KC Council narrowly defeats easing liquor card requirements for ex-offenders

A long and winding effort to make it easier for ex-offenders to serve liquor narrowly failed a Kansas City Council vote on Thursday evening.

The City Council voted down the proposal 6-7 after an hour-long debate revolving around whether some offenders should have to make it through a waiting period before being allowed to serve liquor.

Members seemed deadlocked on whether the policy was sufficiently broad to give job opportunities to those who have served time for felonies or overly broad in a way that puts public safety at risk.

The proposal stemmed from the council’s earlier vote to “ban the box,” or restrict employers from asking applicants about their criminal history until later in the hiring process to give offenders a better chance at getting interviews and jobs. Because employees in Kansas City bars and restaurants may need liquor cards, “the box” was still effectively in place for some employers.

Mayor Pro Tem Scott Wagner, who is running for mayor, had sponsored the measure, arguing it would provide job opportunities for ex-offenders. He said he was surprised and disappointed the ordinance didn’t pass.

“There’s some folks who could have had an opportunity who won’t get it,” Wagner said.

Existing law creates a tiered system of eligibility for liquor cards with the most violent offenders facing a lifetime ban. Offenders with lower-level violent offenses could apply starting five years after release, and those who sold drugs faced a three-year wait.

The version of the ordinance council members debated on Thursday would have left in place the ban for the most violent offenders and the five-year waiting period for some other offenses, like armed robbery or aggravated assault, Wanger said. Those with offenses for selling drugs would have their waiting periods lifted, and liquor cards would not have been required to sell packaged liquor at grocery, drug and convenience stores.

Council members narrowly adopted an amendment sponsored by Councilwoman Jolie Justus, who represents the 4th District and is running for mayor, repealing the section requiring the five-year waiting period for some.

“It is very important to me that if we have individuals who have done their time and they are not listed as dangerous offenders that they should be eligible to go to work immediately, and this is one going to remove one more obstacle of employment,” Justus said.

Councilwoman Alissia Canady, who represents Kansas City’s 5th District and is running for mayor, opposed the amendment and sought to send the ordinance back to committee to work through questions over the waiting period for some offenders.

Wagner, Justus and fellow council members Teresa Loar, Dan Fowler and Katheryn Shields voted for the bill along with Kansas City Mayor Sly James. Council members Heather Hall, Jermaine Reed, Quinton Lucas, Lee Barnes, Jr., Canady, Scott Taylor and Kevin McManus voted against it.

Council members approved a resolution 9-4 on Thursday directing revenue from the new dockless scooters that dot downtown Kansas City toward affordable housing.

Bird and Lime scooters appeared on Kansas City streets earlier this year. Each company is allowed to deploy up to 500 scooters and is required to pay $1 per scooter on the streets per day. Council members estimate they’ll raise about $300,000 a year from the scooter revenue under the 500-scooter caps and could rake in more if the city allows the companies to deploy more scooters.

The resolution directs the money raised from the ordinance generally toward affordable housing developments. It was sponsored by 4th District at-large Councilwoman Katheryn Shields, who said the council had to start putting money behind its pledge to do something about affordable housing.

“I was in this council from 1987 to 1994, and then I’m here again almost for four years. And in those combined 12 years nobody on any council has set aside any money for affordable housing other than what came down to us from the federal government,” Shields said.

She added she wasn’t suggesting that $300,000 would solve the city’s entire affordable housing issue and she didn’t think the resolution would tie the hands of the city manager in budgeting processes.

Shields took offense to a comment from 3rd District Councilman Jermaine Reed, a mayoral candidate, who called the measure a “money grab” from transportation interests.

“I think this is a half-baked approach that doesn’t solve the larger problem we have in this city,” said Reed, who later came around and voted for the ordinance.

Some council members objected to using the scooter funds for affordable housing instead of directing them toward scooter-related administrative costs or sidewalk and street infrastructure, including bike lanes.

Canady said she was frustrated the council spent two hours debating the $300,000 proposal, arguing the body frequently approves multimillion-dollar spending proposals “in the blink of an eye.” She questioned whether those unwilling to allocate the money truly supported affordable housing.

“Our check book doesn’t reflect that it’s a priority because we have not committed taxpayer dollars to addressing it,” Canady said.

Council members Wagner, Hall, Fowler and Justus voted against the proposal. Loar, Lucas, Reed, Shields, Barnes, Canady, Taylor, McManus and Mayor James voted for it.

The council again put off a vote on whether to rename The Paseo to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lucas, who represents the 3rd District at-large and is running for mayor, suggested holding the ordinance, which would rename the street as “Martin Luther King Jr. on The Paseo,” a compromise in the long-running effort to name something after the civil rights leader.

Kansas City is among the largest cities in the U.S. without a street or road named for King.

Lucas said he wanted to hold the measure to allow for more community conversation on the ordinance. He said he thought the vote would be closely divided and he didn’t know which way it would go.

“I don’t want us to just force something through,” Lucas said.

Several council members and James said they had received emails from constituents critical of the project for one reason or another.

James broke a 6-6 tie to hold the ordinance until late December.

“I’m going to vote aye because I agree that I’m willing to give this as many chances as necessary for somebody to do the things that are necessary to get this done,” James said.

Council members Loar, Lucas, Reed, Barnes, Canady and McManus voted to hold it. Wagner, Hall, Fowler, Shields, Justus and Taylor voted against the delay.

Lucas offered “Martin Luther King, Jr. on The Paseo” as a compromise name earlier this month. Earlier this year a working group that James commissioned suggested renaming Kansas City International Airport, 63rd Street or The Paseo.