Kansas

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that voting is not a fundamental right. Here's what that means

Published

2 years ago

June 4, 2024

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that voting is not a fundamental right. Here's what that means

A split Kansas Supreme Court ruling last week issued in a lawsuit over a 2021 election law found that voting is not a fundamental right listed in the state Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

The finding drew sharp criticism from three dissenting justices on the high court. The Associated Press looks at what the ruling might mean for Kansas residents and future elections.

What is the issue?

The ruling itself is wide-reaching, combining different lawsuits at various stages of litigation that challenge three different segments of a 2021 election law passed by the Kansas Legislature. It was a lawsuit challenging a ballot signature verification measure in which a majority of the high court found there is no right to vote enshrined in the Kansas Constitution’s Bill of Rights.

READ MORE: Georgia election worker tearfully describes fleeing her home after Giuliani’s false claims of fraud

The measure requires election officials to match the signatures on advance mail ballots to a person’s voter registration record. The high court reversed a lower court’s dismissal of that lawsuit and instructed the lower court to consider whether the measure violates the equal protection rights of voters. But four of the court’s seven justices rejected arguments that the measure violates voting rights under the state’s Bill of Rights.

What’s the big deal?

The decision was written by Justice Caleb Stegall, who is seen as the most conservative of the court’s seven justices, five of whom were appointed by Democratic governors.

Stegall dismissed the strongly-worded objections of the dissenting justices, saying there is not a “fundamental right to vote” in Section 2 of the Bill of Rights, as the groups had argued.

The dissenting justices said that ignores long-held precedent by the Kansas Supreme Court. Justice Eric Rosen said “it staggers my imagination” to conclude Kansas citizens have no fundamental right to vote and called the majority opinion a “betrayal of our constitutional duty to safeguard the foundational rights of Kansans.”

Justice Melissa Taylor Standridge called the decision troubling, with far-reaching implications, and that the ruling “defies history, law, and logic and is just plain wrong.”

“For over 60 years, this interpretation of section 2 has been our precedent,” she wrote. “Without even a hint that it’s doing so, the majority overturns this precedent today.”

What are the implications of the ruling?

A determination that voting is not a fundamental right could embolden state lawmakers to push for further restrictions on advance voting and mail-in ballots, said Jamie Shew, election officer for Douglas County — Kansas’ fifth most populous county.

The constant changes in election law are also confusing not only to election officials, but to voters, Shew said.

READ MORE: Attorney John Eastman pleads not guilty in 2020 election overturn case

“I’ve had two voters who came in this morning, and they’re like, ‘Well, I read the paper about signature verification. Is my signature going to get tossed out?’” he recalled. “They were really nervous about it.”

Election laws had been fairly constant since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by Congress, Shew said. But that changed in 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court tossed out a key provision of that act, he said.

“Since then the rules just keep changing,” Shew said. “And I think our job is making sure that voters not only don’t get confused, but also don’t get frustrated and just stop participating.”

How did we get here?

The Republican-led Legislature passed a raft of election law changes in 2021 over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto amid false claims by some in the GOP that the 2020 presidential election wasn’t valid. Since that election, there have been lawsuits over voting across the country, and partisan election law battles have continued in high-profile states like Georgia, Arizona and Wisconsin. Fights for election advantage are also being waged in smaller states like South Dakota and Nebraska.

What’s next?

Shew said he and other election officials will focus on meting out the state’s voting laws fairly and helping make sure the public understands them.

Justice Dan Biles said in his dissent that courts must insist that the signature verification requirement — if it survives the lawsuit against it — is handled reliably and uniformly across the state. That includes analyzing the procedures for how a mismatched signature is flagged, how a voter is notified of the mismatch and whether the voter is given a reasonable opportunity to cure the problem.

“The Kansas Constitution explicitly sets forth—and absolutely protects—a citizen’s right to vote as the foundation of our democratic republic,” Biles wrote, “so it is serious business when a government official in one of our 105 counties rejects an otherwise lawful ballot just by eyeballing the signature on the outside envelope.”

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Kansas

Disease found in multiple states confirmed in cattle brought into Kansas

Published

11 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Disease found in multiple states confirmed in cattle brought into Kansas

EL DORADO, Kan. (KWCH) – Bovine theileriosis, a disease that has been found in multiple states around the country, has now been confirmed in cattle brought into Kansas, according to state and federal animal health officials.

The parasite damages red blood cells, which can lead to anemia, weakness, and significant financial losses for cattle producers. As of now there is no approved cure for bovine theileriosis.

Experts encourage cattle producers to maintain good working relationships with their local veterinarians.

“Just encourage them to have a good working relationship with their local vet and talk to them. Their vet has heard about it. Their vet can talk to them more about symptoms to look for, supportive care options, and ways to help control it if they do get it,” said Braxton Butler, a veterinarian with the El Dorado Livestock Auction

A report from the Kansas Ag Connection says that while the disease is tick-borne, it may also spread through blood transfer, including contaminated needles or equipment. Experts urge cattle producers to tighten up herd management and sanitation practices.

The disease poses no risk to humans.

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Kansas

High winds and reduced visibility close I-70 in western Kansas

Published

23 hours ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

High winds and reduced visibility close I-70 in western Kansas

High winds caused the closure of Interstate 70 in Kansas.

According to the Kansas Department of Transportation, just after 11 a.m. on Dec. 18, I-70 was closed between the Colorado state line and US-83 highway, just east of Colby, after blowing dust caused reduced visibility.

Earlier that day, the National Weather Service in Goodland issued a High Wind Warning for several counties in the area until 6 p.m., with a Blowing Dust Warning issued until 3 p.m.

The NWS said severely limited visibilities are expected and travel in the area was dangerous and possibly life-threatening. The service cautioned that high winds also could move loose debris, damage property and cause power outages.

Precautionary and preparedness actions for this type of weather include to be ready for a sudden drop in visibility as plumes of blowing dust will create pockets of it. Those encountering blowing dust or sand on the roadway are advised to pull off the road as far as possible and put the vehicle in park, turning lights all the way off and keeping the foot off the brake pedal.

According to NWS, winds this strong make driving difficult, particularly for high profile vehicles and caution is advised if driving is necessary.

Finally, wind and dust could make for poor air quality, causing issues for people with respiratory problems.

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Kansas

Kansas veteran makes her mother proud before retiring to lay her to rest

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Kansas veteran makes her mother proud before retiring to lay her to rest

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – After figuring out that a career in nursing wasn’t for her, Oklahoma City native Rain’a Arnold found a new path with the Air Force. She learned to manage airmen by specializing in administration and personnel, and had the good fortune of first being stationed in her hometown at Tinker Air Force Base.

“I’m the only child, and it was just my mom taking care of me, so I was like, ‘I need to get back home, so let’s make this happen,’ so I was very happy to get my first choice,” she said.

Arnold said her time at Tinker consisted of helping airmen learn their assignments, do evaluations, receive awards and decorations, and process their ID cards.

After six or seven years, Arnold was transferred to Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi, where she took on a new role: resilience training, which helps airmen adjust back to civilian life.

“It kind of opened up my eyes to let other airmen know that, ‘Hey, you are not the only one going through that.’ A lot of airmen thought that nobody knows what they’re feeling and they need to turn to suicide or something like that,” she said.

After her time at Keesler, Arnold was sent to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and while she wasn’t on the battlefield, the skills she learned in Mississippi helped her understand and assist fellow airmen dealing with stress, pressure, and other emotions as they battled Al-Qaeda.

“There’s a higher scale of anxiety, aggression, depression, the whole nine yards, and there’s no time to play around or joke around,” she said.

Following Afghanistan, Arnold’s final stop of her active duty career was McConnell Air Force Base. This time around, she was doing admin work for the maintenance squadron.

In 2023, after 16 years of service, Arnold decided to retire early as a Master Sergeant and with good cause.

“My mom got sick, and she only had six months to live, so I had to decide how I wanted to do this,” she said.

Arnold says she made the right call and cherishes the time she spent with her mother before her passing.

Courtesy: Rain’a Arnold
Courtesy: Rain’a Arnold
Courtesy: Rain’a Arnold

Arnold then moved to Derby and found a job in human resources, which she says is right up her alley due to all her Air Force training.

“Being a veteran in Wichita is awesome! It’s wonderful. I get so much praise that I wouldn’t have even expected. You don’t see color. You don’t see anything. They are very nice to their veterans here, to their military members. Definitely, Wichita is a place to come live if you are a veteran,” she said.