House District 85 Republican primary for Bel Aire, Kechi and parts of northeast Wichita
Patrick Penn of Wichita is trying to unseat first-term legislator Michael Capps in the Republican primary for the 85th House District seat. The winner will face Democrat Marcey Gregory in November. The 85th district includes the city of Benton in Butler County and parts of Bel Aire, Kechi and northeast Wichita in Sedgwick County.
Michael Capps
Age: 42
Education: I was raised in Valley Center as a lifelong Kansan, graduating from Valley Center High School. While serving in the Air Force, I attended the Community College of the Air Force and completed my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Capella University in Minneapolis, MN.
Occupation: Mergers and Acquisitions Broker with VR Business Brokers of the Heartland
Political and civic experience: Throughout my life, I have volunteered with the Boy Scouts and Civil Air Patrol. More recently, I started driving for Meals on Wheels to support our senior citizens. I am an active member of Christ Church, where my son and I attend regularly. As the current State Representative, I helped lead efforts to pass the “Value Them Both” amendment, authored and introduced the Girls Athletic Protection Act and the National Motto Act, restoring “In God We Trust” in our public schools. I voted against a taxpayer bailout of public schools when they closed and I continue to challenging the governor’s unconstitutional executive orders.
Endorsements: The only candidate endorsed by Kansas Republican Assembly, the “Republican Wing” of the Republican Party. The only candidate endorsed by the Kansas Coalition for Life. The only candidate with an A+ Rating from Americans for Prosperity. The only candidate with an A Rating from the National Rifle Association. The only candidate awarded the Award for Outstanding Conservatism by the American Conservative Union.
Contact information: By phone at 316-512-8890, through email at cappsm@cappsforkansas.com or through Facebook Messenger at fb.com/RepMikeCapps
1. What will be your top priorities as a Kansas legislator?
Promoting business growth to restore the financial security of all Kansans, while attracting quality businesses to our state for future growth and security. Creating new jobs and supporting our small business owners. Providing Kansas children with a choice in their education - insuring taxpayer dollars follow the child, not the school. Parents should have a say in where their children go to school, not held hostage by an underperforming school. Finally, reigning in the out of control power grab the governor continues to promote through violating the rights and liberties of Kansans.
2. The state government will likely be facing budget shortfalls. Specify what taxes you would support raising and/or what cuts you would support to address this problem.
Cut spending, reduce tax burdens. Our state faces more than a $1.4 billion budget shortfall. Governor Kelly is already looking at how to fill this shortfall on the backs of hardworking Kansans - higher sales, property and income taxes to name a few. Instead, I intend to join other conservatives in the legislature to force spending cuts. K-12 has more than $1 billion in “rainy day funds” in addition to K-12 budget cuts that can be made due to the schools starting late and modifying their classroom attendance - fewer buses, less cafeteria meals, less electricity - less money needed in the budget.
3. Do you support or oppose expansion of the state’s KanCare Medicaid program? Explain.
I oppose Medicaid Expansion. Instead of continuing to create dependency with a broken and dysfunctional system, I propose we provide solutions to increase access to high-quality and affordable healthcare options for all of Kansas. Community Healthcare Clinics throughout Kansas do an amazing job of supporting our underinsured populations while providing better quality healthcare at a fraction of Medicaid’s cost. Kansans need to be in control of their healthcare, not dependent on bread crumbs from the government.
4. Do you believe any changes should be made to better protect the rights of minority citizens? If so, what?
The rights of all Kansans must be protected. Every Kansan has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Reducing the size of the government, reducing government spending, eliminating burdensome regulations and protecting individual rights and liberties brings equality to all of Kansas.
5. Should the Covid-19 pandemic flare up again, or another dangerous disease surface in Kansas, who should be in charge of the state’s response to disease control and containment? What measures would you support or oppose?
The Kansas Legislature is tasked with passing laws - to include how to handle a crisis and what powers the governor should have. It is the legislature’s responsibility to act, not defer its authority to lead our state during a crisis. The government has no business limiting the free market of our business community, restricting the free movement of Kansas citizens or limiting citizens’ right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
6. Do you support or oppose efforts to place a constitutional amendment before Kansas voters to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling that says the Kansas Constitution supports a woman’s right to choose to terminate her pregnancy?
The government is created by the people and for the people. To ever believe the people of Kansas should not be allowed to vote, as a state, on a critical issue is an insult to the citizens. I fully support placing the ‘Value Them Both’ amendment before the people of Kansas to decide. Any legislator who would interfere with the right of Kansas citizens to decide their fate, has failed to uphold their oath of office. I was proud to support the ‘Value Them Both’ amendment in 2020 and I look forward to supporting it again in 2021.
7. Why should voters chose you over your opponents?
Voters want a legislator loyal to the voter, not the Topeka Swamp — a reputation I have demonstrated and earned. Talk is cheap. I have a proven voting record of defending life, promoting the 2nd Amendment, protecting personal rights and liberties and supporting our business community against special interest groups and a tyrannical governor determined to destroy our Kansas economy. As a recipient of the Award for Conservative Excellence, my voting record is tried, true and well proven. I am the only proven Pro-life, Pro-gun and Pro-business candidate in the race - with a voting record to prove it.
Patrick Penn
Age: 41
Education: Bachelor of Science (Sociology / Criminology) - Colorado State University-Pueblo, 2005; Master of Science (Applied Information Technology) - George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering, 2013
Occupation: Educator
Political and civic experience: Political experience includes active member of the Kansas Republican Party (KSGOP), the Kansas Black Republican Council (KBRC), the Sedgwick County Republican Party (SCRP), the Sedgwick County Black Republican Council (SCBRC), the Sedgwick County Young Republicans (SCYR), and Graduate of the Republican Men’s Leadership Series (MLS). Civic experiences includes Volunteer Bible Teacher for AWANAS Program, Upward Basketball, Young Marrieds Sunday School, K-5 Youth Church, all at Central Christian Church; Wichita Branch NAACP; Wichita’s Eta Beta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated
Endorsements: U.S. Congressman Ron Estes, former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer, Former 85th House District Representative Steve Brunk, Former 85th House District Representative Chuck Weber, Kansans For Life PAC, Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, Kansas State Rifle Association, Kansas Chamber of Commerce PAC, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce PAC, Republican National Hispanic Assembly, Kansas Black Republican Council, Sedgwick County Black Republican Council, Republican National Hispanic Assembly Kansas and Sedgwick County
Contact information: email: pat@patrickpenn.com; www.facebook.com/patrickpennks
1. What will be your top priorities as a Kansas legislator?
I will represent the will of the voters of the 85th House District by working to establish, maintain, and safeguard a culture of life in Kansas, where we protect life from conception until natural death. Initially, that means promoting the “Value Them Both” constitutional amendment, in support of which I have proudly marched, as well as both physically stood and supplied written testimony, during joint hearings Under the Dome.
Changing the Supreme Court selection process to mirror our federal model, where Kansas would have the Governor appoint a potential Justice and the Senate conducts the confirmation. Voters agree with me that such a reform will provide citizens with some much-needed consent and accountability that does not currently exist for a very powerful and impactful Kansas Supreme Court.
Protecting religious liberties, which are under attack in our state and across the country. The First Amendment must not be nullified. If all sides agree encroachment and abrogation is not happening, then it should be easy to pass confirming legislation with overwhelming bipartisanship. People of faith need to be confident that their government will protect and support, in unfettered fashion, their right to practice their deeply held religious beliefs.
Initiating a mechanism to control state spending, capping spending at the rate of inflation or a percentage of population growth. That will move the state to “priority based budgeting” instead of the current “add on budgeting” process. The result will fund necessary programs only, making state government more efficient.
Stabilizing our taxing process. That goes hand in hand with controlling state spending. The result will be a boom in businesses investing in jobs, equipment, and innovation. Government does not pick winners and losers in industry, but it does have the function of working with business to create and encourage an economic environment where talent is attracted, developed, and retained in our Kansan communities. Therefore, a stabilization in our tax process would undoubtedly slow or stop the “brain drain” in Kansas. Our families and neighbors across the 85th District in Sedgwick and Butler Counties are hard-working, resilient, determined and honest. We know what it takes to build and sustain a great Kansan future for our kids. Jobs, jobs, jobs!
We invest heavily in our children and want them to have opportunities in Kansas to grow and thrive. As a father of four young children, I am very attuned to the importance of education in our kids’ lives and futures. I will prioritize focusing educational policies on students, families and teachers with a particular emphasis on early childhood learning. Quality educational opportunities should be based on individual needs, not zip codes.
2. The state government will likely be facing budget shortfalls. Specify what taxes you would support raising and/or what cuts you would support to address this problem.
That’s a false choice.
Job one is to properly fund the already-established rainy day fund that can only be accessed when there is a legitimate budget shortfall. That accountability and resourcing will eliminate emergency tax increases
and emergency spending cuts, enabling Kansas to weather any economic storm.
Most households going through the current tough economic battlefield have a common sight-picture: we must live within our means (see control spending above). Accordingly, taxpayers have tightened their belts. Government must now do the same.
What good sense does it make to raise taxes on Kansans that are temporarily unemployed or underemployed? To what ends would those taxes go once levied? For sake of our students and our communities, let’s have a conversation that adds more light to the discussion than heat. It is time to look at the state budget with courage, be efficient, and implement an administrative merger in public education. We are top heavy in administration, and the estimated savings can go directly into the classroom, where they rightly belong.
3. Do you support or oppose expansion of the state’s KanCare Medicaid program? Explain.
No expansion of this government entitlement program is necessary, nor is it affordable. Expanding Medicaid will hurt the very people it was originally designed to help: vulnerable Kansas populations like the elderly, intellectually disabled and pregnant mothers. Expansion will flood the healthcare marketplace with tens of thousands of single, able-bodied people, creating a “crowd out” effect, where current patients may well lose their provider. The best way to help people not be on government support is to provide excellence in our academic and technological training and promote a regulatory environment that encourages continual generation of small business starts and provides jobs, Jobs, JOBS. A good job eliminates the need to be on Medicaid. We must protect the current Medicaid system for those who legitimately need help.
4. Do you believe any changes should be made to better protect the rights of minority citizens? If so, what?
Our laws and the enforcement of those laws must be applied equally to all citizens, regardless of their position, status, or race. Kansans are good and gracious people and believe in second chances and equal enforcement of the law.
5. Should the Covid-19 pandemic flare up again, or another dangerous disease surface in Kansas, who should be in charge of the state’s response to disease control and containment? What measures would you support or oppose?
Certainly the Kansas Health Department would play a leading advisory role. After some maneuvering, it appears that the Governor and Legislative leaders have settled into a reasonable, joint-authority working environment. Additionally, it is important to allow counties and cities to have input. Rural and urban counties can’t always be forced into a “one size fits all” solution. In this circumstance, local control is the best control.
6. Do you support or oppose efforts to place a constitutional amendment before Kansas voters to overturn a state Supreme Court ruling that says the Kansas Constitution supports a woman’s right to choose to terminate her pregnancy?
The radical overreach of the State Supreme Court means Kansas now has some of the most extreme abortions laws in the country —nearly identical to states like New York and California. For all intents and purposes, Kansas now allows unlimited abortion on demand for virtually any reason – even in the face of the COVID-19 epidemic that ground everything else to a halt and had the Government repeatedly fighting in court to maintain a shut down of Kansans’ places of worship. This is a violation of human rights. Additionally, Without the Value Them Both state constitutional amendment, Kansas taxpayers will almost certainly be soon paying for abortions! “Terminating a pregnancy’ is a euphemism for killing an unborn child. As a Black man, husband, father, and retired military officer, and leader in my community, I say we must value all human life equally. So yes, I strongly support the “Value Them Both” constitutional amendment to protect life.
7. Why should voters chose you over your opponents?
From the early 90’s until mid-2018, conservative individuals with unquestioned character and honesty have represented our conservative 85th District. We must restore common decency and integrity to the 85th. The ongoing pattern of documented misconduct and unethical practices perpetrated by my opponent are too numerous to mention here. The never-ending scandals surrounding the current office holder are unhealthy and distracting. All this deprives voters of an effective voice in Topeka. Our citizens deserve better. I promise to end the self-centered dysfunctional drama and work for the people, not my individual interests.
As a husband, father of four children and decorated veteran, I have led a life committed to our shared values of Faith, Family, and Service. I am the conservative Republican leader who is Trusted by both leadership and colleagues, Respected by our neighbors and business leaders in the community, and Able to not only initiate, but also successfully carry to completion, legislative bills for the interests of my constituents.
In governance, like most arenas, integrity is crucial and honor is invaluable. Integrity builds teams. Honor sustains them. In my work for over 20 years in the Active Duty Army, as well as in Wichita’s aircraft industry, I have always employed both. I humbly ask the voters of the Kansan 85th House District for the distinct privilege and opportunity to fight, as their next State Representative, for their families with integrity, honor, and a servant’s heart.
This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 2:00 PM.