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Quick Facts
Personal Details

Education

  • MPA, Harvard University, 1996
  • BA, Rockhurst College, 1976.

Political Experience

  • MPA, Harvard University, 1996
  • BA, Rockhurst College, 1976.
  • Elected by Democratic Precinct Representatives, Representative, Kansas State House of Representatives, District 83, 2016-present
  • Candidate, Kansas State House of Representatives, District 83, 2020
  • Candidate, Kansas State Senate, District 28, 2004
  • Senator, Kansas State Senate, 2003-2004
  • Representative, Kansas State House, 1983-2000
  • Candidate, Kansas State Senate, District 30, 2000

Former Committees/Caucuses

Former Member, Education Budget Committee, Kansas State House of Representatives

Former Member, Taxation Committee, Kansas State House of Representatives

Former Member, Veterans, Military and Homeland Security Committee, Kansas State House of Representatives

Current Legislative Committees

Member, Appropriations

Member, Legislative Budget

Member, Taxation

Ranking Minority Member, Transportation

Policy Positions

Kansas State Legislative Election 2000 National Political Awareness Test

Abortion

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning abortion.

1. Abortions should always be illegal.
- No Answer

2. Abortions should always be legally available.
- No Answer

3. Abortions should be legal only within the first trimester of pregnancy.
- X

4. Abortions should be legal when pregnancy results from incest, rape or the life of the woman is endangered.
- X

5. Abortions should be limited by waiting periods and notification requirements as decided by each state government.
- X

6. Prohibit the dilation and extraction procedure, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.
- X

7. Support "buffer zones" at abortion clinics by requiring demonstrators to remain a certain distance from doorways and driveways.
- X

8. Prohibit public funding for abortions and organizations that advocate or perform abortions.
- X

9. Prohibit abortion clinics from profiting from the sale of fetal tissue.
- X

10. Other
- No Answer

Budget and Tax

State Budget: Indicate the funding levels you will support for the following general categories.

1. Education (Higher)
- Greatly Increase Funding

2. Education (K-12)
- Greatly Increase Funding

3. Environment
- Maintain Funding Status

4. Health care
- Greatly Increase Funding

5. Law enforcement
- Slightly Increase Funding

6. Transportation and Highway infrastructure
- Maintain Funding Status

7. Welfare
- Maintain Funding Status

8. Other
- No Answer

State Taxes: Indicate the tax levels you will support.

1. Alcohol taxes
- Maintain Status

2. Capital gains taxes
- Slightly Decrease

3. Cigarette taxes
- Slightly Increase

4. Corporate taxes
- Slightly Decrease

5. Gasoline taxes
- Maintain Status

6. Income taxes (incomes below $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease

7. Income taxes (incomes above $75,000)
- Slightly Decrease

8. Inheritance taxes
- Maintain Status

9. Property taxes
- Slightly Decrease

10. Sales taxes
- Maintain Status

11. Vehicle taxes
- Maintain Status

12. Other
- No Answer

13. Should Internet sales be taxed?
- Yes

14. Do you support a flat tax structure for state income taxes?
- No

15. Would you support returning any operating surplus to Kansas taxpayers?
- Yes

16. Would you support placing any operating surplus into a "rainy day" fund?
- Yes

17. Do you support allocating a portion of the tobacco settlement to fund annual budget shortfalls?
- No

18. Do you support allocating a portion of the tobacco settlement to create a school preparatory program for young children?
- Yes

19. Do you support expanding the motor fuel tax to include gas and diesel fuel sold on Kansas Indian reservations?
- Yes

Crime

Indicate which principles you support (if any) to address crime.

1. Increase state funds for construction of state prisons and for hiring of additional prison staff.
- No Answer

2. Support contracting with private sector firms to build and/or manage state prisons.
- No Answer

3. End parole for repeat violent offenders.
- No Answer

4. Support the use of the death penalty in Kansas.
- No Answer

5. Implement penalties other than incarceration for certain non-violent offenders.
- X

6. Inform communities when a convicted sex offender moves into the community.
- No Answer

7. Support programs to provide prison inmates with vocational and job-related skills and job-placement assistance when released.
- X

8. Decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
- No Answer

9. Strengthen penalties and sentences for drug-related crimes.
- No Answer

10. Support .08 blood alcohol content limit defining drunk driving.
- X

11. Prosecute as adults, youths accused of a felony.
- No Answer

12. Increase penalties for crimes committed on school grounds.
- No Answer

13. Require that crimes based on gender, sexual orientation, or disability be prosecuted as hate crimes.
- X

14. Support programs that provide job training and placement services for at-risk youth.
- X

15. Ban the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officers.
- X

16. Support reducing the number of prisoners in overcrowded state prisons by granting early release to non-violent offenders.
- No Answer

17. Allow law enforcement officers to stop automobile drivers for not wearing seat belts.
- No Answer

18. Other
- No Answer

Education

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding education.

1. Increase state funds for professional development of public school teachers and administrators.
- X

2. Encourage private or corporate investment in public school programs.
- X

3. Provide parents with state-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
- No Answer

4. Support charter schools where teachers and professionals receive authorization and funding to establish new schools.
- X

5. Increase state funds for school capital improvements (e.g. buildings and infrastructure).
- X

6. Increase state funds for hiring additional teachers.
- X

7. Endorse teacher-led voluntary prayer in public schools.
- No Answer

8. Support posting the Ten Commandments in public schools.
- No Answer

9. Require public schools to administer high school exit exams.
- No Answer

10. Support national standards and testing of public school students.
- No Answer

11. Support teacher testing and reward teachers with merit pay.
- No Answer

12. Provide state funding to increase teacher salaries.
- X

13. Increase state university tuition to fund financial aid programs.
- No Answer

14. Provide state funds to offer all-day kindergarten.
- X

15. Other
- No Answer

16. Do you support requiring that evolution be taught in Kansas public school science classes?
- No Answer

Employment and Affirmative Action

Employment: Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning employment.

1. Provide low interest loans and tax credits for starting, expanding, or relocating businesses.
- X

2. Reduce state government regulations on the private sector to encourage investment and economic expansion.
- X

3. Support limits on cash damages in lawsuits against businesses and professionals for product liability or malpractice.
- No Answer

4. Increase funding for state job-training programs that re-train displaced workers or teach skills needed in today's job market.
- X

5. Increase the state minimum wage.
- X

6. Provide tax credits to individuals investing in small businesses unable to obtain conventional loans.
- X

7. Other
- No Answer

Affirmative Action: Which of the following state agencies should take race and sex into account when making employment decisions?

1. College and university admissions
- Yes

2. Public employment
- Yes

3. State contracting
- Yes

4. Other
- No Answer

Environment & Energy

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding the environment and energy.

1. Encourage further development and use of alternative fuels to reduce pollution.
- X

2. Support "self-audit" legislation which creates incentives for industries to audit themselves and clean up pollution.
- No Answer

3. Require a cost/benefit analysis to determine the economic impact of proposed environmental regulations before they are implemented.
- X

4. Require states to fully compensate citizens when environmental regulations limit uses on privately owned land.
- No Answer

5. Support funding for recycling programs in Kansas.
- X

6. Request added flexibility from the federal government in enforcing and funding federal environmental regulations.
- No Answer

7. Suspend participation in un-funded, federally-mandated environmental protection legislation.
- No Answer

8. Restructure the electric utility industry to allow consumers to choose their power companies.
- X

9. Prohibit grazing of agricultural animals within Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.
- X

10. Require that privately owned lakes and rivers meet EPA Clean Water standards.
- X

11. Other
- No Answer

12. Should state environmental regulations be stricter than federal law?
- No

Government Reform

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding government reform.

1. Do you support the current limit on terms for Kansas Governors?
- Yes

2. Do you support limiting the number of terms for Kansas State Senators and Representatives?
- Yes

3. Individual
- Yes

4. PAC
- Yes

5. Corporate
- Yes

6. Political Parties
- Yes

7. Do you support requiring full and timely disclosure of campaign finance information?
- Yes

8. Do you support imposing spending limits on state level political campaigns?
- Yes

9. Do you support partial funding from state taxes for state level political campaigns?
- No Answer

10. Do you support voting on-line?
- Yes

11. Do you support on-line voter registration?
- Yes

12. Other
- No Answer

Gun

Indicate which principles you support (if any) concerning gun issues.

1. Ban the sale or transfer of semi-automatic guns, except those used for hunting.
- No Answer

2. Maintain and strengthen the enforcement of existing state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- X

3. Ease state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

4. Repeal state restrictions on the purchase and possession of guns.
- No Answer

5. Allow citizens to carry concealed guns.
- No Answer

6. Require manufacturers to provide child-safety locks on guns.
- X

7. Require background checks of gun buyers at gun shows.
- X

8. Require a license for gun possession.
- X

9. Allow retired law enforcement officers with more than twenty years of service to carry concealed guns without a license.
- No Answer

10. Require motorists to lock up handguns within the vehicle while driving on streets.
- X

11. Require guns seized by the state to be destroyed instead of re-sold.
- X

12. Other
- No Answer

Health

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding health issues.

1. Provide tax incentives to small businesses that provide health care to their employees.
- X

2. Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
- X

3. Transfer more existing Medicaid recipients into managed care programs.
- X

4. Use state funds to continue some Medicaid coverage for legal immigrants.
- X

5. Limit the amount of damages that can be awarded in medical malpractice lawsuits.
- No Answer

6. Support a patient's right to sue his or her HMO.
- X

7. Support a patient's right to appeal to an administrative board of specialists when services are denied.
- X

8. Guaranteed medical care to all citizens is not a responsibility of state government.
- No Answer

9. Allow parents to leave unwanted newborn infants at Kansas hospitals, fire stations, and health departments without facing criminal charges.
- X

10. Provide tax incentives to blood and organ donors.
- No Answer

11. Require health insurance to cover mental health treatment as they do other health issues.
- X

12. Other
- No Answer

Social

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding social issues.

1. Provide tax credits for businesses that provide child care for their employees.
- X

2. Increase state funds to provide child care for children in low-income working families.
- X

3. Deny or suspend state-issued permits and licenses to parents who are delinquent in paying court-ordered child support.
- X

4. Increase state funding for Head Start in order to serve additional children and/or increase services from a half to a full day.
- X

5. Increase state funding for community centers and other social agencies in areas with at-risk youth.
- X

6. Support state funding of programs for at-risk youth such as guaranteed college loans, and job training and placement.
- X

7. Require single-family homes, duplexes, and triplexes built or renovated with public money to be "handicap-accessible."
- X

8. Allow adult care facilities access to job applicants' non-conviction and juvenile records.
- No Answer

9. Other
- No Answer

10. Should physician-assisted suicide be legally available in Kansas?
- No

11. Should Kansas include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination laws?
- Yes

12. Should Kansas recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?
- No

13. Should Kansas restrict marriage to a relationship only between a man and a woman?
- Yes

Welfare and Poverty

Indicate which principles you support (if any) regarding welfare.

1. Maintain current time limits on welfare benefits.
- X

2. Maintain the requirement that able-bodied recipients work in order to receive benefits.
- X

3. Increase employment and job training programs for welfare recipients.
- X

4. Provide tax incentives to businesses that hire welfare recipients.
- X

5. Provide child care for welfare recipients who work.
- X

6. Increase access to public transportation for welfare recipients who work.
- X

7. Allow welfare recipients to remain eligible for benefits while saving money for education, starting a business, or buying a home.
- X

8. Limit benefits given to recipients if they have additional children while on welfare.
- No Answer

9. Eliminate government-funded welfare programs.
- No Answer

10. Redirect welfare funding to faith-based and community-based private organizations.
- No Answer

11. Use federal TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funds to expand state services to include the working poor.
- X

12. Other
- No Answer

Legislative Priorities

Please explain what your two main legislative priorities will be if elected. Please explain how you would obtain any additional government funding needed to implement these priorities.
- No Answer