TOPEKA, Kan. — Republican lawmakers on Wednesday passed a measure to overturn three communities' policies that could help immigrants stay in Kansas illegally, highlighting an issue the GOP is likely to push in the governor's race.
The bill is a response to an ordinance enacted last month by Wyandotte County, a Democratic stronghold. The ordinance provides local identification cards for immigrants and other residents and declares that the county won't help the federal government enforce immigration laws absent a threat to public safety. Lawrence and Roeland Park in northeast Kansas also have such immigration enforcement policies.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the presumed Republican nominee for governor, decried Wyandotte County's "sanctuary" policy and urged lawmakers to intervene. Their bill would nullify existing ordinances and bar future ones restricting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The bill also would say a local ID isn't valid for voting.
The Senate approved the measure Wednesday, 29-10, after the House passed it last week, 84-38. It goes next to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. Republicans have criticized her for weeks for not taking a public stand against Wyandotte County's policy.
Schmidt called the measure "commonsense legislation" that prevents "a patchwork of local rules." He also suggested local ID cards "lack basic anti-fraud protections."
State Sen. Richard Hilderbrand, a Baxter Springs Republican, said when local officials promote violating federal law, "There is no place for local control there."
Supporters had the two-thirds majorities necessary in both chambers to override a potential veto.
While Kelly hasn't taken a formal position on the bill, she told reporters last week, "I have been a staunch supporter, whenever possible, of allowing local units of government to make decisions that they feel are the best interest of their community."
Meanwhile, critics of the bill questioned whether it violates a provision of the Kansas Constitution that says cities are "empowered to determine their local affairs."
They also said Wyandotte County's ordinance makes sense for one of the most racially and ethnically diverse counties in Kansas. According to the 2020 census, non-Hispanic white residents make up 37% of its population, while Hispanic residents are 33%.
Finally, critics suggested that Schmidt was engaging in political theater in pushing for a bill after Wyandotte County enacted its policy, rather than doing it earlier, when Lawrence or Roeland Park did.
"Why do we have a target on our back for the attorney general?" asked state Rep. Louis Ruiz, a Kansas City Democrat.
