Latest news with #KansasHouse
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas governor candidate Scott Schwab certain voting secure, eager to cut property taxes
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab, a 2026 candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, discusses election politics during a recording of the Kansas Reflector podcast. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — Secretary of State Scott Schwab takes exception to anyone insisting on a state criminal investigation of Kansas elections based on the assumption evidence of misconduct waited to be found. Schwab, the state's top election official and a candidate for the Republican Party's nomination for governor, said Kansas elections were secure, fair and accurate. He was aware GOP rival Doug Billings said if he were elected governor in 2026 that he'd order the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to launch an inquiry into election irregularities. Billings asserted anyone who said Kansas didn't have election integrity issues was lying or ill-informed. 'He's not attacking me,' Schwab said on Kansas Reflector's podcast. 'He's attacking the lady that's retired, that volunteers at church and wants to volunteer as a poll worker. That's who he's attacking. And, if that's who you're attacking, your character is seriously in question. If you're calling her a liar, OK, that's between you and God.' He said anyone running for Kansas governor should be familiar enough with state government to know the KBI was under jurisdiction of the attorney general — not the governor. Schwab, 52, of Overland Park, graduated from Fort Hays State University, worked for a medical equipment company and entered the Kansas House in 2003. He unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination to a U.S. House seat in 2006, but returned to the Kansas House in 2009. He left the Legislature after elected secretary of state in 2018 and was reelected to that job in 2022. He declared his Republican gubernatorial candidacy in January and revealed he was being treated for cancer in March. He said testing showed a lung abnormality that required surgery. 'They said, 'Wow, we caught this thing really early. We're rounding up to stage one lung cancer, but we're gonna go in, take some significant margin, and you're good,'' he said. Aside from Schwab, the most prominent politician preparing for the GOP gubernatorial primary in 2026 was former Gov. Jeff Colyer. He replaced Gov. Sam Brownback when he resigned in early 2018 to work in the first administration of President Donald Trump. Colyer, who lost the GOP primary for governor in 2018 to Kobach, was recently endorsed by former Trump cabinet Secretary Ben Carson. Schwab said Colyer hadn't held public office for years, and 'he doesn't win primaries.' Other potential GOP candidates for governor included Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, state Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O'Hara, businesswoman Stacy Rogers and former Wichita school board member Joy Eakins. Only Billings has paid the filing fee to be a candidate. Schwab said it was significant U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, U.S. Reps. Derek Schmidt, Tracey Mann and Ron Estes and former U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner wouldn't enter the governor's race. 'Suddenly, what was considered a very crowded field doesn't get nearly as crowded,' Schwab said. He said candidates expecting to mount a competitive campaign would need to raise about $1 million this year. Schwab said he would campaign on a platform that included a commitment to lowering the property tax burden on Kansans. He said the county-by-county property appraisal process needed to be updated. He previously criticized the 2025 Legislature and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly for not taking substantive action to get a handle on property taxes. On abortion rights, Schwab said he remained an opponent of abortion. He said a fetus deserved personhood status and legal protections afforded Kansans at birth. 'The question we've got to ask yourself is, when does a person get access to constitutional and legal protections? Is it after they're born? A minute before they're born?' he said. 'Personally, I believe when there's implantation into the uterus, and then because there's a connection to the mother, that exists. That's my personal religious belief.' The Kansas Supreme Court issued an opinion in 2019 that said the Bill of Rights of the Kansas Constitution contained a fundamental right to bodily autonomy and that women in Kansas had the right to end a pregnancy. In 2022, Kansas voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have nullified the state court decision. 'I know where I would like to go, but it's unrealistic, and I get it. I want everybody in the world to love Jesus. That's unrealistic. I get it. I accept that. Does that make me an extremist? No, no,' he said. Schwab said he was comfortable with Kansas voters casting ballots ahead of Election Day, but would prefer ballots were deposited in drop boxes operated by county election offices rather than relying on the U.S. Postal Service. 'There's a few people that'll say, 'Hey, Election Day should be Election Day. Nothing early. Nothing by mail.' But that's an extreme minority. There's three ways to vote in Kansas: In-person on Election Day, in-person early or vote with an advanced mail ballot. We don't need more ways.' Kansas lawmakers approved a bill requiring special elections to be conducted in early March, at the August primary or the November general election. Schwab welcomed a law granting access to information from the Kansas Department of Revenue's motor vehicle division to better identify noncitizens registered to vote. In addition, legislators said online obituaries could be used by election clerks as a reference source for removal of deceased individuals from voter registration rolls. Schwab said he was disappointed the Legislature declined to enact his recommendation to make it a crime to harass an election worker. 'These are volunteers who are getting paid, but not much,' the secretary of state said. 'To threaten them when they're just doing what they were trained to do, it's pretty ridiculous. Some people are just mean.'
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Patrick Penn, who recently resigned from the Kansas House, accepts role at USDA
Former Kansas House Rep. Patrick Penn, R-Wichita, who resigned from the House on May 15, will serve as the U.S. Department of Agriculture's deputy under secretary for the Food and Nutrition Service. "I humbly serve at the pleasure of the President and his phenomenal USDA Secretary," Penn said in a Facebook post announcing his new role. "Time to get to work to deliver more winning for our citizens!" The Food and Nutrition Service is responsible for overseeing federally subsidized nutritional programs like reduced-cost school lunches, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and food assistance for low-income pregnant women. The USDA highlighted Penn's work in the Kansas Legislature on foster care and his background in the U.S. Army in its news release announcing his role. "Patrick grew up in foster care and served as a State Representative in the Kansas Legislature from 2021 to 2025, where he successfully championed reforming the foster care system, social welfare programs, and the burdensome regulatory landscape in Kansas. Penn is a decorated former Army Signal Officer with combat experience," the release said. The USDA announced 17 other new hires in its news release announcing the role, but Penn is the only appointee from Kansas. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said the agency is following the Trump administrations lead inputting "farmers first." 'President Trump is putting Farmers First, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture. Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper. I look forward to seeing the work they will do supporting farmers, ranchers, and producers across the country by implementing President Trump's America First policies,' Rollins said in a news release. In the May 15 letter announcing his resignation from the Kansas House, Penn didn't say why he was vacating his seat. Penn at times became the subject of controversy, including an incident in the 2025 legislative session when Democratic Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, accused him of suggesting violence against a former member of the House. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Patrick Penn accepts role for USDA after resigning from Kansas House
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Wichita lawmaker to resign Kansas House seat next month, offers no explanation
Wichita Republican Patrick Penn plans to resign his seat in the Kansas House next month, filings with the secretary of state show. Penn gave no explanation for his abrupt departure in a letter to Secretary Scott Schwab dated May 14, saying his resignation will be effective at 7:06 p.m. on Friday, June 13. 'Whatever God has planned for me, our family's shared vision for a prosperous Kansas and our core values of Faith, Family, and Service will always travel with and guide me,' Penn wrote. 'I look forward to working with the next representative our great District chooses through the process and to remaining engaged in our community's future.' John Whitmer, chair of the Sedgwick County Republican Party, said he received a copy of the letter Wednesday evening. 'I would have to let you get with him to find out his specific reasons,' Whitmer said when asked Thursday if he had spoken with the third-term representative about his decision to leave office. Penn, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, won re-election in House District 85 last November by more than 1,800 votes over Democratic challenger Aonya Kendrick Barnett. District 85 includes part of northeast Wichita, parts of Kechi and Bel Aire and a small portion of western Butler County. Penn was raised in foster care. He went on to join the U.S. Army, serving tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before retiring in 2017 as a captain. He was first elected to the Kansas House in 2020, ousting fellow Republican Michael Capps in the primary after Capps' role in a political smear campaign against then-Wichita mayoral candidate Brandon Whipple came to light. In Topeka, Penn chairs the House Legislative Modernization Committee and serves on committees dedicated to a number of other topics, including elections, commerce, IT, insurance, energy and rules and regulations. An ardent defender of President Donald Trump, Penn routinely ignored or criticized media outlets attempting to cover him. He stirred controversy in February when he joked on the House floor about firing a cannon at recently defeated former Hutchinson Democratic Rep. Jason Probst. 'He's been a solid conservative vote. I think he's represented his district well, and I'm sure the precinct people will elect a suitable replacement that will be a solid conservative,' Whitmer said. He has scheduled a meeting for 6 p.m. May 28 where Republican precinct committee members in Penn's district will choose a successor to serve out the remaining year and a half of his term. Anyone who lives in the district will be eligible to run.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas Rep. Patrick Penn to resign, special election set
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Republican State Rep. Patrick Penn, who represents Kansas House District 85 in Wichita, is resigning from the Legislature. Sedgwick County Republican Party Chair John Whitmer confirmed the news on Thursday. KSN News has attempted to contact Penn to find out why, but we have not heard back yet. More downtown Wichita streets converting to 2-way next week Penn served in the U.S. Army before serving in the Kansas Legislature. He was elected in 2020 and again in 2024. District 85 covers part of Wichita, Bel Aire, Kechi, Benton, and several townships. Whitmer said a precinct election has been scheduled for May 28 at 6 p.m. to find Penn's replacement. For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Gov. Jeff Colyer joins Republican primary for Kansas governor
Former Gov. Jeff Colyer announced his campaign for Kansas governor on May 15, becoming the fourth candidate to enter the race. Colyer served about a year as governor, assuming the office after the resignation of Gov. Sam Brownback. He served as Brownback's lieutenant governor and prior to that served a term in the Kansas House and half a term in the Kansas Senate — which he vacated to join Brownback's ticket. Colyer announced his candidacy on Mundo in the Morning, a Kansas City-area talk radio show, on May 14. In a newsletter, he listed his priorities as the following: Make the state more affordable for families. Create a Kansas Department of Government Efficiency to address waste, fraud and red tape. Remove diversity, equity and inclusion directives in schools and universities. Simplify the tax code, lower property taxes and attract jobs. Protect parental rights. Securing the border. Colyer highlighted his ties to President Donald Trump. Colyer chaired Trump's 2024 campaign in the state. "President Trump is leading the greatest American comeback in history — and Kansas needs a Governor who will fight side by side with him. I'm your man. I'm ready to roll up my sleeves, take on the special interests, and deliver real results — for you, your family, and every Kansan who dreams big," Colyer's newsletter said. Colyer sought the governorship in 2018 but narrowly lost the primary to then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach by fewer than 400 votes. Kobach was bolstered by an endorsement from Trump a day before the election. Colyer considered running for the role again in 2022 but left the race after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Outside of politics, Colyer is a plastic surgeon who has volunteered with the International Medical Corps in war-torn regions. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Jeff Colyer is seeking his first full term as Kansas governor
