VALUES

Government efficiency: Kansas legislators have a spending problem. Even with a Republican supermajority, the government keeps growing instead of focusing on what matters most. It’s time to cut the excessive red tape, return to core services and bring discipline back to the budget. 

Property tax relief: Property taxes won’t come down until we get local costs under control. One of the biggest drivers of those costs are mental health and addiction calls to first responders, which represent the largest items in local budgets. Those calls require the most resources and stretch first responders thin. Investing in treatment is proven to actually lower the cost on the taxpayers [1], ease the strain on our 911 system, courts and hospitals and it keeps our families together. That is smarter spending that actually brings property taxes down. 

Strong public schools: Strong schools are the foundation of strong communities. But instead of prioritizing classrooms, legislators are planning cuts to try and end their deficit spending [2]. Our schools aren’t the problem, they’re part of the solution. And research shows it has a positive return on our investment [3] — legislators doubling their salaries will never be a good investment [4].

Protecting our children: Our child welfare system is failing. Foster kids are dying despite clear warning signs and others are sleeping in offices. As a journalist, I covered many avoidable deaths [5]. We need smaller caseloads, better oversight and a system that moves faster to place children in safe, permanent homes — instead of leaving them stuck in limbo while the state keeps paying for a broken process. Protecting children should be our top priority. 

Government accountability: Government should be accountable to the people. Unfortunately, our Kansas Open Records Act gives agencies too much power to deny information. One common denial I heard as a journalist was that releasing the record was “not in the public interest” [6]. The government shouldn’t decide what you’re allowed to know. We need transparency laws that put the public first.