Questionnaire: Rep. Frownfelter seeks re-election to 37th District

Rep. Stan Frownfelter, D-37th Dist., is seeking re-election. His campaign recently responded to a Wyandotte Daily election questionnaire.

The primary election is Tuesday, Aug. 4. Early voting is ongoing in Wyandotte County, and voting by mail also is available.

Age: 69

Occupation and experience: I have served in Kansas House for the 37th District since 2007. I have also been a small business owner for over 30 years.

Education: I attended Oak Grove Elementary School, Highland Junior High School, Turner High School, Bachelor’s Degree from Emporia State University, and some post-graduate hours at the University of Kansas.

Reasons for running: I’m not your average politician. I didn’t get into this for glory or attention. I first threw my hat in the ring after my mother sat me down and asked me to. She reminded me that I had always been a fighter for the underdog. She wanted to see the community that raised me, taken care of. She knew that if anyone could do something to help fix our community that I was that person. I’m seeking re-election to continue building on the legacy of helping my community and being a voice for the voiceless, just like my mom asked me to.

Three most important issues facing the district:

• In the middle of a global pandemic the likes of which most of us have never seen; making sure Kansans have access to affordable health insurance and prescription drug costs remains one of my top priorities. I was proud to vote “yes” on the Medicaid expansion bill that passed the House last year but was then killed in the Senate. When I am re-elected I will once again fight to see Medicaid expansion passed in the House and will do what I can to help my Senate colleagues pass it in the Senate as well. I also remain committed to getting prescription drug costs lowered as no one should have to choose between a life-saving medication and a meal.
• As we are facing an economic and budget crisis in the State that could rival that of the 2008 Great Recession, it is important that we make sure our small businesses are able to stay afloat. I will do everything I can to make sure that the American Dream is able to become a reality for more of our small business owners. This includes expanding the type of small businesses here in Kansas, such as allowing medicinal cannabis small businesses to exist, which would mean legalizing medicinal cannabis. When there was a medicinal cannabis bill on the House floor I was extremely happy to vote ‘yes’ so that we could get some much-needed revenue to our state, and patients can have access to a form of medication that has been proven to be effective for multiple ailments.
• Even before the Covid-19 crisis, Kansas was in dire need of bringing back our middle class, that has just been decimated over the years. The way I want to do this is by bringing a liveable wage to Kansas workers. In 2009 I lead the charge in getting the largest minimum wage increase in Kansas history passed. Now, I want to build on that legacy and bring a liveable wage to Kansans. I will fight for the workers of Kansas to be provided with either $15 an hour with benefits, or if a company does not want to offer benefits, $20 an hour so that employees can afford to find insurance on their own. But a liveable wage is just one piece of the wage puzzle. Once re-elected I will also continue to fight to bring prevailing wage back to Wyandotte county for our skilled labor workers.
  

List of accomplishments as an incumbent:

• I have been honored to be endorsed by our labor unions every year that I have sought election for the 37th District House seat.
• Former Assistant Leader of the House
• I was the lead Democrat to help pass the highest minimum wage increase in Kansas history
• I was key in getting an abandoned property (blight) clean up bill passed in the House and Senate, only to have it vetoed by former Governor Brownback.
• I voted to uphold Governor Kelly’s veto to strike down the abortion amendment and protect a woman’s right to choose.
• During negotiations for Brownback’s last tax bill, I knew when to lead my colleagues into holding out for some concessions from the Republicans. This led to us being able to keep guns out of hospitals and we were also able to get a childcare tax credit for working Kansas families.
• As the ranking member of the Labor and Economic Development Committee, I used my knowledge of contractual language to change certain words (“shall” and “will” to “may”) in certain statutes in order to help Governor Kelly close some of the loopholes that Brownback had created.
• I was the last Democrat in 10 years to sit in the Speaker’s chair and run the floor of the House.
• I was involved in redistricting in 2010 and so I have the experience needed to fight gerrymandering when we face redistricting next year. I have also spent the last 4 years researching, attending national meetings, and preparing for redistricting next year so that I am able to help lead the charge in getting our districts drawn fairly.
• I am one of the largest fundraisers for the Kansas Democratic Party
• I was able to negotiate and convince the Republican chair of the Utilities and Telecom committee to change the dates and times of the committee so that we were able to meet at more reasonable times and get more accomplished.
• I have been able to build a reputation of being trustworthy and someone that can get the job done. That is why even during the Republican supermajority in our State Legislature, I have been able to get multiple pieces of legislation passed to help the people of my district.