Restoring Our Economy

Kansas Senate Democrats put the state budget on solid footing for taxpayers and the economy with real, sustainable solutions. As a result, Kansas has been able to cope with the latest public health crisis much better than we would have during the previous administration. There is still more work to be done.

Years of devastating policies created a significant imbalance between the three sources of state and local tax revenue, which has consequently increased the burden on average, hardworking Kansans.

As Democrats, we pledge to continue fighting for a fair and balanced tax system that provides much needed relief to hardworking Kansas families and Kansans living on fixed incomes.

Ensuring Access to Quality Healthcare

Kansas Senate Democrats understand that a healthier, more productive workforce will help our state economy grow. That’s why we unequivocally support expanding Medicaid.

Expanding Medicaid is not only the right thing to do – it's economically savvy. We've lost over $4.5 billion to surrounding states who are taking care of their residents. If we don't expand Medicaid, we will forgo over $10 billion in economic output over the next five years. And businesses look at this when deciding where to locat. To bring more jobs to our state, we ned to be competitive with our neighboring states like Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Missouri. We need to show relocating businesses we have a strong, healthy, sustainable workforce.

15,000 more Kansans have fallen in the Medicaid expansion coverage gap since the pandemic hit. That means a total of 165,000 Kansans now need coverage to continue to access affordable healthcare. Staying healthy makes it easier for Kansans to get back to work and stay at work.

Kansas Senate Democrats also remain committed to ensuring Kansans with pre-existing conditions still have access to affordable, quality healthcare. They also support maintaining critical investments in mental healthcare and substance abuse treatment programs; legalizing medicinal marijuana; expanding telehealth programs and recruiting healthcare staff in rural communities; reducing the cost of prescription medications; and ending surprise medical billing.

Investing in Education

Sam Brownback may be gone, but his extreme Republican allies remain in the Kansas Legislature. It wasn’t that long ago that they supported deep cuts to the budgets of K-12 schools. On their watch, class sizes increased, quality teachers were let go, and test scores dropped. Kansas Senate Democrats understand that Kansas cannot go backwards.

As Democrats, we understand that the economic prosperity of our children, our communities, and our state depends on quality schools with educators who have successfully completed teacher education programs and are licensed through the Kansas Department of Education.

Investing in education at all levels – early childhood, K-12, and higher learning, including trade and technical education – has been, and always will be, a top priority of Kansas Senate Democrats. All Kansas children deserve a 21st century education, regardless of their economic background or geographical location in Kansas.

Attracting Good Paying Jobs

When Kansas Senate Democrats voted to repeal the Brownback tax experiment, they knew it would be a long road to recovery. They want to keep working to move Kansas along the right track to create good-paying jobs and encourage the development of STEM industries in our state, as well as strengthen our existing industries, including agriculture, aviation, bio-science, manufacturing, oil & gas, and clean energy. Only then can our state build a strong economy that every Kansas family may benefit from.

Promoting Good Government

Good government and transparency are the very foundation of our democracy – it’s how trust is built with Kansans. Far too often in recent years this trust has been broken and abused.

Having an open and transparent government is absolutely critical to all the work done in the Capitol on behalf of Kansans.

Kansas Senate Democrats are committed to taking the steps to ensure that as challenges like the budget, schools, and so many more are addressed, they are done in an open way that gives Kansans the opportunity to observe or participate in their government. It is their right.

Returning our state government to the people is at the very core of our values as Democrats. More importantly, it’s at the very core of who we are as Kansans.