The Kansas Coalition for Citizen Participation (KCCP) will host its second annual Lobby Day, drawing an expected 100 Kansans from across the state in a mobilization aimed at protecting and expanding voting rights.

A discussion, “Smart Justice and the American Dream,” is set for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday Jan. 29th at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library’s Marvin Auditorium 101C.

County elections officials state-wide could expand citizen participation in elections by asserting their role as voter advocates, a new report issued by the ACLU of Kansas said.

The ACLU of Kansas has asked a federal court judge Friday to reject Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against her office and to require her to open additional Dodge City polling places and abandon her use of the Western State Bank Expo Center for election purposes.

"The ACLU has not requested any student educational records... We have only requested emails about the walkouts which we do not believe are covered by FERPA. The District has chosen to characterize these emails as educational records which we believe is... an incorrect interpretation of FERPA..."

Dr. Micah W. Kubic, who in a four-year tenure expanded the ACLU of Kansas from a three-person operation to a 15-person team with offices in Wichita and Overland Park, has resigned his post to accept the executive director’s position at the ACLU of Florida.

In anticipation of strong voter turnout for the Nov. 6 general election, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Kansas will lead a more robust, statewide, Election Protection Hotline effort to safeguard the voting process than it did during the Aug. primary.

But as for tonight’s ruling, Ford County Clerk Debbie Cox’s late decision and notice to voters left little room for the court to issue injunctive relief. Had voters learned of her decision sooner, our case may have prevailed.