FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2015
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ACLU opposes bill giving unprecedented prosecutorial power to Secretary of State Kris Kobach
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS - The Kansas House of Representatives gave Senate Bill 34 (SB 34) initial approval this morning with a 63-57 vote. Final approval of this bill would give Secretary of State Kris Kobach the power to prosecute voting crime in Kansas – a move that is strongly opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas (ACLU-KS).
“This is a clear overstep of authority for the Secretary of State that creates unnecessary barriers for Kansan voters,” said Micah Kubic, Executive Director of ACLU-KS.
SB 34 would upgrade several voting crimes from misdemeanors to felonies while giving Kobach the authority to prosecute individuals for voting crime – a power that no other Secretary of State in the nation has ever been given.
“Voting-related crimes are very rare,” Kubic said. “If they do occur, they should be taken seriously and managed by those with the most capability to do so – our county and state attorneys.”
SB 34 will now travel to the Governor Brownback’s desk where it will either be signed in approval or vetoed.
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