Your Turn

To submit a lengthier opinion piece about a topic of public interest, please email your submission to letters@ljworld.com and indicate that you would like it to be considered for a “Your Turn” column. Submissions must bear the name, address and telephone number of the writer.

Your Turn: We should address racism, sexism with no fear

Lawrence prides itself on being a progressive and inclusive community, but rarely engages in the tough conversations necessary to live up to our values of equity. On May 15, the City Commission considered whether to send a plan for a mural depicting Women of Color in Lawrence to the Arts ...

Your Turn: We must end incessant school litigation

The words of a recent guest column in the Lawrence Journal-World about the Kansas Coalition for Fair Funding were not surprising. It was a continuation of the intellectually shallow, fact-short screed about taxes, school finance and the Kansas budget. Certainly, reasonable people can disagree ...

Opinion: Have we learned? A test is coming

In 2012, Kansas lawmakers cut income taxes in a bigger, faster, more dramatic way than any other state had done. And revenue from tax collections dropped like a rock, causing Kansas to enter a multiyear period of serious financial trouble.In 2016, Kansans voted for a new Legislature. One-third ...

Your Turn: Jail expansion would worsen a painful reality

The Journal-World headline read “Jail’s daily population fell in 2017, reversing a 5-year trend.” The article continued: “The decrease stems from the introduction last year of behavioral health court, pretrial release and home arrest programs.” As a member of the Criminal Justice ...

Your Turn: Reasons to vote yes on Proposition 1

False narratives are attempting to confuse Douglas County voters about the upcoming Proposition 1 vote. This is not a vote for or against expansion of the Douglas County Jail. The county is statutorily responsible for providing a humane jail that promotes prisoner reform: after several years of ...

Opinion: Windfalls, gambling and marijuana

Raising revenue is tough, especially in red states.Kansas tax receipts nose-dived between 2013 and 2016, placing great pressures on public services. The 2017 income tax revisions have staunched the bleeding, and revenues have consistently exceeded estimates since July, to the tune of $275 ...