BY SAM ZEFF

Millions of dollars have been spent on the governor’s race in Kansas. Money has poured in from all over the country.

But a new player has entered the fray — the American Civil Liberties Union.

An ACLU TV spot went up on cable and broadcast this week. Titled “The Rule of Law,” it starts out like any other opposition ad.

“Kris Kobach took an oath to uphold the constitution and then as secretary of state, he was held in contempt of court for refusing to follow court orders,” the narrator says, backed by somber music. It goes on to say Kobach wanted to defy the state supreme court’s ruling to increase school funding, “threatening children with disabilities.”

But suddenly the spot changes and says this: “Regardless of who you vote for on Nov. 6, we, the people, must demand that politicians respect the rule of law,” as pictures of all five candidates are revealed. “The ACLU does not endorse or oppose candidates.”

If it endorsed or opposed a candidate the organization would lose its tax-exempt status.

While the ACLU says it “has not singled out any candidate for scrutiny,” it walks right up to the line, says University of Kansas political science Professor Patrick Miller.

“At least they are open about who is paying for this and it’s not a dark money ad,” he told KCUR.

The ad is “clearly about issues and facts,” says Kansas ACLU Executive Director Micah Kubic. “What people do with those facts, they do.”

Kubic wouldn’t say how much the ACLU is spending on the spot. He would only say the organization is making a “significant expenditure.”

The ACLU tested a similar approach  in this summer’s race for St. Louis County Prosecutor. The organization had repeatedly clashed with long-time prosecutor Bob McCulloch. The ACLU created a website and ran radio ads discussing McCulloch’s record. It did not specically oppose McCulloch or back his opponent Wesley Bell. In the end Bell won with 57 percent of the vote.

After McCulloch was defeated, the ACLU seemed to crow just a bit in a news release.

“We wanted voters to know that this election will have a major impact on matters like curbing mass incarceration, holding police accountable, and reducing the inequalities based on race and income in our criminal justice system,” the group said.

The ACLU entered the Kansas governor’s race during the primary when it sent out mailers comparing Kobach to Gov. Jeff Colyer. While some believed the mailer was an attack on Kobach, the ACLU insists it was purely educational.

“The ACLU of Kansas criticized both of the leading Republican candidates in the primary, and has critiqued the positions of all of the gubernatorial candidates in the general election, as well,” Kubic said in a statement to KCUR.

The ACLU is now running this type of campaign around the country. It has ads running in the hotly contested race for Georgia governor and in the race for Arizona secretary of state, according to ACLU spokesperson Thomas Dresslar. It is also weighing in with ads on ballot issues in seven states. That includes the one in Florida that would restore voting rights to people convicted of crimes.

Sam Zeff is KCUR’s metro reporter in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can follow Sam on Twitter @samzeff

MCALLEN, Texas (AP) — Federal authorities have awarded a $145 million contract to a Texas company to build 6 miles of wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said Friday that SLSCO will begin construction of an 18-foot (5.5-meter) reinforced concrete levee wall in February in the agency’s McAllen Station region. The company will also increase the height of existing fences.

It will be the first section of President Donald Trump’s border barriers in the Rio Grande Valley, the busiest corridor for illegal crossings.

The government recently completed construction of a 2-mile (3-kilometer), 30-foot tall (9-meter) section of fencingalong the border in California.

Trump has been ramping up anti-immigration rhetoric heading into Tuesday’s midterm elections and has ordered troops to the border to meet a caravan of Central American migrants slowly traveling through Mexico.

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — A 38-year-old Lawrence man has admitted making more than 100 calls to 911 threatening to commit sexual assaults, which apparently never occurred.

Justin Allen Roehrich pleaded no contest on Wednesday to three counts of making a false alarm.

Prosecutors said Roehrich made 122 calls to 911 dispatchers in Leavenworth County. He told dispatchers his name was “Jesse.”

Leavenworth County Attorney Todd Thompson said officers who investigated the calls found no evidence that anyone was harmed or threatened.

The charges stem from three calls during which Roehrich said he was going to perform sexual acts on drugged, underage girls.

SEWARD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and have a suspect in custody.

Just before 4:30a.m. Friday, police responded to Southwest Medical Center in Liberal for a reported gunshot victim, according to Captain Robert Rogers.

Esteban Arzate, 27, Liberal, had been shot several times and dropped off at the hospital by two men. Despite the life saving measures being taken, Arzate died from his injuries, according to Rogers.

A part of the investigation into the death, police used a search warrant at a home in the 700 block of N. Pennsylvania. Police found evidence of the crime during the search.

Just before 7 p.m., police booked a 36-year-old man for Second Degree Murder, according to Rogers.  An affidavit will be forwarded to the Seward County Attorney’s Office seeking formal charges.

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SEWARD COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal shooting and searching for a suspect.

Just before 4:30a.m. Friday, police responded to Southwest Medical Center in Liberal for a reported gunshot victim, according to Captain Robert Rogers.

Esteban Arzate, 27, Liberal, had been shot several times and dropped off at the hospital by two men. Despite the life saving measures being taken, Arzate died from his injuries, according to Rogers.

A part of the investigation into the death, police used a search warrant at a home in the 700 block of N. Pennsylvania. Police found evidence of the crime during the search.

Several people are being sought as potential witnesses, according to Rogers. Police have not made an arrest.

Anybody with information about this crime is encouraged to contact police.

SEDGWICK COUNTY— Law enforcement authorities are investigating a fatal accident and have identified the victim.

Just after 7a.m. Friday, 33-year-old Thomas Mans was hit by a 2008 Ford Focus driven by a 21-year-old man near the intersection of Harry and Goebel in Wichita, according to officer Charley Davidson.

The driver didn’t see Mans crossing the street in the middle of Harry Street, according to Davidson.

Mans was transported to a local hospital where he died. This is the 22nd fatality accident in Wichita in 2018.

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SEDGWICK COUNTY— Police say a man has died after being hit while walking across a street.

Officer Charley Davidson says a man in his 30s was hit just after 7:15 a.m. Friday while crossing a street in southeast Wichita.

He was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Davidson says the case is being investigated.  The name of the victim has not been released.

SHAWNEE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated assault and have a suspect in custody.

Just after 10p.m. Thursday, police responded to a hospital in Topeka after report of a stabbing, according to Lt. John Trimble. The victim was being treated for a laceration to his hand.

Investigators determined that the victim was stabbed during an incident in the 2300 Block of SE Belview in Topeka. The stabbing victim and four others went to the apartment to confront the resident about a past disturbance, according to Trimble. One of those who arrived at the apartment and identified as 22-year-old Chance Johnson was armed with a handgun.

All five threatened the apartment resident that prompted a physical altercation. The resident stabbed Johnson in what appears to have been self-defense, according to Trimble.

Following his treatment, Johnson was booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections for Aggravated Assault and Conspiracy. Similar charges have been sent to the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on the other four suspects, according to Trimble.

RILEY COUNTY— Officials are investigating the cause of a Friday house fire in Riley County.

Just before 9:30p.m. Friday, firefighters were dispatched to 820 Church Avenue in Manhattan after report of a house on fire with multiple explosions, according to a media release.

Upon arrival, crews found a one-story single family dwelling with heavy fire showing from the rear. The fire reached a second alarm before it was contained within 30 minutes. A total of 19 firefighters responded on six fire apparatus. No injuries were reported.

The occupant of the home was outside when units arrived on the scene. The loss was estimated at $80,000 to the structure and $20,000 to the contents. The owners were listed as Michael Watt and Elena Klotz of the same address.

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN

The election is upon us. Here’s what you need to know.

Advance voting

Advance voting in person ends Monday at noon. For where you should go, check this county-by-county list.

If you are sending in your ballot by mail, the ballot needs to be postmarked by Tuesday — Election Day — and it needs to reach the election office by the Friday after the election. You’re best off double-checking that the postal staff do postmark it.

If you hadn’t requested a mail ballot, the deadline has passed to do so.

Voting at the polls

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at least. Some polling sites open earlier.

You can find the address of your polling place here. If you can’t recall whether you are a registered voter, check here. If you aren’t registered, it’s too late to register for Tuesday’s election.

If you show up at your polling site and for some reason are not on the registration rolls, you have the right to fill out a provisional ballot. But before you cast that provisional ballot, ask the poll workers if you simply went to the wrong polling site. If so, they can point you in the right direction.

The American Civil Liberties Union also has a hotline for anyone who experiences problems at the polls. 1-866-OUR-VOTE.

Don’t forget your photo ID

You need to show an approved form of identification at the polls. Here’s a list of your options.

If you don’t have one, you can get one for free at your local DMV office. Tell the clerks that you need a free ID for voting purposes and they will move you to the front of the line.

What are the races?

Everyone gets to vote in the statewide races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state, insurance commissioner and treasurer. After that, your candidates for Congress and the Kansas Legislature vary.

View our voter guide for the statewide races and Congress here.

Here’s the candidate list. If you need to know which districts you vote in — for example, which legislative seat — you’ll find those details in your online voter record.

You can also check the League of Women Voters guide for a list of candidates on your local ballot, and candidate surveys (where candidates responded).

Celia Llopis-Jepsen is a reporter for the Kansas News Service. You can reach her on Twitter @Celia_LJ.

OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Johnson County prosecutors say child pornography was found on the phone of a man accused of dismembering his wife’s body last year.

Prosecutors filed a motion Thursday seeking court permission to add three counts of sexual exploitation of a child to previous charges against 36-year-old Justin Rey.

Rey testified in September that he cut up is wife’s body in a Lenexa storage unit. He has said she died at a Missouri hotel in October 2017.

Rey is scheduled to go on trial Monday on charges of child endangerment and contributing to a child’s misconduct. He also faces charges in Missouri but is not charged in his wife’s death.

In Thursday’s motion, prosecutors say police found the child pornography while searching Rey’s phone last month at his request.