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Last year’s Kansas elections previewed results this year. Voters want abortion rights, less drama.
This commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. Kansas showed the way. A year ago in August, the Sunflower State stunned the nation by voting down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have allowed the Legislature to ban abortion. A year ago this month, voters in this Republican-dominated state re-elected Democrat Laura Kelly to her […]
‘Committed to preventing every preventable’ child death? I asked about trans kids.
This commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. I was excited to hear the Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach had turned over a new leaf. In announcing the latest report from the State Child Death Review Board, Kobach was quoted as saying: “My office is committed to preventing every preventable death of a child.” What […]
Police chief embarrassed Marion with newspaper raid. His resignation was necessary, but not enough
This commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. Former Marion Police Chief Gideon Cody violated a prime commandment for small-town officials: Don’t make waves. That’s why Cody now finds himself without a job, having resigned Monday after leading an unconstitutional raid on the Marion County Record newspaper in Kansas. He and his department seized computers […]
Joan Meyer, Marion newspaper owner, gave cops a piece of her mind. Honor her righteous indignation.
This commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. Joan Meyer, the 98-year-old co-owner of the Marion County Record, finally had her say last week. Boy, did we get a talking-to. Meyer’s previous silence was sadly excusable. She died of cardiac arrest Aug. 12, a day after unconstitutional police raids on her home and beloved newspaper. […]
Kansas newspaper raid draws plenty of attention, but journalists defy threats across U.S.
The commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. After Kansas Reflector reported on the ignominious and unconstitutional raid of the Marion County Record on Aug. 11, news outlets and commentators from across Kansas and the nation followed suit throughout the weekend. The voices of those who value a free press and free expression were overwhelming […]
A Kansas woman killed her abuser. At every level, in every instance, the system failed her.
This commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. The story of Sarah Gonzales-McLinn is one of incomprehensible abuse and personal redemption. It’s also one of baffling, and repeated, institutional failure. At every step, those who might have been expected to care for and protect a victim of grooming and human trafficking looked the other way. […]
Anti-trans sports bill sprouts from ignorance. We owe Kansas kids respect and support.
This commentary originally appeared in the Kansas Reflector. The world is a big, complicated and majestic place. There’s a lot we don’t understand. But just because we don’t understand every single bit of the world, that doesn’t mean we should hate the parts we don’t. That doesn’t mean we pass laws against them. Likewise, the […]