News & Commentary

Civil rights activists in Kansas are staffing up and engaging with local officials to prepare for a second Donald Trump presidency, the ACLU of Kansas said Friday.

Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, called that outcome “farcical,” saying Kansas’ open records law “remains rife with exceptions” that are “quite liberally claimed by law enforcement” even in cases of high public interest.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas (ACLU) and Kansas Appleseed hosted a free legal information session on Saturday about the Wichita Police Department’s gang database.

“It’s hard to know what version of bill that we’re going to see get traction because Kansas has seen a range of minor gender-affirming healthcare bills be introduced — some that would be much smaller in their impact on the community,” said D.C. Hiegert,

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has called the lack of air conditioning at the Hutchinson prison “inhumane and unacceptable.” The organization said extreme heat in the summer can harm elderly inmates and those with mental health issues and high blood pressure.

Groups including ACLU, MORE2, Mothers of Incarcerated Sons and Daughters, It’s Time 4 Justice and Revolución Educativa put out a flyer calling for supporters to “stand with women” and “rally for justice.”

Kansas appealed a federal judge's ruling that state highway patrollers unlawfully detained out-of-state motorists.

“This is a huge step in the ongoing work to ensure our state’s detention practices do not criminalize mental health issues,” said Monica Bennett, legal director at the ACLU of Kansas, another plaintiff.

Officials also must seek funding from the Kansas Legislature to reopen a previously closed 30-bed unit at the state's psychiatric hospital in western Kansas.