The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 22, 2023
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
A 2021 Kansas law, H.B. 2183, made impersonating an election official a felony. But its vague language unintentionally or intentionally swept up voter registration groups like the League of Women Voters, stopping registration efforts. A Kansas Supreme Court ruling December 15th gives standing to the democracy groups challenging the law.
The 2021 passage of H.B. 2183 virtually stopped third party voter registration drives. Pro-voter group Loud Light, speaking to the Kansas Reflector, said the group may have missed the opportunity to register thousands of Kansas voters. They and other pro-voter plaintiff’s sued in 2021, but a district court said they had no standing to bring the case.
An appeals court overturned the no-standing portion of the ruling, but also affirmed voting as a fundamental right for Kansans, concluding, “ Thus, voting rights are preserved in the Kansas Constitution. Great care must be taken when trying to limit or infringe on those rights. Voting was important then. Voting is important now.” Refusing to give up on the voter suppression law, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach appealed it to the State Supreme Court
The Kansas high court’s ruling doesn’t overturn the law, but affirmed HB 2183 was so vaguely written that it justified the plaintiff’s standing, and allowed the case to proceed. We’ll have more in the coming months.
We have the court opinions and the groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Kansas Reflector – Kansas Supreme Court, ‘wary’ of free speech restrictions, allows challenge to 2021 voting law
Associated Press – Kansas’ top court says a GOP election law is vague and revives a lawsuit against it
Kansas Court of Appeals – Opinion – League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
Kansas Supreme Court – Opinion – League of Women Voters of Kansas v. Schwab
Democracy Docket – Kansas Voter Suppression Law Challenge (LWV)
Democracy Docket – Explainer: How Third-Party Organizations Conduct Voter Registration
Groups Taking Action:
League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters of Kansas, Loud Light, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, Topeka Independent Living Resource Center
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #VoterSuppression #FreedomtoVote #KansasPolitics