Gov. Jeff Colyer said Thursday that he thinks the state has a good chance of winning an appeal of a federal court ruling striking down a state law requiring people to show proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote, especially now that Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s office has taken over the case. “I think the attorney general will do a fine job, and I intend to win this. I think it’s an opportunity for us to win this thing,” Colyer told reporters Thursday.
The attorney general’s office filed an entry of appearance and formal notice of appeal on Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s behalf earlier this week. Both documents were signed by Solicitor General Toby Crouse. Throughout the trial of the case, Kobach himself had defended the lawsuit, along with other attorneys in his office.
“As was contemplated from the start of this case, and as is provided by law, the attorney general’s office has assumed the role of lead counsel for the state’s appeal in defense of the voter-registration statute that the district court in Fish v. Kobach declared unconstitutional and in violation of the National Voter Registration Act,” Schmidt’s office said in an email statement. “The attorney general has conferred with the secretary of state, who has agreed to provide such assistance on appeal as may be requested by the attorney general.”