Police bodycam videos often secret in Kansas: Investigation | Kansas City Star

Trust is built through accountability and transparency, said Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas. “The public has the right to know what happened, has the right to know whether police officers acted in a manner that is consistent with their training, the law, and common sense."

Christian Kelley showcases a framed photo of her brother Christopher DeVon Kelley in front of the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. Officers shot and killed the Marine Corps veteran in June 2022. Emily Curiel

Kansas can help juveniles trapped in cycle of crime, poverty | Kansas City Star

Recently, the Kansas Legislature introduced House Bill 2568, which would end the practice of assessing fees and fines to people moving through the state’s juvenile justice system. As I know firsthand, this is a reform that could prevent the cycle of poverty and incarceration that traps many youth.

A bill in the Legislature could lift a financial burden that holds young people back when they leave the criminal justice system. Bigstock  Read more at: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article285938331.html#storylink=c

Felons who have paid their debt have a lot to teach Kansas about democracy | Kansas City Star

As a formerly incarcerated individual who successfully navigated the justice system, I understand firsthand the importance of restoring voting rights to citizens returning to public life.

Ladies That Lean is a Kansas City nonprofit that helps formerly incarcerated women integrate back into society.

Kansas lawmakers approve major civil asset forfeiture reform | Kansas City Star

Rashane Hamby, director of policy and research at the ACLU of Kansas, said Kansas’ current forfeiture law has placed an undue burden on claimants and has disproportionately impacted those who don’t have the resources to hire attorneys.

Kansas Rep. Stephen Owens, a Hesston Republican, speaking on the House floor. KATIE BERNARD The Kansas City Star

AG Kris Kobach pushes to change Kansas execution laws | Kansas City Star

Kansas should also allow executions by hypoxia, Kobach says. The controversial execution method deprives a person of oxygen and was used in the United States for the first time last month. Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, called the proposed legislation extreme.

KATIE BERNARD  The Kansas City Star

Kansas Highway Patrol troopers don’t use body cams. Agency wants funding to change that

Micah Kubic, executive director of the ACLU of Kansas, said body cameras would not fix the problems that came up in the two-step lawsuit, in which the ACLU represented motorists. However, he said cameras can be an important tool to encourage accountability.

Acting Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent Erik Smith converses after his confirmation hearing before the Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee Wednesday. Andrew Bahl/The Topeka Capital-Journal Andrew Bahl/The Topeka Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Medical marijuana action group meets at Kansas Statehouse to confront legislators

The ACLU noted that the criminalization of marijuana is a racial justice issue - especially in Kansas. This has disproportionately impacted Black Kansans, who ranked 12th in the nation for the largest racial disparities in arrest rates for marijuana possession in 2018.

KCTV Morning Headlines, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Trio of Kansas groups call on 2024 Legislature to pass bill legalizing cannabis for medicinal use

Sharon Brett, legal director of ACLU of Kansas, said state government opposition to legal distribution of medical cannabis interfered with personal health care choices of Kansans and conflicted with polling that demonstrated statewide popularity of medical marijuana reform.

Alejandro Rangel-Lopez, in a plant-oriented costume, contributed to a panel discussion about reasons for the 2024 Legislature to consider adopting a bill legalizing medical cannabis. (Kansas Reflector screen capture from online forum hosted by Kansas Cann

Opinion: How we’re building the Kansas of our greatest aspirations, in 2023 and beyond - Kansas Reflector

Earlier this past summer, in the ACLU of Kansas’ report about the historical and social significance of the Quindaro settlement, we talked about the aspirational Kansas we fear too many residents here have forgotten.

The Quindaro Ruins Overlook in Kansas City, Kansas, was dedicated on Juneteenth in 2008. A plaque reads: “Quindaro must live on in our hearts forever. The area, once mighty, also serves as a reminder of man’s mortality and of our quest for freedom, digni