113-561: Attorney general for the U.S. state of Kansas [REDACTED] This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kansas Attorney General" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( August 2024 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Attorney General of
226-616: A Farmers Branch, Texas ordinance that attempted to prevent landlords from renting to illegal immigrants. That case was appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals where it was first heard by a three-judge panel that largely decided against the city. In addition to the costs of the immigration suits, the City had spent $ 850,000 defending two voting rights lawsuits. The City appealed the panel's ruling, in Case No. 10-10751, with
339-466: A Federal Elections Commission (FEC) audit strongly criticized Kobach's financial management of the Kansas GOP. The FEC audit found that when Kobach served as chairman, the state party failed to pay state and federal taxes. It was also discovered that illegal contributions were accepted. In December 2007, Kobach sent an email saying, "[T]o date, the Kansas GOP has identified and caged more voters in
452-497: A billy club , had been at a single, majority-black precinct in Philadelphia. After months of hearings, testimony, and investigation, no actual evidence was found that any voters were afraid to vote. She continued, "Too much overheated rhetoric filled with insinuations and unsubstantiated charges has been devoted to this case." On September 2, 2015, representatives of groups most likely to be affected by Kobach's plan to shorten
565-568: A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed against We Build the Wall advisory board member Steve Bannon , Kolfage, and two others, charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering . Each charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison upon conviction. Federal prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York allege that Bannon, United States Air Force veteran Kolfage, and
678-528: A "hate group," by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In August 2018, ProPublica and The Kansas City Star reported that none of the towns where Kobach helped to enact anti-immigration ordinances over a 13-year period still had those ordinances on the books. The ordinances were costly to defend in court, with some localities going bankrupt. At the same time, Kobach personally profited, earning more than $ 800,000 on legal work for
791-837: A 56-foot fence in Coolidge, located 120 miles north of the Mexican border. However, Arizona's then-U.S. Senator, Republican Martha McSally said that a barrier would not resolve the border crisis. In late 2018, Kobach joined with other right-wing political operatives, including billionaire Erik Prince , Trump's chief political strategist and former Breitbart editor Steve Bannon , Breitbart manager Brandon Darby , former Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Sheriff David Clarke , former Congressman Tom Tancredo and social media "fake news" scion, Brian Kolfage , to form an organization to raise funds ostensibly to facilitate construction of
904-499: A Salina City Council seat the next year, and a state House seat in 2010, he was found to have under-reported contributions by $ 35,000 and nearly $ 43,000 in expenditures in Kobach's 2010 campaign, resulting in a maximum $ 5,000 fine. Kobach complained that he was being discriminated against because former Republican governor Bill Graves received a much smaller fine for similar violations. Kobach alleged, "The only real distinction I can see
1017-494: A ballot measure, approved by voters in Wichita , that created a city ordinance reducing marijuana possession enforcement in the city. The measure specifically reduced the penalty for persons over 21 charged with a first marijuana possession offense (moving it from a Class A criminal misdemeanor to a civil infraction carrying a $ 50 fine). Schmidt asserted that the voter imitative was barred because it conflicted with uniform state law,
1130-661: A barrier. Kolfage, a prodigious Internet fundraiser associated with a long history of dubious schemes using Facebook and GoFundMe to collect both money and potential contacts for exploitation, had raised tens of millions of donated dollars and asserted the organization would raise such private funds to construct hundreds of miles of their proposed border wall on private lands in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. As its prime organizer, in December 2018, Kolfage launched what he represented as an attempt to raise $ 1 billion via GoFundMe for
1243-554: A brief in support of a lawsuit seeking to force the Kansas Democratic Party to field a candidate in the 2014 U.S. Senate general election. If the Democrats were forced to field a candidate, it was anticipated to have decreased the chances of independent candidate Greg Orman (who was supported by Democrats) of defeating incumbent Republican Pat Roberts in the 2014 election. The suit was unanimously rejected by
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#17327942806901356-547: A claim that the city disputed. The Kansas Supreme Court struck down the city ordinance in 2016; the court did not address Schmidt's argument that the local law conflicted with state law, but rather based its decision on a technical error, ruling that the petitioners' filing of the proposed ordinance with the city clerk was improper. In January 2018, Schmidt issued an opinion stating that all forms of marijuana, including cannabidiol (CBD oil) are unlawful in Kansas. Later in 2018,
1469-722: A deadline for tens of thousands of suspended voters to produce proof of citizenship, including the ACLU, the League of Women Voters (LWV), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Organization for Women (NOW), all testified in a Topeka hearing conducted by Brian Caskey, a Kobach appointee, against the implementation of Kobach's policy. Although Kobach's office
1582-480: A federal worker verification program known as E-Verify in order to maintain a business license. The ordinance was upheld by Missouri federal judge E. Richard Webber on January 31, 2008 ( Gray v. Valley Park , 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7238). The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing the plaintiff, appealed the case to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals . Kobach prevailed on appeal, and
1695-582: A hearing. However, in November 2014, a federal district judge ordered the state to allow same-sex couples to marry. Schmidt petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to block the order, but the Court denied his request. In 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry , Schmidt dropped his Kansas Supreme Court case against same-sex marriage. In Planned Parenthood of Kansas and Mid-Missouri v. Andersen (2018),
1808-474: A lawsuit filed by construction contractors and immigrant organizations who sought to halt a state law that imposes severe penalties on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The plaintiffs appealed the ruling, but Arizona prevailed (with Kobach's assistance) in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ( Chicanos por la Causa v. Arizona , 558 F.3d 856; 2009). The case was further appealed to
1921-552: A margin of nearly 19%. In 2009, records indicated that just seven allegations of voter fraud had been referred for investigation and possible prosecution, and just a single one had been prosecuted since 2004. In 2008, a similar bill was vetoed by then-Governor Kathleen Sebelius , a Democrat. However, on April 18, 2011, Governor Brownback signed Kobach's voter ID "SAFE" Act. Its core provisions are as follows: Derek Schmidt Derek Larkin Schmidt (born January 23, 1968)
2034-792: A maximum of ten persons. As this would have applied to Easter Sunday celebrations in churches, the Republican-majority Legislative Coordinating Council reversed her order. Republican Schmidt also opposed Kelly's order, contending that it violated the Kansas Constitution and Kansas law. He issued a memo calling the order likely unconstitutional and urged law enforcement not to enforce it. Of the first eleven loci of contagion in Kansas, three had already been traced to religious gatherings. The Kansas Supreme Court reinstated Kelly's orders on April 11, in expedited proceedings. A week later, in
2147-644: A member of the City Council of Overland Park, Kansas . He was later the 2004 Republican nominee in Kansas's 3rd congressional district , losing to Democratic incumbent Dennis Moore . He was elected Secretary of State of Kansas in 2010, winning nearly 60% of the total vote. As Secretary of State, Kobach implemented some of the strictest voter identification laws in the history of the United States, and fought to remove nearly 20,000 registered voters from
2260-483: A message to the GoFundMe page that he had decided raising money instead through a nonprofit would be more productive. His new 501(c)(4) nonprofit was called We Build The Wall Inc. through which he described his plans to have segments of the wall privately erected through negotiations with U.S. landowners along the border. GoFundMe however issued a statement after Kolfage's statement that it would give refunds unless
2373-494: A new Fraud and Abuse Litigation Division to prosecute financial crimes and elder abuse. In 2017, Schmidt's colleagues elected him to serve a one-year term beginning in 2018 as president of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG), an office which rotates on a regional basis. Schmidt hired Toby Crouse as the Kansas Solicitor General. Crouse left the office after being appointed by Trump to
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#17327942806902486-589: A phone call between him and the president on January 23, 2019, Kobach reported that Trump endorsed the project saying, "...the project has my blessing, and you can tell the media that," though the White House had not independently confirmed that contention. In addition to Kolfage's history, another basic problem with the scheme was that almost all the land on the border is in the hands of the federal government, border states, and Native American tribes. The small number of privately owned border parcels in proximity to
2599-745: A plaintiff to the lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 in Florida v. United States Department of Health and Human Services ; in a letter, Schmidt wrote that the ACA's individual mandate would "encroach on the sovereignty of the State of Kansas and on the rights of our citizens." The U.S. Supreme Court , in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012), ultimately upheld most of
2712-404: A primary author of Alabama HB 56 , passed in 2010, which was described as tougher than Arizona's law. Much of the law was invalidated on appeal at various levels of appeals courts or voluntarily withdrawn or reworded. Kobach visited Coolidge, Arizona to observe North Dakota's Fisher Industries demonstration of how it would build a border fence. Fisher maintained it could erect 218 miles of
2825-411: A program that mandated that men from 24 predominantly Muslim countries and North Korea be fingerprinted, photographed and questioned at government offices. Of the 83,000 plus men who did so, the government moved to deport 13,740 of them for immigration violations. Kobach ran for Kansas State Senate in 2000, finishing third out of four Republican primary candidates. In the 2004 election cycle , Kobach
2938-662: A separate case, U.S. District Judge John W. Broomes in Wichita issued a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of Kelly's order as to two churches (one in Junction City , the other in Dodge City ), where the plaintiffs contended that the restriction violated religious freedom and free speech rights. That case became moot after Governor Kelly issued a new executive order with less restrictive COVID-19 rules effective on May 4, 2020, under an agreement that allowed
3051-580: A team of attorneys and researchers who formulated and established the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System . In addition, he took part in work to reshape the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2002. After his government service ended, he returned to UMKC to teach law until he was elected Kansas Secretary of State. While running for Congress in 2004, Kobach represented out-of-state students on behalf of
3164-498: A third similar tuition lawsuit, this time in Nebraska. The case was dismissed in a Nebraska district court in December of that year, for plaintiffs' lack of legal standing. Kobach has litigated numerous lawsuits defending cities and states that adopt laws to discourage illegal immigration . He served as lead lawyer defending the city of Valley Park, Missouri in a federal case concerning an ordinance that requires businesses to use
3277-761: A three-judge panel of the Kansas District Court in Shawnee County. Michael Capps filed to run in 2018 for the Kansas House District 97 seat using an address on the south side of Wichita. However, months before the election, Representative Chuck Weber, the incumbent in heavily Republican House District 85, that included part of north Wichita, and also suburbs to the north and northeast withdrew from his re-election run, and gave notice of his resignation, effective July 14, 2018. Then Capps changed his campaign filing, running instead for
3390-543: A vote of the Kansas House, expiration of the representative's term of office, or recall election. Schmidt noted state law forbids recall elections in the last two hundred days of a representative's term and since the legislature would not meet before the election, it could not expel Capps. In 2020, Capps lost the Republican primary to Patrick Penn, who received 74.4%, 3,349 votes. On December 8, 2020, Ken Paxton ,
3503-400: A while." Marc Bennett, District Attorney of Sedgwick County, petitioned to have Capps removed from office after an investigation of child abuse caused him to be decertified and removed as a Court Appointed Special Advocate . Schmidt answered that he did not possess the authority to remove Capps. as Kansas law limits removal of a state House member to four methods: Election defeat, expulsion by
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3616-563: Is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the attorney general of Kansas since 2023. He previously served as the 31st secretary of state of Kansas from 2011 to 2019. A former chairman of the Kansas Republican Party , Kobach rose to national prominence over his support for anti-immigration advocacy, including his involvement in implementing high-profile anti-undocumented immigration ordinances in various American cities. Kobach began his political career as
3729-572: Is an American lawyer and politician who served as the Kansas Attorney General from 2011 to 2023. A Republican , Schmidt was first elected to office serving in the Kansas Senate , where he represented the 15th district from 2001 to 2011, and served as Agriculture Committee chairman and Senate majority leader . Schmidt became the state attorney general in 2011, after he defeated incumbent Democrat Stephen Six . Schmidt
3842-511: Is legal to use the banking system. The bill would facilitate the collection of taxes levied on the $ 8.3 billion industry, reduce the danger of operating cash-only businesses and more effectively monitor the industry. Despite numerous judges across the U.S. having rejected challenges to the natural-born citizenship of Barack Obama , since before he was elected president in 2008, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach persistently demanded proof of citizenship before allowing Obama's name to appear on
3955-515: Is that I'm a conservative and he's a moderate." The chairman of the Kansas Ethics Commission said "The commission does not condone lack of candor before the commission." Commission members questioned Arpke's honesty, a recurrent theme in his subsequent career. When he obtained convictions of Kansans for interstate voting irregularities in 2016, Kobach said, "The fines are "exactly what I wanted to see in cases like this when I made
4068-451: Is the body that, partnered with Mexico, administers control of rivers along the border. The commission noted the gate impermissibly blocked a U.S. Government-owned levee road. "We Build the Wall" kept the gate closed, according to the commission, despite repeated requests to allow access. On June 10, the commission took the step of securing the gate open with a lock and chain in the daytime, only keeping it locked at night. On August 20, 2020,
4181-579: The California Court of Appeal held that California's law granting in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants was preempted by federal law. (Martinez v. Regents, 166 Cal. App. 4th 1121; 2008). In November 2010, the California Supreme Court unanimously reversed, finding that the law was not so preempted, because it was based on attendance for three years and graduation from a California high school. In 2010, Kobach filed
4294-672: The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy that had been put into place by the Obama administration. (One of the signatories, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert H. Slatery III , subsequently reversed his position and urged passage of the DREAM Act .) Schmidt defended Kansas in a lawsuit brought by the ACLU , seeking to invalidate Kansas's ban on same-sex marriage and its prohibition of allowing same-sex couples to change
4407-523: The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in a lawsuit against the state of Kansas, challenging a state law which grants in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. The suit was dismissed for lack of legal standing for the plaintiffs. In 2005, Kobach filed a lawsuit on behalf of FAIR's Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), challenging a similar law in California. In September 2008,
4520-617: The Kansas federal district court . Schmidt has given oral argument several times on behalf of the State of Kansas in the United States Supreme Court . Schmidt successfully argued two Supreme Court cases involving the death penalty: Kansas v. Cheever (argued and decided in 2013) and Kansas v. Carr (argued in 2015 and decided in 2016). Schmidt also gave oral argument in the Supreme Court case Kansas v. Garcia (argued 2019 and decided 2020), in which
4633-455: The League of Women Voters joined a challenge to Kobach's "proof of citizenship" requirements for Kansas Voters. In response to a caller on his March 1, 2015 radio show, Kobach agreed that it would not be "a huge jump" for the Obama administration to call for an end to the prosecution of all African-American suspects. The Kansas Democratic Party decried Kobach's comment as "hate speech" and termed it "a new low." Wichita's Oletha Faust-Goudeau ,
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4746-460: The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has designated as a hate group. While speaking on February 20, 2016, to a committee of the Kansas 2nd Congressional District delegates, regarding their challenges of the proof-of-citizenship voting law he championed in 2011, Kobach said: "The ACLU and their fellow communist friends, the League of Women Voters — you can quote me on that, sued". In February 2016, Kobach endorsed Donald Trump 's campaign for
4859-772: The Supreme Court of the United States . In June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the case Arizona v. United States , upholding the provision requiring immigration status checks during law enforcement stops but striking down three other provisions as violations of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution . A 2015 ruling by the United States District Court for the District of Arizona limited
4972-615: The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Lawrence, Kansas . He began his professorship at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law (UMKC) shortly thereafter. In 2001, President George W. Bush awarded him a White House Fellowship to work for Attorney General John Ashcroft . At the end of the fellowship, he stayed on as counsel to the attorney general. Shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001 , he led
5085-623: The Third Circuit Court of Appeals . In June 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the Third Circuit's decision and remitted the case back to the Third Circuit for reconsideration. Sup. Ct. No 10-722. In July 2013, the Third Circuit concluded again that both the employment and housing provisions of the Hazleton ordinances were preempted by federal immigration law. Kobach became counsel in another lawsuit, in part involving
5198-464: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood, who challenged the decision of Kansas government officials to terminate Medicaid contracts with the organization. The court of appeals held that "States may not terminate providers from their Medicaid program for any reason they see fit, especially when that reason is unrelated to the provider's competence and
5311-456: The U.S. House , alleging violations of the U.S. Constitution and an intrusion on states' rights to manage elections. The attorneys general vowed to challenge the bill in court, should it become law. On June 17, in a 7–2 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an attack on Medicare, ruling that the petitioners lacked standing. Schmidt had once again joined in an action brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton . In 2016, Schmidt created
5424-686: The social cost (economic damages) caused by emissions of greenhouse gases (carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide ); revoked the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline ; and temporarily prohibited drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge . Schmidt claimed that the order would be "job-killing" and alleged that Biden lacked the constitutional authority to implement new rules about greenhouse gases. Schmidt also joined 20 other Republican state attorneys general in objecting to voting rights legislation passed by
5537-462: The 2012 Kansas presidential ballot. In September 2012, while leading the three-person State Objections Board, and supported by its other members, Kansas Secretary of State Jeff Colyer and Schmidt, Kobach requested additional evidence that Obama was actually born in Hawaii. In September 2012, the three heard arguments on a claim from a Manhattan, Kansas resident, Joe Montgomery, who claimed that Obama
5650-406: The ACA as constitutional, while striking down a portion of the law which would have required states to implement Medicaid expansion . In July 2017, Schmidt joined a group of eight other Republican state attorneys general, led by Ken Paxton of Texas, as well as Idaho Governor Butch Otter , in sending a letter to President Donald Trump saying that they would litigate if Trump did not terminate
5763-454: The ACLU and the ACLU's National Immigrants' Rights Project, were awarded $ 1.4 million in June 2014. As of January 2011, it was estimated that Kobach had received $ 6.6 million from jurisdictions as he defended their anti-immigration ordinances he had helped to create and/or defend. As of September 2017, Kobach was listed as " Of counsel " by IRLI, the legal arm of FAIR , which is described as
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#17327942806905876-795: The Community Bankers Association, AT&T , the Kansas Association of Realtors, the Kansas Optometric Association, Cox Enterprises , Koch Industries , Monsanto , the Kansas Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association, the Associated General Contractors of Kansas, Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, and Sprint . Schmidt was the Republican nominee for Kansas Attorney General, defeating Ralph DeZago in
5989-541: The Court allowed the Valley Park ordinance to stand ( Gray v. Valley Park , 567 F.3d 976 (8th Cir. 2009)), saying that the ordinance "addresses the employment of illegal aliens, not Hispanics." Kobach was the lead attorney defending the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania , whose ordinances prohibiting employing and renting to illegal immigrants had been struck down by a federal judge in Pennsylvania and again before
6102-626: The Court held, 5–4, that the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) does not preempt "Kansas's application of its state identity-theft and fraud statutes to the noncitizens in this case." In March 2021, Schmidt became the first major Republican candidate to enter the race against incumbent Democrat Laura Kelly for governor of Kansas in the 2022 election cycle. Schmidt named former Kansas Republican Party Chairman Kelly Arnold as his campaign treasurer. A Schmidt-aligned political action committee , Our Way of Life PAC, launched
6215-613: The District 85 seat, giving a north Wichita address, with a business mailing address of 6505 East Central Avenue, #110. Capps claimed he resided the Governeour street address, though the home was scheduled to be sold at auction on June 27, 2018. Democrats alleged Capps did not actually live at that address. However, the Kansas Objections Board, composed of Republicans Lieutenant Governor Tracey Mann , Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and Schmidt, refused to uphold
6328-628: The Fifth Circuit granting an en banc rehearing by the entire Court . After losing there with the costs to the City by that December reaching $ 6.1 million, the City appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court , which refused to hear its appeal in 2014. The city had engaged Kobach to help write the ordinance in October 2006. The plaintiffs in the case, including the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF),
6441-533: The Kansas American Civil Liberties Union for court costs in a proof-of-citizenship case which he lost. In September 2014, Democrat Chad Taylor announced he was withdrawing from that year's U.S. Senate race in Kansas. Kobach ruled that he had improperly filed his withdrawal, and his name had to remain on the ballot. Taylor claimed to have followed the instructions of Assistant Secretary of State Brad Bryant on his filing, which
6554-2100: The Kansas Attorney General's Office" . ag.ks.gov . Retrieved 2024-08-05 . ^ "Attorney General of Kansas" . Ballotpedia . Retrieved 2024-08-05 . ^ Carpenter, Tim (2023-04-17). "Kobach content with loss in governor's race, convinced job of attorney general much better fit • Kansas Reflector" . Kansas Reflector . Retrieved 2024-08-05 . ^ https://www.ag.ks.gov/divisions External links [ edit ] Official website [REDACTED] Kansas Attorney General Opinions at Washburn University website Attorney General publications at Kansas Government Information (KGI) Online Library (Archived) List of Kansas Attorneys General with short biographical information, provided by Kansas Historical Society v t e Executive offices of Kansas Governor of Kansas Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General State Treasurer Insurance Commissioner Corporation Commission State Cabinet [REDACTED] v t e Attorneys general of Kansas [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Kansas Territory (1854–1861) Isacks Weer A. Davis State of Kansas (1861–present) Simpson Chadwick Stinson Guthrie Brumbaugh Hoyt Danford Williams Randolph W. Davis Johnston G. Smith Bradford Kellogg Ives Little Dawes Boyle Godard Coleman Jackson Dawson Brewster Hopkins Griffith W. Smith Boynton Beck Parker Mitchell Arn Fatzer Anderson Ferguson Londerholm Frizzell Miller Schneider Stephan Stovall Kline Morrison Six Schmidt Kobach v t e Attorneys general of
6667-634: The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that Taylor's withdrawal was proper and that Kobach had to remove Taylor's name from the ballot. On October 1, 2014, a panel of three Shawnee County judges ruled that the Kansas Democratic Party was not required by state law to fill the vacancy on the ballot; Kobach ordered the ballots to be printed the next day. Kobach was re-elected in November 2014 over moderate former Republican state senator and Democratic candidate Jean Kurtis Schodorf by
6780-410: The November general election . In July 2019, Kobach launched his campaign for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Pat Roberts . He was defeated in the Republican primary by 14 percentage points by U.S. Representative Roger Marshall . He became the Republican nominee for Kansas Attorney General in 2022 and was narrowly elected to the post on November 8, 2022. Kobach
6893-589: The Republican Texas Attorney General , sued the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania (four swing states won by Joe Biden , who defeated President Donald Trump ) seeking to overturn the election results. Schmidt, as well as 15 other Republican state attorneys general, joined Texas's suit, Texas v. Pennsylvania , which was filed directly in the U.S. Supreme Court. The suit, supported by Trump and 120 Republican members of Congress, alleged unconstitutional actions in
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#17327942806907006-478: The Republican primary election on August 3, 2010. He won the general election against the incumbent, Democrat Steve Six and took office on January 10, 2011. A key issue in Schmidt's first campaign for attorney general was the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the health care reform law. Six chose not to join 25 other states in challenging the constitutionality of the ACA, while Schmidt pledged to join
7119-406: The State of Kansas [REDACTED] Seal of the attorney general of Kansas [REDACTED] Incumbent Kris Kobach since January 9, 2023 Formation June 30, 1854 Website www .ag .ks .gov The attorney general of Kansas is a statewide elected official responsible for providing legal services to the state government of Kansas . Kris Kobach assumed
7232-408: The U.S. Presidency, citing his stance on immigration. He proposed a halt to what he said was $ 23 billion in annual remittances by Mexican nationals illegally living in the U.S. unless Mexico makes a one-time $ 5–10 billion payment for Trump's proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. On August 1, 2018, Kobach's office was ordered by federal judge Julie A. Robinson to pay $ 26,000 in attorney fees to
7345-2213: The United States United States Attorney General : ▌ Merrick Garland (NP) AL ▌ Steve Marshall (R) AK ▌ Treg Taylor (R) AZ ▌ Kris Mayes (D) AR ▌ Tim Griffin (R) CA ▌ Rob Bonta (D) CO ▌ Phil Weiser (D) CT ▌ William Tong (D) DE ▌ Kathy Jennings (D) FL ▌ Ashley Moody (R) GA ▌ Christopher M. Carr (R) HI ▌ Anne E. Lopez (D) ID ▌ Raúl Labrador (R) IL ▌ Kwame Raoul (D) IN ▌ Todd Rokita (R) IA ▌ Brenna Bird (R) KS ▌ Kris Kobach (R) KY ▌ Russell Coleman (R) LA ▌ Liz Murrill (R) ME ▌ Aaron Frey (D) MD ▌ Anthony Brown (D) MA ▌ Andrea Campbell (D) MI ▌ Dana Nessel (D) MN ▌ Keith Ellison (DFL) MS ▌ Lynn Fitch (R) MO ▌ Andrew Bailey (R) MT ▌ Austin Knudsen (R) NE ▌ Mike Hilgers (R) NV ▌ Aaron D. Ford (D) NH ▌ John Formella (R) NJ ▌ Matt Platkin (D) NM ▌ Raúl Torrez (D) NY ▌ Letitia James (D) NC ▌ Josh Stein (D) ND ▌ Drew Wrigley (R) OH ▌ Dave Yost (R) OK ▌ Gentner Drummond (R) OR ▌ Ellen Rosenblum (D) PA ▌ Michelle Henry (D) RI ▌ Peter Neronha (D) SC ▌ Alan Wilson (R) SD ▌ Marty Jackley (R) TN ▌ Jonathan Skrmetti (R) TX ▌ Ken Paxton (R) UT ▌ Sean Reyes (R) VT ▌ Charity Clark (D) VA ▌ Jason Miyares (R) WA ▌ Bob Ferguson (D) WV ▌ Patrick Morrisey (R) WI ▌ Josh Kaul (D) WY ▌ Bridget Hill (R) Federal districts: DC ▌ Brian Schwalb (D) Territories: AS ▌ Fainu'ulelei Alailima-Utu GU ▌ Doug Moylan (R) MP ▌ Ed Manibusan (D) PR ▌ Domingo Emanuelli (NPP) VI ▌ Gordon Rhea Political party affiliations ▌ 28 Republicans (27 states, 1 territory) ▌ 25 Democrats (23 states, 1 territory, 1 district) ▌ 1 New Progressive (1 territory) ▌ 2 Unknown (2 territories) An asterisk (*) indicates that
7458-2668: The United States [REDACTED] Politics portal v t e Image Name Term Party Benjamin Franklin Simpson 1861 Republican Charles Chadwick 1861 Samuel Adams Stinson 1861–1863 Democratic Warren William Guthrie 1863–1865 Republican Jerome D. Brumbaugh 1865–1867 [REDACTED] George Henry Hoyt 1867–1869 Addison Danford 1869–1871 Archibald L. Williams 1871–1875 Asa Maxson Fitz Randolph 1875–1877 Willard Davis 1877–1881 [REDACTED] William Agnew Johnston 1881–1884 George Price Smith 1884–1885 Democratic Simeon Briggs Bradford 1885–1889 Republican [REDACTED] Lyman Beecher Kellogg 1889–1891 John Nutt Ives 1891–1893 Democratic John Thomas Little 1893–1895 Populist Fernando Brenton Dawes 1895–1897 Republican [REDACTED] Louis C. Boyle 1897–1899 Populist Aretas Allen Godard 1899–1903 Republican Chiles Crittendon Coleman 1903–1907 [REDACTED] Fred Schuyler Jackson 1907–1911 [REDACTED] John Shaw Dawson 1911–1915 Sardius Mason Brewster 1915–1919 Richard Joseph Hopkins 1919–1923 Charles Benjamin Griffith 1923–1927 William A. Smith 1927–1930 Roland Boynton 1930–1935 Clarence Victor Beck 1935–1939 Jay S. Parker 1939–1943 Alexander Baldwin Mitchell 1943–1947 [REDACTED] Edward F. Arn 1947–1949 Harold Ralph Fatzer 1949–1956 [REDACTED] John Anderson Jr. 1956–1961 William M. Ferguson 1961–1965 Robert C. Londerholm 1965–1969 [REDACTED] Kent Frizzell 1969–1971 Vern Miller 1971–1975 Democratic Curt T. Schneider 1975–1979 Robert Stephan 1979–1995 Republican Carla J. Stovall 1995–2003 [REDACTED] Phill Kline 2003–2007 [REDACTED] Paul J. Morrison 2007–2008 Democratic Stephen Six 2008–2011 [REDACTED] Derek Schmidt 2011–2023 Republican [REDACTED] Kris Kobach 2023–present References [ edit ] ^ "About
7571-417: The Wall succeeded in constructing approximately a half mile of border wall in an area that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had previously described as too difficult to build wall. It begins at the Texas-New Mexico border and climbs 300 feet in elevation on the side of Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. In completing the section of wall, We Build the Wall closed a major drug and alien smuggling gap on
7684-451: The absence of such restrictions. As attorney general, Schmidt joined with other Republican state attorneys general in challenging federal regulatory actions adopted by the Obama administration that Schmidt contended were illegal federal overreach. Schmidt and his colleagues were successful in blocking many of these regulations, particularly those proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency . Kansas challenged Obama-era regulations on
7797-616: The barrier for $ 3.3 billion and be able to complete it in 13 months. Spin cameras positioned atop the fence would use facial recognition technology. Fiber optic cables buried in the ground could detect and differentiate between human activity, vehicles, tunneling, and animals as distant as 40 feet away. The Arizona barrier would be constructed with 42 miles near Yuma and 91 miles near Tucson, Arizona , plus 69 miles near El Paso, Texas , and 15 more miles near El Centro, California . It would reportedly cost $ 12.5 million per mile. Louisiana Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy said he traveled with
7910-436: The case before Kansas Legislature that this authority was needed ... A $ 5,000 fine is very significant, and hopefully something no one would want to have to pay", he said. The 2012 Republican Party platform included self-deportation as a response to illegal immigration to the United States . Kobach proposed the measure, stating "If you really want to create a job tomorrow, you can remove an illegal alien today." In 2013,
8023-419: The churches to hold larger in-person services but required social distancing . Schmidt and Republican officials acted to countermand the governor's orders concerning wearing masks and social distancing. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that Kansas counties that had passed mask mandates experienced 500 fewer COVID-19 deaths than would have otherwise been expected in
8136-424: The complaint. The Sedgwick County Republican Central Committee appointed Capps to fill the remainder of Weber's 85th District term. When a Wichita Eagle reporter went to the home in the wake of October 2019 accusations about a fabricated attack video made by Capps against Wichita mayoral runoff candidate Brandon Whipple , an unidentified young man living there said he was "house sitting" and hadn't seen Capps, "in
8249-818: The course. From Harvard, Kobach went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in politics from Brasenose College of Oxford University , having been selected for a Marshall Scholarship . Returning to the U.S., he earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1995, and became an editor of the Yale Law Journal . During this time, Kobach published two books: The Referendum: Direct Democracy in Switzerland (Dartmouth, 1994), and Political Capital: The Motives, Tactics, and Goals of Politicized Businesses in South Africa (University Press of America, 1990). From 1995 to 1996, Kobach clerked for Judge Deanell R. Tacha of
8362-486: The demarcation are widely dispersed, leaving few opportunities to allow for the construction of any connected barriers. That left open the question, for what purpose would all that money actually be used? As the money Kolfage was accumulating was going to a 501(c)4, it could all be spent as "dark money" in political campaigns, with next to no public reporting of expenditures required. However, in May-June 2019, We Build
8475-422: The donor chose to opt into the change to where the donations would go. Kobach said that 94% of the donors agreed to have their contributions disbursed to the 501(c)4. By January 2019, Kobach joined Kolfage's advisory board, saying he was currently unpaid, but might take a paid position with Kolfage's organization. Kobach indicated the most substantial problems along the border were "litter and security." Regarding
8588-483: The effectiveness of the lone provision of SB 1070 that had been upheld as constitutional. Sheriff Joe Arpaio , who had hired Kobach, lost re-election in 2016. The suit cost the county over $ 56,000,000 in legal fees and costs. During this litigation, it was revealed that Kobach was paid $ 300 per hour to train the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in regard to immigration matters. Kobach was cited as
8701-424: The firms, Consovoy, McCarthy, Park, a Washington D.C. practice which was also representing President Trump in his efforts to prevent the release of his financial records, received $ 396,000 from Kansas. The firms were charging between $ 492 per hour to $ 750 an hour. Average billing rates for Kansas law firms handling such a case would have been $ 244 hourly. In 2015, Schmidt asked the Kansas Supreme Court to strike down
8814-411: The four states' presidential ballot tallies and repeated claims of election fraud , that remained unsubstantiated, and which had already been rejected by other state and federal courts . In the suit, Paxton asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the states' sixty-two electoral votes, allowing Trump to be declared the winner of a second presidential term. Legal experts, as well as attorney generals from
8927-434: The four states, criticized the suit as meritless and politically motivated. The Supreme Court quickly rejected the suit in an unsigned opinion on December 11. The Wichita Eagle editorial board criticized Schmidt for having "signed our state's name to an embarrassing and baseless lawsuit aimed at overturning the presidential election" and noted that the amicus brief to which Schmidt signed "expanded voting rules in
9040-456: The four targeted states, even though Kansas employs many of the same procedures." In March 2021, Schmidt joined 11 other Republican state attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Biden administration, challenging a January 2021 Biden executive order aimed at mitigating climate change and incentivizing green jobs . The order directed federal agencies to consider, in environmental rulemaking,
9153-574: The group of politicians over the Easter recess to Coolidge, which is 120 miles north of the Mexico border, because he felt that not enough barrier and border enhancements had been erected since Donald Trump became president 27 months previously. North Dakota's junior U.S. Senator, Republican Kevin Cramer , was there to promote his state's firm, Fisher Industries, which demonstrated its ability by constructing
9266-400: The imposition of a national consumption (sales) tax. He was given a speaking role on the opening day of the 2004 Republican National Convention and used his slot to call for the U.S. military to be sent to the Mexican border to block illegal immigration. On January 28, 2007, Kobach was elected chairman of the Kansas Republican Party (GOP), serving until January 2009. Kobach's chairmanship
9379-609: The last 11 months than the previous two years." On May 26, 2009, Kobach announced his candidacy for Kansas Secretary of State . His opponents in the Republican primary were Shawnee County Election Commissioner Elizabeth Ensley and J.R. Claeys, former president of the National Association of Government Contractors. Kobach won the Republican nomination with 50.6% of the vote. Ensley and Claeys finished with 27.0% and 22.4%, respectively. On November 2, 2010, Kobach defeated incumbent Democrat Chris Biggs , 59%–37%. Kobach
9492-512: The lawsuit challenging the law, if elected. Schmidt won re-election in 2014 , defeating Democratic nominee A.J. Kotich, a labor lawyer and former chief attorney for the Kansas Department of Labor. In 2018, Schmidt defeated Democratic nominee Sarah G. Swain, winning election to a third term. In April 2020, Democratic governor Laura Kelly instituted orders to restrict the rapid spread of COVID-19 that limited public gatherings to
9605-477: The localities over a 13-year period, paid both by the localities and an anti-immigration advocacy group. Kobach played a significant role in the drafting of Arizona SB 1070 , a state law that attracted national attention as the country's broadest and strictest—at the state level—illegal immigration measure, and has assisted in defending the state during the ongoing legal battle over SB 1070's legality. On February 7, 2008, Federal Judge Neil V. Wake ruled against
9718-506: The names on state drivers' licenses to reflect their married names, receive spousal health benefits, or file joint state tax returns . In 2014, after the chief district judge of Johnson County (the most populous county in the state) ordered the state to issue licenses to same-sex couples, Schmidt filed a petition in the Kansas Supreme Court and obtained a temporary halt to the issuance of licenses to same-sex couples pending
9831-2376: The office on January 9, 2023. Divisions [ edit ] Administration Division Civil Division Criminal Division Kansas Bureau of Investigation Office of the Medicaid Inspector General Office of the Solicitor General Public Protection Division Special Litigation & Constitutional Issues Division Victim Services Division Youth Services Division Officeholders [ edit ] Kansas Territory attorneys general [ edit ] Name Term Party Andrew Jackson Isacks 1854–1857 William Weer 1857–1858 Alson C. Davis 1858–1861 State attorneys general [ edit ] Politics of Kansas [REDACTED] Constitution United States Constitution Kansas Constitution Executive Government Governor : Laura Kelly (D) Lieutenant Governor : David Toland (R) Secretary of State : Scott Schwab (R) Attorney General : Derek Schmidt (R) State Treasurer : Lynn Rogers (D) Insurance Commissioner : Vicki Schmidt (R) Corporation Commission State Cabinet Legislature Legislature : Kansas Legislature Senate President: Ty Masterson (R) Vice President: Rick Wilborn (R) Majority Leader: Larry Alley (R) Minority Leader: Dinah Sykes (D) House of Representatives Speaker: Ron Ryckman Jr. (R) Speaker pro tempore: Blaine Finch (R) Majority Leader: Dan Hawkins (R) Minority Leader: Tom Sawyer (D) Judiciary Courts of Kansas Supreme Court Court of Appeals Court of Impeachment Political parties Political parties Democratic Party Republican Party Political party strength Divisions Counties Cities and towns Congressional delegation Senate Pat Roberts (R) Roger Marshall (R) House of Representatives 1 : Tracey Mann (R) 2 : Jake LaTurner (R) 3 : Sharice Davids (D 4 : Ron Estes (R) Politics of
9944-745: The officeholder is serving in an acting capacity. State abbreviations link to position articles. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kansas_Attorney_General&oldid=1254842477 " Categories : Kansas attorneys general 1854 establishments in Kansas Territory Kansas law-related lists Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Articles needing additional references from August 2024 All articles needing additional references Kris Kobach Kris William Kobach ( / ˈ k oʊ b ɑː k / KOH -bahk ; born March 26, 1966)
10057-418: The oil and gas industry, including a regulation controlling emissions of the greenhouse gas methane ; in 2015, Schmidt also joined Kansas in a suit challenging the Obama administration's Clean Power Plan . In the latter case, the Supreme Court issued in 2016 a stay of implementation in a 5–4 decision along ideological lines. One of Schmidt's first acts as state attorney general was to add Kansas as
10170-541: The only African-American woman in the Kansas Senate, called Kobach's comments ridiculous. Kobach said that he stood by his allegations declaring, "My point was to bring attention to the Obama Justice Department's position that some civil rights statutes can't be enforced against people of color", Kobach said. "For example, one of the Obama administration's first actions it took in 2009 was to drop
10283-527: The previous week and announced plans to spend money in a push to unite Republicans around Schmidt. One of Schmidt's opponents in the Republican primary election was former governor Jeff Colyer , but Colyer dropped out of the race for the nomination due to ill health in August 2021, and endorsed Schmidt. Schmidt said he would "welcome" the support of former president Donald Trump in the race and said he felt Trump's agenda "was very good for Kansas." Schmidt
10396-607: The project until the day before the indictment, saying "You've been the leader of this, assisting President Trump in building this wall in these tough areas" in his War Room: Pandemic podcast. On January 20, 2021, eight hours before he left office, Trump issued a pardon for Bannon. Kobach won a seat on the Overland Park City Council, in April 1999. Following the September 11 attacks, Kobach helped construct
10509-551: The quality of the health care it provides." Schmidt strongly opposed the decision, as well as a similar one made by the Fifth Circuit in the Louisiana case of Gee v. Planned Parenthood of Gulf Coast . Schmidt asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the Tenth Circuit's decision, but in December 2018, the Supreme Court denied his petition for a writ of certiorari . The state paid three East Coast law firms $ 899,000. One of
10622-551: The resident's complaint. The challenge, backed by high-profile conspiracist Orly Taitz , was eventually dropped but showed the continuing presence of the "birther" movement. In an editorial, the Wichita Eagle criticized Kobach for entertaining conspiracy theories that "made Kansas look ridiculous" and criticized Colyer and Schmidt for failing to promptly toss the birther challenge. Schmidt joined forces with Republican Kris Kobach , then-Kansas Secretary of State, in filing
10735-666: The slam-dunk charges against the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation." One Republican member of the Civil Rights Commission disagreed, however. Abigail Thernstrom, writing in National Review , described the incident as "small potatoes". She warned that exaggerating its importance could hurt conservatives, noting that in 45 years there had only been three successful prosecutions. She said only two "Panthers," one of whom displayed
10848-531: The southern border. The Border Patrol sector chief for the area called the newly constructed wall, "a game changer" in her remarks to the press. In early June, 2019, at the eastern end of the newly constructed wall, the We Build the Wall constructed an access gate on federal land under the jurisdiction of the United States element of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). That
10961-443: The state legislature voted to amend the state-law definition of marijuana to exclude CBD products without THC . In 2019, Schmidt was one of 17 state attorneys general who did not sign onto a letter from 33 state attorneys general in support of U.S. Representative Ed Perlmutter 's Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (H.R. 1595), a bill to allow marijuana-related businesses in states and territories in which marijuana
11074-425: The state's ban on for-profit prisons . Schmidt was a supporter of the highly popular Kansas version of Jessica's Law , but "almost single-handedly killed the final bill by demanding inclusion of a provision allowing private prisons in Kansas" as the town of Yates Center , in Schmidt's district, sought to bring a private prison to the town. According to OpenSecrets , top contributors to Schmidt's campaigns included
11187-523: The state's voter rolls, frequently spreading false claims of widespread election fraud in the U.S. Kobach announced in June 2017 that he would run in the 2018 primary for Governor of Kansas against then-Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer . Colyer became governor in January 2018 following the resignation of Sam Brownback , but was narrowly defeated by Kobach in the Republican primary by less than 500 votes, Democrat Laura Kelly defeated Kobach in
11300-459: The two other defendants used funds received from the We Build the Wall fundraising campaign, marketed to support the building of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico , in a way which was "inconsistent" with how they were advertised for use to the public. According to the indictment, donations were collected through a GoFundMe campaign that was launched in December 2018. Bannon promoted
11413-475: The wall's construction. Kolfage stated that the target figure was achievable, adding "This won't be easy, but it's our duty as citizens". In December 2018, he emailed the Washington Post , stating that he started the fundraiser because "political games from both parties" had held back funding for the proposed wall. Within three days, over $ 9 million had been raised. In January 2019, Kolfage posted
11526-512: Was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa . The director of Harvard's Center for International Affairs , Professor Samuel P. Huntington , was Kobach's faculty advisor from 1984 to 1988. Huntington believed that migration, especially from Mexico and Latin America, represented the most perilous threat to what he called the " American identity ." When Kobach taught law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City , Huntington's writings were required reading in
11639-674: Was born in Madison, Wisconsin on March 26, 1966. His family moved to Topeka, Kansas when he was seven years old, where his father owned a Buick dealership, that Kobach worked at while in high school. In 1984, Kobach graduated from Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas , where he was co-valedictorian, and the student body class president. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Harvard University , graduating summa cum laude and first in his department. Kobach
11752-502: Was completed within the appropriate time frame. Citing concurrence from Attorney General Derek Schmidt , Kobach's move was cheered by the Kansas Republican Party. Both Kobach and Schmidt were members of Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts ' honorary campaign committee. Taylor's attempt to withdraw left the race more open for independent Greg Orman , strengthening his challenge to Sen. Roberts. On September 18, 2014,
11865-534: Was endorsed by Colyer and Trump, and also by former vice-president Mike Pence and former secretary of state Mike Pompeo . Several months before Bob Dole died in December 2021, he issued an endorsement of Schmidt for governor, jointly with his fellow former senator Pat Roberts . Schmidt did not receive the endorsement of three of his former Republican superiors: former governor Bill Graves , former United States Senator Nancy Kassebaum , and former Kansas Attorney General Carla Stovall . They all endorsed Kelly in
11978-456: Was endorsed by Tennessee's former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson , as well as former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft (his former boss at the Dept. of Justice). Joe Arpaio , Arizona's controversial then-Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona , campaigned for Kobach as well. Although Kobach's campaign treasurer, Tom Arpke , possessed campaign experience, losing a state senate race in 2008, winning
12091-431: Was getting her " pant suit in a twist", over his stance in favor of implementing some of the most strictly enforced voter ID laws in the United States . Clinton had claimed Kobach's interventions were an attempt to make voting more difficult for key Democratic constituencies, such as young people and racial minorities. In October 2015, Kobach spoke at a conference organized by Social Contract Press , an organization that
12204-427: Was in the building adjacent to the courthouse, he failed to appear for the rule change hearing and to answer questions. Instead, his request was supported by Andrew Howell, a Shawnee county elections official whom Kobach also had appointed. In response to criticism levied by the campaign staff of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton , Kobach characterized them as "left-wing knuckleheads". He remarked that Clinton
12317-580: Was not eligible to be president because his father was from Kenya and questioned whether the president had a valid birth certificate. As head of the Board, Kobach requested additional evidence that Obama was actually born in Hawaii. The Board asserted that it lacked sufficient evidence to determine whether Obama was eligible to appear on the Kansas ballot as a candidate in 2012 and that they needed to review Obama's birth certificate and other documents from Hawaii, Arizona, and Mississippi before they could respond to
12430-634: Was noted for the broad changes he introduced to election efforts. As chairman, he raised money for targeted statewide and legislative races and instituted a direct-role policy for the state party in those races. He also pushed the State Committee to create a "loyalty committee", which was charged with sanctioning Republicans who assisted Democratic candidates in contested races. This led to several party officers being stripped of voting rights in party matters as punishment for giving campaign contributions to Democratic Candidates. After Kobach left office,
12543-546: Was the Republican nominee for governor of Kansas in the 2022 election , but narrowly lost to incumbent Democrat Laura Kelly . Schmidt graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor's degree in 1990, received a master's degree in international politics from the University of Leicester in England, and received his J.D. degree from the Georgetown University Law Center . Schmidt
12656-438: Was the Republican nominee for Congress in the 3rd District , narrowly besting primary opponent and 2002 party nominee Adam Taff by 207 votes, with state representative Patricia Lightner far behind. He lost to incumbent Dennis Moore , 55%–43%. The victory was the largest of Moore's congressional campaigns. The campaign thrust Kobach onto the national stage, mostly due to his stance on illegal immigration. Kobach advocated for
12769-467: Was then a legislative assistant to Republican U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas, an assistant Kansas attorney general and special counsel to Governor Bill Graves . Schmidt was elected to the Kansas Senate in 2000. In 2004, Schmidt was elected the Senate majority leader , holding this post through 2010. During his time in the Kansas Senate, Schmidt sponsored an unsuccessful proposal to repeal
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