Two Wichita lawmakers to leave Legislature; Landwehr to seek House seat

Former state Rep. Brenda Landwehr announced her candidacy for the Kansas House on Wednesday.

The Wichita Republican served in the House from 1995 through 2012. Landwehr plans to run for the District 105 seat now held by Rep. Mark Hutton, R-Wichita, a critic of Gov. Sam Brownback.

The district covers part of west Wichita and the township of Delano. Landwehr previously represented District 91, which sits directly north.

Landwehr said her focus in the Legislature would be job creation and increasing take-home pay for Kansans. She blamed the state’s fiscal woes on oversized government.

“Kansas government has been growing three times faster than Kansans’ wages,” she said in a statement. “It is past time to start reversing this imbalance!”

Hutton said he will not seek re-election. Asked whether that was due to his frustration with the governor’s fiscal policies, Hutton replied, “No, it’s just time.”

Hutton, who owns a construction firm, has served two terms in the House and is chairman of the House Commerce Committee.

Rep. Dennis Hedke, R-Wichita, who represents House District 99, also announced Wednesday he plans to leave the Legislature after this session. Hedke’s district covers part of east Wichita and Andover.

Hedke, a geologist, has served in the Legislature since 2011 and is chairman of the House Energy and Environment Committee.

“I will remain engaged in politics and hope to constructively contribute to policy-making in the future, especially as it relates to energy, environmental, education and fiscal policies,” he said in a statement.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 10:31 AM with the headline "Two Wichita lawmakers to leave Legislature; Landwehr to seek House seat."