Podcasts

Johnson County residents are making it clear they want language access—that is, for voting materials to be provided in Spanish in addition to English for non-native speakers. Not only are they signing petitions and emailing officials to make their voice heard, but this summer they rallied ahead of Independence Day to make it clear why Johnson County needs language access. This months episode features the audio from those who spoke at this rally—and offers an easy way for you to get in on the action.

From the courts to our communities, Pride and the fight for equality takes many forms. In this episode of Marching On, we are joined by Legal Fellow DC Hiegert to share more about our LGBTQ+ litigation. Afterward we're joined by Ray and Sam, Kansans who led our Freedom To Be art submissions.

For this episode of Marching On, we discuss the work in Wyandotte County to get Spanish voting materials for voters with Karla Juarez of AIRR KC, Erica Andrade of El Centro, Evan Altman (ACLU KS Voting Rights Organizer) and led by Jesse Kielman (ACLU KS Communications Manager). After their discussion, stick around for audio vingettes from Judith Silvestre and Tom Alonzo, both of whom have worked as volunteers in the campaign for language access in Wyandotte.

We are in the latter portion of the 2025 Kansas Legislative Session, and are reporting out on the updates you need to know. In our first conversation, Executive Director Micah Kubic and Communications Director Esmie Tseng discuss the dangerous proposed legislative amendment that would politicize the Kansas Supreme Court. Our second conversation features Policy Strategist Lindsay Callender and Digital Communications Specialist Alina Matejkowski as they discuss the many other bills we saw this session that directly impact civil liberties.

The 2025 Legislative Session is in full swing. Already we have seen bills make their way through the process to potentially being made law. Some we support, such as HB 2197 eliminating fines and fees in our juvenile court system, and some we detest, such as SB 63 which bans gender-affirming healthcare for minors, which passed after a hasty veto override. There’s still a lot of session left, and we want you to be empowered to get involved. We’re joined in this episode by advocates from Loud Light and Equality Kansas as they share what you need to know to make your voice heard this legislative session as we fight against mail-in voting restrictions, a proposed power grab for selecting judges, and more.

To end the year we once again have gatherer ACLU of Kansas staff members to reflect on 2024, look ahead to 2025 and, most exciting, answer questions submitted by listeners.

When it comes to impacting our civil liberties, most of us first think about the courts and lawmakers. But the people who have an outsized effect on your rights are closer by: your local county officials. Leslie Butsch, Policy Director and Esmie Tseng, Communications Director, discuss the power of local advocacy and some of the ways we’re putting that into action in Kansas. Learn more about how you can hold local leaders accountable to address the needs of your community.

The constitutional right to vote is at the heart of our democracy, and free and fair elections uphold our entire system of governance. Democracy is not a partisan matter – it’s the mechanism for each of us to take part in the decision-making process in our communities. On this episode, ACLU of Kansas staff share more about two vital programs aimed to help eligible Kansans vote—and how you be a part of it.