mark McCormick writes in this column for Kansas Reflector.
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Jancita Warrington: Tracing Indigenous knowledge through the stars (Column)
“‘Trace’ reaffirms that Indigenous peoples’ arts and cultures are not nostalgic remnants of the past but are alive and thriving in various forms across North America,” Jancita Warrington writes in this column.
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Tom Keegan: Calm coach and cool players win national title for Kansas (Column)
“One cool customer just coached one cool Kansas basketball team to another national title,” Tom Keegan writes in this column.
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Ask Codi: What does it mean to be a Jayhawk? (Column)
“Jayhawks must be honest and able to reckon with the world around us. How else are we supposed to become global citizens and changemakers?” Codi Keith Charles writes in this column.
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Fiscal policy changes can begin to make Kansas more racially equitable (Column)
“How our state government taxes, spends, and accesses funding demonstrates our values and our commitment to addressing racial equity in Kansas,” members of the Governor’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice write in this piece for Kansas Reflector.
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Tom Keegan: One more win, and Bill’s in a class by himself (Column)
“The winning team likely will be the one that is most connected, plays the hardest and gets hot shooting. Both have done a great job of that in the tournament or they wouldn’t be playing for the national title,” Tom Keegan writes in this column.