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Opponents of proposed ICE detention center in Leavenworth make final push as vote nears
Tensions ran high in Leavenworth Tuesday evening. Protesters gathered outside city hall as city leaders considered a private prison company’s application to house immigration detainees in the historic prison town.
Opponents of proposed ICE detention center in Leavenworth make final push as vote nears
Tensions ran high in Leavenworth Tuesday evening. Protesters gathered outside city hall as city leaders considered a private prison company’s application to house immigration detainees in the historic prison town.
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Civil rights • Voter rights • Anti-trans legislation • Abortion • Immigration • Municipalities’ local control • Kansas State Board of Education
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Leavenworth city leaders say CoreCivic needs permission to open immigration detention center
The Leavenworth City Commission voted unanimously on Tuesday for a resolution that says a private prison operator must get permission before reopening its facility in the city, rebuking the for-profit company’s plan to work with ICE.
Kansas House backs antisemitism bill but refuses to condemn all racism and discrimination
House Republicans refused to consider a plea from Democratic Rep. Valdenia Winn to send a message that there is no place for racism in the state of Kansas.
Kansas Legislature overrides governor’s veto of bill to limit advance voting
The House and Senate on Tuesday overrode Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of legislation that could result in thousands of advance ballots being disqualified.
Kansas lawmakers want to loosen vaccine requirements amid a measles outbreak in the state
At least 10 Kansans under age 18 have tested positive for measles already this year. Kansas lawmakers are considering a bill that includes loosening vaccine requirements in child care regulations.
Kansas Supreme Court justice to step down, citing Lou Gehrig’s disease
Kansas Supreme Court Justice Evelyn Wilson will retire, effective July 4, following a recent ALS diagnosis.
Kansas governor vetoes legislation that would disqualify slow-arriving mail-in ballots
Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday vetoed legislation that would eliminate a three-day grace period for advance mail-in ballots to arrive after Election Day.
She arrived in Overland Park undocumented. It took her 22 years to get her citizenship
Natalie Zarate, 28, spent two decades working to become a citizen after crossing the border illegally as a child. Now she worries that the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on immigration could endanger her and her family.
Kansas government efficiency committee restricts access to public suggestions
The chair of the Kansas Senate Committee on Government Efficiency restricted access to public submissions to its suggestion portal until after this legislative session, despite state law that requires public records be made available as soon as possible.
Kansas senator seeks higher rent for Statehouse reporters who write ‘inaccurate’ stories
Sen. Virgil Peck wants to raise the rent of reporters who write “inaccurate” things about him from their Statehouse offices. He offered no evidence to support his claim.
Kansas House denounces satanic black mass as ‘despicable, blasphemous and offensive sacrilege’
The House approved a resolution that denounces the Satanic Grotto’s plans to hold a black mass at the Statehouse after members debated the balance between respecting First Amendment protections for offensive speech — and their own right to respond.
Voters will decide how to pick Kansas Supreme Court justices. But how many will cast a ballot?
Kansas voters will decide in the August 2026 primary election how the state should select its Supreme Court justices, but some fear the timing of the vote could dampen turnout.
Kansas House members share family history while opposing resolution on immigration
House members shared personal family history Thursday as they discredited anti-immigrant rhetoric that echoed through committee hearings earlier in the legislative session.
Kansas Senate whittles down legislative budget, sends it back to House
The Kansas Senate on Tuesday approved a modified state budget, sending it back to the House so both chambers can agree on a shared plan.
Kansas House endorses plan to elect Supreme Court justices, placing question on August 2026 ballot
Kansas voters will decide next year whether to rewrite the state’s constitution to turn the Kansas Supreme Court into an elected office.
Kansas education commissioner: Kids need more time in school
Kansas Education Commissioner Randy Watson urged districts to cancel breaks or extend the school year to make up for snow days. He is also proposing half-day summer school for young students who are struggling in reading and math.
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