Some state lawmakers want to put the Kansas Highway Patrol under the control of the Attorney General’s Office if Governor Laura Kelly does not fire the head of the law enforcement agency. The Kansas Highway Patrol is being sued for gender discrimination and a hostile work environment. It’s the latest in years of challenges at the agency. Lawmakers want to move the office, hoping incoming Attorney General Kris Kobach could fix problems and improve hiring. Kelly says the move is political and there’s a lot of pressure from specific legislators, who would like for her to replace the Superintendent, and they’re using this as leverage.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is already housed under the Attorney General’s Office. Kelly says the departments must be kept separate because the KBI investigates the Highway Patrol when there are issues within the agency.
