Letter: When accountability falls short, Kansas children pay the price

Kansas law already makes it a crime to endanger a child, but testimony before the House Judiciary Committee showed that when very young children are harmed, existing penalties do not always reflect the severity or permanence of that harm.

House Bill 2412 was prompted by the case of Benny Cannon, who suffered a catastrophic hypoxic brain injury as an infant while in the care of an unlicensed daycare. Benny survived cardiac arrest, but now lives with permanent disabilities requiring round-the-clock medical care. During the hearing, his mother, Shelby Cannon, and his grandmother, Lisa Eastwood, described how a single preventable failure permanently altered their family’s life.

Bill sponsor Representative Ken Collins told the committee that although courts have discretion, current sentencing options can result in penalties that are “very lenient relative to the harm done” in cases involving lifelong injury to infants and toddlers.

House Bill 2412 does not create new crimes, expand definitions of neglect, or target families struggling with poverty. Instead, it makes a narrow adjustment within existing law, recognizing that children under six face uniquely high risk and that harm at that age is often irreversible.

Advocates emphasized that this legislation is not about anger or retribution. As Shelby Cannon made clear, nothing about this bill changes what her family has already endured. Its purpose is to protect the next child and the next family.

Infants and toddlers cannot escape danger or speak for themselves. When adults fail them, the law must respond with appropriate seriousness. House Bill 2412 is a measured step toward ensuring Kansas law reflects both compassion and common sense for its youngest children.

— Jordan and Jasmine Chessher, Project Heaven