Author

Clay Wirestone

Clay Wirestone

Clay Wirestone has written columns and edited reporting for newsrooms in Kansas, New Hampshire, Florida and Pennsylvania. He has also fact checked politicians, researched for Larry the Cable Guy, and appeared in PolitiFact, Mental Floss, cnn.com and a host of other publications. Most recently, Clay spent nearly four years at the nonprofit Kansas Action for Children as communications director. Beyond the written word, he has drawn cartoons, hosted podcasts, designed graphics, and moderated debates. Clay graduated from the University of Kansas and lives in Lawrence with his husband and son.

COMMENTARY
A mural at the Kansas Statehouse honors the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education case. Today, writes opinion editor Clay Wirestone, legislators are waging war on the poor through public education. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Kansas legislators’ war on the poor opens worrisome new front: School vouchers and tax avoidance

By: - March 20, 2023

Editor’s note: This opinion piece comes from the Kansas Reflector, but the issues discussed echo those in Arkansas. Kansas legislative leaders have declared war on the poor. They have pushed bills penalizing those receiving government assistance through the House Welfare Reform Committee. They have advocated a flat tax plan that benefits the wealthy at the […]

COMMENTARY
Library books on shelves. (Getty Images)

Libraries serve communities, not aggrieved parents.

By: - December 19, 2022

Libraries hold a conflicted place our collective imagination. To many of us — to me personally — they’re magical. We were first exposed to worlds of imagination and ideas on the shelves of our local libraries. To others, these buildings serve as indispensable community gathering spots, places to learn and meet and share. But to […]