Tag: Election 2016

Besides the presidential election and the U.S. Senate contest, there are some interesting contests in Wyandotte County on Tuesday’s general election ballot.

Some of the most contested elections here this year include the state senate, state representative and U.S. representative races.

A couple of them involve moderate candidates challenging more conservative officeholders.

U.S. House, 3rd District

Jay Sidie, a Mission Woods Democrat, is running against Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, for the 3rd District Congressional seat. Steven Hohe, a Libertarian from Shawnee, also is running for the office. To read a story about this contest, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/close-contest-could-be-developing-for-u-s-house-3rd-district-this-year/.

State Senate, 5th District

In the state Senate, 5th District, challenger Democrat Bill Hutton will face incumbent Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, R-Leavenworth. Hutton is a Wyandotte County resident who lives near the Leavenworth County line. To read a story about their appearance in a candidate forum, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/candidates-offer-differing-views-in-5th-district-state-senate-contest/.

State Senate, 6th District

In the state Senate, 6th District, Sen. Pat Pettey, a Democrat, faces a general election challenge from Libertarian, Jason Conley. To view a story about their appearance at a candidate forum, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/libertarian-challenges-democratic-incumbent-in-state-senate-6th-district-contest/.

State representative, 36th District

For state representative, 36th District, conservative challenger Kevin Braun is running against incumbent Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, D-36th Dist. To read a story about their appearance in a candidate forum, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/conservative-newcomer-challenges-moderate-incumbent-in-36th-district-kansas-house/.

U.S. Senate contest

For the U.S. Senate, incumbent Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican, is challenged by Patrick Wiesner, a Democrat from Lawrence. Robert D. Garrard, a Libertarian from Edgerton, also is running for Senate. The candidate did not attend a Wyandotte County forum in October.

Sen. Moran, who grew up in Plainville, Kan., was elected to the Senate in 2010. According to his campaign information, he is in favor of reducing spending, balancing the budget, and has opposed an increase in the tax burden.

He answered a question about gun control in a town hall appearance in Kansas City, Kan., earlier this year. He said that he worries that when the solution is a restriction on guns, that the rights would be taken away of the people who abide by the law, and it doesn’t change the availability of guns to people who don’t care about the law.

On immigration, Sen. Moran said immigration needs to be better handled by the federal government. He said America wants to be welcoming people who are in danger and who are fleeing their countries because of fear of persecution. He talked about a need for proper vetting, and said there was a need to find out who is a threat and keep them out of the country, but religion is not a criterion on which people should be judged, he said.

Sen. Moran said that clean air and water are important, and the question is how to do it so it isn’t damaging to people and the economy. He also said he was in favor of legislation that would help startup entrepreneurs.

Wiesner has served as a tax attorney in Overland Park and formerly as a U.S. Army lawyer. He holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Fort Hays State University, a Master of Business Administration from Fort Hays, and a law degree from the University of Kansas. He formerly ran for the U.S. Senate in 2014.

His campaign information stated that he favors paying off the $19.4 trillion federal debt within 25 to 30 years. Wiesner favors an immigration reform plan that would establish facilities that undocumented residents would travel to in northern Mexico, apply for legal status, then re-enter the United States legally, his campaign information stated. The residents would be charged a fee to cover the costs of the facilities and processing.

Wiesner believes that a conversion to nuclear power is the answer to global warming, according to his campaign information. Wind-generated power is part of his plan for providing electricity, but nuclear and fossil fuels also would be necessary because wind is unreliable, his campaign information stated.

For more information, visit:
moranforkansas.com/
www.wiesnerforsenate.com/
www.robertgarrard.org/

School bond election

Also on the ballot is a school bond election for the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools. To read a previous story about it, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/kckps-235-million-bond-issue-wont-increase-taxes-officials-say/.

Where to vote

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Voters may check their polling place at Voter View, https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView/.

For more information on polling places and election hours, visit www.WycoVotes.org or call the election office at 913-573-8500.

Free bus service Tuesday

The Kansas City ATA has announced that all RideKC bus routes will be free on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to make it easier for citizens to vote in the general election. KCATA paratransit offered by KCATA also will be free to ride on Tuesday.

Recent polls in Kansas

A poll from the Docking Institute of Public Affairs at Fort Hays State University, taken from Nov. 1 through Nov. 3, showed that in Kansas, Donald Trump held a 24-point lead over Hillary Clinton, 58 percent to 34 percent.

The poll also showed Sen. Moran leading Wiesner, 77 percent to 13 percent, with Garrard at 10 percent.

The Fort Hays State poll also showed a close contest possible for Kansas Supreme Court justices. The poll found about 40 percent of likely voters said they would retain all Kansas Supreme Court justices, with 25 percent retaining some and 24 percent retaining none.

The poll had a margin of error of 5.5 percent.

A Libertarian candidate, Jason Conley, is challenging state Sen. Pat Pettey, D-6th Dist., for the state Senate, 6th District seat.

They are on the Tuesday, Nov. 8, general election ballot. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Sen. Pettey is a retired teacher in the Turner Public Schools who has served in the state Senate since 2013. Before that, she was a state representative from Wyandotte County, and is also a former Unified Government commissioner.

Sen. Pettey said the state is facing a lot of challenges, and must be realistic about what is ahead.

“Unfortunately, since 2012 there have been dramatic cuts made in our taxing system in Kansas,” she said at a Wyandotte County candidate forum on Oct. 17 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. These cuts have shown a lack of fiscal responsibility in the state, led by the governor, she said.

Everyone wants good schools, good highways, safety, and good care for the elderly, and the only way to pay for those is to bring in the revenues to do that, she said.

Conley grew up in Hoyt, Kan., which is north of Topeka. He attended Wichita State University where he participated in track. He has lived in Wyandotte County for five years.

Conley, who works in the information technology field, said he is running on a platform of equality and opportunity. The government shouldn’t guarantee equality, but it should apply equally to every individual, he said.

The current education system and drug policies do not reflect equality, he said.

Conley favored school choice, allowing parents to send their children to the school they choose. He said it would fix funding disputes.

Drug laws unfairly target minority communities and create broken homes, he said.

“I decided to run, as I watched our state go broke,” he said. He said he is good at balancing a checkbook.

Sen. Pettey it appears Kansas is moving toward a more moderate Legislature this year that will actually talk about the tax and budget issues. Repealing the LLC tax exemptions is not enough, she said.

“We know we have a very unbalanced system,” she said. “We did have a balanced system prior to 2012.” Kansas needs to be looking at that again, she added.

Conley said he is in favor of cutting taxes, although the current policy didn’t work. If Kansas changed its drug policy and let nonviolent offenders go, it could save $50 million, he said. He said cuts could be made and he would like to see a few million dollars review of making Kansas more lean, he added. He would rather cut expenses before he raises taxes, he said.

On the question of legalizing medical marijuana, Conley said he was in favor of legalizing marijuana for both medical and recreational use. Colorado is bringing in more than $100 million every year from this, and that could help, he said. He said government shouldn’t be taxing things that are personal choices.

Sen. Pettey said she sat on a committee that had hearings on legalizing medical marijuana. It’s not such a simple answer, she said. There are questions about what sorts of illnesses would be covered.

“I am open to discussions about medical marijuana,” Sen. Pettey said. She doesn’t see the state anywhere interested in legalizing recreational marijuana at this time, though.

On the topic of increasing funding for public schools, Sen. Pettey said she believes the Kansas Supreme Court probably would rule that funding is inadequate and it would be in favor of increasing funding for the schools.

School funding has been decreasing, she said.

“We need to be providing quality education for all students across the whole state of Kansas, a fair quality education,” she said. It will come to the Legislature as to how much to fund it, and the state could be required to fund as much as $400 million, she added.

On higher education, if Kansas wants to grow jobs in the state and have a well-educated workforce, it has to provide better support to higher education, she said.

Conley said Kansas schools had hundreds of millions in reserves. He said he believed that schools would spend less if school choice was implemented.

“If we allocate per student, it makes things fair. There’s no disputing that a student getting the same amount as another student is fair,” Conley said.

On higher education, Conley said he doesn’t believe Kansas should be in the game, and advocated slowly moving back funding for that. “I believe the high prices are due moreso to the federal student loan program than they are to reflect fair market values,” he said.

Sen. Pettey, who served on the Education Committee, responded the amount of funding per pupil included state and federal funding, and if only state aid is included it would be about $8,300 per person. She said figures being discussed this year have changed to include other costs, making them look higher than when they were discussed several years ago.

Conley said the cost of private education is less than $8,000 a year. “I don’t think we should do it immediately, but when we open school choice and leave the funding exactly where it is, we’re going to find out ways to cut,” he said.

Sen. Pettey said the Kansas Constitution requires that the Legislature shall provide for education by establishing and maintaining public schools. “That is in the Kansas Constitution and that’s what we need to remember,” she said.

Conley said if the parents are allowed the option to choose where to send their students to school, it would reduce the effect and lower class sizes in public schools.

On guns in public buildings, Conley said it was absurd that anyone would want to restrict someone from protecting themselves in any situation. The laws are not standard, he added.

Sen. Pettey said she would be working to repeal legislation that would allow concealed carry on campuses starting July 2017. Legislators are already hearing from professors and students concerned about safety on campuses, she added. She also can’t understand why anyone would want concealed carry in the dorms, she said.

To view more of the candidates’ opinions on the issues, watch the candidate forum, televised on the KCKCC cable channel at 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 7. The forum is being shown on the college’s channel on Time Warner, Channel 17; and on Google TV, Channel 146.

Voters may check their polling place at Voter View, https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView/.

For more information on polling places and election hours, visit www.WycoVotes.org or call the election office at 913-573-8500.

This year’s general election includes a presidential contest, as well as contests for U.S. Senate, House, state legislative offices, retention of judges, Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools bond issue, and a state constitutional amendment on hunting and fishing.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, and today, Monday, is the last day to vote in advance.

Advance voting is available from 8 a.m. to noon Monday at the Wyandotte County Election Office, 850 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.

On Election Day, Tuesday, registered voters may cast their ballots at designated polling places between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Voters may check their polling place at Voter View, https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView/.

Registered voters should bring an approved form of photo identification with them, such as a driver’s license.

Some of the local candidates participated in a local Wyandotte County Election Forum held Oct. 17 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The forum, sponsored by Business West, KCKCC and other community organizations, is being shown today on the KCKCC cable channel, on KCEC, Time Warner, Channel 17; and on Google TV, Channel 146. The schedule today:
Monday, Nov. 7
U.S Representative, 3rd District, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
State Representative, 36th District, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
State Senator, 5th District, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
State Senator, 6th District: 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

For more information, visit www.WycoVotes.org or call the election office at 913-573-8500.

On the ballot this year in Wyandotte County (voters will just vote for their own state senator and state representative, in their own district):

National offices:
Clinton and Kaine, Democratic
Johnson and Weld, Libertarian
Stein and Baraka, independent
Trump and Pence, Republican

U.S. Senator
Robert D. Garrard, Edgerton, Libertarian
Jerry Moran, Hays, Republican
Patrick Weisner, Lawrence, Democratic

U.S. Representative, 3rd District
Steven A. Hohe, Shawnee, Libertarian
Jay Sidie, Mission Woods, Democratic
Kevin Yoder, Overland Park, Republican

State offices
Kansas Senate, 4th District
David Haley, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

Kansas Senate, 5th District
Steven Fitzgerald, Leavenworth, Republican
Bill Hutton, Wyandotte County, Democratic

Kansas Senate, 6th District
Jason Conley, Kansas City, Kan., Libertarian
Pat Pettey, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

Kansas Senate, 10th District
Mary Pilcher Cook, Shawnee, Republican
Vicki Hiatt, Shawnee, Democratic

State Representative, 31st District
Louis E. Ruiz, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

State Representative, 32nd District
Pam Curtis, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

State Representative, 33rd District
Tom Burroughs, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

State Representative, 34th District
Valdenia C. Winn, Democratic

State Representative, 35th District,
Broderick Henderson, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

State Representative, 36th District
Kevin Braun, Kansas City, Kan., Republican
Kathy Wolfe Moore, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

State Representative, 37th District
Stan S. Frownfelter, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 1
Robert P. Burns, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 2
Michael A. Russell, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 7
Courtney Mikesic, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 8
R. Wayne Lampson, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 9
Daniel Cahill, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 13
Renee S. Henry, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 14
Jennifer Orth Myers, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District Court Judge, Division 16
Constance M. Alvey, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

29th District, District Attorney
Mark Dupree, Kansas City, Kan., Democratic

Member, State Board of Education, 2nd District
Chris Cindric, Overland Park, Democratic
Steve Roberts, Overland Park, Republican

Township office
Delaware Township Trustee
No candidates running.

Delaware Township Treasurer
No candidates running.

Judicial retention questions
Should these judges or justices be retained?
Carol A. Beier, Topeka, Kansas Supreme Court
Dan Biles, Shawnee, Kansas Supreme Court
Lawton R. Nuss, Topeka, Kansas Supreme Court
Marla Luckert, Topeka, Kansas Supreme Court
Caleb Stegall, Lawrence, Kansas Supreme Court
Steve Leben, Fairway, Kansas Court of Appeals
G. Joseph Pierron Jr., Lawrence, Kansas Court of Appeals
David E. Bruns, Topeka, Kansas Court of Appeals
G. Gordon Atcheson, Overland Park, Kansas Court of Appeals
Karen Arnold-Burger, Topeka, Kansas Court of Appeals
Kathryn A. Gardner, Topeka, Kansas Court of Appeals

Constitutional amendment
Right of public to hunt, fish and trap wildlife.
The people have the right to hunt, fish and trap, including by the use of traditional methods, subject to reasonable laws and regulations that promote wildlife conservation and management and that preserve the future of hunting and fishing. Public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife. This section shall not be construed to modify any provision of law relating to trespass, property rights or water resources.

Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools, District 500 School Bond Question:
Shall the following be adopted?
Shall Unified School District No. 500, Wyandotte County, Kansas (Kansas City), issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $235,000,000, to pay the costs to purchase and improve sites, to demolish certain existing facilities, and to acquire, construct, equip, furnish, repair, remodel and make additions to buildings used for school district purposes, and all other necessary improvements related thereto, and to pay fees and expenses related thereto; all pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 10-101 et seq.; K.S.A. 25-2018(f); K.S.A. 72-6761; and K.S.A. 75-2315 et seq.?