From the Alvin and Rosalie Sara Check studio PBS Kansas Presents Kansas Week.

Sedgwick County is reeling after federal funding cuts to local programs for young mothers and the mentally ill. Also, the sound of gunfire has become a chilling echo, with another Wichita child critically injured in an accidental shooting.

Community leaders are demanding action to stop the relentless cycle of gun violence, claiming the lives of the city's youngest.

But first, Wichita mayor Lily Wu reveals the disturbing barrage of racist and threatening messages she's been receiving after a transgender proclamation sparked outrage.

We'll examine the escalating tensions and the mayor's response to the hateful attacks.

Kansas week starts right now.

Hello and welcome to Kansas Week.

I'm Jared Cirillo.

Wichita mayor Lily Wu says she is facing escalating threats and racist attacks after her signature was missing from last month's Transgender Day of Visibility proclamation.

The mayor posted on social media, calling the missing signature an administrative error and stating emphatically that she did not refuse to sign it.

Contrary to some media reports, Wu says the fallout was moved from angry social media posts to hateful emails and now even in-person confrontations.

To illustrate the severity, Wu shared part of one racist email that she received.

We're showing that on the screen now.

It reads, quote, go back to Guatemala where you belong.

You may be deported.

Hey!

Here comes ice.

Ice, baby.

Unquote.

Mayor Wu says she has also received supportive messages regarding the issue.

The city's ethics board has confirmed it's now investigating 21 complaints filed against the mayor regarding the proclamation incident.

Lots to talk about.

We have a full panel of guests here to talk about this and some of the week's other big stories.

We have state, Democratic Representative Cassie O'Hara of Wichita, Republican state Representative Lee Howell of Derby.

Syndicated talk radio host Andy Hoosier of the Voice of Reason radio show and political science professor Russell Urban Fox from Fringe University.

Thank you all for being here.

Doctor Fox, let me start with you as a as an outsider, kind of an outsider looking in from all of this.

This story just doesn't seem to die.

It's been going on for a month now.

Is, I don't think, anybody but the people that were pushing for the proclamation and the people that were opposed to the proclamation, really imagined that it would develop in the way that it has involving obviously, a lot of of, you know, very angry and completely out of line people talking online.

You've got, elected officials on the city council and, people that support those officials in the Sedgwick County Republican Party taking positions or arguing in one way or another.

That the one, message that was shared there, I mean, the first thing that you have to say, obviously, is that, you know, that's disgusting.

It's not acceptable, right?

That is not the sort of thing that anybody should give, you know, any kind of credence to.

The other thing that strikes me about it is just how very confused the person writing that message, or sending that message, was to essentially bring in all sorts of associations with, you know, you know, immigration issues and Trump's, President Trump's policies and tying that to a, you know, a declaration made by the City Council.

I mean, it it's just, you know, strange, ugly and wrong, but also just confusing.

Andy, who's your let me let me move over to you.

Does does the mayor have to bring all of this out?

Is it.

As as representatives, I'm sure public representatives.

Many people have received hateful.

I might add, from experience, I have to the.

Is it important for the mayor to bring this out, or is she continuing to drag this on her?

I think it's I think it's good that she brings it out to light to show, kind of the transparency of what's going on.

And it brings out the deeper conversation of identity politics.

I mean, that was what started this in the first place, right?

It's all about identity politics, and it shows the deeper rooted issue of what I don't identity politics has led to with a division and a hate.

So for her to bring it out shows the ugliness and the support.

At the same time.

I wish we would get past this issue.

I wish we could go past it because it has gone way too far.

But at the same time, I think it needs to be a deeper discussion of what identity politics has led to, whether it's the the racial attacks on her or whether it's the, you know, transgender issue from the very beginning that we need to have this conversation and say we need to move past all these identity politics, and then hopefully we could start getting past some of these types of attacks and some people are even saying that the people who brought forward this proclamation are laughing at everything that's going on, because, you know, this continues to perpetuate itself.

Exactly.

Yeah.

I mean, it brings a focal point on what they try to do in the first place.

And what she tried to get away from when we first came out and refused to, you know, read the proclamation, it was I'm not going to virtue signal.

I don't want to focus on identity politics.

I want to represent everybody instead of just certain collective groups.

I don't want to deal with this garbage and look at what it's blown out to is the same that we're upset about, that are the ones that are focusing on identity politics, attacking her.

Okay.

So you're using identity politics in a really broad, manner there, and you can defend that kind of broad definition.

But surely even within that broad definition, you can distinguish between a form of identity politics that is expressed in a very affirmative way and a form of identity politics that's, you know, making targeted ugly attacks.

I mean, if you want to say that they're all they have the same root.

That's one sort of argument, but certainly just in terms of discourse, you recognize that there's a difference between a declaration of, let's recognize some people and a message that says, you need to go to Guatemala.

Ice needs to come get you, or actual taxpayer funding being used to support anything that has to do with because there's no taxpayer funding that's being used to support.

This is a proclamation that says, we recognize your visibility.

What does that mean?

Here's and that's the problem I have with it, though, and I'm glad that what mayor what the mayor did was what's the point of your visibility?

What does that even mean?

Like I get the discourse on attacking, using it as a slander as opposed to trying to recognize.

What are we recognizing?

I mean, I'm a I'm a conservative talk radio host, so I need a proclamation for conservative talk show host with braided money.

So what are we record?

What does it mean when we say when we say, deaf and blind people day?

What are we what are we recognizing?

That's like.

That's exactly the point.

I mean, do we need a specific day of visibility for a certain group of people?

Any transgender individual has the same ability and right to go to a city council meeting to express their thoughts, advocate for a certain agenda that they want in their communities, doesn't necessarily need to be a day of your super special.

We need to recognize you on this particular day.

I've never from any side, from left to right.

I've never enjoyed identity politics in that side.

It doesn't make any sense to me.

We're a community.

We don't need to single out individuals or groups.

Let me move over to Casey.

Identity politics.

Do you agree?

Well, it's not by if I agree.

I mean, of course I kind of disagree with you in terms of the visibility.

Of course, we all are in this together.

You know, definitely.

It doesn't hurt to recognize any group or one, you know, at any particular day.

My issue with this whole thing is, you know, just like what Doctor Fox has said is getting kind of disgusting.

You know, as public officials, one thing that we learned is that we can't please everybody.

Okay.

Definitely.

We're in our seats, you know, to do the best we can and for anyone to actually take it out against us, you know, by sending or sending a mayor, you know, direct messages or, you know, hateful messages to me is is very unacceptable.

One way to solve it is if you don't like what any representative or any person that you have voted, to put in office, one thing only one way to actually resolve is actually next election to go out and vote.

If you don't still don't like it, put your name on a ballot.

And, you know, and so be it.

But ad attacking representatives or anyone or any elected official to me is unacceptable.

Yeah.

Leah Howell, I'll give you the last word.

Yeah.

The targets.

Well, I'll just say that, as you already stated, you know, it's part of being an elected official.

You will be criticized.

You will receive hate mail and or, you know, you know, mysterious powder in the mail.

And it is, you know, I've done all of it.

I've had my fair share.

I've had my fair share recently.

So nobody's saying that's acceptable.

Absolutely not.

Racism is acceptable.

It's when the criticism is couched in such a targeted, hateful, crude way.

Right.

And and of course, you know, the, the anonymous packages and threats.

I mean, then you're even further beyond the pale.

But but you can't distinguish between different types of rhetoric here.

We don't have to lump them all together.

All right.

We'll move on in Wichita, a wave of grief and anger is growing after yet another child became a victim of gun violence.

Just last week, a four year old girl was critically injured in an accidental shooting.

Cakes Kate Devine reports the tragedy has pushed community leaders to their breaking point.

With this collection of great minds that we might make an impact in our city.

It was a call to action.

I was literally flying in from Alabama, sitting in an a layover when I got the news.

Another child had been shot, accidentally.

And I was just thinking to myself, this is the third child in less than three months that has been shot under ten years old.

Gun violence continues to rip through Wichita now with small children hit in less than three months.

Bullets hit three children and two of them died.

Gunfire killed a one year old girl.

In February, a seven year old boy, Davion Gunter, died being shot in a south Wichita home.

And just last week, a four year old girl accidentally shot herself at a southeast Wichita business.

Gun violence has kept our community for so long.

So many young people are losing their lives on a weekly and almost daily basis.

Came together to talk about ways to, to to get away from those negative things.

Tuesday night, people gathered to face the crisis head on, led by Cure Violence, ICT and Destination Innovation.

Speaking and reaching out to the young people, educating them on gun violence and, you know, create a relationships with them, safe spaces, places they can go and receive gun training, proper gun handling, training.

The program focuses on young people between ages 14 and 25 and one specific part of Wichita.

I've been in this community my entire life, and as long as I can remember, guns have played a negative part in our community.

Definitely our African American community and those who live in the 67214 zip code.

It's a message of unity.

He says that he hopes can spread far beyond last night's meeting, and maybe even help save a life of any age.

I love my city.

I love what we are attempting to do.

But we need not only the black community, but we need everybody to come together on one accord.

Because if we save one life, we save our own life.

KC oh, some.

I can't help but think, you know, as a journalist my entire life, you know, I've seen I've covered shootings and stabbings and crime my entire career.

And I can't help but think, here we go again.

You know, we see a shooting, we see someone die in the community, rallies, things calm down, and then we see another shoot.

How do we stop this?

Is there a way?

Oh, yes.

Okay.

Well, basically, just like what he was talking about is basically for us to come out and actually, talk about, you know, gun violence and what the dangers of it.

Just back to gun violence.

I am, you know, for, you know, doing what we can to actually, minimize the problem.

And that's pretty much, you know, adults leaving guns, you know, carelessly for children to go pick up and, you know, play with it.

So whatever we can do on the state level or a local level just by talking about it, you know, and I mean, some kind of, reform, you know, with respect to gun violence definitely will help.

Leah Howell, it is good to see community members coming together to talk about this.

But unfortunately, in such tragic circumstances, absolutely.

To see the, you know, to see three children injured or dead, in our community, especially such young children, is absolutely heartbreaking.

And it shows that we have gaps within our Wichita community that are very serious and, and, and gun safety and gun safety training, I think.

Is it very important, but just as much as that, and I love seeing that we have community members that are stepping forward.

But but, you know, as much as gun safety is important, part of what's important here is parenting, parenting, training and mentoring because there are many, many tools around our houses that are dangerous to children.

And the supervision of those children is important, and all those things and guns are part of that.

And so we need to take all of that seriously and keeping our children safe.

Little children must be supervised to help them be safe and guns.

Gun safety is part of that.

And parents taking those things seriously.

And if you're a parent with guns, you must absolutely take that ownership seriously and recognize the seriousness of your gun ownership and supervising your children around guns.

How do we know exactly?

I mean, clearly, on the basis of the reporting, we've got one instance of a small child, getting hold of a gun that was not, you know, properly stored.

And they injured themselves.

There was another shooting within a home.

Is all of this really going to be well addressed with the language of, you know, gun safety, gun training in the home?

I mean, if so, then obviously that's that's a crucial thing.

And I think it's something that's broadly recognized by people on both sides of our many political debates.

So it sounds like you're calling for more state regulation.

Not necessarily.

But I want I want to understand if this is, you know, something that we can really, really adequately describe, at least when we're talking about these recent shootings, you know, primarily in terms of gun safety, primarily in terms of, you know, parents taking responsibility as gun owners within the home.

I mean, we're not talking in these recent shootings about, you know, gang activity or anything like those lines so that really kind of narrows the band of, the, the possible responses, the most reasonable responses we can pursue.

Andy.

Yeah, I agree.

Look, I mean, we got to remember there's two different terms we're talking about here and we're kind of intermingling them.

And I think we need to remember to divide these accidental shootings and gun violence are two separate issues.

The point and the story is talking about gun violence in the community organizations, which, God bless them, trying to stop gun violence in the community is a good thing.

Accidental shootings are completely separate, and they they can't be intermingled here because politically, that's where we start.

The argument of we need to start doing more gun regulation because of gun violence when we're talking about an accidental shooting.

So you're right, we need to work better on the training of, firearm safety, firearm storage in the home, keeping the kids like you said, Lee, about, you know, keeping kids away.

You know, I wish we could pass the Eddie Eagle program in the state that literally just says, for a child, if you see a gun laying around to don't touch it and go tell an adult, the fact that we can't pass it is absolutely insane insanity.

But we need to separate those two, and we need to promote more gun training, more gun safety, more gun storage.

Encouragement to teach people gun violence.

We need to address two.

But that's a totally separate issue.

Yeah.

Go ahead Leon, you call that encouragement, but you do recognize that at a certain point that is also regulation.

I mean, you can get into situations where you're talking about gun storage within the home and, and training and so forth.

I mean, this this is a regulatory apparatus.

Let me let Leah chime in here.

Leah, just super briefly, I just wanted to say I did not get a chance to research and just double check myself.

But I believe in two of these cases, parents have been charged in two of these cases.

So, I think that's important to know, is there?

Yeah.

All right.

Okay.

All right.

Significant changes are on the horizon for vital social services in Sedgwick County.

The federal government pulling funding for two key programs, one, providing crucial resources for young mothers and another helping individuals navigate the early stages of psychosis.

Ksn's Zena Tarrant reports.

County leaders are now scrambling to figure out ways to fill the funding gap and ensure that the services continue.

Sedgwick County Homecare, adjusting to a loss in federal funding for a program to help those dealing with psychosis for the first time.

The sooner that someone gets treatment and starts working on that, the better the outcome, the better the prognosis.

Even with the loss in funds, Comcare is uniquely positioned to cover costs because the department bills people for services, it can afford to cover costs for the program through its existing revenue funds.

That isn't true for the program intended to provide resources for young families.

That's a conversation we're having to see if there's another revenue source, or if there's a community partner that might be able to pick that up.

He says the county is adjusting the changes happening faster than usual.

We're learning at some of these reductions or eliminations of grants, sometimes after they've already happened.

I think everyone is just trying to catch up with all that's happening at the same time.

County manager Tom Stolz says the county is trying to avoid cutting off programs straight away, so their new policy keeps grant funded programs in place for 60 days after funding is cut off, and it uses county money to keep them afloat.

If we want to continue the type of service that we historically have had through these federal grant processes, we're gonna have to look at a different way of doing business because that money's not going to be there anymore.

The county is looking for solutions to keep programs funded and keep people on staff, something Westbrook says is essential.

Andy Hoosier, let me start with you.

Are we is.

Is the federal government moving too fast on all of these budget cuts?

And those efforts are where are we going too quickly or it's going quicker than governments usually used to write?

To me.

And personally I think it's a good thing.

Look, I mean, a reset is happening.

It's uncomfortable right now.

We're going to have to adjust, but we need to get back to the roots of what government is for federal government, in my opinion, is not supposed to be doing these things in the first place.

They're supposed to have very specific duties and social programs.

They're supposed to be geared more towards the states, more towards the local community, is more towards the private sector.

And the federal government doing their fast those cuts is a reset.

That needs to happen, because right now, the federal government spending 120% of the GDP is unsustainable and 80% of the government spending is social programs.

We have to do something and we have to reform it in some way.

So, look, the state will find a way to adjust local communities will find a way to adjust.

These programs are necessary locally, but we have to find a way to get them out of the federal government, or else we're not going to be able to sustain them in the long run anyway.

Doctor Fox, I know you disagree there.

Okay.

I mean, what we can turn this into a really large argument about, you know, political philosophy and constitutional powers and a whole bunch of other things.

I'll just say that while obviously there's plenty of people that agree with you, Andy, I know there's this one Republican lawyer.

I know he is conservative as the day is long, strong supporter of the president.

But I was talking to him about this and he just said, there are some things that call for a scalpel rather than a sledgehammer.

They really need to stop using the sledgehammer.

And these community health problems aren't the only thing as well.

We're talking about air traffic control, National Weather Service, you know, the National Weather Service people are coming out now saying lives are in danger.

Same situation with social services.

Casey.

Well, you're absolutely right.

I mean, it looks like we're moving too fast.

I mean, if that you want to cut spending.

I mean, at least, you know, the government, federal government has to put a stop kind of timeline as to, you know, the cuts they're going to make.

So that it gives both state and local, entities time to adjust and not just do it all of a sudden, you know, yes.

You know, all these cuts or, you know, we have lives, you have, services that are being impacted.

And when you have like surprise cuts on the state level, how do we respond when, you know, all of a sudden we just get news that oh is stopped is not going to be there?

Of course you got to give.

Just like you said, it takes you have to keep it gradual, a gradual approach versus so that it might appear there is there's the macro level argument.

But even aside from the macro level argument, there's just the fact that these are complex organizations.

It's actually not very easy for people that have hired staff, that have developed programs to all of a sudden turn on the dime and find alternative sources of funding, a timeline, you know, letting people know something's coming, you know, over the horizon rather than surprising it on them.

That's an issue.

The only problem I have with that is the fact that when government does slow down and do that, then they always find a way to put so much red tape, it never actually happens.

And that's why people on the conservative side are so frustrated because we've talked about for years, we're going to audit the government, we're going to cut spending.

We're going to slowly steer the ship this way.

And it never happens.

The only way to be productive in this field is to say it's done.

Figure it out on yourself.

But we can't do it anymore.

Leah, let me move over to you with about a minute left here.

Why can't we go through the appropriations process?

Why?

Why does everything have to be slashed in the middle of the budget year?

Why can't we go through the appropriations process and determine what's going to be budgeted next year?

Is that an idea?

Well, I think we all love the idea of that.

But again, I think sometimes we have to realize this is the world we're living in right now and we have to adjust to this is this is where we are at.

And Sedgwick County is a long ways from the top.

Sure.

So.

And even the state of Kansas is a long ways from the top.

So right now, today we are going to have to adjust and we're going to have to be nimble, and we're going to have to be careful to not spend dollars that we don't actually have in our hands.

Yeah.

And another thing that comes to mind here is, I think, you know, before President Trump was elected to his second term, I think you could talk to Republicans and Democrats alike who who would say the federal government is out of control now that something's being done with it.

It becomes completely politically Partizan.

And we have one side or the other.

It's yeah, it's hard.

Yeah.

And we're trillions of dollars in debt.

Yeah.

That's the reality.

Can't continue like that.

All right.

We'll move on to our last story.

It's a doozy.

In Cowley County, some residents are seeing a whole lot more than they bargained for in their neighborhood.

A local man has been spotted strolling around completely nude.

Neighbors are shocked, but as cakes, Jocelyn Shiffer Decker reports, local authorities say it's not illegal, though that could soon change.

People living in this neighborhood just south of Kansas City are upset, saying the man who lives in this house walks around naked.

Also, concerns with there are children in the area, most of where he walking out to his mailbox or on a public road.

In the nude.

This outraged Kelly County residents like Pam Crane.

So she made some calls, quickly found out that it is completely legal for somebody to walk nude.

In public in Kansas right now in Cowley County, there is no ordinance against this.

But after getting several phone calls from concerned neighbors Tuesday night, the county commissioners met to start the discussion to possibly change this.

The board directed myself and the county counselor, to work with the county attorney and the county sheriff, to present some options at the next meeting.

Kelly County Sheriff David Falletta explains why this isn't against the law.

County or state?

The statute that deals with this closely is lewd and lascivious behavior.

And unfortunately, in that statute, we have to show that he has an intent to arouse himself or others.

We were not able to prove that in this case.

We knocked on the man's door, but he didn't answer.

In the meantime, residents like Crain say they're glad that the county is stepping in.

I expect that there will be something, within a couple of weeks.

And when Field Johnson show for Decker cake news on your side.

Okay, so we've established that lewd and lascivious requires intent.

But what about indecent exposure?

Or do we not have any indecent exposure laws?

Why do you ask?

I just can't believe these are local ordinances.

See?

County ordinance.

Indecent exposure surely doesn't have to require.

I'm just going to go on the record that I'm disappointed that they didn't work harder.

Try to get that guy on camera.

So I'm.

Maybe I'm glad they did.

Andy Hoosier, what do you think?

Yeah.

Look, I mean, God bless him for feeling comfortable in his skin.

I'll say that, I've been one where I despise laws like HOA fees and what you can do in my yard and what I can do on my own property at the same time.

Like you said, indecent exposure, especially with children around.

You know, there's a level of I'm going to do whatever I want to and you can't tell me to, and the government can't force me to do anything to I'm harming the community because there's kids around there and I need to act a little bit more responsibly.

So yeah, there's got to be that line.

And I'm glad the county is starting to address this.

But, yeah, that's good for him, I guess.

Well, let me move over to the two state lawmakers here.

Leah, can we address this at the state level?

Well, as a as a mother of four sons, I just have to say that I'm pretty sure this is not a young, fit man, especially reading this article and talking about him out cutting wood in the nude.

I don't think he's particularly concerned about protecting the family jewels, apparently.

But, I would just say my recommendation would be make a nice fresh loaf of sourdough bread or some cookies.

Go over and visit your neighbor, see if you can encourage him to put on a pair of shorts when he goes outside.

It's usually the best place to start with any kind of conflict I do.

I do think they said that they have tried, but the guy won't cooperate at all.

Casey yeah, that's my understanding.

At the same time, I just have to say that, you know, we already have laws on the books with respect to indecent exposure.

I think it's a local issue, and I think that's how it should be handled.

And on a local issue.

Yeah.

It's just, you know, when children are involved, especially, with about 30s left, anybody want to chime in about how, you know, using an ax or a chainsaw?

Hey, you know, it's it's it's rough.

I just I think a lot of people are shocked that this is not actually illegal.

I just I just can't imagine there's a reason people live in the county.

Yeah, that's true, that's true.

There's a lot less.

We are out of time.

But thank you so much to Casey Harbison, Howell Andy Hoosier and Russell Arvin Fox for participating.

Also thanks to Cake and Kcen for sharing your stories with us.

I'm Jared Cirillo.

We'll see you again next week.

Thank you.