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Kansas tribes seek clarity with federal, state law enforcement
TOPEKA — In Vivien Olsen’s experience as an American Indian tribal attorney, she has seen firsthand how the complicated tribal, state and federal law enforcement relationship has led to over-victimization of native people in Kansas. Olsen, the former tribal attorney for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas, said native people often face questions about […]
Economic recovery task force approves unemployment assistance program
TOPEKA — Kansans receiving unemployment benefits due to job loss caused by COVID-19 should soon receive much-needed support in the form of up to $400 in additional payments from a federal unemployment program. The program temporarily provides an additional $300 per week for those who are receiving unemployment benefits. Each state may also choose to […]
Kansas universities see jump in COVID-19 cases as students congregate
Ellis County is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases since students and employees returned for class at Fort Hays State University. Although the university has mostly conducted testing on a voluntary basis, it has recorded 90 positive cases from a campus population of 5,200. That’s also more than half of the 179 active cases in […]
Spanish-speaking Kansans face language barrier amid COVID-19
Veronica Mireles knows from personal experience the perils many Kansas Latinos face navigating health care in Kansas without English fluency. When Mireles arrived at a hospital in Wichita with her ill son, she received a bilingual staff member rather than a qualified interpreter. The staff member provided some basic translations, but it was insufficient. “My […]
Interfaith call for justice seeks accountability for Wyandotte County officials
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Community activists and faith leaders are demanding action and transparency from Wyandotte County authorities on investigations into wrongful convictions and misconduct of a retired police detective. Khadijah Hardaway, a community organizer for Justice for Wyandotte, said in a call for justice Thursday night that accountability for Kansas City, Kansas, officials is […]
Kelly thanks Kansas teachers for work on reopening plans despite virus uncertainty
Linda Sieck is uncertain about the feasibility of maintaining social distance in a cramped classroom when her students return to class this fall. Linda Sieck, president of National Education Association of Shawnee Mission, said on Tuesday she had heard from some sources, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, that only three feet of distance are […]
‘Get in the game’ — Kansas leaders urge more women to enter public service
Kansas set a record this year with women running in each of the state’s U.S. House and Senate races, but that’s not nearly enough to reflect the state’s population. Women currently hold fewer than a quarter of the seats in Congress. In the Kansas Legislature, they hold only 26% of the seats. “It’s frustrating that […]
Gov. Laura Kelly doubles down on Carl Folsom for Kansas Court of Appeals
TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly announced Monday she again has appointed federal public defender Carl Folsom to fill a vacancy on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Folsom, who works in Topeka, was appointed by the governor in May and rejected by Senate Republicans during a special session in June. Kelly has now selected Folsom from […]
Kansas deaf community pushes for access to information, education amid pandemic
Allison Gile has spent 28 years in classrooms, research institutions and legal settings providing vital information to the Kansas deaf community. Now, the American Sign Language interpreter is known for her work alongside Gov. Laura Kelly and Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary Lee Norman during frequent briefings on the COVID-19 pandemic. “Seeing all […]
Removing roadblocks for Latino voters is slow work in Kansas
TOPEKA — Alejandro Rangel-Lopez didn’t think twice about taking legal action when Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox moved the only polling location outside of Dodge City limits in 2018. “Voting is one of the most important rights we have,” Rangel-Lopez said. “I learned from my father at an early age. He became a citizen in […]
Calls for criminal justice reform usher sympathetic DA candidates
TOPEKA — Joshua Luttrell used to talk fervently with fellow attorneys about criminal justice reform he had hoped for, but didn’t see, under Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay. Now, Luttrell will look to unseat Kagay by running on the same platform he hoped his opponent would adopt. “I ran because I felt somebody had […]
Governor’s commission seeks added diversity in Kansas police training, hiring practices
TOPEKA — A leader of Gov. Laura Kelly’s Commission on Racial Equity and Justice on Thursday called for refreshed police training programs focused more squarely on historical context and the role of police in perpetuating inequalities. Shannon Portillo, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Kansas Edwards campus, suggested every officer take a […]