Research & Publications

But when it comes to expanding access, many decisions about the election process happen at your local county courthouse, where county clerks have the power to make democracy more accessible in many ways. That’s why we’re coming to your county to strategize for local election reform – with you.

As we fight for civil liberties in Kansas, we often find ourselves at the crossroads of history—that’s where progress is made. Next week is a double dose; on Monday we begin two major trials that have deep implications for what we allow from law enforcement and our criminal legal system.

2022 was an important year for civil liberties in Kansas. Here's a look back to the battles we fought to defend our rights.

Though this may seem like a bleak picture I’m painting of LGBTQ+ Kansans’ experiences, it’s important that we remember it does not have to be this way. In fact, most Kansans want to protect LGBTQ+ people—67% of Kansans support LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protections.

Pretrial detention can have devastating consequences and should be used only when necessary. But in Kansas, this is not the case. Across Kansas, thousands sit in jail pretrial – many because they do not have enough money to afford cash bail. Kansas’s system of money bail subverts the presumption of innocence to which criminal defendants are entitled and causes harm to individuals, their families, and entire communities. People facing criminal charges are often incarcerated for long periods while awaiting trial, and pretrial detention can place coercive pressure on defendants to plead guilty, especially as it can hamper their ability to participate in preparing a defense3 or cause them to lose their jobs and homes. Understanding how bail works in Kansas and why cash bail undermines the presumption of innocence to which Kansans are entitled is necessary to crafting reforms aimed at reducing pretrial detention.