Below please find the four questions and complete answers submitted to the Lawrence Journal-World for the Election Special issue published October 13, 2024. The instructions stated that the answers were to be conversational and less than 150 words.
Thank you for reading.
Can you tell us about your professional and educational background?
I am a professional insurance agent. I created, owned and operated Miller Agency Insurance Inc for over 30 years. Miller Agency was both a property/casualty as well as life/health agency. The P/C business was sold in 2015. I still operate the L/H business. I earned my CLU designation 40 years ago.
I understand the challenges of owning and operating a small business. I have been an employer and know the ongoing obligations to employees and the government mandates of being in business.
Elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1980 and re-elected in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1988. In my 3rd year, I was appointed to the powerful Ways and Means Committee where I served as a subcommittee chairman for 5 years. I authored major legislation involving the state budget including a requirement that the governor’s budget plan must limit expenditures to expected revenue from existing revenue sources, i.e. a balanced budget.
Following my service in the House, I was elected to several leadership positions in the Kansas Republican Party. I served on the state committee from 1990 to 1998. I was a member of the executive committee from 1992 to 1998. I was unanimously elected Chairman of the KS Republican Party in 1995 and again in 1997. I led the party to sweeping victories in 1996. And I served on the Republican National Committee from 1995 to 1998.
I am a graduate of Eudora (Rural) High School and the University of Kansas. My major was Political Science.
Do you support the expansion of Medicaid in Kansas? Why or why not?
I am willing to support legislation to expand Medicaid eligibility for Kansans.
My philosophy is limited government, so this is an exception. Let me explain the seeming contradiction.
Congress passed the Affordable Care Act which dramatically affected medical insurance. The result was anything but affordable. Medical insurance premiums have skyrocketed. Bluntly, the premiums are not affordable for many Kansans. Small business finds it difficult if not impossible to afford the premiums. I know as both I and my wife are business owners.
It is clear to me now the ACA had one important objective: make more people more dependent on more government. Thousands need government financial assistance if they have any chance to have coverage. The result is a limited market and exorbitant premiums. This clearly incentivizes people to politically support the government so they will get the help they need to pay the premiums. While I strongly disagree with this result, I know many Kansans are still unable to afford coverage. So, I have concluded such legislation should be enacted.
I look forward to helping craft legislation that will help Kansans. I believe strongly that able-bodied adults should be working if they receive such benefits. We expect the able-bodied to work, and I would want such a work requirement to be a part of the proposal. Additionally, I would hope this could help recipients to find work and enable the small businesses to employ them. I’d like to see such a partnership developed. I believe this is the best way to help people be independent, not dependent.
What’s your position on abortion and the role the state should play in regulating it?
The simple fact is that my position or anyone’s position does not matter. The Kansas Supreme Court has commandeered the issue. The landmark 2019 ruling made clear virtually all restrictions on abortion will be struck down by this court. The position was strongly affirmed in a July 2024 ruling.
I remember President Clinton saying that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare. That is clearly not our present situation in Kansas. Essentially, the court has mandated that abortion in Kansas will be at any point in a pregnancy for any reason or for no reason at all. Consequently, we are now the late term abortion destination for this part of the country. The current state administration has mysteriously stopped reporting abortion statistics. I suspect that is because they think most Kansans would not have a favorable view of our state being the late term abortion haven. But that is the logical result of the Kansas Supreme Courts decision. They have decided it, and no legislature can enact any regulation that the court will not strike down.
I find it curious to see politicians campaigning now as if they can materially affect the issue. Obviously, the national Democrats want to use the issue to fire up their base. I get that. And frankly pro-life Republicans want to fire up their base. But the simple truth is that in Kansas our Supreme Court has ruled. Under our system that is the final word on laws. So, it is settled. We are the late term abortion destination.
What do you believe most differentiates you from your opponent(s)?
Two main things:
1) Special interest and Political Action Committee (PAC) financial contributions
2) Accomplishments
1) I have taken ZERO contributions from any PAC and ZERO from any special interests. And I will not take ANY such donation during this election campaign.
I have reviewed the Senator’s contributions reported by her treasurer for just the past 3 ½ years. It is clear she is the PAC woman. The reports (which are available to anyone to see) show literally tens of thousands of dollars in PAC contributions. She is obviously strongly supported by the PAC’s and special interest. One wonders why she has so much special interest money and very few Lawrence, Kansas contributors. Her most recent report lists $1500 from a Florida power and light company just days before her primary victory over Representative Haswood. What’s with that?
The only people I will owe will be the voters of Lawrence, Kansas.
2) As noted in Q#1, I authored significant legislation during my 10 years in the Kansas House including requiring a balanced budget and a strong, fiscally responsible state general fund.
I have inquired about the Senator’s record. Frankly, I have found no significant legislation she has gotten passed. Maybe I’m not fully informed but I would think in 20 years she would have gotten passed several pieces of important legislation.
Moreover, why is she not the top Democrat on the powerful budget writing Ways and Means Committee? Such a post would be super helpful to KU. We need legislators on the top budget committee to help KU. She seems to have no top committee assignments. Why? After 20 years. Why?