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Activists Want A 'Safe And Welcoming' Wyandotte County

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Two older men stand side by side holding signs at an outdoor demonstration supporting a Safe and Welcoming ordinance in Kansas City, Kansas.
Laura Ziegler
/
KCUR
Incumbent Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor David Alvey shared why he is unable to support a "Safe and Welcoming" ordinance last week on Up To Date

An ordinance that could benefit thousands in the Kansas county has yet to make it through the unified government's board of commissioners.

The ordinance would provide identification cards to county residents who lack legal documents including the homeless and those who have served time in prison.

As KCUR has reported, the controversial piece of the ordinance would prohibit local law enforcement coordination with immigration authorities in most cases.

While a number of community leaders favor the ordinance, current Mayor David Alvey says he can't support it due to federal grant contracts the unified government has with the Department of Justice requiring local assistance, a claim leaders of the Safe and Welcoming Wyandotte coalition refute.

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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.
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