Churches and immigrants. Trump agenda in Kansas. Abortion law case.

By Clay Wirestone | opinion editor

PRAIRIE VILLAGE — After President Donald Trump took office, a small church in Kansas City, Kansas retreated underground — abandoning their sanctuary for the basement. 

Rick Behrens, senior pastor at Grandview Park Presbyterian Church, said he moved services to the locked basement in response to the administration’s decision to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to enter churches. 

“It is ironic and shameful, is it not, that the safe spaces we call sanctuaries are no longer safe spaces,” Behrens said. “Because we are under attack from our own government.” 

Behrens spoke alongside other faith leaders and immigrant activists Thursday at an interfaith prayer vigil in Prairie Village. Speakers encouraged churches — especially large congregations — to start fighting for immigrants.

“It’s easy to come to events like this and believe we’ve done something monumental,” Behrens said. “Don’t get me wrong, prayer can be and has been the start of many monumental movements, but by praying we can also feel that we somehow fulfilled our requirement to love our neighbors without doing anything.”

Behrens’ underground church has become an organizing hub in Kansas City. He has trained community members to rapidly respond when they spot immigration enforcement officers, accompany immigrants, and monitor the courts.

TOPEKA — Republican gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson publicly shared a letter signed by a White House staff member praising the GOP-led Kansas Legislature for tackling issues of wasteful government spending and broadening financial support of private education.

TOPEKA — A Kansas judge declined to pause his decision-making in a consequential abortion law case after state attorneys said his application to fill a vacancy on the Kansas Supreme Court causes a conflict of interest.

TOPEKA — An electric utility company serving Cherokee County requested a $15.8 million rate increase from Kansas utility regulators, which would increase an average residential bill by 40%.

By Walter Taminang

Kansas’ health system works well — if you live in the right county, have the right insurance and can find a provider. For many Kansans, none of those conditions hold.

WASHINGTON — The alleged White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooter was indicted by a grand jury Tuesday on four federal charges, including attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump and assaulting an officer or employee of the United States with a deadly weapon.

Federal agencies say they have yet to take steps to implement President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting voting by mail, as the Department of Justice fights a Democrat-led lawsuit against it.

Thanks for reading Read & Reflect. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.