Kobach & Hillary Clinton Clash Over Voting List August 26, 2015

(AP) – Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is trading barbs over social media with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on voting rights.
The spat was sparked by Kobach’s proposal to throw out after 90 days names of more than 34,000 potential voters who registered in the state, but didn’t provide proof-of-citizenship documents like a birth certificate or naturalization papers.
Clinton’s campaign late Monday posted a comment on Twitter calling the plan a “targeted attack on voting rights,” including a link to a story from The Associated Press about it.
Koback retorted the next day on Facebook that it is not a purge as “left-wing knuckleheads” claim because those people just have to fill out another voter registration form again. He said Clinton is “getting her pantsuit in a twist over nothing.”

Wichita Election Officials Fight Voting Records Release August 25, 2015

(AP) – Top election officials in Kansas and Sedgwick County have asked a court to block the release of voting machine tapes sought by a Wichita mathematician who is researching statistical anomalies in election counts.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach argued in a court filing made public Monday that the records sought by Wichita State University mathematician Beth Clarkson are not subject to the Kansas open records act, and that their disclosure are prohibited by Kansas statute.
Kobach also contended he is not the custodian of records kept by the Sedgwick County Elections Commissioner Tabitha Lehman from the November 2014 general election.
Lehman told a Sedgwick County District Court judge in a separate filing last week that production of the tapes would be “unnecessarily burdensome” because the material cannot be easily copied.

Bill Expanding Kobach’s Authority Advances May 20, 2015

(AP) – The House has advanced a bill that would give Kansas’ secretary of state the power to prosecute election fraud.

The chamber gave the measure first-round approval Wednesday.

Several lawmakers questioned the necessity of the bill, given the relatively few recorded instances of election fraud. Others expressed concern that the Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach might bring charges when prosecutors believed people did not intentionally break the law.

The measure gained 63 votes Wednesday, which is the minimum needed for it to pass during the final vote expected Thursday. Democratic Rep. John Carmichael from Wichita said he voted for the bill to attempt a procedural tactic, but will vote against the bill Thursday.

The bill would go to the governor if approved

Ks. House Judiciary Panke Votes: Let Kobach Prosecute May 4, 2015

(AP) – Kansas’ secretary of state would have the power to prosecute election fraud under a bill endorsed by a House panel.
The House Judiciary Committee voted 14-8 Monday to advance the bill to the House floor. The measure would increase election fraud penalties to felony charges, and add the secretary of state to the list of officials allowed to bring criminal prosecutions for offenses.
Democratic Rep. John Carmichael from Wichita attempted to attach three amendments to the bill reducing its scope, but all failed. He said in committee debate that he believed it could be used to initiate felony prosecutions against people who did not intentionally break the law.
Republican Rep. John Rubin from Shawnee said the measure is necessary, calling such actions attacks on the state’s democratic institutions.

Kobach Says Texas Ruling Validates Immigration Stance February 17, 2015

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(AP) – Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach says that a federal court ruling that blocks an executive order on immigration vindicates his efforts.

A federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked executive orders Tuesday that would have protected as many as 5 million people who entered the U.S. illegally from deportation.

Kansas is one of 26 states that have challenged the orders as unconstitutional.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt on Wednesday called the ruling a preliminary victory in the case. He said the ruling will boost his state-level efforts to deny benefits to people in the U.S. illegally.

Irene Caubillo, president of advocacy group El Centro, said she expected the ruling to be appealed and her organization would continue to aid those in the country illegally to gain legal status