Gov. Laura Kelly joined activists and legislators Thursday who reflected on a four-year journey to adoption of a Kansas law ending the statute of limitations on criminal prosecution for alleged child sexual abuse and extending opportunity to file lawsuits in those cases.
Kansas SB 180 will bring a host of changes, including limiting trans residents’ access to bathrooms. Much is still unknown about how it’ll be enforced.
A spiritual adviser to former Gov. Sam Brownback, Dave DuPue teaches Bible studies during the legislative session to senators and representatives.
For the past two years, Kansas Republicans have been more interested in shielding white children from the application of “critical race theory” — a political catchall they apply to grievances with history lessons and diversity training. The opposition is consistent with fringe Christian beliefs on race.
Gov. Laura Kelly struck down a K-12 budget bill provision that would have decreased funding to more than one-third of Kansas public schools, calling the provision potentially “devastating” for rural communities.
Despite the 59-41 margin in a statewide vote on the constitutional amendment last year, Republican lawmakers passed new anti-abortion laws.
Adam Peters, GOP chairman in Ellis County, draws a parallel between the average Kansas fourth-grader and Janissaries of the 16th century Ottoman feudal system, saying public schools will ”weaponize those children against you.”
The role of religion in attacks on the LGBTQ community is evident in the hate group that writes legislation, debate among lawmakers, and a secret audio recording from a March 2 meeting of Republicans in Hutchinson.
Molly Adams/Lawrence Times
The Lawrence Public Library is teaming up with Kansas Legal Services to hold a free clinic Wednesday to help transgender people get their gender markers changed on their Kansas birth certificates and IDs before new anti-trans legislation goes into effect.
Kansas Rep. Brandon Woodard and Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr pushed back Monday against movement among conservative state legislators to erode non-discrimination protections of LGBTQ+ individuals in a quest to “erase” them from public society.
