Each week during the 2024 Kansas legislative session, we will provide Johnson County lawmakers the opportunity to share their thoughts about what is happening in the state capitol.
Below is a submission from Democratic Rep. Nikki McDonald, who represents House District 49 covering parts of Olathe and Overland Park.
Democratic Sen. Dinah Sykes of Lenexa and Republican Rep. Chris Croft of Overland Park both submitted columns earlier this week.
The views expressed in each Capitol Update are solely those of the lawmaker.
I’d like to thank the Johnson County Post for giving me the chance to formally introduce myself. My name is Nikki McDonald, and I am the newest member of the Kansas House of Representatives, having been elected by precinct leaders to fill a vacancy in the seat of Kansas House District 49, which encompasses portions of southern Overland Park and Olathe.
I was officially sworn in on December 20, 2023.
My husband and I have been Olathe residents for 20 years and have raised our children here. We chose to live in Olathe because of the excellent public schools. I have a background in teaching, but I’ve spent recent years raising our children and advocating for local public schools.
My why
While I might be new to being an elected official, I am not new to local politics. Since 2016, I’ve volunteered as a community organizer and have closely followed the news on Kansas’ chronic underfunding of our public schools since the Brownback years.
In 2017, I founded OPEN: Olathe Public Education Network alongside other parents in the Olathe School District. Our work has centered on increasing awareness of issues pertaining to our public schools and submitting nonpartisan testimony to impact education policy in Topeka.
As a former public school teacher, I know how stressful and difficult the job can be. In Johnson County, our schools are a source of pride and a major asset to the community. It is imperative that we prioritize the education of our children.
In my experience, the best way to impact policy is to actively participate in the discussion — and that’s what I’m continuing to focus on now in this new role. I am committed to putting the voices of parents and teachers back into education policy.
While I never anticipated serving as an elected official, I’ve enjoyed having a seat at the table where I can be a voice for my community. With this goal in mind, I am honored to say I will soon file to run for re-election this fall.
My work on the K-12 Education Budget Committee
Many who serve on the Kansas House K-12 Education Budget Committee have backgrounds in teaching and/or serving on school boards — including me. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching Degree with a specialization in Early Childhood Development.
My teaching career included five years in the public education system in Arkansas and two years at Fairview Elementary in the Olathe School District teaching English Language Learners before having my two sons — both of whom currently attend Olathe Northwest High School.
The educational topics that I focus on the most are literacy, English Language Learners, mental health and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math). My decades of involvement in public schools have been great preparation for serving in the Kansas Legislature and on this particular committee.
Everyone knows that a budget is a reflection of priorities. I have made it one of my top priorities to make sure special education is fully funded in Kansas. In the coming weeks, our committee will begin working on bills to finalize our education budget. You can count on me to be an effective voice advocating for our amazing Johnson County schools.
My work on the Legislative Modernization Committee
Throughout this session, the House Legislative Modernization Committee has largely focused on cybersecurity. With hacking becoming an increasing threat to our daily lives, the Kansas Legislature has done a deep dive into the issue and is developing plans to strengthen and streamline governmental security systems across the state. L
earning about this issue has been a fascinating experience, and I expect the Appropriations Committee will work to address the funding needs as we consult with our security experts to develop an efficient plan to protect sensitive information.
My work on the Health and Human Services Committee
The House Health and Human Services Committee is my busiest committee by far.
We have passed several bills that I am extremely proud of, such as a bill to expand the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) Program across Kansas. We also passed a bill that would allow school nurses and personnel to have on hand emergency medications such as epi pens without prescriptions, as well as bills to create interstate compacts for licensure of dentists, dental hygienists and social workers.
I have, however, been very disheartened to see recent bills that would negatively impact youth with gender dysphoria by denying them medically necessary care. Additionally, the committee has introduced even more bills related to abortion. Kansans used their voices and spoke out clearly against the so-called “Value Them Both” constitutional amendment in 2022, yet many legislators in Topeka have still not received that message.
I am firmly opposed to any legislation that degrades the trusting relationship a patient has with their medical provider. Elected officials have no place in these conversations.
Looking Forward
With Governor Kelly’s veto of the regressive flat tax bill, my colleagues and I are rolling up our sleeves and are committed to crafting legislation that focuses on truly impactful tax relief for hard-working Kansans.
Clean bills that specifically address areas like cutting property and social security taxes would be ideal. It’s incumbent upon us as legislators to craft a budget that fully funds our public schools and my insistence on special education funding is not negotiable.
Additionally, I’m cautiously hopeful that we may get a long-overdue hearing on Medicaid expansion soon.
In the coming weeks, I will file to run for re-election, and am looking forward to having conversations in our community about our shared values.
To learn more about my priorities and my campaign, find me on Facebook.
