1) Most Legislative sessions involve hard choices among state agencies competing for limited funds.  What are your spending priorities and how should budget shortfalls be addressed?

My top spending priority is making sure our Kansas schools are preparing our students for world class careers and competition. After allocating nearly a billion dollars in additional funding, it is now the duty of the Legislature to ensure that this generous financial commitment is protected. I will advocate for local control of our education dollars as I believe each district understands how to best address the unique challenges that its students face. In short, we must empower our districts to make the best return on Kansans' investment in our children and grandchildren's future.

I believe economic development is also an investment we cannot ignore. As small and large communities across Kansas struggle to compete regionally and globally for jobs, the Legislature must work to find solutions to grow our economy. Some of the best and brightest students and educators live in our community. I am dedicated to retaining these talented individuals, spurring a new generation of economic well-being in Kansas.

Kansas faces a budget shortfall because, though predictions have been made that revenues would not meet expenditures, legislators elected to ignore 7% balance requirements, and among other inventive accounting, moved tax collection dates forward, and extended the highway bonds to 2020. There are no more inventions, and a certificate of indebtedness has been issued this year. It borrows against 2009 revenues to keep services going.

The Legislature must now carefully and thoroughly review how all state agencies spend their funding. I believe there are ways to make state government more efficient and ways to eliminate overlapping agency responsibilities to make our taxpayers' dollars go further. Like all Kansans, state government must live within its means.

2)  How do you balance the need for additional energy production in the state with environmental concerns, including the use of water? 

In Kansas and throughout the nation, the challenges we face are much different today than ten years ago. To address these challenges in an ever more complex global environment, Kansas needs thoughtful, forward thinking leaders who bring experience as well as common sense values to the public policy process. To better protect our Kansas environment, the Legislature must encourage and support energy production that utilizes cutting edge technology like the Integrated BioEnergy Center proposed by Sunflower Electric. When done in partnership with researchers at Kansas State University and the Kansas Bioscience Authority all Kansans benefit. New production will allow replacement of less efficient production and help meet our state's future energy needs. As energy companies address environmental concerns and capable of reducing their emissions, the Legislature also must stand willing to act as a partner in development of various renewable energy sources and encourage research initiatives.

The governor’s veto of Sunflowers development not only stopped a 3.7 billion growth opportunity for the state, it has now also resulted in a 15% increase in Westar energy charges for citizens of Manhattan. Coincidently, the veto stopped the building of multiple clean energy wind power generators because production of wind energy has exceeded the capacity of existing transmission lines. Needed transmission lines were part of the business development package.

Water like energy is an essential part of economic growth. Kansas Geological Survey geological studies of the Oglala and Dakota Aquifers as well as evaluation and discussion of impacts of interbasin water transfers must continue as a foundation for good policy. Water usage issues will prompt innovation, new crop varieties, water exchange and other opportunities in the future. Securing water rights is a critical component of business development plans.

3)  What is your assessment of the level of funding for education at all levels (pre-K – University) and how do you intend to address issues such as deferred maintenance and faculty salaries to keep our schools competitive on a national level? 

Quality education is a fundamental responsibility of state government. I support adequate funding with local management of education. Teachers should receive adequate salary and benefits for their invaluable contribution to the future of our children. Endowment of university professorships is a good option for retaining excellence in the face of limited funds.

As a matter of both efficiency and management, I oppose unfunded educational mandates especially relative to specific curriculum or methodologies. As school administrator I experienced the expanding need for non-instructional staff driven by federal and state requirements to deliver volumes of accountability data.

I support quality laboratories for research and innovation and encourage a cultural shift to emphasis on high skill and technological careers which support Kansas’ businesses. Maintenance of capital investments should be addressed within the total agency annual budget.

4)  What policies do you think Kansas should have regarding illegal immigrants?

Kansas was built with the energy and brains of immigrants from around the world and welcomes legal immigrants with open arms. The Legislature should assist legal immigrants in their assimilation into Kansas culture and economy.

However, the Legislature must work to relieve the financial burden placed on many of our communities for services they provide to illegal immigrants (emergency health care; education; social services; legal system). All immigrants should be required to register and as citizens must do, notify and update their identification within 30 days of moving to a new location. The state must also do what is necessary so Kansas law enforcement is able to work with their counterparts at the federal level

Effort should focus on those companies who knowingly hire illegal immigrants as well as those who profit by bringing/transporting them to Kansas. While the overall solution for the issue must come from the federal government, our state must do what it can to deplete the market for these jobs.

Another serious issue that stems from illegal immigration is identity theft. The Legislature should enhance criminal penalties on those who deal in false identification documentation as well as on those who use false IDs to obtain employment or public benefits.