Kansas lawmakers made the right call advancing HB 2372, a bill that brings clarity, consistency, and support to law enforcement at a time when those qualities are in short supply. So of course, Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed it.

Now, lawmakers get a chance to back up their election year claims of being “tough on crime”, “protecting the community”, and “backing the blue” by overturning Kelly’s nonsense veto.

At its core, HB 2372 does something simple but important: it aligns local practice with federal law. When federal immigration authorities issue a detainer, the bill ensures that Kansas sheriffs can honor it without hesitation or confusion. That is not a radical shift – it is a recognition that immigration enforcement is already federal law, and local cooperation is a practical necessity in a functioning system.

Opponents argue the bill risks overreach. But what it really does is remove the gray area that has left local officers exposed. Without clear statutory backing, sheriffs have been forced to choose between cooperating with federal authorities or risking legal challenges. HB 2372 resolves that tension by providing a legal framework and just as importantly, legal protection.

That protection matters. The bill directs the Kansas Attorney General’s office to defend officers acting within the scope of the law and ensures coverage for potential liabilities. In an era where lawsuits can follow even routine enforcement actions, this is not a luxury – it is essential. If the state expects its officers to carry out difficult and sometimes controversial duties, it must stand behind them when they do.

The bill also includes a 25-foot buffer provision to protect law officers against the kind of interference and outright physical attacks, both in person and vehicular, they’ve endured in urban enforcement in recent months. Protesters and general malcontents who want to crowd law officers out of doing their jobs need to go to jail – hard stop.

There is also a public safety component that cannot be ignored. Cooperation between local jails and federal immigration authorities helps ensure that individuals who are already in custody do not simply cycle back into communities when there are outstanding federal warrants. HB 2372 focuses on those already in the system without authorizing random sweeps or new categories of enforcement. It addresses what is too often a gap at the jailhouse door.

Critics have raised concerns about detention length and civil liberties. Those concerns deserve to be heard—but they should be addressed through implementation and oversight, not by rejecting a framework that brings order where there has been inconsistency. The alternative is a patchwork system where policies vary from county to county, leaving both officers and the public uncertain about what the law really is.

The bill also recognizes a broader reality: Kansas is not immune to national challenges. Whether in urban centers or rural counties, law enforcement agencies increasingly operate in an interconnected environment. Federal, state, and local authorities must work together. HB 2372 reinforces that cooperation rather than undermining it.

Finally, the measure sends a message to the men and women in uniform: the state of Kansas has your back. That matters for morale, for recruitment, and for retention—especially in rural areas where departments already struggle to fill positions.

HB 2372 is not about politics. It is about clarity, cooperation, and accountability. It gives law enforcement the tools—and the backing—they need to do their jobs within the bounds of the law.

Shame on Laura Kelly for joining the modern forces of chaos trying to make enforcing duly enacted law more difficult.

Dane Hicks is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism and the United States Marine Corps Officer Candidate School at Quantico, VA. He is the author of novels “The Skinning Tree” and “A Whisper For Help.” As publisher of the Anderson County Review in Garnett, he is a recipient of the Kansas Press Association’s Boyd Community Service Award as well as more than 60 awards for excellence in news, editorial and photography.