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Kansas Legal Services asks to be included in county budget hearings to continue local protection-from-abuse work
Summary
A Kansas Legal Services attorney requested Harvey County include the nonprofit in upcoming budget discussions so it can present service statistics and seek funding; staff suggested scheduling during regular meetings or a budget hearing slot in early June.
A Kansas Legal Services attorney asked the Harvey County Board of Commissioners on May 20 to include the nonprofit in upcoming county budget hearings so staff can explain services and request funding to support protection-from-abuse and self-help services in Harvey County.
Becky Hesse, an attorney with Kansas Legal Services, told commissioners she travels regularly to Harvey County to operate protection-from-abuse and protection-from-stalking dockets and to help domestic-violence victims with family-law matters. She said Kansas Legal Services represented more than 450 people from January 2024 through April 2025 in Harvey County and that funding pressures make it important for the nonprofit to be placed on the county’s budget schedule.
County administration (Shannon) explained the budget schedule is nearly full but indicated there may be an available slot Thursday afternoon or during a regular meeting in early June; commissioners suggested coordinating scheduling with county calendar staff. One commissioner asked whether Harvey County had historically funded Kansas Legal Services; Hesse said the county had not provided direct funding but that the nonprofit began a protection-from-abuse docket at the judge’s request and works with local partners including SafeHope and the clerk of the court.
Outcome and next steps: commissioners asked Hesse to coordinate with Shannon to secure a presentation slot during budget hearings or a regular meeting in early June and to provide data on the requested funding amount and supporting usage statistics. Hesse said Kansas Legal Services will prepare an estimate of the funding they will request and return to present formally.
