RECORD OF SUCCESS FIGHTING FOR OVERLAND PARK & LEAWOOD
Reducing Taxes
- Passed historic tax relief that reduces property taxes and income taxes and eliminates state taxes on groceries and Social Security benefits
- Ended automatic property tax increases by requiring notifications and a public vote by local taxing entities
- Reformed tax law to allow Kansans to take itemized deductions on state returns even if they take standard deduction on federal returns
Supporting Our Students & Teachers
- Fully funded our schools while increasing opportunities for our kids to succeed
- Updated funding calculations to ensure growing districts like Blue Valley receive the right level of funding
- Provided individual income tax credit for Kansas teachers who purchase classroom supplies out of their own pockets
- Created Promise Scholarships to support community college education and keep graduates in Kansas
Demanding Fiscal Responsibility
- Paid off debt and shored up our teachers' (state employees) retirement fund, saving millions in future interest payments
- Prioritized state spending and limited government growth, which has resulted in balanced budgets and a sizable rainy-day fund for emergencies or economic downturns
Keeping Our Communities Safe
- Supported law enforcement with the tools they need and increased penalties for violent crime
- Protected women from sexual extortion and closed loopholes to prevent stalking
- Took action to reduce deadly fentanyl overdoses
- Enacted common-sense laws to protect our kids from harmful pornographic content online
- Banned human smuggling and stopped sanctuary cities
Improving Health Care Access
- Enhanced Medicaid for those most in need by reducing waitlists and increasing reimbursement rates
- Made health insurance more flexible to cover gaps between employment
- Increased access to telemedicine
- Increased availability of qualified practitioners by standardizing license requirements between states
- Created 988 hotline to help prevent suicide
- Revolutionized our community mental health system
Keeping Utilities Accountable and Lowering Costs
- Saved ratepayers $11 million initially and $2 million a year going forward by limiting electric utility expenditures
- Protected property owners by limiting use of eminent domain
- Saved consumers money by exempting streaming services from local franchise taxes
- Restructured 911 operations to improve oversight and reliability
