Wichita’s proposed non-discrimination ordinance seemed likely to pass on Tuesday after City Council members gave it initial approval last week.
But after about three hours of public comment on the new policy, the council voted 5-2 to table the ordinance until at least Oct. 12.
The ordinance would ban discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on factors such as age, race, religion, gender identity and sexual orientation. Complaints would be investigated, and the city could enforce a penalty of up to $2,000 for violations.
More than a dozen other cities in Kansas have similar ordinances.
“We are the 49th largest city in America,” said Noah Blanco of Wichita. “It’s about time we started acting like it. … We’re on the cusp of being able to use this as a platform for even more progress for equity and equality in this city.”
After hours of comment, Wichita City Council narrowly passes first reading of new anti-discrimination ordinance kake.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kake.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Four Kansas organizations filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging constitutionality of two sweeping election reform bills placed into law by the 2021 Legislature after deflecting vetoes by Gov. Laura Kelly. Here, voters cast ballots at United Methodist Church in Topeka. (Noah Taborda/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA The League of Women Voters of Kansas and three other organizations Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging constitutionality of election reforms described by plaintiffs as a brazen attempt to suppress participation by minority, disabled and elderly voters.
The 2021 Legislature managed to override vetoes of two election bills denounced by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, setting up a showdown between the state as defendant and plaintiffs Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Loud Light, Topeka Independent Living Resource Center and League of Women Voters. Court documents allege provisions of House Bill 2183 and House Bill 2332 violated the Kansas Constitution by interfering with Ka
Andy Tsubasa Field and John Hanna
Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed two Republican-backed election bills on Friday, including one that would have limited most individuals to delivering 10 ballots during each election and another that would have barred the governor, secretary of state or the courts from changing election rules.
When Republicans pushed the bills through the Legislature earlier this month, they had the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto in the Senate but was four votes short in the House on the ballot-collection bill. The election rules bill also reached large enough margins for override attempts to succeed in the Senate, but was one vote shy in the House.