TOPEKA – July 2, 2020 – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt today provided updated guidance to law enforcement agencies and county prosecutors statewide on the enforcement of emergency orders, following the passage of House Bill 2016 last month and the issuance of Executive Order 20-52 earlier today.
The guidance, in the form of a memorandum, updates previous guidance provided by the attorney general on March 24, April 8 and May 28. The memo reflects changes to the Kansas Emergency Management Act adopted by the Kansas Legislature on June 4, and signed into law by the governor on June 8. Those amendments included changing the violation of an emergency order issued by the governor from a Class A misdemeanor to a civil violation, which may be enforced by a lawsuit filed by the county or district attorney. As such, law enforcement officers may no longer arrest or detain individuals for violations of an emergency order.
Additionally, Schmidt noted in the memo that under House Bill 2016, individual counties may elect to adopt provisions that are “less stringent” than a governor’s order. If an individual county has done so, then the governor’s emergency order may not be enforced in that county, even by a civil lawsuit.
The new law also authorizes the attorney general to bring enforcement actions.
“The attorney general’s office will defer to the decisions of local county and district attorneys and has no plans to bring our own enforcement actions simply for not wearing a mask,” Schmidt said. “I think the better approach is to leave any enforcement to local authorities who know their communities best and to give Kansans information and encouragement and trust them to make wise decisions. So here’s what I encourage: Be safe on this Independence Day weekend, use common sense and caution to keep yourself and others healthy, heed the advice of the CDC and other public health experts, and wear a mask for now whenever you’re in a public setting and cannot maintain a safe distance from other people.”
A copy of the memorandum is available at https://bit.ly/2YRbFXG.
NEWS
Pull Tabs for Pound Puppies
The City of Pleasanton is raising funds to help make needed renovations and repairs at the city pound. To do so they are collecting tabs from aluminum cans at various businesses in the city. All participating businesses will have collection... [More]
Linn County Planning Commission proceeds with prohibiting commercial solar fields
The Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission began their April 9 meeting by relooking at the Sunshine Meadows preliminary plat that last month was turned down by the commission because of outcries from surrounding neighbors. Sunshine Meadows is proposed to be a housing development... [More]
Commissioners send CUP for rock quarry back to P&Z again
Stephanie Walker reviewed the reasons she and her family do not want the new quarry, Mulberry Limestone that recently applied for a conditional use permit to do business at near Linn Valley to be located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and 2200 Road. Planning and Zoning... [More]
More News
- La Cygne to update police gear
- STARS welding competes at GCCC 2024 competition
- Mine Creek Battlefield Foundation to hold music festival
- SEKMH presents outreach program to commissioners
- Linn Valley residents respond to council appointment
- La Cygne sets nuisance abatement hearing
- special: Pleasanton’s June 29 Independence Day activities discussed
- Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge: April Events
SPORTS
Prairie View track has strong performance at Anderson County
The Prairie View track team traveled to Anderson County on April 11 to compete in the 17th Annual Anderson County Invitational. The girls’ team placed third with a score of 83 while the boys’ team placed fifth with a score of 37. Spring Hill won for the girls with... [More]
Jayhawk track wins Pleasanton Invitational
The Jayhawk Linn track team traveled to Pleasanton on April 9 to compete in the Pleasanton Invitational. The Hawks had a very good day as both the boys’ and girls’ teams won the invitational. The girls’ team placed first with a score of 107 while the boys... [More]
More Sports
- Jayhawk softball sweeps Crest
- Prairie View track takes on tough challenge at Paola
- Pleasanton baseball routs Yates Center
- Pleasanton baseball starts season 4-0
- Jayhawk softball sweeps Central Heights, splits against Uniontown
- Prairie View baseball falls to Santa Fe Trail
- Prairie View brings home two State titles in powerlifting championship
- Jayhawk softball hosts Prairie View in season opener
COMMUNITY
Spaghetti dinner and silent auction benefit set for Saturday at fairgrounds
A Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction benefit is set for this coming Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the 4H building on the Linn County Fairgrounds. In an effort to help Bonnie Riley, local photographer, cover medical bills and just overall help in general, Courtney Lanham, Kyla... [More]
Mound City couple builds HVAC and party bus services
When Jeff Cornelius graduated from high school he went to work in the HVAC industry. “A friend had a delivery service delivering to a guy with a heating and cooling business and that’s how I got into it,” Jeff explained. In 1993 Jeff opened his own business... [More]
Youth Track meet organized for April 27
Mary Jane Britz, a junior at Prairie View High School has organized a track meet for grade school age students in the Prairie View District. “I lived in Wisconsin before moving to Kansas and while living in Wisconsin the track team would put on a youth track meet every... [More]
More Community
- CHC/SEK expands behavioral health services in Linn County
- JLHS store program wins Stahl Scholarship package
- JLHS art students taking part in worldwide project
- Pleasanton Library Board President receives award from Kansas Library System
- Celebrating the New Year
- A project of passion and prayer
- Blu Jay Winter Clothing Exchange set for Dec. 9
- Maynerd’s owners start Feed Linn County initiative