According to a story today in the New York Times, the President’s tax proposal being informally presented today brings back the Laffer Curve—​first shared by Arthur Laffer to key Republicans in 1974, including Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. But most important to Kansans is the Laffer-Brownback partnership on tax reform that has brought us the financial disaster of the last five years.

That brilliant move has wrecked school finance funding, cut highway maintenance to a bare minimum, and in general put many very needed state programs in financial stress. As William Allen White once said: “When anything is going to happen in this country, it happens first in Kansas.” In this case, it is the blowback from our trickle down experiment that ought to send a message to Washington policymakers that this dog just won’t hunt. For more on this idea, you can read my blog post about the next story to “happen first in Kansas.”

It will be interesting how the Kansas Congressional delegation reacts. They not only have the benefit of knowing how the curve didn’t work in Kansas but also the election results of 2016, which made it clear that voters are also aware of its failures, and they acted accordingly. Tax reform should be on the Washington agenda. What we need is the President bringing together key members of Congress of both parties with different approaches and challenging them to work for real and sane reform. I know how unrealistic that might be, but we as citizens need to be pleading for that direction.

In the coming years, I believe the Kansas Legislature—​and our state in general—​could become a model for needed change in this country, by showing how to engage and overcome these failed policy ideas and deal with their disastrous results. And so, with a little encouragement from the people of Kansas, we have the opportunity to make William Allen White right again. ​

With the Kansas Legislature taking the week off, now is a good time to assess where, as a state, we are. Overall, I am very pleased with the first seven weeks of the 2017 Legislative Session. Topping the list of positives would be the totally improved capitol environment. There is a much friendlier atmosphere and certainly more communication and willingness to work together across party lines. It is my opinion that this is the result of electing so many new legislators who are committed to solving the real problems, rather than just adding “Legislator” to their resume. Leadership on both sides of the aisle seem more committed to doing what is best for the state. But then again, this is only after seven weeks, and so much can and will happen—​both good and bad—​in the remaining time.

The new House and Senate members who Save Kansas—​which all our living former Governors support—​played a role in electing have been making several positive contributions. So far, despite being new, they are not only following through on their commitments with the votes they cast but also, in many cases, are providing strong leadership. Normally, I might advise and expect new members at this point to listen, stay in their seats, and let the veterans take the lead. But, given the struggles of recent legislative sessions, I am most happy with the way they are engaged. In my opinion, the state is going to really benefit from the class of 2016—​hopefully for years and terms to come.

As to specifics, on the positive side of the issue ledger, it appears the remaining budget questions for Fiscal Year 2017 (ends June 30) are resolved without making further cuts. The leading success to date that I wrote about last week is the progress towards repealing the Governor’s tax experiment. But the House didn’t stop there. They went on to pass Medicaid expansion with 80 plus votes and also a bill to restore due process rights to our state’s educators. All of this is just more evidence of how much the election of 2016 is positively impacting Kansas.

I also continue to be encouraged by the level of engagement from the citizens of our state, who have been pushing for change and sustaining their energy and focus on the problems that need solving—​both during the election cycle and throughout the first weeks of the session. This element will be absolutely critical to any successes moving forward.

On the negative side, what stands out for me is the unwillingness to address the rightful concern about guns on campuses. Even just focusing this issue on KU Medical Center couldn’t get out of committee. I will have more to say on this soon, but suffice to say I want to believe common sense will prevail before sine die adjournment in late May.

In this morning's Washington Post, the headline read: “Republicans' "real life experiment" with Kansas’ economy survives a revolt from their own party.” It seemed to read like real effort was made but came up short. That is true, but we’re in the seventh week, not the last or close to adjournment. I want to look at yesterday as a victory, as a huge first step in establishing a clear message, translated into votes, that Kansas is going to change back to sane fiscal policy, and it will take that giant first step before this session is over. There is a long way to go, but finally there may be some positive news coming out of Kansas—​an indication that the people and their representatives are ready to start turning things around and fixing the damage done by a reckless and failed fiscal experiment.

I believe that strongly. I was truly disappointed initially. To come so close and then be three votes short in the Senate was difficult to instantly cheer. But then it soaked in that Kansas really had taken a very significant step. We have the House on record voting to override the Governor on House Bill 2178, repealing the Brownback experiment, and I believe that vote tally will hold if not grow. Once 45 Republican Representatives have taken that step, it makes no sense politically to turn back. As to the Senate, I like the number 24 much more than 16. It clearly means that you have the numbers to pass legislation that the public supports. We just need three more votes, and I very much believe they are there.

Keep in mind that in the seventh week of the session, traditionally on major and challenging issues, you would never think either body would be ready to pass something so significant and so important. There are at least three Senators who, at some point, will be ready to support what the state so desperately needs. Getting a little extra encouragement from voters in their districts could help do the trick, especially as we head into the "turnaround" break (through March 6th) where legislators will most likely be back home to hear from constituents.

For engagement with individual legislators, my last blog post shared some tips for engaging as well as some resources to help you make contact. The House and Senate rosters have email addresses and phone numbers for each legislator, or you can use this website to look up your representatives based on your address. Also, remember the State Library’s toll free hotline number (1-800-432-3924) where reference and research librarians are available to answer questions on legislation, legislative procedure, state government, or policy issues, and your calls are confidential. The State Library can also be contacted via text message at 785-256-0733, email, or even a live chat with a librarian through their website.

I encourage citizens to connect directly to the members’ offices, meet with them in person in their districts or at the Capitol, and find ways to share your feelings on the importance of getting this done. It is the best of a democracy when the citizens are engaged and actively working with the elected officials to get things done. So let’s stay engaged. Good things will happen.

​Hasn't someone shared the real "state of the state" with the Governor or told him that the 2016 Kansas election results were about change?

As I learn about the release of the Governor’s budget on Wednesday and reflect back to what he said in the State of the State on Tuesday evening, I can’t help but think he must have been out of the state during the 2016 elections. Everyone who knows the true state of our state, or followed the happenings of the campaign, knows it was a change election. People want fiscal and other key issues addressed, and they elected a large number of new legislators for that reason.

So what do we hear from the Governor? Well, first of all, he says the entire world envies Kansas, using our sunrises and sunsets as his lead example. I must agree, they are one of our real attractions. But they don’t take care of the roads, make sure our public education system is best serving the needs of our younger generation, nor do they help balance the state budget.  

As I watched his presentation, I got the feeling that Republicans in the legislature want more from him—as in, true leadership on the budget. There were key sections of his speech that got no applause, even from Republicans. Moderate Republican legislators certainly know the concerns of the public, because they heard them from their constituents throughout the election, and I think they are ready to help chart a new, more responsible course.

Even on some of his more substantive comments, there were real problems. Tuesday night he tried to convince us his 2017 and 2018 budgets were structurally balanced, meaning that not only was everything paid for but was on a solid path going forward. When the budget was released Wednesday, the truth is basically the administration hopes that by 2019 this statement will be accurate. It is no wonder why many Republicans are very concerned about the mess he and his very conservative legislative friends have made. Unfortunately, with his staying the course and the Senate unlikely to override vetoes, immediate corrections are not likely.

What this reinforces is the likelihood that really addressing the challenges we face may have to wait until after the 2018 election. Hopefully then a new Governor will be ready to provide real leadership, and we will have an even stronger House to achieve needed changes. For us now, the focus should be on re-electing successful 2016 candidates, supporting additional new candidates for the House (the Senators are not up for reelection in 2018), and having Gubernatorial candidates who are willing to make it clear that they support a moderate direction that wisely invests in our future.

​As we look to the opening of the Kansas Legislative session next Monday and the Governor’s State of the State address on Tuesday, let us be mindful of the huge set of challenges ahead for Kansas to recover from the failed policies of the last six years. It will be more difficult and complicated than any governmental challenge I can recall in my lifetime. To be successful, at least three things need to happen. One, we need to make sure the whole story of our fiscal mess is out on the table and understood by the public. Second, we need to understand that despite the progress of electing more moderates in 2016, unless the new President finds a job for our Governor, we will have him for two more years. And third, we have to be very careful not to fall into a trap that is packaged as a strong first step in dealing with our problem.  

It is to that latter point that I wish to comment on today. The announcement that the two new chairs of the two tax committees would be pushing immediately for repeal of the Limited Liability Corporation tax cut sounds so encouraging. They even want to make it retroactive to January 1 to make the most of helping the state out of its fiscal crisis. However, in truth, this is nothing more than an effort to protect the bulk of the other negative changes in the Governor’s failed tax experiment. To his credit, Representative Jim Ward, the new House minority leader, quickly pointed out that this action makes dealing with the bigger, more complicated challenges even more difficult. "The question is: How many of these votes do you want to take?" Ward said. "And if you're going to take serious steps to address the problem—which is a structural budget problem—shouldn't we have a comprehensive approach?"

From the far-right perspective, repealing the tax exemption makes good sense. Privately, supporters of the original tax cut know that a majority of Kansans want change and admission that the experiment didn’t work. By sounding responsible, they know their chances of protecting the remainder of the tax experiment increases. This is because many legislators will feel they have done their part and will not support any other steps that are necessary to really get the job done.

The Republicans and Democrats that were elected to address the mess must now be very strategic, politically wise, and patient for the right time and way to really take the steps to restore Kansas to solid positions it previously had. That is, wisely investing in quality public education, understanding that taking care of our infrastructure makes good business sense, and that supporting our most vulnerable citizens is not only right but is also in the state’s best interests.

The effort by so many responsible citizens to bring success in the 2016 elections must be continued now or that progress will be very short-lived. We must share this reality, support those who want to really address the challenges, and be wisely patient for the best interests of the state.

I’ll plan to discuss this and many other issues throughout this legislative session as events unfold. In the meantime, if this resonates with you, help spread the word. Tell your legislators you understand that positive change will take time. Bring the message to others. We citizens must step up and be an active part of the solutions. It won’t happen without us.

​The progress that was made to return sanity to the State of Kansas in the August Primary and continued on November the 8th must take another step next Monday (December 5th) in Topeka. That is when legislative leaders will be selected for both parties in both Houses. For my thoughts on the results, read my December 6th Update at the bottom of this post.

The people have spoken. The Brownback policies have failed, and the voters said strongly that change is in order. For that to translate into real action starting in January, strong leaders from both parties—who are ready to address problems and start turning things around—must be selected for these leadership positions.

I served a two year term as Speaker of the Kansas House many years ago, and I am well aware that much has changed. But what hasn’t changed is the power the speaker has in controlling the agenda. The speaker controls the committee makeups, who will chair each committee, what bills ever come up to the floor, and in what order. Individual members, knowing those facts, can more easily be persuaded to support the Speaker. On the Senate side, there has been much change. The President of the Senate now has as much power as the Speaker, making who these two people are very important.

In the Senate on Monday, it appears there will be limited change. The moderate coalition does not have the votes to really influence the outcome. But on the House side, the story is very different. The race for Speaker, Majority Leader, and Minority Leader are very much contested, and from all appearances, they are all very close. One thing that is clear is that the large number of new House members will control the outcome in both parties. And my message to them is to keep in mind the people who helped get you to where you are. Most were elected to help bring changes that a strong majority of Kansans want. Therefore support those candidates with the best capacity to help lead the next steps in restoring Kansas.

Now if you are reading this and live in a district where a new moderate was elected, you might remind the new legislator that who they elect Monday will not just make a difference to them, but most importantly, will be key to any hope of needed change. This is just one of many ways in which we citizens must take a much more active role. Only an activated citizenry can really help mobilize the changes Kansas needs. Elected officials are in a stronger position when their constituents are informed and involved.

​December 6th Update: Thoughts on the Leadership Selections
The legislative leadership election yesterday brought a mixed bag of progress and holding on to the past far-right direction under Governor Brownback. In the Senate, there was little change on the surface, with one exception: Senator Vicki Schmidt of Topeka, a key moderate, was elected to the leadership team. Despite limited success, the balance in the Senate now stands at 20-20. This should allow the moderate Republicans and Democrats to be much more effective. In the House, aside from electing another very conservative Speaker, the moderate Republicans prevailed. Combined with the Democratic election success, the moderate coalition now holds a significant majority. This means the Democrats, now led by Jim Ward of Wichita, have the opportunity to play a much more significant role.

The summary of all this comes down to the top leader in both houses still having significant power to control the agenda, but the moderates will have the power to stop whatever they so choose. What that means is that, at some point, compromise must play a strong role in both houses for Kansas to take positive steps forward.

In the coming days, our efforts or lack thereof will determine the future of Kansas for decades to come. After years of frustrating, unfair, and short-sighted policies from Topeka, the people of Kansas have only a few days left to make their point and have their voices heard on the direction of the state. There are key decisions to be made in both the legislative and judicial branches of government on this year’s ballot, and voters statewide will need to know their alternatives and realize just what’s at stake in each race. In many cases, it comes down to voters deciding whether to approve or reject the current actions and direction of each branch. With the help of the executive branch—​the administration of Governor Brownback—​the Kansas Legislature has been the source of extreme and experimental policies that puzzle the common sense voter, defy our long history of balanced policy and consensus-building leadership, and make a laughing stock out of the state that many of us know and love. Meanwhile, the Kansas Judicial Branch has been working to uphold the Kansas Constitution and, despite the best efforts of the other two branches, maintain their standing as an independent third branch of government, separate from partisan politics. From looking at the direction of each, I believe it’s easy to see why we need to bring change to the legislative branch and keep the judicial branch exactly the way it is.

Here is where you come into play. It starts with sorting out the good from the bad and deciding who to support. There are many ways to make your choice, but first do your own investigation. You can look into the candidates through local news media or events in your area where you can hear from the candidates directly. You can also check out a number of organizations partnering with the Save Kansas Coalition who have published questionnaires or made endorsements (such as Game on For Kansas Schools and Women For Kansas), and you will likely find them agreeing on which candidates would work towards solving problems in a cooperative, bipartisan way. Or you could look for the candidate who favors the status quo and the current direction, by investigating who the State Chamber endorses, and then I’d advise you to give strong consideration to their opponent. This special interest group backed all the legislators who partnered with the Governor to damage our schools, our infrastructure, our rural hospitals, our judicial system, and unfortunately, the list could go on. Now they're working to lead a barrage of false and misleading attacks on quality candidates and the qualified Judges and Justices of the Kansas Judicial Branch.

After determining who to support, what can each and every one of us do to help quality candidates win on November 8th? Whether through valuable volunteer hours, financial support, or other voter outreach and education, there are a number of ways to get involved, and there is a role for everyone in this process. First, candidates always need good volunteers in order to have an army of support in the closing weeks that will help offset the overwhelming money advantage the opposition has. Just a few hours spent contacting voters, knocking on doors, or attending events can help reach people and get everyone out to vote. Go out and enjoy the camaraderie of being with others and supporting a cause you care about; it’s a great example of civic engagement wherein each and every citizen can make a real difference. If you’re able to provide it, monetary support is also something that candidates will need to help offset the millions coming from special interests, much of it from out of state. In this internet age, it is easy to find where to donate online, send a check, or attend an upcoming fundraiser. And, as proven recently by the Bernie Sanders campaign, even small contributions can make a big impact. Finally, as you make your decision on who to support, it is important to help others along in this process. For those who have followed the recent events at the statehouse, the decisions are often very clear, but people are busy and there are many eligible voters out there who may be looking into these issues for the first time. This makes any efforts to reach family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors with information on these important decisions absolutely critical. Remember: many of these races will come down to each and every vote.

Important Dates to Know:
October 18th - The final day to register to Vote in Kansas. Check your registration status here, and make sure everyone you know is registered by this day!
October 19th - Most Advanced Ballots are mailed if you've already submitted an application to your County Clerk. Early voting in-person will also begin in many Kansas counties, check with your local County Clerk for details about early voting in your county!
November 4th - The final day to register for an Advanced Ballot by Mail. The application form is due to the County Clerk in the county you'll be voting in (see the second page of the form for their contact information).
November 7th - Advanced voting in-person ends on this day. Check with your County Clerk to find information about in-person opportunities to vote early before this day!
November 8th - Election Day! Most polls are open from 7am to 7pm at your local precinct location, find your polling place here. All Advanced Ballots by Mail are also due by the close of polls on Election Day.

We have reached the “home stretch” of this election year, and your engagement can make all the difference. The future of Kansas depends on it.

​The challenges we face today in Kansas, while mostly self-imposed, are complex and will require strong, consensus-building leadership from state lawmakers to address. This is exactly why I’ve been so focused on the November 8th election in many of my recent blog posts. I truly believe that the more voters understand the key issues facing our state, the better informed their decisions will be at the ballot box. In politics and campaigning, framing a message in simple language and using words that fit well on a bumper sticker are effective with many voters, but does this always serve the best long-term interests of the voters or our future? “Cutting taxes,” for instance, has a better ring to it than raising taxes and trying to explain why. Now, this is by no means a shot at people’s capacity to understand the complexity of these issues. However, people today are busy, challenged by the many realities of our times, and pulling the facts from a very noisy, information-heavy environment is not always easy.

The point I want to make in this particular post is that deciding the level and methods for taxation is not at all simple and would be very difficult to fit on a bumper sticker, assuming most people don’t keep a spare magnifying glass in their glove box in order to check the fine print on each message as it zooms by. Although, if you did decide to bring that magnifying glass along with you on your next drive down the roads of Kansas, the fine print you’d read about “lower taxes,” might conflict with the original message. Because, in reality, “lower” is not automatically better...or even “lower” at all, when all the other factors are considered. When looking at taxes, our focus should be from an investment perspective. What brings us the best return can only be determined when all forms of taxation, and all the implications thereof, are considered.

For an example, with taxes for infrastructure, it makes no sense to assume that higher taxes are automatically bad. Lower taxes—or, in the case of Kansas, poor fiscal policy in general—often lead to delayed improvements and less maintenance. This short-sighted view will lead to much higher repair costs and taxes down the road, and much higher maintenance costs for “wear and tear” on your automobile or truck. Not to mention, a sound transportation system—which, for Kansas, primarily means our highways and bridges—is absolutely essential. Profitable commerce depends on it. This is important for supporting our urban areas, but it is absolutely critical to our rural areas. Think of all the grain, cattle, and milk that must be moved in order for our economy to prosper, and think of all the families who will have to travel those same roads to attain access to fresh food and other basic necessities.

So yes, we have cut income taxes, including totally eliminating them for a wealthy few, but yet, the 2015 legislative session delivered the largest tax increase in Kansas history. So, what’s in the fine print? The sales tax was raised (leading to higher prices for consumers on every purchase, including those who are struggling most in our state, who now pay a higher sales tax on their groceries than they would in almost any other state in the country), several excise taxes and other fees (including tuition) have been raised across the board, and most local governments have felt the impacts “trickle down” from the state level to put upward pressure on property taxes and local sales taxes.

​Now, I’m not here to push limitless taxation and spending, we must absolutely aim to maximize efficiency, but a sound tax system should have balance, fairness, and allow us to appropriately fund key government functions and invest wisely in our future. When you are still paying a lot in taxes and not getting a quality return on your investment, how is that a good deal for anyone?

​The results of Tuesday’s Primary are in, and the message is clear: Kansas voters are ready to get our state back on course. The opposition from Republicans against their party’s extremist legislators indicates that they’re ready for a change of direction. In the most visible and critical contests, new candidates won almost every race, adding more common sense and moderation to the Kansas Legislature and giving the state a new vision for the future. From Western Kansas to Johnson County, there will be new faces in the legislature and new problem solvers to begin the hard work of undoing the damage done by Governor Brownback and his legislative allies.

We knew August 2nd would be a critical benchmark day, and there are several important things to take away from it as we go forward. Obviously, this was one huge step toward returning Kansas to times of balance and sound decisions—under the consensus-building leadership of both Republicans and Democrats. Now the focus turns toward the November 8th General Election, where this coalition has the opportunity to build on the gains made in the Primary. With that in mind, now is an important time to mention that our friends with the Kansas Chamber of Commerce (etc.) and their wealthy backers will have had their reality check and will likely return—with more money and more misleading attempts to convince you that their experiment is working and “the sun is still shining in Kansas.” Fortunately, we now have proof that Kansas voters know better, but this makes the effort to continue reaching out and educating our fellow citizens even more important. It will be incumbent upon all the backers of quality candidates and real solutions to our challenges to double down and make the most of every campaign day. We have witnessed some dark days throughout the past few years, but with the help of many committed Kansans, the light of a new day can shine brightly all across our state.

The key contests in November will depend much more on the success of Democratic candidates in uniting people from across the political spectrum around this vision for a better future. In these races, there is a real opportunity to bring together the rational conservative voters, who value fiscal responsibility and support wise investments in our future, with Democratic and Independent voters, to reject the failed policies of the past, look beyond party labels, and bring change on behalf of the people of Kansas—not just the monied interests that got us where we are today in the first place. The quality of the candidates is certainly there, and I've been very impressed with their passion and commitment. The rest is up to us, the voters, to stay engaged and get involved.

For me, Tuesday’s results are a reflection of citizen concern about all the harmful decisions that have been coming from Topeka and, most importantly, a realization that concerned folks needed to do more than just complain. I see it reflected as well in the armies of grassroots support that many sound, moderate candidates have been able to assemble. The unified concern for restoring our constitutional commitment to public education, sustainably addressing the fiscal crisis, maintaining our infrastructure, securing the role of an independent judiciary, and rising to meet our many other challenges has been truly inspirational. Now, we just need more Kansans to join this cause. And, once again, I urge readers who are ready for a change of course to share this message and/or actively seek opportunities to prepare your friends and neighbors to vote for a continuation of the momentum we established in the Primary. What we do between now and November will decide the future of our state.

Following the Legislature in Special Session last Friday certainly kept me busy with my Twitter account. For most of the day, it appeared it was going to take some time to solve the immediate challenge of funding schools in Kansas at an equitable level, as deemed by the Kansas Constitution. Then suddenly out of the blue, they not only got the votes needed but almost unanimous votes in both houses. They got done in two days what had to be done in the short term. It could have taken ten, and I would not have been surprised. Given the court's response today, it appears the immediate crisis has been momentarily satisfied. So does this mean sanity suddenly returned to the Legislature during the Special Session? Unfortunately, the short answer is "no," but nonetheless, there were some important things we can take away from the two days of turmoil we witnessed last week.

First, it’s important to remember that the Special Session was only convened to address the equity portion of the lawsuit, yet to come is a decision on whether the funding levels of Kansas schools are constitutionally adequate. This means that more important decisions loom next year, when a more sustainable fix will be required. So what did we learn from this Special Session about the incumbents who will be seeking the opportunity to make these crucial decisions for our state, and what kind of representation will be required in order to get it right?

To me, an obvious takeaway from the Special Session is that, for one of the very few times, the ideas and leadership of moderate Republicans and Democrats were taken seriously. The interesting question is: why? From what I have learned, the pro-education legislators had done their homework and were better prepared to propose something that would work. Helping this might have been the desire of the current leadership to avoid more bad publicity and get their folks home to raise money and campaign. In this case, confirming “why” is not as important as what we, as voters, should do as a result of this. It’s critical that we take this as further incentive to review carefully our choices in the coming elections, and that we see there is a better way forward—one that’s possible through the election of more consensus-building problem solvers to the legislature.
​
It’s also important that the legislature avoided, in the end, doing anything really outlandish during the Special Session. The only non-essential issue raised was the leadership’s constitutional amendment introduced to take the Supreme Court, (for now) an equal branch of government, out of any power to impact adequate and appropriate funding of public schools. Fortunately, for the sake of Kansas and public education, it failed by one vote to receive the ⅔ vote necessary for passage, going down to defeat in the State Senate. Along with eight Democrats, six Republican Senators stood up to the pressure of the Senate leadership and voted for public education. Come August 2nd and November 8th, if you live in any of these fourteen Senate districts and you want quality public schools, good judgment, and courage, you have your candidate to support. If you live in one of the other twenty-six Senate districts (or a House district held by someone who supports the direction of the current administration), electing different representation, regardless of party affiliation, will be needed in order to defend Kansas schools from further attacks, unconstitutional actions, and short-sighted policies.

​Truly restoring sanity will require many steps over the course of several election cycles and legislative sessions. But it's imperative that we make significant strides along that path during this election year and sustain that momentum in the years to come.

​Never in my lifetime have there been legislative races where more was at stake and also where the voters have such clear choices in most of the Kansas House and Senate districts. In most cases, it comes down to a choice between continuing the failed policies of the current administration or acknowledging openly that the current direction is not working. Turning the ship around will not be easy, nor can it be done in one legislative session. It will take years, but the cost of not starting that process in this election year is beyond the pale.

I urge each and every person reading this message to take seriously every opportunity they have to support the many quality moderate candidates of both parties who are seeking office in this critical and competitive election year. This can be done by either directly or indirectly motivating others to get involved. And it starts with many critical primary races to be settled on August 2nd. Priority here are key Republican-held districts where a challenger of high quality and commitment to problem solving is working hard, and with your help, these candidates can be part of the effort to restore sanity.

While the first benchmark will be in the Republican primary, I’d urge Democrats and Independents to understand that this is not a primary to sit out. I’m not encouraging changes to party registration, for which the deadline has already passed anyway. However, I’d remind you that—​regardless of where you live—​you know some of the Republican voters who will have the opportunity to send a message to the extremist members of their party. Make sure these voters know what is at stake and which Republican is on the side of restoring our state versus who will be a “rubber stamp” for the failed and damaging policies of the recent past. Many of these races will be close, where a handful of votes will make the difference, so don’t tell me you can’t have an impact.

For the incumbents seeking re-election, they have voting records which will clearly put them on one side or the other, and finding those specifics will be relatively easy, including the results of the Special Session. Given the number of incumbents not seeking re-election, a message in and of itself, those districts will require a little more work to educate voters on the decisions they’ll have in front of them. I suspect many of the candidates trying to replace an incumbent who was tied to the administration will work very hard to avoid being tagged with ties to the least popular governor in the United States. But, through public inquiry and engagement, it will be clear who believes in sustainably addressing the fiscal crisis, wisely investing in quality education and research, maintaining our infrastructure, and supporting the historical value of a nonpartisan, independent judiciary. This campaign season is off and running, and there are many problem solvers who will need your active support.

​Following Wednesday’s Sine Die activities at the Capitol on Twitter was a very disturbing experience. It was far from a "Red-Letter Day," unless you include the red ink from May's revenue numbers announced that morning. This urgent and growing problem, in addition to the total lack of responsibility or willingness to address it, is a recipe for disaster given the lack of sound leadership we have at the moment in Topeka. Reinforcing this were veteran legislators bailing at the last minute on re-election bids, several making it clear they wanted no part of the many years, at best, ahead of digging out of this mess. Combining this day of turmoil with the filing deadline for the 2016 election made for an interesting mix of both the challenges and opportunities facing our future.

Look at the financial challenge for a moment. It was bleak going in, and then an additional shortfall of approximately $76 million in May revenue was announced. Add to that the fact that the Supreme Court decision on school finance only addressed the equity side of the suit, which calls for roughly $40 million. This means a much bigger number could come later when the adequacy issue is resolved. This would mean, even after responsible action is required to address the fairness side by leveling the playing field consistent with the constitution, public schools will still be underfunded and require corrective action.

Several key legislators openly expressed total disrespect for the Justices of the Supreme Court and a long-standing interpretation of the state’s responsibility to fund public education. They charged the Justices with “playing politics”—an accusation that frankly seems a little ridiculous after several attempts on their part to inject politics into the, for now, separate and independent third branch of government. For me, all this is a far cry from the decades of responsible legislators from both political parties who worked out their disagreements and, in the end, did their job by appropriately funding public education and supporting the Kansas Constitution. What a difference we have today.

For now, the legislature has adjourned, but they will be back in special session soon at the calling of the Governor. Timing will be tight, for the solution must come in time for the court to act and hopefully clear the way for our schools to open come fall. But even with this done, we’ll likely still have many school districts implementing unprecedented measures to save money, at the expense of quality education for the students. All of this plays out as the August 2nd primary looms, with many key Republican races in both Houses that will have much to say about our state’s progress in righting the ship. For the many who are hoping to see a change of course, it will be the first opportunity to take strides along the road to recovery.

“What the Hell is Wrong With Kansas” was the title of a joint presentation that Governor Mike Hayden and I made in Wichita on Saturday, at a forum sponsored by Women for Kansas. The effort highlighted some of the serious issues facing our state and, in the process, made the point that the concern wasn’t just coming from one political party. Kansans of all political stripes—​Republican, Democratic, and Independent—​have real policy differences with the Governor and those in the legislature who made his agenda a reality in our state. This is what prompted Governor Hayden—​a conservative—​and myself to speak out together on the desperate need to change directions in Kansas.

In our presentation, we discussed just how much has changed in the political environment in the years since we each left office—​from the decline in civility, to the increased impact of special interest money, and the viciousness and extremism of our politics. Of course there were very strong differences when each of us served in the legislature and the governor’s office. But the fight then was always over how best to serve Kansas, knowing that we had to wisely invest in education, take care of our infrastructure, and provide help to our citizens most in need. Throughout our history, our approach to solving problems has been straightforward: we listened to each other, clarified our differences, and reached compromises that wisely served the people of Kansas.

Fortunately, the proud past I just described isn’t ancient history—in fact, it’s far from it. This August and November, the people of Kansas have an opportunity to restore this common sense approach by electing more problem solvers to the legislature. And that spirit of collaboration and compromise for the common good is alive and well among the many courageous individuals—both citizens and public servants—who are working (or will join the effort) to turn things around. It’s critical that voters understand the importance of being informed on the challenges we face and that they know which candidates would serve their real interests. In order to accomplish this, volunteers and supporters will need to work purposefully every day to make sure that their personal networks—and their neighbors—are ready to vote for a change of course.

The first benchmark day will be August 2nd, where the Primary Election will decide a number of key seats in both the House and Senate. That will be the first opportunity to send a clear message—​around the state and to the nation—​that we’re getting back on track, that the failed tax experiment will be brought to an end, and that the long tradition of sane, forward-thinking policy is on its way back to Kansas.

​In the 2004 Kansas legislative session, the Republican-controlled legislature—​led by Representative Kenny Wilk and Senator Nick Jordan, working with Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius and her Secretary of Revenue Joan Wagnon—​created the Kansas Bioscience Authority (KBA). For six years, it enjoyed across-the-board support from the Kansas Legislature, the Bioscience community, and communities and research institutions across the state. Funding came from income tax paid by the existing bioscience companies already employing people and doing business in Kansas.

KBA’s success was based on some really sound thinking that made good sense both for the private sector and the State of Kansas. The vision was to build on the already existing bioscience success in the state through strong public-private partnerships. Common sense indicated that much potential remained. In time, our dependence on agriculture, manufacturing, and the oil and gas sectors would have another partner. The genius of the plan was to take the existing revenue stream and put it into an Authority established by law. The Authority would be governed by appointments from the Governor and Legislative leaders to hire the talent to wisely invest and partner with projects in the best interests of the state. They would be able to work with outside investors, making commitments for periods longer than one fiscal year, and not dependent on annual appropriations from the Legislature—​a key for private sector involvement.   

Successes included providing key leadership and timely resources for Kansas to be awarded with the NBAF selection (National Bio and Agro Defense Facility) now being constructed in Manhattan. NBAF will do the highest level research on zoonotic diseases, the ones that can move from animals to humans. Also, the National Cancer Designation for the the KU Medical Center allows area citizens access to new drugs on trial. KBA resources were key for funding nationally-recognized consultants, hiring nationally respected cancer researchers, buying much needed support equipment, and securing key infrastructure improvements necessary to compete. Both projects required strong leadership from Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, as well as full support from our Congressional Delegation and the Kansas Legislature. These two projects alone will have broad positive impacts on the state of Kansas for decades to come, but it's likely that neither would have happened without the KBA's support and engagement.

The progress in that short six year window led to national recognition for Kansas and its growing bioscience sector and jealousy from surrounding states that didn’t have this engine for economic development.

Then came the election in November 2010 and a new Governor. Although nothing about the KBA was raised during the campaign, within 60 days of this new administration, that all changed. Concerns were raised that we were picking winners and losers (we did invest in proposals with the best potential), that we weren’t distributing the money across the state, and that the administration had evidence of criminal activity within the Authority and demanded a forensic audit.

No evidence of criminal activity was ever brought forward and a year later (and well over a million tax dollars wasted), they had found nothing of substance going back to the very beginning of the Authority. Oh yes, there were the drummed up charges against our CEO with the only findings tied to actions after the audit began.
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The eventual death has been long and painful in coming. A tragedy for the state to be sure but only possible because enough legislators went along with the Governor’s actions and bought into a growing mentality that ignores the value of research and the need to wisely invest in the economic future of Kansas. For years, our state has been reaping the benefits of these important investments, but now I fear the only impacts we’ll feel will be the sighs of relief coming from the east, as economic developers in Missouri now see an opportunity to compete.

In the “good old days,” it was often said that when the legislature finally adjourned, everyone felt safer. Well, they have adjourned, but I know there are good people all across our state who feel anything but safe as a result of the most recent late-night governing session by the Kansas Legislature. I also know there were many who wanted them to try longer and harder to get the budget more acceptable. Some had hoped, for example, that delaying state transfers to KPERS could be avoided, worrying that the delay would lead to the transfer never taking place—​which, frankly, is a legitimate fear. But, from my experience, if they had failed Sunday night (Monday morning) to get the necessary votes in one house or the other on the budget, the follow-up product would very likely have been worse. Why? Because the leadership would have found ways to get the attention of key legislators who didn’t support what they, the majority leadership, had put together and that would have led to taking away, not adding, to the budget.

They are already letting the Governor finish the cutting and running the risk of their negative balance budget being declared unconstitutional. Included now is punishing research universities with a higher percentage cut than the other Regent institutions. Sure, the dollar cut being larger for our larger institutions might seem to make sense for some. But the specific way it was done, penalizing institutions for bringing federal research dollars to Kansas, boggles any sane person's mind. The lack of understanding for the value of the research itself, much less the economic value of such dollars to the state, is hard to comprehend and certainly hard to defend. Now, as always, there were those who fought against all this, but in the end, the majority ruled—​a majority we have a chance to address in this election year.

In the big picture, one key thing to understand is that there will only be one really good chance to get this done right, and for now, the votes are just not there to do what is best for Kansas. Half measures will not get it done. That is why the defeat of restoring some of the LLC tax cuts on Saturday was fine with me. Getting it right starts now—​with the hard work to achieve the positive results we need in the August primary and then in the November general election.  At that point, there can be some real positive expectations. We should be able to at least stop the digging and the passage of additional acts of ignorance, and who knows, there might be some other areas where positive consensus emerges. But not even then will there be the power to begin the real restoration of Kansas Government. For only in 2018 will we have the opportunity to bring back positive leadership to the second floor of the capitol, and then in January 2019, we have the chance to really start moving in a positive direction. That is a long wait and it’s unfortunate that rolling back all the damage done in the past few years will take so long, but it is the only realistic path we have towards restoring Kansas to its proud past.

The ongoing financial crisis here in Kansas, which has apparently come as a surprise to some, is becoming much more real to others who are directly impacted. Though some are quick to either blame the Revenue Estimators or point to low commodity and livestock market prices and the plunge of oil and gas values to explain how we got into this mess, in reality, these economic factors are tied to cyclical ups and downs that we should have the capacity to weather if we managed well and made good fiscal policy decisions. Instead, one only has to go back a few years to the Governor’s great experiment to blow up what had been for decades a very successful tax policy.

Unfortunately, this experiment was nothing new. Trickle down economics has been tried, and has failed, many times before. So you wonder, if that is the case, then why would we implement something with a failed track record? I, along with many others, am beginning to believe that it was never intended to work—​that the silent objective was to slowly starve state government and use the complaints about government not delivering to cut government even more. There is no discussion from the far right Republican leadership in Topeka about corrective action being on the table. They are getting what I fear they wanted.

The March $17 million cut to public higher education in Kansas was tied directly to the February decline in revenue of about 50 million dollars. We now have less than four months to go in the 2016 fiscal year, meaning with each passing month there is less and less time to make adjustments to end the year in the black. As I mention in a previous blog post, the period after a major tax policy change is typically a challenging time to accurately predict revenue. So (as Duane Goossen of the Kansas Center for Economic Growth accurately points out), rather than blaming the Consensus Revenue Estimators, one must look at the tax policy itself and ask the following questions: What if there are further declines in revenue? What about the next fiscal year? When is the leadership in Topeka going to be honest with the people of Kansas, accept responsibility for making mistakes, and start us on the road back towards sanity?
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These monthly financial shortfalls will likely continue, forcing more and more cuts to public education. And why do I say that? Financial management of the budget in recent years has ignored the value of following the law and having a reasonable surplus to deal with monthly declines in revenue that happen, even in good times. If the current administration had followed the law on carry-over, there would be no immediate crisis from declining February receipts. We would have budgeted something in the neighborhood of $750 million for such a purpose, and the $50 million decline would not have made headlines—​let alone resulted in the robbing of our state’s future in order to pay for the same old mistakes of the past.

In 1922, journalist and famous Kansan William Allen White said, “When anything is going to happen in this country, it happens first in Kansas.” The examples he used were abolition, prohibition, and populism.

A contemporary example of something that’s happened first in Kansas would be the full implementation of the Arthur Laffer Trickle Down economic theory that many believe has never worked and never will.

So what would William Allen White say today?
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Well, for the benefit of the entire country, Kansas is clearly demonstrating it doesn’t work and it is to the point that other states have already taken notice and are taking steps to avoid the financial mess we’re experiencing.

Despite Kansas having a long, bipartisan history of properly supporting public schools and building and taking care of our infrastructure, we got sucked into the Laffer theory. Turning this ship around will not be easy and the longer we wait, the harder it will be and the more damage will have been inflicted. Key will be how long it will take for voters to be willing to vote incumbents—​not all, just those who supported this change—​out of office. And that will depend upon voters feeling the pain and turning it into action by speaking up and turning out the vote for candidates willing to help lead us back to sanity.

But let’s be perfectly clear, electing candidates for a return to sanity will not be easy. There are powerful forces with lots of money in support of those who have gotten us into this mess. In addition, a very aggressive State Chamber of Commerce will have no reluctance to use any tactics that will bring their desired results. That is why our candidates for sanity will need all of our help.

I will have more to say on how we can build and strengthen this coalition in future blog posts, but perhaps the next thing to “happen first in Kansas” will be the birth of a better politics focused on compromise and unity among a broad, sane middle who stand together to support what’s in the best interest of the state.

Kansas Day 2017 Update:
In 2016, I shared this blog post about the next story to "happen first in Kansas." I wrote about the birth of a new politics based on sanity, civility, and the ability to compromise for the best interests of the people. As a result of the 2016 elections and the engagement of citizens statewide, Kansas may indeed be writing that new story as we speak. This time, we have the opportunity to build a model for the rest of the country, as we work to raise critical thinking and engagement around the recent actions coming from the White House. According to the designers of the "Kansas experiment," they're looking forward to the implementation of this playbook in Washington, D.C. So, as we celebrate our founding as the 34th state, let us continue to build on this "Kansas model" of both activism and civility, which can help lead change for the benefit of all 50 states. Then we can truly say, "it happened first in Kansas."

In state capitols across the country, legislatures are gathering to do the states’ business, or at least that is what one would assume would be their charge. And in most cases, if not all, the Governor will deliver an annual State of the State speech and then, shortly thereafter, release budget proposals for current and coming fiscal years—which will dominate much of the legislative session. For Kansas, that means this Tuesday we will hear from Governor Brownback and how he views where Kansas is as a state.

Having listened to eight in the House chamber (as a Representative and a Speaker of the House) and delivered eight State of the State messages as Governor, I have memories good and bad from those experiences. In Kansas, back in the 70’s and 80’s, it was for the most part a formal occasion. In contrast to what we all watch today on the State of the Union and what happens now in state capitols with strictly partisan reactions, state legislators back then listened with minimal breaks for applause. I made no attempt to encourage applause. In fact, to the best of my memory, I gave all eight without any interruption. Now some might say the content and/or the delivery led to that, but I want to believe it was due more to the political culture of civility at the time—which made for an ideal environment to introduce the priorities for the upcoming session to both the legislature and the people of Kansas who were watching or listening at home.

Recently in Kansas, unfortunately, there has been no real opportunity for quality communication between the public and the Governor. Come Tuesday night, what we hear will not be a product of dialogue with the citizens of Kansas, of their concerns and hopes for the future. Instead, for the most part, the message has been constructed with legislators and interest groups of like mind and behind closed doors, in order to ensure that there will be enough votes to ram the agenda through with little or no discussion with the people of Kansas. None of it was a product of a campaign debate across the state or the Governor going to the people to listen or bring forward a plan for change and receive feedback. I fear the entire exchange comes across to many viewers as just “politics as usual” and a missed opportunity to successfully communicate the executive’s plan for the coming year to the citizens, who would then be in a better position to play their important role in the debates that follow.
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So, if consistent with the past five messages, Tuesday night we will get some nice partisan applause lines, a commitment to stay the course with little detail as to how, and probably more blaming of President Obama for the lack of “adrenaline” in the Kansas economy. Now, it is not realistic to expect a lot of details in one speech. But it would be nice to hear some core messages that link with reality and, ideally, are a product of some citizen input and support—rather than just support from the paid lobbyists of special interests who too often get their way in Topeka.

One week from today, fiscal year 2015 for the federal government comes to a close, and without some action by the Congress to extend funding, the government will close with it. We know from experience that a few very basic services can and will be continued, at least for a short period of time, but the bulk of government will come to a standstill. Politically, in the short term, it is hard to read. What we do know is a small group in the House threatens funding a budget for 2016 over the issue of Planned Parenthood, something I will discuss more in future blog and social media posts. If they succeed, their victory will very likely be short lived. What really needs the public’s attention is the budget itself on key issues like more funding for research and infrastructure.

Again, I raise the issue of infrastructure needs where in Washington they keep kicking the can down the road, delaying further action needed to properly fund transportation. This is an area going back to President Lincoln, where at least some understood that many major infrastructure projects would only happen with federal leadership and money. For Lincoln, it was the transcontinental railroad connecting east and west and significantly enhancing commerce. For President Eisenhower, it was the highway needs which led to the interstate highway system and one of his major achievements. These major initiatives only made good sense when looked at in the bigger picture with Federal support.

But even if you want to look at projects that could be built within one state, coming up with the money—that is, raising the taxes to do so—all too often is politically impossible. In this case, I’m not just talking about the just say ‘no’ crowd. I’m talking about tax policy that can't ignore what surrounding states impose. Get the sales tax above the competition and you know where at least some are going to buy a new car or with the gas tax, if they live close to a border, where one would fill up. It’s another reason why federal leadership and funding is so important when it comes to infrastructure in particular.

Then from the local officials’ point of view, it is not just the issue of under-funding basic programs like infrastructure at both the state and federal level. In Kansas, we have had the Kansas Department of Transportation resources used by the legislature and the Governor to fill holes created by the tax cut of 2012. With winter coming and local potholes not fixed, be careful about attacking your local officials. The fault likely falls on those above, through short-sighted policy from the state and federal levels. With this irresponsible environment, it is truly amazing we have so many wonderful people serving in local government.

The 2015 Kansas legislative session is finally over and legislators have gone home. What a spectacle it has been. For better or worse, there appears to be a funding strategy that meets our constitutional requirement that there is money available to pay the bills authorized. That is the good news, I guess. What I find ironic is that this Legislature passed the largest tax increase in Kansas history to protect the elimination of income tax for some 330,000 LLC owners that they passed three years ago. What I find heartbreaking is that our state of Kansas now has what I consider an unfair tax structure that puts a disproportionate burden on everyone else. What I fear is that in their struggles, the Legislature has just kicked the can down the road. They will likely be back next year and in succeeding years with many of the same issues of revenue and budgeting on the agenda with similar debates to follow.

One thing for sure that is needed now is for the public to more aggressively get involved in a discussion of the issues, the impacts, and most importantly, how they would like to see things done in the future. It is the obvious time to weigh in, both from the point of view of the time available now before next January and the next session and also before the 2016 elections. That election could be a really important one for setting the direction on public policy for years to come. You have the results of recent major changes versus an earlier time of significant contrast for the state to choose which direction to go.

What would be a really nice change is if our citizens, in learning, thinking, and talking about the issues, had impact on candidates and election results instead of millions of dollars, twisted messages, and downright lies in the closing two weeks of a campaign deciding our future. The answer will be in how we the people respond.