State representatives discuss legislative issues

Education funding and Medicaid expansion were among the topics discussed Saturday during the first in a series of legislative updates organized by the Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce.

State Reps. John Bradford, R-Lansing, and Tony Barton, R-Leavenworth, answered questions related to this year's legislative session in Topeka, which began in January.

Bradford, who represents the 40th District in the Kansas House of Representatives, said between 100 and 150 bills have been submitted this year in the Kansas House and and Senate.

Another topic discussed Saturday was the idea of moving the date of local school board and city elections.

Currently, school board and municipal elections occur in April of odd-numbered years.

Bradford said some people wanted to combine the local elections with elections conducted during even-numbered years.

But Bradford said this would result in lengthy ballots.

"It would have been unmanageable," he said.

He said there since has been a push to move the school board and city elections to November of odd-numbered years.

Bradford said he believes the low voter turnout typically seen during local spring elections is "not expressing the will of the people."

Bradford said a bill that already has passed in the Senate likely will pass in the House as well. This would move the local non-partisan elections to November of odd-numbered years.

Leavenworth City Manager Scott Miller said he's been informed the legislation would give individual cities the option of making local elections partisan.

Bradford said he supports keeping the local elections non-partisan, but he said they probably will become partisan about five years down the road.

Barton, who is in his first year representing the 41st House District, said he supports the positions of local city and school board officials, who have objected to changing the elections.

Barton also agreed that the local elections probably will become partisan at some point.

"There's a push for that to happen," he said.

Barton said he and Bradford will continue to raise their voices against making the elections partisan.

Bradford said the push to make the elections partisan comes primarily from the office of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and the state Republican Party.

Watch for more about Saturday's legislative update in the Leavenworth Times.