To the editor:No one can argue that animals are living, breathing beings that can feel pain. It is time for Kansas to revamp the laws on animal welfare to properly represent them.We need laws that cover leaving animals in dangerous situations they are unable to escape from (i.e. in a hot car, ...

To the editor:The city of Columbia, Mo., recently adopted an ordinance that bans smoking e-cigarettes in public places and raises the minimum legal age to purchase cigarettes to 21. It makes sense to raise the age to buy cigarettes to 21 as smoking is still the leading cause of premature ...

To the editor:Overland Park has a form-based code for in-fill additions in its downtown that is currently used to moderate radical changes in the height or massing of new projects. These kinds of code requirements should be implemented here to preserve the original mercantile character of ...

To the editor:Is our federal government on the verge of being completely ineffectual? We have a president who wants to govern by fiat (executive order) largely because Congress will not cooperate with him. We have a Congress that wants to insert itself into international negotiations, which it ...

To the editor:In the March 10 Double Take column, Wes Crenshaw envisions the ideal sexuality education program. It spans the grades with age-appropriate materials, involves parents and covers more than basic biology by exploring values, relationships, sexual decisions, consent and gender.Such a ...

To the editor:There is much in Dolph Simons, Jr’s. most recent Saturday Column with which I strongly agree.  We do live in a particularly uncivil, contentious, even toxic environment where honesty, integrity, and leadership seem to be decidedly lacking.But it does seem to be a bit ...

To the editor:Four months have passed since I wrote a letter to the editor regarding the recycling gap that the City of Lawrence had created by failing to provide recycling service for commercial accounts. Four months have passed since that same letter was delivered to all of the city ...

To the editor:I think a newspaper should know what free speech means. The Constitution says: “ Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press …” This is a limitation of the ...

To the editor:There are at least three lessons learned from the Rock Chalk Park project.First, some members of the city commission will pay $27,000 plus expenses of taxpayer money, with an outside consulting firm, to seek vindication for making a poor decision. Not only does this expense ...

To the editor:Last week, as I usually do, I was walking laps with my friend at the Sports Pavilion. We have really enjoyed taking our outdoor walking routine indoors at this new and pristine facility, particularly during the winter months. There is a very friendly attitude among the staff, and ...

To the editor:Leonard Pitts’ column about Bill O’Reilly was typical Leonard. He, like Bill, seems to have the impression that he knows what truth is for relevant news situations.Some of the J-W readers could say the same about me. I agree that truth is absolutely essential when ...

To the editor:Forty-seven Republican senators have the same as guaranteed another war in the Middle East. They have knifed in the back the efforts of our president and the countries of Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China to bring about an agreement that would keep Iran from gaining ...

To the editor:The editorial “Freedom of speech?” on Friday the 13th read as if it should have been posted on April 1st.There are two clear reasons the SAE controversy has not focused on freedom of speech. The first is that the members involved were expelled not for their speech, but for ...

To the editor:The letter signed by 47 Republican senators (including Kansas’ Roberts and Moran) seems intended to torpedo delicate negotiations that could avoid yet another disastrous shooting war and/or a spiraling arms race in the Mideast. At the risk of agreeing with the New York Daily ...

To the editor:The story on March 7 about Senate Bill 56 (which amends K.S.A. 21-6402) says it “would hold teachers criminally responsible for exposing students to so-called sexually inappropriate material” and “removes an exemption for teachers.”To clarify, right now, public, private ...

To the editor:A bill allowing physical contact with certain exotic animals will negatively impact animal welfare, put an unsuspecting public at risk for unnecessary harm and reverse the progressive stance that Kansas has demonstrated on exotic animal ownership (“Strange debate leads to ...

To the editor:Carrying a gun comes with responsibility. That’s why Kansas law requires completion of a basic handgun safety training course before issuing a license to carry. Kansas Senate Bill 45 proposes to effectively dismantle Kansas’ concealed-carry licensing system. If the bill ...

To the editor:I’ve been an attorney for over 40 years. In that period of time, I’ve studied and dissected an uncountable number of audit reports. The report made by auditor Warren Hudson on the Rock Chalk project strikes me as one of the most unprofessional reports I’ve ever ...

To the editor:Is my KPERS retirement money safe? KPERS retiree benefits are safe and guaranteed by Kansas law. A retiree will receive his or her benefit for life, no matter the economic condition. Members who leave employment and withdraw their contributions before retirement will receive the ...

To the editor:I’m glad that the city obtained an audit on the public portion of Rock Chalk Park, but I am an accountant with 18 years of construction experience, and I have several comments.The Journal-World has always reported the development deal as “up to $.” I would tend to believe ...