WATCH: The Post’s candidate forum for 2 Kansas House districts in Leawood, OP and Prairie Village

Candidates vying for two Kansas House districts covering portions of northeastern Johnson County participated in a forum hosted by the Johnson County Post Tuesday night.

The Post is hosting more than a dozen separate forums for Kansas Statehouse districts in Johnson County ahead of the Nov. 5 general election.

Tuesday’s forum was hosted at the new Merriam Plaza Library in Merriam.

The two districts covered in this forum were:

• House District 19, covering portions of Leawood, Overland Park and Prairie Village,
• and House District 20, covering portions of Leawood and Overland Park.

Who’s running?

House District 19

• Democratic incumbent Rep. Stephanie Clayton
• Mark Hermes, who is active in local Republican Party politics and writing legislation

House District 20

• Energy executive Jerry Charlton, a Republican.
• Democratic incumbent Rep. Mari-Lynn Poskin

How to watch the Post’s forum

The Post livestreamed Tuesday’s event on our Facebook page, and a recording of the forum is embedded below.

Following the embedded video are the questions each candidate answered during the forum.

Timestamps are included in bold at the end of each question to help you navigate through the forum video if you’d like to jump around.

Questions and timestamps

1.  Opening statements [1:26]
2. Biggest priorities for your district: We are holding forums for dozens of statehouse districts this fall. What do you see as the biggest priority or need from residents in your district? [6:54]

   

3. Taxes: Earlier this summer, lawmakers passed and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law a tax cut package that slashes roughly $2.4 billion in property and income taxes over the next three years. The law reduces state income tax brackets from three tiers to two and eliminates the state tax on Social Security benefits, among other things. Still, taxes — particularly, residential property taxes driven by still-rising valuations — remains a much-asked-about issue by our readers. Are there any other tax cuts or tax relief policies you’d like to see the legislature pursue next year? In particular, is there anything the state can or should do regarding local property taxes? [12:58]
4. School vouchers: In recent years, Kansas lawmakers have debated measures that would, in some way or another, allow taxpayer funds to go to students and families NOT enrolled in public schools, including a proposed voucher program and tax credits for families in private and parochial schools. Such measures could come up again next year. If elected, would you support measures that would allow the use of taxpayers dollars to go to individuals enrolled in private or religious schools? Why or why not? [19:20]

   

5. Medicaid expansion (from the audience): Do you support Medicaid expansion? [24:31]
6. Abortion: Two years ago, Kansas voters rejected a proposed amendment that would have explicitly stripped the right to abortion from the state constitution. It was seen as a major victory for abortion rights supporters. But debate about abortion has not stopped. In the two years since, Kansas lawmakers have debated dozens of bills seeking in some way to limit or impact abortion procedures in Kansas, and it’s widely expected that such measures will continue to come up next year. Do you support any new restrictions on abortion… or laws in any way governing the procedure? Why or why not? [30:22]
7. Biggest difference with opponent (from the audience): What do you see as the biggest difference between you and your opponent? Why are you running? [39:45]

   

8. Guns: This question directly from a reader. “In Kansas, the rate of gun deaths increased 32% from 2012 to 2021 and the rate of gun suicides increased 14% and gun homicides increased 102%.” That’s data from the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. This reader goes on, “It is evident that we need to do something in Kansas to curb these growing numbers.” Is there any piece of gun-related legislation you would support that you think would reduce gun deaths and injuries in Kansas? Why or why not? [45:05]

   

9. Voting and election integrity: Elections in recent years in Kansas, as well as in Johnson County, have gone off without a hitch, according to both state and local election officials. That may be why many readers express bewilderment and even umbrage at the continued suggestion that problems with local elections are possibly leading to widespread voter fraud, miscounts or other issues impacting the final results. Many readers still seem to take candidates’ views on election integrity as a litmus test of sorts. Do you trust Kansas election systems and, if elected, would you seek to put any new limits or rules around voting in Kansas? [52:20]