News & Commentary

A trial is underway that could put a stop to a law enforcement tactic known as the "Kansas Two-Step," which appears to target people from states where cannabis is legal.

The ACLU has argued KHP continues to rely on out-of-state license plates or travel plans to justify detaining a driver for a K-9 search of their vehicle, despite the Tenth Circuit’s holding in 2016 in Vasquez v. Lewis.

Aileen Berquist, a lobbyist for the ACLU of Kansas said the policy — which grants wide discretion to judges — is likely to hold a disproportionate impact on children of color, who are already more likely to face harsh punishments than their white counterparts.

The ACLU argues troopers target motorists with out-of-state license plates or those traveling to or from Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal, despite prior court rulings that aimed to restrict how troopers factor a vehicle’s origin or destination into their reasonable suspicion.

“I was fearful. I didn’t know what to expect,” said Maloney, who testified she still suffered anxiety from the experience with Kansas Highway Patrol. “I was scared and nervous. I was mad. I was very upset. I felt it was a waste of our time. I don’t feel save driving through Kansas anymore.”

The city has spent more than $267,000 in legal fees since being sued over the gang list in April 2021 by the ACLU of Kansas and Kansas Appleseed. The organizations say police use the list to target Black and Latino residents who are identified as gang members with little or no evidence.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas released a poll on voting rights Friday. The civil rights advocacy group found that 70% of Kansans support measures to make voting easier, rather than adding additional restrictions.

Across the ideological spectrum, numerous Kansas organizations and impacted citizens have come together on the problem of financially devastating our state’s minors and working families — and together, we’re calling on our lawmakers to move swiftly to correct it.

Kansas citizens face criminal penalties for using cannabis to ease their medical suffering. For example, according to the Kansas ACLU’s press release, last December a Hays, KS man who was terminally ill and and facing the final stages of inoperable cancer had police search his room.