Recent Kansas editorials

The Kansas City Star, May 27

Republicans in the Kansas Legislature are the dog that chased the car and uh-oh, now that they’ve caught it have nothing to do but yip.

That terrible Gov. Laura Kelly, they kept saying, was such a wannabe dictator with her pandemic shutdown orders that were slowly being phased out anyway.

To show her who’s boss during their unconstitutional all-night session last week, Republican lawmakers only briefly extended her emergency declaration order. And did so in legislation that would have done all sorts of long-term harm, just for starters making it all but impossible to sue even scammers for coronavirus-related damages.

The extension of the emergency declaration was supposed to force the governor to sign the bill. Because she wasn’t going to risk losing the federal aid that the declaration makes possible, now was she?

Kelly had two bad choices: She could accept legislation that not only would limit her own authority but also would severely limit the state’s ability to respond to the pandemic. Or she could veto it and let her current emergency order expire.

Kelly had no real choice but to put Kansas first, veto the bill and let the old order expire. In a news conference on Tuesday, she said she’s issuing a new state of disaster emergency declaration that will make her careful, phased approach to reopening the economy no longer an order but mere guidance to the county officials who will have to take it from here.

That’s “not ideal,” Kelly said, in some A-1 Kansas understatement. Because 105 county health departments with 105 different orders are bound to cause confusion, and a false sense of security, too. Not every county will act to protect its residents, either. So yes, this has the potential to turn the whole state into a dryer version of that nightmare Memorial Day party scene at the Lake of the Ozarks.

“I don’t anticipate having any orders,” like Kelly’s, Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell said. Or at least “nothing enforceable.” Riley County health officials have already said every business will be able to open again as of Wednesday, with a limit of 50 people. “I’m a little worried,” said Manhattan Mayor Usha Reddi.

Having the new order in place will, however, keep federal COVID-19 aid flowing to Kansas. The governor is also calling a June 3 special session of the Legislature for a do-over on the bill passed in such a rush last week.

Since it was Kelly’s supposedly power-mad overreach that was such a problem, you’d think Republicans would be delighted, right? And that they’d see local decisions made locally as a win for them.

Only now that it will be up to each county to decide whether to limit mass gatherings, require social distancing or close businesses, they seem to think their bullying has backfired.

“The veto of this legislation creates unnecessary confusion about the status of the current disaster declaration, what orders are still in place, and what Kansans can expect going forward,” said a statement from Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman, Majority Leader Dan Hawkins and Speaker Pro Tem Blaine Finch. Well yes, and none of that had to happen, gentlemen.

The Republican leaders actually criticized the governor for jettisoning the phased reopening plan they hated so much. Now they’re lamenting that it was “suddenly, and with no warning, scrapped this afternoon.”

Kelly said the bill she vetoed “would make a mess of the state’s ability to adequately respond during times of crisis” and “would further delay our ability to get the CARES Act funding to communities across the state.”

It would also weaken the authority of local health officials to act in a crisis, and not incidentally was unconstitutional since the Kansas Constitution says no legislation can be passed after midnight on the last day of the session.

A shoutout on that front is due Republican state Rep. Mark Samsel, who tried to stop lawmakers from going into illegal overtime, and then kept his pledge to vote against any bill brought to a vote after midnight.

When he and his colleagues come back to Topeka on June 3, Republicans should declare victory and extend the governor’s emergency declaration through January.

Laura Kelly just gave them what they said they wanted most, which was to see Kansas wide open again in all counties that wanted to be. So unless that wasn’t the point after all, why wouldn’t they in return help her keep federal aid headed this way?

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The Topeka Capital-Journal, May 28

No shirt, no shoes, no service.

It’s a widely recognized sign, and one that passes without comment. We understand that business owners set rules, and that if we want to patronize their establishments, we have to follow them. It’s just how things work.

So now that business owners are adding face masks to that list, along with other commonsense requirements to limit coronavirus spread, why are some of us freaking out?

Public health officials have been clear. Masks work. And they don’t work because they prevent every infection, just as condoms don’t necessarily prevent every single case of venereal disease. No, masks work because they reduce the spread of virus-laden droplets, especially from people who might be infected but not know it.

Likewise, such other measures as keeping six feet apart and reducing crowding are based in the best, most current knowledge of ways to reduce our risk of contracting COVID-19. They aren’t foolproof, but they’re important tools absent a vaccine.

So why yell at workers who ask you to wear a mask?

Why crowd people in line when you’re supposed to keep your distance?

Why act as though it’s your God-given right to get other people sick?

Masks and public health precautions shouldn’t become another cultural battlefield. Yes, liberals are concerned about public health. But so are conservatives. And conservatives are known to advocate for the right of businesses to set their own policies and guidelines. If businesses want to require masks, that’s within their rights.

What’s missing from conversations about masks and public safety thus far is a basic point. If customers feel unsafe, they’re not going to leave their homes.

Businesses react to the needs and desires of customers. That means they want to ensure that people feel safe. Might that mean they overreact here and there? Sure. But that’s the way they build trust and rebuild their clientele.

Making everyone feel safe and protected will be critical to restoring economic activity. Business owners are on the case, and customers should support them in doing so.

What’s more, other members of the public have a role to play, too. If you believe it’s important that our economy roar back to life, that others spend money and patronize local establishments, then help build that trust with your own actions.

Wear the mask. Keep your distance. Be kind.

—-

The Wichita Eagle, May 29

Like most of us, Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay says he viewed a video of the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd with a lump in his throat.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed Monday in Minneapolis when an officer held him on the ground, kneeling on his neck, as the handcuffed man pleaded that he couldn’t breathe.

On Thursday, Ramsay spoke out.

“I am horrified at what occurred in Minneapolis and struggle for words, but in good conscience cannot remain silent,” the chief said in posts to his Facebook and Twitter accounts.

“In that video I see a murder committed by those who are violating the very oath they swore to uphold.”

Ramsay’s statement is a rare and courageous criticism of police officers by one of their own.

Before moving to Kansas, Ramsay spent a decade as police chief in Duluth, Minnesota, and was president of the state’s police chief association. He knows Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and other officers in that department.

But the Wichita chief didn’t speak softly in his statement against Floyd’s killing. He didn’t offer thoughts and prayers. He didn’t call it tragic or unfortunate or heartbreaking. He didn’t even say we should withhold judgment until after a complete investigation.

He called it murder.

His statement comes as two women are planning a “Justice for Floyd” event in Wichita - a protest against police brutality that echoes demonstrations elsewhere and likely will call out questionable behavior by officers right here in our city.

Ramsay said he plans to attend. Police officers should come together to say what happened in Minneapolis was wrong, he said.

Ramsay also should pledge that such nightmarish actions won’t happen here - that he’ll do everything possible to keep bad cops off the street, to thoroughly and openly investigate complaints, to crack down on racial profiling, and to mete justice for police officers as well as residents.

He should fortify his words with actions toward public trust and transparency, including releasing footage from officers’ body cameras and freely answering questions that don’t appear to obstruct investigations.

To his credit, Ramsay has made strides toward building community support since arriving in Wichita four years ago.

After a Black Lives Matter protest in July 2016 - another summer of tensions fueled by the killings of black civilians and law enforcement officers - Ramsay met with protest leaders and turned a planned second protest into a community cookout that drew national attention.

Earlier this year, after being called out for victim-blaming comments during a presentation about crime statistics, the chief promptly apologized and said he appreciates “any critiques that make me a better advocate and ally.”

Like those actions, Ramsay’s rebuke of the Minneapolis officers demonstrates integrity, accountability, and a commitment to justice. Good for him for speaking out.