Candidates running to represent parts of Douglas and Shawnee counties in the Statehouse answered questions about topics including school funding, Medicaid expansion, renewable energy and more Saturday.

The forum included all five candidates running for Kansas Senate District 19: Democrats ShaMecha King Simms, Vic Miller and Patrick Schmidt, and Republicans Cynthia Smith and Tyler Wible. 

The candidates will face off in the partisan Tuesday, Aug. 6 primary election. The winners will advance to the Tuesday, Nov. 5 general election. 

Ursula Minor moderated the forum, hosted by the NAACP and League of Women Voters of Lawrence-Douglas County. 

Candidates Marci Francisco and Christina Haswood, Democrats running to represent Senate District 2, also participated in the forum. We’ll link that story here once it’s published.

Where is District 19?

You can check your voter info at myvoteinfo.voteks.org to make sure you know which Senate district you’re in. A lot of districts have changed significantly in recent years.

Senate District 19 includes much of northern Douglas County and some parts of Lawrence north of Sixth Street. Its southernmost boundary is Sixth Street between Queens Road to the west and Kasold Drive to the east; its boundaries meander north along Kasold and east along Tomahawk Drive to include Deerfield Elementary School. North of Princeton Boulevard, homes west of Arrowhead Drive are included, as are the areas north of Interstate 70 but south and west of the Kansas River, which creates the district’s easternmost boundary. West of Lawrence, the district includes Lecompton and parts of rural Douglas County, and parts of Tecumseh and Topeka in Shawnee County. 

Click here to see a map.

ShaMecha King Simms (Democrat)

King Simms said in her work as an educator and particularly as a substitute teacher, her role has been “to walk into a space that is often dealing with chaos, and try to find some way forward. That is the gift that I bring to this opportunity.”

She said funding is not getting where it needs to go in schools, and there needs to be a conversation around that.

“Under the current conversations that we’re having, just around vouchers and open enrollment, I’m afraid that we still have some work to do,” she said. 

King Simms said she would ask for hearings on Medicaid expansion as soon as possible if she were elected, and that the expansion “would be critical” to the people living in the low- and moderate-income neighborhoods in the 19th District. 

In regards to sustainability and renewable energy, she said she thinks the Legislature’s role is “to provide a framework that local governments can use to be able to determine what their next steps need to be.”

King Simms said she wants to see more storytelling in the Legislature.

“You need a legislator who has the heart to engage conversations all across this district, so that you can see in Lawrence what’s happening in Topeka, and Topeka can see what’s going on and Lawrence and everything in between,” King Simms said in closing. 

Vic Miller (Democrat)

Miller, of Topeka, currently represents Kansas’ House District 58. He’s currently serving as the House Minority Leader — but “I call it the Democratic Leader,” Miller said, “and I’m so proud of that title and the responsibilities that go with it.”

He noted that the Kansas Supreme Court recently released its control over school funding following a lengthy legal battle to force the Legislature to adequately fund public schools.

“I’m very hopeful that people on the other side got the message so that we don’t end up in court again,” he said. He also said he believes public dollars should go toward public education. 

Miller said he voted in favor of Medicaid expansion when it passed the Legislature once, but former Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed it. 

He said he’s been appalled by Republicans who hold the majority of seats in the Statehouse not even allowing expansion to make it to the floor for a vote. He said if expansion doesn’t pass in the upcoming session, it might be time for a citizen-led ballot initiative. 

He said he believes the Legislature needs to keep an eye on the Kansas Corporation Commission to try to make sure their policies are friendly toward renewable energy, “and we have to be ready to pass legislation to respond if that is not the case,” he said. 

In closing, Miller said the state needs to elect more Democrats if residents want to see change, and the senator for District 19 “has to understand the concentration of state employees and retirees in this district, and they have to be the principal spokesperson for that group of people.” 

Patrick Schmidt (Democrat)

Schmidt said he is a veteran of the Navy, and the proud son of two teachers.

“I’m proud to have served aboard the USS Ronald Reagan. I’m proud to have served the Special Forces Unit in Bahrain, hunting Iranians,” he said. 

He said after knocking doors, he knows people aren’t happy with the state of public education, and that they don’t believe the same resources are available from district to district.

“We can do more to lift all families, especially those with special needs kids, and take care of those in Kansas that need it most,” he said. 

He said he thinks it’s “criminal that we have not expanded Medicaid in the state,” and he will do everything in his power to make that happen. 

“I think everyone in this room has a story, knows how mental health is causing problems in our state and what needs to be done in Lawrence and Topeka,” he said. “Medicaid expansion would provide millions of dollars every year to help with that problem.”

He said he thinks the state should leverage tax credits to help people take the steps to fix up older homes to make them more energy-efficient, and to empower people to take advantage of energy that is cleaner, such as heat pumps and solar panels. 

In closing, he said state legislatures need to “be that bulwark for families trying to get by and thrive in Kansas, just the same way that my family did when they settled here 160 years ago.”

Cynthia Smith (Republican)

Smith, of Lawrence, said she is an attorney, and most of her experience is in health care. She said she was on the legal team of the over-the-counter drug industry during the Tylenol tampering crisis, and she’s worked with a group of safety net hospitals. 

She said she was present around the Statehouse for more than a decade, and oftentimes education lobbyists’ pleas for more funding are not always taken seriously. She said she’s heard that increases in school funding don’t make it to classrooms. 

And “While private schools help public schools handle the numbers, I would oppose taxpayer dollars being used to fund Bible studies, for example,” she said. 

Smith said she thinks the Affordable Care Act marketplace has evolved a lot, and “it’s my understanding that some of those who would benefit from Medicaid expansion actually already have access to very low-cost health insurance.” 

“I don’t feel the taxpayers should foot the bill for health care when the working poor have health insurance options available to them for a very low cost,” she said. 

She also said she worked for Kansas City Power & Light, and some companies are eager to take the lead on renewable energy. 

“Generally, I believe that the market will look toward these goals, and little if any involvement by the state Legislature is really needed,” Smith said.

“I have the moxie to hit the ground running and be a great senator,” she said in closing. “Again, I am a moderate Republican — I’m a fiscal conservative and moderate on social justice issues. We need more of us in the Legislature.”

Tyler Wible (Republican) 

Wible, of Topeka, said he grew up in poverty, but over time, and working two or three jobs, he was able to purchase his own home. He said he’s seen property taxes and cost of living increase, and he believes state representatives have a responsibility to keep taxes down. 

He said he believes school districts’ spending should be regulated the way special education funding is to ensure that dollars reach the classrooms. 

And he thinks taxpayer dollars from concerned parents “should be able to follow their student as to where they choose, whether that be private school or just changing school districts,” Wible said. 

He said he doesn’t believe in Medicaid expansion but does believe in a “reconstruction” of Medicaid. He said private insurance companies should be lowering prices to fight for consumers.

“I do believe that we do need affordable health care, but I do believe the only way to do that is through private industry,” he said. 

He said he believes wind energy is “ineffective and inefficient” and emphasized nature conservation. 

“Renewable energy is nice to talk about, and green initiatives. But realistically, we’re hurting the nature around us, and that’s a huge problem,” he said. 

He said young people are often “shunned by an older generation,” and that they need to be informed about voting and how to be part of society. 

The last day to register to vote in order to cast a ballot in the Tuesday, Aug. 6 primary election is Tuesday, July 16. Early voting begins July 17. 

Kansas voters can take care of their voter registration and request an advance ballot to vote by mail at ksvotes.org. 

Look for more forum coverage and candidate questionnaires still to come at lawrencekstimes.com/election2024. 

Mackenzie Clark (she/her), reporter/founder of The Lawrence Times, can be reached at mclark (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.

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