Issues

My heart goes out to all who have lost loved ones and/or livelihoods during this pandemic. The Covid virus has hurt us financially, emotionally, physically, spiritually, and professionally; it is the overarching issue that weaves its way into nearly every other problem we face in 2020. We were beginning to make progress in our recovery from the failed Brownback experiment, then along came Covid.

It is critical that we reopen our economy as quickly as possible while keeping a close eye on the safety of Kansans. We’ve already witnessed the disastrous result when we try to rush the process. We must stick to science-based, data driven methods to combat this pandemic so that our recovery has a solid base to build on.

As a small business owner, I have been directly effected as well. I made the difficult decision to close one of my stores to cut my overhead. Now, after making adjustments, including following all the CDC guidance, it looks like my business will be able to come out of this trying time. Our Governor has Kansas on a similar path to long-term recovery that is carefully balanced with public safety.

I am committed to making sure both have the resources they need to get through this trying time. That’s why I proudly voted for the bipartisan Kansas COVID 19 relief bill. We were able to come together and create a bill that gave financial relief to our Kansas workers and small businesses when they needed it the most. Now, more than ever, it is important to have leaders that will put partisan politics aside and work together to find real solutions. In Topeka I will continue to be your voice for small businesses and working families.

Expanding Medicaid would not only ensure an additional 150,000 Kansans have that access, it would also save our rural hospitals and protect thousands more from losing access to their current providers. We must protect those with pre-existing conditions and expand mental health services. A healthy Kansas means a healthy workforce, healthy families, and stability for our senior citizens. In order for the Kansas economy to flourish, Kansans must have accessible, affordable, quality healthcare.

Young professionals are leaving Kansas and the Wichita area at staggering rates. If we want to keep our young talent and grow our economy, we need to make sure that Kansas is the best place to raise a family. That means we must invest in education, pay our teachers adequately and ensure a safe learning environment. Every Kansas child deserves a world-class education at a high caliber school from top notch educators.

... regardless of where they live or what their economic status is. Kansas is a national leader in wind energy production. We should work to have that distinction in solar energy as well. Investing in renewable energy will create highly skilled, highly paid jobs as well as lower utility costs. Now is the time to invest in renewable energy and take advantage of the many economic and environmental benefits.

The decisions made are between a patient and their doctor. I appreciate that this is a deeply personal and complex issue for the individual involved. Each situation is unique and calls for careful consideration. Our government needs to respect this privacy; we need to expand access to reproductive health education, contraceptives, and support every woman’s PERSONAL right to choose.

Ensuring that the voting process is accessible to every eligible voter is a top priority of mine. That is why I proudly co-sponsored a bill that allows voters to choose any polling place on election day. This legislation provides much more flexibility for working Kansans who may not otherwise be able to get to the polls.

Although it was passed and signed into law by our Governor over a year ago, it has not yet gone into effect. Kansans cannot enjoy this new flexibility because the Kansas Secretary of State has not yet done his job of putting together the rules and regulations to implement this important advancement.

In response to this obstruction, several of my fellow legislators and I have filed a lawsuit to ensure this legislation will be implemented and all Kansas will have the ability to exercise their right to cast a ballot.