Scapa, Sloop face off again in 88th District

The House race in District 88 in southeast Wichita will be a rematch between former Rep. Joseph Scapa and Rep. Pat Sloop.

Sloop, a Democrat, unseated Scapa, a Republican, in 2012 after the district was redrawn. Sloop won with 53 percent of the vote.

Scapa, a real estate agent, describes himself as a “common sense conservative.”

A former social worker, Sloop said she is “socially progressive and fiscally responsible with common sense.”

They have differing views on the role of government.

“I see government having a limited role like the Founding Fathers set it up to be,” Scapa said.

Sloop said, “Government has a role in providing ways for people to have opportunities.”

They stand on opposite sides of the state’s renewable energy mandate, which requires major utilities to obtain a percentage of their power from renewable sources. In Kansas, that usually means wind.

Scapa opposes the law; Sloop supports it.

Scapa’s priorities

Scapa, a 40-year-old father of three young children, said he wants to continue the fight that led him to run the first time in 2010.

“If we don’t make some changes in our state and in our country,” he said, “my children aren’t going to have the same world to grow up in that I did.

“It’s a different world for them. But rather than continue to be upset and frustrated, I decided to take action to see what I could do about it.”

Cutting business regulations, expanding choices for education and making the state budget process more transparent are some of his top priorities.

“The overall reason I’m running is because I want to continue to work toward making Kansas one of the most family- and business-friendly states,” he said.

To do that, Scapa said he would support keeping business taxes low and work to reduce regulations.

“Don’t get me wrong, we have to have regulations,” he said. “But we have an overburden that makes it hard to start a business and stay in business.”

On education, Scapa raised points often proposed by those who support tax credits or vouchers for families who send their children to private schools.

“Let the money follow the students, wherever that might be,” Scapa said. He said if that means public schools, then that’s where the money should also go.

“Find the education opportunity that works for the students,” he said. “That may mean e-schools, magnets, charters, private, public, homeschooling. … It’s about giving them a choice and letting them thrive.”

On government assistance programs, Scapa said, “I believe we have to take care of those who can’t take care of themselves. I don’t believe in creating an environment of dependency for those who can take care of themselves.”

Scapa said he would put his constituents ahead of party affiliation and special interest groups. He cited his vote against Gov. Sam Brownback’s 2012 budget.

“I’m an independent thinker,” he said. “I vote for what I think is right.”

Sloop on tax cuts

Sloop describes herself as a fighter, especially when it comes to helping improve the lives of the needy.

“I will fight to my death to promote government,” the 75-year-old Sloop said last August during a meeting for Democrats in Wichita.

She’s proud of her low ranking on a ratings list of legislators by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity.

“Guess who’s last on the list?” Sloop said proudly. “Yes, I’m guilty. The government has a role in our lives.”

In a recent interview with The Eagle, she said, “If I’m in the Legislature, I can continue the fight to make all Kansans important and not just the upper crust.”

She said Brownback’s tax cuts have been devastating in many areas, including for social services.

“As a social worker, I’ve worked with populations that benefited and were able to get to a better place with some assistance,” said Sloop, who wore pink tennis shoes around the Statehouse to raise awareness for women’s health issues.

During a recent visit to her local doughnut shop, she said a young man who identified himself as a Republican told her, “It’s all about personal responsibility.”

“I said, ‘I know it’s about personal responsibility,’” Sloop said. “But half of us were born with an above-average IQ and half born with a below-average IQ. Not everybody is equal.

“Yes, it’s opportunity for all but sometimes you need a little more help.”

Sloop objects to the thought that all services should be privatized.

“That’s saying if you can’t make a profit in your life, you don’t belong here,” she said. “It’s like survival of the fittest. To me, government has a role in providing ways for people to have opportunities.”

She touted her willingness to work in a bipartisan manner. Education is one of her priorities.

“Our state has disregarded our constitutional responsibility to provide an ‘adequate education’ the past four years,” Sloop said. “The foundation for good-paying, fulfilling jobs is a good education.”

She said her age has made her wiser.

“I may not walk as fast as others do,” Sloop said, “but I have a good mind. I’m comfortable in who I am.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2014 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Scapa, Sloop face off again in 88th District."