This is testimony we delivered today opposing SB 157 and SB 158, bills to enforce collaboration with ICE immigration orders. You can download our testimony here.

Testimony to Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
Chair, Sen. Jacob LaTurner
Hearing: Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 10:30 am, Room 144-S

Position – OPPOSE SB 157 and SB 158

Chairman LaTurner, and Members of the Committee, 

The MainStream Coalition strongly opposes the measures in SB 157 and SB 158. The bills impose undue and unexpected burdens on local communities and agencies, and harm law and order efforts already in place.

SB 157 requires of the Kansas Highway Patrol that they add additional duties to their portfolio while they are already under pressure from staff and budget cuts by the state. Without additional funding, our highway safety will suffer.

SB 158 would make community policing efforts more difficult for law enforcement.  Community involvement is critical in reducing crime.  Police departments spend much time in establishing relationships of trust with the people in the community they are sworn to protect and serve. To reduce crime and to solve crime, active engagement of the people is essential.   This bill will not help build this atmosphere of trust; it will help eradicate it.

We urge the committee to reject these measures, to trust in our local communities and law enforcement agencies to do their jobs to keep us safe to their best ability. These bills would hamstring those efforts.

Thank you,

Carol Marinovich
President of the Board
MainStream Coalition