Federal fallout
Coverage tracking the Lawrence, Douglas County and statewide impacts of changes and cuts at the federal level.
Contact information for the congressional delegation representing Lawrence and Douglas County is available at this link. The nonprofit 5 Calls, 5calls.org, has phone numbers and templates of scripts to help people make their voices heard on several federal issues.
LATEST
Kansas governor says ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ could cost state $150 million or more
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is expected to cost Kansas at least $150 million as provisions cutting health care programs go into effect, Gov. Laura Kelly said in an interview with Kansas Reflector.
Kansas governor says ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ could cost state $150 million or more
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is expected to cost Kansas at least $150 million as provisions cutting health care programs go into effect, Gov. Laura Kelly said in an interview with Kansas Reflector.
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Nathan Kramer / Lawrence Times
Lawrence school district will safeguard student info in wake of immigration concerns, superintendent says
Lawrence Public Schools will keep students’ information private and support their constitutional right to education regardless of their immigration status, the superintendent told families Friday.
Kansas education department responds to lifting of immigration enforcement limits at schools
The Kansas State Department of Education advised school districts to follow laws protecting students’ constitutional rights in wake of Homeland Security’s reversal of a policy forbidding immigration authorities from entering school property to make arrests.
Molly Adams / Lawrence Times
Lawrence immigration advocate says know your rights
Trump has promised to deport undocumented immigrants and others en masse. Knowledge is power amid fear and uncertainty, a Lawrence immigration advocate says.
Kansas House bill would use driver’s license records to look for voters who are not citizens
A bill proposed in the Kansas House seeks to remove people who are not U.S. citizens from the state’s voter rolls through temporary driver’s license records, invoking concern for potential disenfranchisement of Kansas voters.
Kansas senator holds one-sided hearing to urge compliance with Trump immigration efforts
Sen. Mike Thompson’s hearing on symbolic legislation about immigration laws featured one-sided testimony with dehumanizing language, unsupported speculation about a sex trafficking ring in Wichita, and a comparison between being in the country illegally and robbing a bank.
Shuttered private jail in Kansas could become immigration detention center
The ACLU warns that CoreCivic’s shuttered Leavenworth jail could play a role in President-elect Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans as an immigration detention center.
DACA health care ruling leaves few options but emergency care for some immigrants in Kansas
Immigration advocates are regrouping after a recent ruling prevented the expansion of health care access for more than 4,000 people in Kansas brought to the country illegally as children.
Kansas suicide and crisis hotline sees post-election spike
The state suicide and crisis hotline received a record number of calls a day following the election, with LGBTQ+ and Spanish-speaking lines seeing especially high traffic.
This election, thousands of new U.S. citizens will vote for the first time in Kansas
Kansas isn’t a battleground state nationally, but several key races are on the ballot, including the makeup of the entire state Legislature. Experts say the thousands of Kansans who become new citizens each year could play a decisive role.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times
Staying strong, even in limbo: Meet scientist and aerial artist Jodi Simeon
Every week, a group of women gather to practice aerial arts on 19-foot-tall silks. One of them is 26-year-old Jodi Simeon — described as fearless, despite knowing that her future in Lawrence hinges on random chance.
Federal court rules immigration law violates First Amendment, in a win for Kansas workers
Two employees of a Lawrence business were convicted of conspiring to “encourage or induce” undocumented immigrants to reside in the U.S. But the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the federal statute “criminalizes a substantial amount of constitutionally protected speech.”
Lawrence City Commission submits to state law, strikes immigrant protections from sanctuary ordinance
Lawrence city commissioners approved changes to the city’s sanctuary ordinance on Tuesday, stripping it of some protections for immigrants, to fall in line with state law.
Lawrence City Commission delays vote on revisions to sanctuary ordinance, sets special meeting
The Lawrence City Commission voted Tuesday to delay action on changes to its sanctuary ordinance that city staff said were necessary to comply with state law. The commission will instead give activists more time to work with the city on changes to the ordinance.
Immigrants face new reality and old fears under a Kansas law banning ‘sanctuary’ cities
Advocates warn of criminal, economic fallout TOPEKA — Alejandro Rangel-Lopez says fear is a given […]
Kelly signs bill spiking Wyandotte County’s adoption of ‘sanctuary’ city policy
Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation Monday crafted by Republicans rebuking Wyandotte County for passing an ordinance allowing issuance of ID cards to undocumented residents and affirming the practice of local law enforcement agencies to not participate in federal immigration raids.
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