Voter's Guide: Kansas House, 17th District, Republican

Following is information about the Republican candidates running for the 17th District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives. Candidates were asked to keep their answers to the questions about issues to 70 words or less. Some answers have been edited for length.

Name: Kelly Meigs

Occupation: Math para educator

Education: B.S., Elementary Education.

Political experience and community involvement: I served as the treasurer for my homes association. I currently serve on two booster clubs boards at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. I have coached both basketball and cheerleading at our local church. 

Does the school finance formula need to be rewritten? If yes, what changes need to be made? If no, why not?

Yes, the school finance formula needs to be changed. At the present time, it is unbalanced. I believe that we need to address the need for more local control. I am not opposed to allowing greater flexibility to raise money locally for our schools provided local taxpayers are the ones deciding whether the tax increases are necessary.

Would you support continued cuts in certain areas of the state budget to balance the budget or are further tax increases the best way to solve the expected budget shortfalls?

I believe that we need to take a hard look at the existing and future programs to see if they are sustainable. 

What is your stance on abortion and should it be an issue in the 2011 legislative session?

I believe in natural conception to natural death. I would support legislation that would protect life.

Name:  Jill Quigley

Occupation:  Incumbent state representative, registered nurse (retired).

Education: B.S., Nursing, University of Missouri; M.S., nursing, University of Michigan.

Political experience and community involvement: State Representative, 2008-10; United Community Services of Johnson County, board member; Marillac, board member; Junior League of Wyandotte and Johnson Counties, sustainer and Master Volunteer; St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, member Peace, Justice, and Environment committee.

Does the school finance formula need to be rewritten? If yes, what changes need to be made? If no, why not?

The school finance formula needs to be re-written.  Special education funding needs to be allocated based on actual expenses so that no district receives more than 100 percent of their cost. Determination of at-risk students needs to be based on actual school performance instead of income.  Early childhood education needs to be uniformly funded, i.e, all-day kindergarten.  Communities need the ability to increase funding for their schools using local options.

Would you support continued cuts in certain areas of the state budget to balance the budget or are further tax increases the best way to solve the expected budget shortfalls?

We must: consider consolidating agencies, local governments, schools etc.; evaluate past tax exemptions and credits for effectiveness, eliminating those that are no longer acting as incentives or stimulus; and inventory state properties, evaluating them for value, and decreasing state inventory where profitable.

For long-term impact, we must broaden our tax base, empower a Brac-type commission to routinely evaluate state agencies/programs, and establish a rainy day fund to enforce savings.

What is your stance on abortion and should it be an issue in the 2011 legislative session?

Kansas’ abortion law requires substantial reporting, comprehensive informed consent, and parental notification for minors. Most of my constituents are satisfied with this. To further decrease abortions, I support comprehensive, age-appropriate sex education and contraception made available to those who need it.

Without a late-term abortion clinic in Kansas, the number of late-term abortions has fallen from 3 percent to 1.3 percent in six months. Therefore, abortion should become less of a political issue in the future.

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Write comment