The Kansas City council approved a resolution earlier this month that declared it a sanctuary city for gender-affirming care. This week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sent a letter to the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners urging them to enforce anti-trans laws recently passed by the legislature, in defiance of the city's new resolution.
In response, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told KCUR's Up To Date that the Attorney General's letter was sent "just to get attention."
"That letter has no legal effect. The police department has already made that clear. The city council has already made its decision," said Lucas.
The mayor believes that we've reached a "tragic time" in American politics amidst rhetoric and legislation he views as hateful towards marginalized communities.
"I think about the poor children, right? If you're a trans child, LGBTQ child, often a child of color in any of these communities when they're saying we shouldn't learn about the history of great Blacks in America, we shouldn't be able to read things like 'The Inaugural,' a wonderful poem by Amanda Gorman. You know, it is a tragic time and these gentlemen have to — they're all men, largely — I think need to account for it at some point. I just don't know if that will be anytime soon."
Lucas joined KCUR's Up To Date to discuss Kansas City's sanctuary city status, the latest on the Royals' downtown ballpark saga and potential changes to the city charter.
