News & Commentary

The ACLU of Kansas has filed an amicus brief in the Kansas Court of Appeals in a case involving the issue of open court records.

The fight over whether Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach violated the constitution in his quest to demand proof of citizenship from voters goes to trial, with a ruling Wednesday that could complicate his case, in March.

Quoting Doug Bonney, Legal Director Emeritus of the ACLU of Kansas, the Kansas News Service explores the widespread problem of local school districts enacting policies to prevent members of the public from commenting on school employees during school board meetings.

Quoting Micah Kubic, Executive Director of the ACLU of Kansas, the Kansas City Star Editorial Board calls for greater transparency among government agencies in Kansas.

A federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union questions the security of a multistate voter registration database championed by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

"Expansion of diversion programs alone may be inadequate to relieve the crowding pressures on the Douglas County Jail. But it is the kind of incarceration alternative that should be maximized as a means of offsetting the cost of jail expansion."

"Kansas should adopt a more sustainable and comprehensive approach to criminal justice — an approach that will address issues like mental illness, addiction, rehabilitation and poverty instead of just throwing more and more offenders behind bars."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas on Wednesday issued a report critical of what it calls a “severe under-utilization” of diversion practices by county prosecutors across the state, but highlighted the practices of Shawnee County District Attorney Michael Kagay as an example of a positive exception.

The Lawrence Journal-World outlines how the increased use of diversion could impact Douglas County.