by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The following is a candidates forum featuring Larry Alley, a Republican, and Don Shimkus, a Democrat who are running for State Senator District #32. Every Sumner County voter will have the opportunity to vote in this race. We will be featuring state representative candidate’s forums throughout involving Sumner County candidates. 

1. Briefly, tell us about yourself, your background, and how you became a candidate for the Kansas House/Senate in 2016? 

Alley: I have been married to my wife Sondra for 43 years, have two daughters and four grandsons.  I worked for Boeing and Spirit for 29 years and have owned several small businesses.  I am a graduate of Kansas State College of Pittsburg and live in Winfield.  When I learned the present Senator was not going to run in 2016 I filed for the position.

Shimkus: I’m running to represent District 32 in the Senate because I’m concerned for our children’s future. Our great state is headed in the wrong direction: $60 million in the red today, an education system being starved out of existence, missed payments to our KPERS jeopardizing the stability of retirements, and spending cuts to programs that provide critical services for our elderly and disabled populations. We need a proven leader who will fight for Kansas values and restore our state to prosperity – I can do that.

I live in Oxford with my wife of 25 years, Keri, and our two boys. I’ve been in small business my entire career and manage a retail music store. A former educator turned small business operator, I manage a retail music store and devote my time outside work to local service, particularly in regard to education. I’m past President of the Kansas Association of School Boards and Oxford School Board President, where I’m serving my eighth of 12 years as President.

2. Would you vote to repeal the Kansas income tax cuts of 2012? 

Alley: I was not in the legislature to vote on this bill, however I do think it is a good thing all Kansans were able to keep more money in their pockets.  There were some unintended consequences of the bill and they need to be revisited.  I believe we need to tax Kansas individuals and corporations at the lowest and most flat tax rate possible and one that is fair to all.  Repealing this bill would cost every Kansas family of four $640 in additional taxes each and every year.  I do not support full repeal of this bill.

Shimkus: Yes. The current plan, including the food sales tax, disproportionately places a burden on middle and lower income families, while the wealthiest people and businesses contribute little or nothing at all. While the economy for most of the nation is growing, hard working Kansans have felt their pocket books shrinking due to higher sales and property taxes implemented by the Governor and his supporters. Many businesses have not hired additional employees and have, in fact, requested a repeal of the plan due to the severe economic crisis they see in our state. Everyone should contribute their fair share.

3. Revenues continue to fall short of projections for the state of Kansas. In turn Moody’s has reduced Kansas’ revenue bond rating for two consecutive years. How would you solve this issue? 

Alley: Our first priority must be balancing the budget and making sure the 7.5% reserve is funded to cover unexpected shortfalls.  I think the legislature needs to be more involved in the budget process and not relied on the Governor. 

Shimkus: We have to repeal the 2012 tax cuts. Nonpartisan fiscal analysts have projected state budget deficits reaching a billion dollars by 2018. It is clear that the source of the state and individual financial woes is in large part due to an unfair tax policy and is indeed a revenue problem, not a spending problem. I’m eager to get to Topeka to fix our tax inequity.

4. In a recent study conducted by Truth in Accounting – a Chicago-based research organization- it found that Kansas has the third-highest taxpayer burden in the Midwest. The firm attributes Kansas’ accumulation of long-term liabilities as a reason for this. How should Kansas solve this issue? 

Alley: As in question 3 it starts with a balanced budget, we need to keep our spending down within our revenue projections.  Our revenue projections have been wrong more than they are correct.  We need to do a better job with this estimating process.  Kansas needs to look for ways to reduce costs without cutting vital services.

Shimkus: We solve this problem by looking at, and planning for, the future. The Brownback administration, with the compliance of the current legislature, has consistently applied short-term thinking. They rob from highways, KPERS, education and children to fill budget holes created by bad tax policy. Our reliance on these budget gimmicks has placed us on par with the federal government – we’re now deficit spending and those long-term liabilities have crippled our state’s economy. A balanced tax policy, where everyone pays their fair share, will go a long way toward correcting this situation.

 

5. According to Sumner Regional Medical Center officials, the hospital is losing almost $600,000 to $750,000 a year by Kansas not participating in the federal Medicaid Expansion program. Do you believe Kansas should participate in such expansion?

Alley: I believe we need to have a fair hearing on the Medicaid Expansion program.  We owe our Kansas taxpayers what the cost of the program will be, the impact to our present Medicaid patients, and benefits to our local hospitals.  I would still like someone to answer why the hospitals would be for this expansion if they only get reimbursed 50 cents for every dollar of service they perform.  Adding 150,000 new people to the program will only add to their costs.  Again we need a fair hearing to discover all the facts before anyone should commit to this program.

Shimkus:Every hospital in District 32 is advocating for Medicaid expansion and I’m ready to cast my vote in favor so we can keep our local hospitals open and ensure access to quality healthcare options isn’t jeopardized. The time for simply calling for a hearing has passed. The facts are in and action must be taken.

Kansas is forfeiting over $1.4 billion of our hard earned tax dollars to the federal government. By expanding KanCare, we will bring much needed revenue back to our state, including over $2.9 million and 19 jobs to Sumner County alone. Currently, over 150,000 hard working Kansans (including veterans) are lost in the health coverage gap, including 692 people in Sumner County. While Governor Brownback and his supporters dig in their ideological heels, 1 in 3 hospitals in Kansas are in danger of closing and people are suffering – resulting in a rising amount of preventable deaths. Not only is it fiscally responsible to expand KanCare- it is morally imperative.

6. There is a lot of talk about restructuring the school funding formula. Do you believe a new school-finance system should be in place, or do you believe the state should return to the old formula that was in use as late as 2014? 

Alley: We need a fair and adequate funding formula for our school systems.  We need to revise the formula to stop the taxpayer funded lawsuits every year that don’t help our children.  We are spending over 50% of our budget on education K-12 and it is not being spend where it is needed the most in the classroom.  We have this year to come up with a new formula and it should be fair and balanced for schools with 300 students as well as those with thousands.

Shimkus: We need to take what we’ve learned from the previous (constitutional) formula, the current (unconstitutional) block grant, and examples of funding formulas from around the country to craft a finance formula that is fair and equitable to all. Each and every student in Kansas deserves the best educational opportunity we can offer, regardless of their zip code.

7. What is the No. 1 economic development issue for Sumner County and the state of Kansas today? 

Alley: I believe we need an educated workforce to be able to compete in the global marketplace.  With our farm and ranches hurting and the oil and gas prices low no new jobs are available, we need to look for expanded industry for the Kansas communities.  I believe we need to explore the possibility of better and faster internet for our rural communities.

Shimkus: We have to make Kansas a place people want to live; today, too many aren’t staying or never consider jobs in Kansas because of our well-publicized problems. They’re locating instead in states that value education, healthcare access and infrastructure investments that improve quality of life.

All economic development starts with fixing our tax problems and reinvesting in education. With the rising cost of higher education, in large part because of the state’s declining support, we’re pricing too many students out of the opportunity to learn a skilled trade or earn a degree. This won’t help us grow jobs.

The slashing of school budgets has impeded the quality of our elementary and secondary school systems and reduced availability of early childhood education programs like Parents as Teachers. What I’m hearing in my travels across the district is that these cuts have raised the ire of young families and have many considering how much longer Kansas will remain their home. We have to change this!

8. What is the best way to attract new jobs and visitors to Kansas? 

Alley: We need to develop a business climate that helps our local businesses to grow and attracts new businesses to Kansas,  Keeping our taxes low, balancing our budget, and providing a great education for our children.

Shimkus: We must first stop the assault on the working families of Kansas – policies that rob our ability to pay for road and bridge maintenance, make our KPERS payments, provide home health care services to the elderly, and fund highway patrol positions, makes it difficult to recruit and retain people.

Our state is the poster child for a failed tax experiment and it has bankrupted us. Until we can fix our problems and repair our image both within and outside the Kansas borders, it will remain a struggle to recruit and retain. I’m eager to get to Topeka and start to reverse these problems.

9. Legalizing Marijuana has become a hot topic across the U.S. Do you believe that marijuana should be legalized in Kansas whether it be medical or recreational? How about the decriminalization or reduce sentencing of the drug?

Alley: This has not been a question that has been raised at the doorstep as I walked in our communities.  Kansas should concentrate on balancing our budget, educating our children, and bringing more jobs to Kansas.

Shimkus: The state’s budget crisis certainly makes this issue a topic of interest simply for the prospect of revenue generation, but it’s also worthy of consideration for how it could ease the strain on our overcrowded jail and court systems and provide benefits for certain medical conditions. Furthermore, when an individual that is convicted of a non-violent offense, such as marijuana possession, receives a harsher sentence than someone convicted of domestic and/or sexual assault – it is time to change our system. It’s something I believe deserves discussion amongst the legislative body.

 

10. Do you believe Supreme Court justices should be appointed by an independent judiciary council or should it be made by the governor? 

Alley: I believe the system should be as we have in the US Supreme Court.

Shimkus: I support our Constitution and trust the successful system we have had for over fifty years. Our judicial system must remain impartial so that it can protect the constitutional rights of every Kansan. The separate branches of government exist to check and balance each other, ensuring that no individual or branch gains too much power. It forces the government to be accountable to the people and the Constitution – not politicians and special interest groups. Allowing Governor Brownback, or any Governor, to directly appoint five Supreme Court justices, allows politics to enter the judicial branch and that’s not a good thing for democracy.

 

11. What is your No. 1 pet peeve at the moment when it comes to Kansas state politics? 

Alley: I think the media does not report the full facts only what sells papers and their agenda.

Shimkus: The divisive and polarizing direction that Kansas politics has taken under the current administration is inefficient and detrimental. The environment has become so hostile that dissenting voices, even from the same party, are silenced. Those who so much as question issues are removed from committees and other roles. The current administration refuses to admit that something is not working, even when presented with facts.

Our government and society work best when we have an environment that fosters a free exchange of ideas and a team of diverse voices working together to find the right solutions. This is why I am quite proud to have a coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents supporting me – we believe in prioritizing people over politics.

 

12. What would be the No. 1 question you would ask your opponent? 

Alley: If our priority is to balance the state budget how do you proposed to do that while adding $900 million to school funding, fully funding Medicaid without knowing what it will cost (estimates min of $100 million to $1.3Billion) and raising the taxes on every Kansas family by $640 / yr by repealing their tax refund. 

Shimkus: On July 25, you deposited a $1,000 check in your campaign account from Governor Brownback’s Road Map PAC. How can voters trust you’re not beholden to the Governor’s failed agenda when you took money from his special interest PAC? 

 

13. Do you have anything else to add? 

Alley: Thank you.

Shimkus: Voters have a very clear choice in November. If you like the policies of Governor Brownback and want them to continue, vote for my opponent. If you want to improve Kansas and restore our prosperity, I’m your guy.  It’s really that simple. I’d appreciate your vote – together we can get Kansas back on track!

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