Kansas
Kansas equity efforts bring little change after George Floyd
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TOPEKA, Kan. — (AP) — First she noticed the graphic cellphone video exhibiting Ahmaud Arbery’s capturing dying in Georgia, then information that Breonna Taylor had been shot in her Kentucky house throughout a botched drug raid. However when Teresa Parks watched movies of the white Minneapolis police officer urgent his knee onto a Black man’s neck, and heard George Floyd cry out for his mom as his life drained away, she was spurred not simply to tears, but in addition to motion.
After Floyd’s Could 2020 dying, Parks and a pal fashioned a Black Lives Matter group of their hometown of Manhattan, Kansas, a largely white metropolis that had elected no Black leaders since 1969. Parks’ activism led to her appointment to a activity drive that metropolis leaders mentioned was designed to make the group extra welcoming to folks from numerous backgrounds.
That activity drive issued a report in December 2021 with greater than 60 suggestions, however to this point town fee hasn’t mentioned them. And that is commonplace. Throughout Kansas, elected leaders convened activity forces or held city corridor conferences to collect group enter on racial justice and variety points after demonstrators in additional than a dozen communities protested Floyd’s dying. However nearly two years later, the eagerness and vitality evident in these protests hasn’t translated into widespread change.
One of the crucial widespread outcomes has been formalizing adjustments that had already been made. Topeka and Lawrence police banned “no-knock” search warrants, for instance, however police in each cities had already discontinued the observe. In a number of Kansas cities together with Wichita and Kansas Metropolis, police have put into writing the practices they mentioned they’d already adopted.
Lauren Bonds, the authorized director for a New Orleans-based group of attorneys, authorized staff and regulation college students referred to as the Nationwide Police Accountability Challenge, mentioned native leaders typically type working teams after they wish to seem like on the proper aspect of a problem however lack the political will to make actual change.
“You’ll put some folks of coloration on it, and you then’ll be capable to level to that when somebody says you didn’t reply to this egregious scenario, however you then don’t even have to alter something,” mentioned Bonds, who is predicated in Kansas Metropolis, Kansas.
The Hispanic inhabitants in Kansas has greater than quadrupled over the past 30 years, largely due to immigrants drawn to jobs within the meatpacking business within the southwest of the state, and the Black inhabitants grew 15% between 1990 and 2020. However Kansas stays largely white and non-Hispanic; 72% of residents self-identified as such within the 2020 census and the Kansas Legislature was 92% white that yr in keeping with the Nationwide Convention of State Legislatures.
Proposals pushed by advocacy teams on behalf of racial justice in Kansas sometimes stall. After the Floyd protests, for instance, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly appointed a committee on racial fairness and justice, saying “communities of coloration would not have the luxurious of time for leaders to handle these points.” However neither the panel nor the governor pushed the Legislature to undertake the group’s suggestions.
And this yr, the momentum within the Republican-controlled Legislature swung away from racial justice towards limiting what public colleges educate about racism and tightening voting legal guidelines.
Kevin Willmott, a College of Kansas movie professor who in 2019 gained one of the best tailored screenplay Oscar for “BlacKkKlansman,” mentioned that when elected officers create activity drive teams, they usually face little opposition, giving folks hope that they’ll deliver change.
“However then the duty drive doesn’t change something,” Willmott mentioned. “So it seems on the floor such as you’re being dropped at water, however you’re not allowed to drink.”
“They know that you just simply enable the main target to float away and you then get to return to regular. Till the subsequent George Floyd, which is likely to be in Kansas. You by no means know,” he mentioned.
Publish-Floyd racial justice efforts in different Kansas cities have seen blended outcomes.
In Wyandotte County, which incorporates Kansas Metropolis, then-Mayor David Alvey created a activity drive in 2020 to debate policing practices, however he advised activity drive members to not advocate for particular adjustments throughout conferences.
“It was such a politically charged ambiance,” Alvey mentioned. “I wished to maintain the politics out of it as a lot as potential.”
A couple of quarter of Wyandotte County’s inhabitants is Black and voters have elected an analogous proportion of Black commissioners since 2005. Alvey narrowly misplaced reelection final yr to Tyrone Garner, who turned the group’s first Black mayor. Garner, who beforehand served as deputy police chief, ran for workplace on a police reform platform. He additionally introduced a brand new committee to look into policing practices, which he mentioned would — in contrast to his predecessor’s group — craft proposals for town to vote on. The committee held introductory conferences final month.
Garner’s views of the group and policing have been formed by his years as a police officer. Early in his profession, a Black police main advised him about how minority officers beforehand weren’t allowed to arrest or work together with white residents. Tales like that prompted Garner to concentrate to how colleagues talked about minority police leaders and officers.
Amongst different issues, Garner hopes his new activity drive will think about requiring an out of doors regulation enforcement company to conduct police misconduct investigations.
Discussions are in progress in different Kansas communities. In Topeka, a activity drive arrange by a former mayor is reviewing police insurance policies in response to proposals to ban chokeholds, prohibit officers from firing at fleeing suspects and create an unbiased citizen panel to research allegations of police misconduct. The group has met for nearly two years and hasn’t made any suggestions to the Metropolis Council.
Metropolis commissioners in Salina accredited a 2020 proposal to create a brand new residents evaluate board, however advocates have been dissatisfied that it didn’t give the board authority to research complaints.
Within the prosperous Kansas Metropolis suburb of Prairie Village, the place Black residents make up about 1% of the inhabitants, town’s price range this yr included $10,000 for a range committee that’s utilizing among the funds to have a good time Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth, which commemorates the top of slavery in the US.
After rallies within the southwestern Kansas group of Liberal following Floyd’s dying, town held a city corridor the place attendees mentioned their experiences with racism. Latinos make up nearly two-thirds of Liberal’s inhabitants.
A couple of month after the assembly, Liberal metropolis commissioners handed an ordinance calling for related public boards as wanted, however to this point no different conferences have occurred.
Racial justice advocate Kathleen Alonso pushed for the ordinance, however advised the AP that she had shifted focus to growing voter turnout. In November, Liberal elected two Hispanic members to town fee, together with its first Latina metropolis commissioner.
In Manhattan, Parks, the native Black Lives Matter founder, is hopeful as a substitute of annoyed that town hasn’t but taken up the duty drive’s greater than 60 suggestions. Lots of them are exterior town authorities’s management, however some are in its purview, together with the hiring of a range, fairness and inclusion officer to work throughout city-sponsored organizations.
By way of her involvement, Parks has gained a line of communication with police that allows her to share data with different residents after they’re apprehensive about one thing they’re listening to or seeing on social media. That’s resulting in a greater relationship between police and Black residents, who make up about 6% of the group, and that was one in all Parks’ primary targets.
Shortly earlier than her Black Lives Matter group’s 2020 demonstration, Parks met an officer to contact with issues. That new line of communication was examined that yr when a witness made a video recording of a person who gave the impression to be having a seizure whereas he was detained in handcuffs. Parks contacted the officer and realized from police that they’d stored him in handcuffs to stop him from injuring himself.
“They answered each single query that we had and we have been capable of deliver that again and form of give folks a bit little bit of readability in regards to the scenario,” Parks mentioned.
It is all aimed toward assembly Parks’ aim of avoiding a high-profile police killing like George Floyd’s in Manhattan.
“To listen to that grown man name out for his mom — I simply couldn’t — I can’t even discuss it,” Parks mentioned, her voice shaking. “That’s simply one thing I might by no means wish to see for my youngsters.”
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Andy Tsubasa Discipline is a corps member for the Related Press/Report for America Statehouse Information Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.
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On Twitter, observe Andy Tsubasa Discipline at https://twitter.com/AndyTsubasaF
Copyright 2022 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials is probably not printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.
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Kansas
Kansas State players of the game vs UT-Martin
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Kansas State offensive MVP: DJ Giddens
It was another nice and easy day at the office for Kansas State running back DJ Giddens.
The Junction City running back went over 100 yards for the fifth consecutive game. His five game streak of going over the century mark is tied for fourth in K-State school history. Giddens finished the game with 124 rushing yards and added six receiving yards.
Dylan Edwards provided a nice spark for the Wildcat offense in his first game after transferring from Colorado. Edwards scored multiple times in the contest Saturday night with one on the ground and a receiving touchdown.
In the first home start for Avery Johnson, there were some ups and downs.
However, Johnson still finished with two touchdowns through the air and added some nice runs as well. Jayce Brown was a major bright spot receiving as well with 71 receiving yards. The true sophomore led Kansas State in receiving and had the most receptions with five.
Defensive MVP: Tobi Osunsanmi
For defense there was a few different options for MVP. I really wrestled back and forth between two.
Ultimately, I decided on Tobi Osunsanmi. The Wichita native was a man possessed in his snaps. He showed his elite burst and was able to get to the quarterback at a very high clip. Osunsanmi finished the game with 1.5 sacks (2.5 if he completes one instead of letting the quarterback escape).
He also added another quarterback hit to go along with the sacks.
Desmond Purnell was also flying around the field Saturday evening. He led K-State in tackles with seven and was tied for first in tackles for a loss with 1.5.
K-State special teams MVP: Ty Bowman
Anytime you can create a touchdown on special teams, it is an easy choice for special teams MVP. Ty Bowman blocked his second career punt in the season opener versus UT-Martin. The beneficiary of Bowman blocking the punt was Colby McCalister who returned the ball one yard for a touchdown.
Chris Tennant was also perfect on all of his kicks. Tennant knocked in a 45 and 43-yard field goal and was perfect on all of his extra points.
Kansas
Tulane Football’s Path to Victory Must Exploit Inexperienced Kansas State
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The stage is set for Tulane football’s highly anticipated Week 2 matchup against the Kansas State Wildcats as they seek to become contenders on a national stage.
Intriguingly, the Green Wave and the Wildcats have some parallels on offense. Kansas State kicks off the season Saturday against FCS opponent UT-Martin, much like Tulane opened against Southeastern Louisiana.
Sophomore quarterback Avery Johnson will make his first regular season start, much like redshirt freshman Darian Mensah led Tulane to their 52-0 victory Thursday night. Johnson did appear in eight games as a true freshman and started for the team in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, beating North Carolina State.
However, he did so behind an offensive line that looks nothing like the one that will take the field next Saturday at Yulman Stadium. The Wildcats must replace four of five starters, including third-round draft pick Cooper Beebe. Just as Tulane had to find Vincent Murphy to take over for Sincere Haynesworth.
Though the group of returners isn’t exactly inexperienced, they don’t have any time playing together in concert. The lone starter remaining is right guard Hadley Panzer, who likely is starting this season at left guard. Presumed starting left tackle Easton Kilty is making his first FBS start.
It helps that Kansas State’s offensive line coach, Conor Riley, was promoted to coordinator. He has pieces to work with that have credible game snaps. The challenge is whether they can come together as a unit.
While Avery Johnson has more experience than Darian Mensah, Mensah benefits from a much more stable offensive line. Tulane returned both starting guards and right tackle and brought in key transfers to fill the remaining holes. In their season debut, they gave Mensah time in the pocket, but the run blocking left much to be desired.
Tulane brought in transfers on the defensive line to bolster their pass rush. They got to the quarterback twice with two sacks last Thursday, but the Bandit role was a point of concern. Their three-man front is spaced to spread out their top playmakers, Adin Huntington at defensive end and Patrick Jenkins at tackle.
With Huntington to the field and Jenkins to the boundary, it forces defenses to either focus attention on one side of the line or just shut down the best two players. That awards a lot of one-on-one opportunities for the rusher at Bandit. The players who rotated in the first game didn’t make much of a case.
Terrell Allen didn’t make any standout plays, nor did Matthew Fobbs-White, though the latter showed some disruptive abilities off the line of scrimmage. Frankly, Shi’Keem Laister was the most productive in a packaged role. Laister had a hurry and forced Southeastern to throw quickly, leading to incompletions on the drive.
Tulane doesn’t need the Bandit to be the hero, but they need a player to step up and credibly command attention to open up lanes for Huntington, who only recorded one hurry in his debut for the team.
Importantly, the team likely didn’t show their cards on the ways they might get to the quarterback. It might come from the second level. Linebacker Sam Howard had more pressure snaps than Fobbs-White and Allen, and he recorded a hurry and beat his blocker on another.
Could Tulane rely on blitzing and utilizing defensive backs and linebackers as rushers? Not all season. But creativity and confusion might just be enough to rattle the Wildcats as both teams race to figure out what the other is made of with merely one game of film.
The secondary came together as Tulane’s season opener went on, and should be a point of strength, but the best coverage is a pass rush. Especially with an opponent that has similar turnover and areas to exploit. For the Green Wave to pull off a victory on Sept. 7, the key lies in the lane to the quarterback.
Kansas
Lawmakers plan brazen power grab, pushing aside Kansas voters and Gov. Laura Kelly • Kansas Reflector
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Let’s be clear about what Kansas Republican legislative leaders are doing with their planned overhaul of budgeting: They are launching a personal and political power grab against Gov. Laura Kelly.
They have never accepted or respected her mandate. Despite Kelly winning a second term and having two years left to go, they have continually attempted to usurp the executive branch’s authority. They have tried a constitutional amendment and prohibiting her ability to negotiate Medicaid contracts. Now they’re going after her yearly state budget proposal.
Usually, the Legislature begins its yearly budget process with a proposal from the governor. Her office submits it when lawmakers arrive for the annual session, in January. Now an interim committee wants to start the process earlier, as soon as October of the previous year.
In this new process, the governor’s budget would be a suggestion, not a starting point.
And never mind that it’s a direct attack on Kelly. House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, assured the audience that these changes had nothing to do with the governor.
“This process has nothing to do with the governor,” he said at the meeting earlier this month, according to Kansas Reflector reporter Tim Carpenter. “If you’re going to focus on the governor, probably not the wisest thing to do, because this process has happened over time with many, many different governors.”
He was contradicted by Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, who let the proverbial cat out of the figurative bag.
“You’ll have a Republican governor, for example, or somebody you trust, and you trust the administration to build the budgets, and then you kind of rubber stamp stuff,” Masterson said. “And, then, you switch, and you have (the) opposition party and then there’s all that same power.”
Oh. So it’s like that, then.
All of this might seem like so much partisan mud wrestling, except for the fact that the leaders have also decided to do an end run around Kansas voters.
Did you notice that the proposed new process could start as early as October? While details at the hearing were scarce, leaders appeared to suggest that they would start working on budget without knowing whether they would be elected. What happens if all the folks on the budget committee are voted out of office? Who takes the lead then?
Once again, we see Kansas legislative leaders trying to concentrate power. They don’t want the governor to even have the first say in the budgeting process, and they apparently don’t trust the rest of their colleagues. You know, all the people who drive to Topeka in January to actually make laws.
Sen. Carolyn McGinn, a Sedgwick Republican, raised concerns that these changes would also limit the ability of constituents to speak about budget priorities.
McGinn might have decided to retire, but she has a point. Leaders apparently don’t even trust their constituents when it comes to spending.
In there interest of fairness, I should note that the reform committee considered several worthwhile proposals. Rep. Troy Waymaster, R-Bunker Hill, discussed ending lawmakers’ de facto three-day work week. Yes, they usually take Mondays and Fridays off, at times slowing progress to a crawl. The panel also targeted budget earmarks for favored programs that don’t go through a regular committee process.
In the interest of perspective, however, I’m not falling over myself with gratitude. It’s obvious that legislators should work throughout the week, and it’s obvious they shouldn’t be larding up the budget with unvetted spending.
It’s like going through life without running over someone with your car. I mean, I’m glad that you didn’t, but surely you don’t deserve a plaque.
Lawmakers might still be able to make worthwhile changes to the budgeting process. They could start with increasing transparency, which Carpenter noted wasn’t discussed by members of either party. But until they stop jostling for partisan advantage and making themselves look foolish, don’t expect much.
Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
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