Kansas

As Black History month ends, Wichita Democrat condemns racism in Kansas Statehouse – Kansas Reflector

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2024

As Black History month ends, Wichita Democrat condemns racism in Kansas Statehouse – Kansas Reflector

TOPEKA — Rep. Ford Carr feels unseen.

The Wichita Democrat, who is one of eight Black lawmakers in the 165-member majority-white, majority-Republican Legislature, shared a letter on social media in which he vents frustration with bills he believes are harmful to Black communities. He is also critical of some of his colleagues’ actions.

“Racism in the Kansas Legislature is subtle but powerful,” Carr wrote. “They don’t even have to see us or acknowledge us. Our issues and positions are largely overlooked.”

“A racist ideology seems to be engrained in the foundation of most members of our Republican party,” Carr added.

This isn’t the first time Carr has spoken out about racist policies.

Last April, Carr made a speech that called out vote trading, using slavery terms to describe Kansas City Democrat Rep. Marvin Robinson, who broke from party lines on several key issues. Robinson’s vote allowed Republicans to override Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a transgender athlete ban for K-12 schools and colleges, turning the legislation into law. In exchange, Republicans allocated funding in the state budget for a special project that Robinson wanted.

“I would never trade my vote so that those people in my neighborhood, my constituents that I support, would never have the opportunity to look at me and think that I might be one of those ‘house negroes,’ ” Carr said at the time, distinguishing between slaves who worked in the field and those who worked indoors.

Republican legislative leaders admonished Carr for indecorous behavior.

Carr posted a letter, dated Feb. 25, to social media in which he addresses “racist legislation” in light of Black History Month.

He is concerned about House Bill 2583, which would increase jail time and fines for people who injure or kill police dogs and horses and attempt to flee police. Carr referenced the historical use of police dogs to harm people fighting for equality during the Civil Rights movement.

Senate Bill 36 would prohibit hairstyle discrimination in the workplace for styles such as braids, locs and twists. The bill fizzled in committee following a January hearing.

With medical marijuana legislation also up for debate, bills dictating licenses for plant growth and distribution should include provisions for minority-owned businesses, Carr added.

Carr also accused House leadership of retaliating against him by denying him an intern. Carr said he was told he could not have an intern because of concerns that were posed to leadership, but that he was never told what these concerns were.

The spokeswoman for House leadership didn’t respond to inquiries for this story, and a spokesman for Senate leadership declined to comment.

Carr referenced an occasion when white lawmaker Rep. Trevor Jacobs, a Fort Scott Republican, said he was sick of discussing racism because he isn’t racist.

“Pretty near every single bill that we do up here involves race or bigotry or whatever else,” Jacobs said in May of 2023 during House discussion of a police bill that would have increased penalties for people fleeing police officers. “I’m getting tired of being accused for that, for something I have not done and do not do and will not do. There’s no race in this. None. We’ve got to stop making it such a political ploy.”

Carr said he faces accusations of race-baiting or forcing the topic of race into conversations whenever he brings up concerns about how legislation would damage or disproportionately impact communities of color.

“Since taking office, I have worked diligently to scan every bill for racial components,” Carr said.

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

Published

11 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Saturday after Wednesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Wednesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

6A Boys West Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka High 57, Washburn Rural 50 (will play Maize Saturday)
Junction City 70, Dodge City 56 (will play Derby Saturday)
Manhattan 58, Wichita-Northwest 56 (will play Wichita-East Saturday)

4A Boys East Sub-State: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 62, Louisberg 57 (will play Bishop Miege Saturday)
Atchison 74, Wamego 43
Hayden 72, Independence 56 (will play Atchison Saturday)
Eudora 76, Santa Fe Trail 68

GIRLS

5A West Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hays 80, Topeka West 18
Eisenhower 55, Seaman 41
Kapaun Mt. Carmel 71, Emporia 41

5A East Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Shawnee Heights 89, Sumner 15 (will play Pittsburg Saturday)
Basehor-Linwood 74, Highland Park 28 (will play Piper Saturday)

3A Pomona-West Franklin Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Osage City 75, Columbus 31 (will play Frontenac Saturday)

3A Sabetha Girls: Wednesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Silver Lake 48, Nemaha Central 26 (will play Riley County Saturday)
Riley County 51, Jeff West 40 (will play Silver Lake)

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Kansas

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

RESULTS: NE Kansas high schools to play Friday after Tuesday sub-state wins

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Below is a look at the results from Tuesday night’s high school basketball sub-state semifinals in Northeast Kansas.

Editor’s Note: This story will be updated with what schools are hosting when that information becomes readily available.

WIBW Scoreboard

BOYS

5A East Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

KC Washington 68, Highland Park 38
Shawnee Heights 49, De Soto 37 (will play Leavenworth Friday)

5A West Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Topeka West 55, Hutchinson 32 (will play Bishop Carroll Friday)
Emporia 61, Great Bend 41 (will play Maize South Friday)
Seaman 73, Valley Center 51 (will play Hays Friday)

3A West Franklin Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Burlington 60, Osage City 35 (will play Baxter Springs Friday)

3A Sabetha Boys: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Hiawatha 73, Oskaloosa 48 (will play Heritage Christian Friday)
Silver Lake 58, Sabetha 39 (will play Perry-Lecompton Friday 7:30 p.m.)

GIRLS

6A West Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Washburn Rural 60, Wichita South 32 (will play Derby)
Topeka High 69, Maize 45 (will play Liberal)
Manhattan 67, Free State 21 (will play Wichita East)

4A East Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rock Creek 71, Parsons 23 (will play Tonganoxie)
Wamego 54, Labette County 33 (will play Bishop Miege)
Hayden 2, Athison 0 (will play Baldwin)

2A Eskridge/Mission Valley Girls: Tuesday’s sub-state semifinal results

Rossville 71, KC Christian 49 (will play Maur Hill-Mount Academy)
Lyndon 61, Jeff. Co. North 31 (will play Valley Heights)
Valley Heights 65, Doniphan West 41 (will play Lyndon)

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Kansas

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

Published

2 days ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Doe v. State of Kansas | American Civil Liberties Union

In early 2026, the Kansas state legislature passed SB 244, a law which prohibits transgender people from using public restrooms on government property that align with their gender identity and establishes a private right of action that allows anyone who suspects someone is transgender and in violation of the law to sue that person for “damages” totaling $1,000.

The law also invalidates state-issued driver’s licenses with updated gender markers that reflect the carrier’s gender identity. In February 2026, transgender people across the state received letters from the state Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles informing them that their driver’s licenses “will no longer be valid,” effective immediately. SB 244 also prohibits transgender Kansans – or those born in Kansas – from updating the gender marker on state-issued birth certificates and driver’s licenses in the future.

The same day SB 244 went into effect, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Kansas, and Ballard Spahr LLP filed a lawsuit challenging SB 244 in the District Court of Douglas County on behalf of two transgender men who had their driver’s licenses invalidated under the law. The lawsuit charges that SB 244 violates the Kansas Constitution’s protections for personal autonomy, privacy, equality under the law, due process, and freedom of speech.

“The invalidation of state-issued IDs threatens to out transgender people against their will every time they apply for a job, rent an apartment, or interact with police,” said Harper Seldin, Senior Staff Attorney for the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Rights Project. “Taken as a whole, SB 244 is a transparent attempt to deny transgender people autonomy over their own identities and push them out of public life altogether.”

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