Ed Trimmer

Submitted to Sumner Newscow — On Wednesday, May 18, State Representative Ed Trimmer filed for re-election to the Kansas House of Representatives for District 79.  The district includes Winfield, Udall, Oxford, Belle Plaine and surrounding areas.  Trimmer has served in the House for the past eleven years.

“We should not mortgage our future and the future of our children by borrowing money to pay our current debts,” Trimmer said of one of the reasons he is running for re-election. “We should stop raiding funds earmarked for highways, children, veterans, and senior citizens, just to make our budget balance.  I welcome the opportunity to continue the fight for a tax structure that is fair to all Kansan residents, a state that is out of debt, and one that provides adequate funding for our public schools and colleges.”

In a press release released by the Ed Trimmer campaign, it states:

Representative Trimmer takes his job in the legislature very seriously.  He has missed only 10 final action votes out of thousands during his tenure.  He also has one of the largest workloads of any legislator currently in office, including membership on four standing committees and three joint committees.  Because of his background in debate and student congress, Trimmer serves on the bi-partisan House Rules Committee, which is responsible for arbitrating disputes over procedure and for deciding germaneness issues in regard to amendments during debates on the House floor.  He has also been appointed to several study commissions covering such topics as education and the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System.

According to the release, Trimmer takes a pragmatic approach to lawmaking and believes good legislation is more important than ideology or party politics. That is why he has worked with moderate Republicans and Democrats alike and why more than 95% of his votes in the last eleven years have been bi-partisan.

“I believe governing is more than just slogans and campaign promises.”  Trimmer said.  “It is having the ability to look critically and objectively at legislation and to understand its possible impact on the citizens of the 79^th District and the State of Kansas.”   That is why Representative Trimmer does his homework, which includes researching the issues, interviewing experts in the field, and talking to those impacted by any decision that the legislature makes.

Trimmer places great importance on communication with people in his district.  He attends many community events, even in non-election years.  He also keeps in touch with his constituents through e-mail updates, newspaper articles, newsletters and by holding listening tours through out the district at least twice a year.  Trimmer believes that elected officials should be accessible and he makes a special point of trying to answer each and every communication he receives from those who live in his district.

The press release goes on to say:

Representative Trimmer has always been an active legislator and frequently speaks about various pieces of legislation on the House floor.  He also works to improve the quality of legislation by proposing amendments and by serving on subcommittees to modify legislation as well as conference committees that are tasked with working out compromises between Senate and House versions of a bill.

During this past year, Representative Trimmer has individually sponsored or co-sponsored the following legislation:

HB2148 – Kansas Transparency Act.

HB2220 – Teachers’ contracts; due process.

HB2487 – Legislative subsistence allowance; repealing the provisions increasing the                            allowance to match the federal employee per diem expenses and setting the allowance at $129 per day.

HB2664 – Establishing the intercollegiate adaptive sport grant program.

HB2667 – Certain sex crimes where offender is over 18 and victim is under 14, which currently have a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years, could be increased to 35 years if aggravating circumstances are found.

HB2668 – Providing protections for employees who are victims of domestic violence.

HB2669 – Repealing the food sales tax credit and enacting the food sales tax refund.

HB2670 – Increasing the earned income tax credit.

HB2671 – Providing homestead property tax refunds for renters.

HB2672 – Eliminating certain income tax modifications for business income.

HB2673 – Redeemable beverage containers and establishing the container deposit fund.

HB2675 – Establishing the Kansas efficiency fund, Kansas rainy day fund and sales tax                                    on food rate reduction fund in the state treasury; disposition of moneys                                     identified as savings from the Kansas statewide efficiency reviews; sales                                    tax rate on food.

Trimmer also co-sponsored the following resolutions.

HR6020 – Commending the ministers, pastors, priests and rabbis of Kansas for their                              leadership and commitment to improving lives.

HR6024 – Encouraging the statewide celebration of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 125th                              birthday.

HR6041 – Recognizing the patriotism and contributions of Veterans Service                                         Organizations and families of veterans.

HR6042 – Honoring and recognizing Kansans who are Korean War Veterans.

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