Each week during the 2024 Kansas legislative session, we will provide Johnson County lawmakers the opportunity to share their thoughts about what is happening in the state capitol.
Below is a submission from Democratic Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, who represents House District 17, covering parts of Lenexa and Shawnee.
Republican Sen. Beverly Gossage of Eudora and Republican Rep. Robyn Essex of Olathe have also both been offered the chance to submit columns later this week.
The views expressed in each Capitol Update are solely those of the lawmaker.
“I’m surprised to see you here, Jo Ella.”
It was uncharacteristic of me to miss votes. I gave up my 100% voting record to attend a VIP Super Bowl celebration with my 11-year-old son, William, in Kansas City.
That kid has been lugged back and forth from Topeka and gone door-to-door with little fuss over the last eight years of gun violence prevention advocacy and two tough campaigns for the Kansas House.
He and I deserve this moment together, I thought. I promised my family that I’ll always be a parent first. After all, that’s why I joined Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in the first place. I vowed to do whatever it takes to keep my child safe and happy.
We are failing our children.
One small decision kept us out of harm’s way that day. We entered Union Station after the rally ended. I asked if we should find the others in our group.
William said, “My legs hurt, I really just want to sit down.”
Sen. Dinah Sykes and I determined it was best to head straight to the bus. Tired legs put us seconds ahead of the gun shots. We were going out the wrong doors in a hurry, but we were oblivious to the danger.
When we got on the bus it became clear what was happening. Those who were behind us finally escaped to safety, boarding our bus in tears.
No one is immune from America’s gun violence crisis.
Our community experienced collective heartbreak and trauma. Texts and calls about who got shot, who was there, who had to run, hide or fight. This is the tragic but logical outcome of a parade sandwiched between two states with some of the most extreme gun laws in the country.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas co-chairs Mayors Against Illegal Guns and has been a tireless advocate for lifesaving gun safety laws, but the Missouri Legislature preempted city councils from being able to do much.
Violent crime started rising in Kansas after permitless carry passed in 2015. In 2021, the legislature allowed 18-, 19, -and 20-year olds to carry hidden, loaded handguns and gave violent criminals their guns back sooner.
This year, lawmakers are going even further. We’ve heard two dangerous proposals that would strip Kansas of its few gun safety laws. It will be close, but we can stop it.
You have the power to disrupt the routine. No more moments of silence without change. Use your voice to convince legislators to pass common sense reforms like background checks on all gun sales and secure storage. Guns everywhere or guns nowhere is a false choice. It is possible to prevent shootings. We must demand that our leaders protect our children or lose their jobs in November.
It’s been over a month, and we don’t know all of the facts. If it’s still too soon to talk about what happened to the Chiefs’ Red Kingdom, then can we at least talk about Parkland? That mass shooting also happened on Valentine’s Day. It’s been six years.
Jo Ella Hoye is the former Kansas Chapter Leader for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and currently serves in the Kansas House of Representatives.
