News & Commentary

A U.S. District Court judge ordered the Kansas Highway Patrol to pay $2.34 million in attorney fees and other costs following a successful challenge to constitutionality of the state law enforcement agency’s practice of detaining motorists and searching vehicles.

“We cannot overstate the harm this bill will cause to some of our most vulnerable Kansas children and their families,” D.C. Hiegert, LGBTQ+ fellow of the ACLU of Kansas, said in a statement after the veto.

"In addition to depriving parents and families of medical freedom, this bill actually punishes teachers, doctors, nurses, and more for just doing their jobs by respecting and supporting Kansas kids, including transgender kids," said the ACLU of Kansas in a statement asking Kelly to veto the bill.

"This bill attacks parents' rights to access life-saving healthcare for their kids and threatens Kansas medical providers. And it is written so broadly, it could impact spaces like schools, therapist offices, or state agencies like the Kansas Department of Children and Families," said D.C. Hiegert.

“Senate Bill 394 absolutely does not give license to any state actors to broadly censor LGBTQ+ expression,” Micah Kubic—the executive director of the ACLU of Kansas—told The Pitch in their emailed remarks.

The color of someone’s clothes, the events they attend, and the people they hang out with can no longer be reasons to add them to the Wichita Police Department’s “gang list.” On Tuesday, the Wichita City Council approved a settlement that changes criteria, adding oversight to the list.

The Wichita City Council voted 7-0 to approve a $625,000 settlement over the police department’s gang list. The ACLU, Kansas Appleseed, and Progeny claim the list unconstitutionally targets people of color.

The Wichita City Council has agreed to pay $625,000 to settle a lawsuit over the police department’s use of a “gang list” that for decades allowed officers to scrutinize and harass young Black and Latino residents.

The Wichita City Council voted 7-0 to approve a $625,000 settlement over the police department’s gang list. The ACLU and Kansas Appleseed claim the list unconstitutionally targets people of color.