Interviews Archive - Page 8 of 18 - Kansas Oral History Project

Joe Hoagland: How Kansas Passed the First Comparative Negligence Law

Interviewed by Richard Walker

This short clip from Joe Hoagland's Oral History Interview describes how the first comparative negligence law in the country was enacted. The complete interview is found in our Statehouse Conversations collection. The transcript of the full interview can also be downloaded there.

Interview of Joe Hoagland, January 23, 2023

Interviewed by Richard Walker

Kansas government underwent a massive change in the 1970's. Governors Docking and Bennett began reorganizing state government and bringing together a lot of independent commissions and state agencies that were operating autonomously into a cabinet system under the direction of a Secretary, such as the departments of Revenue and Transportation. Joe Hoagland's interview expands the understanding of how Kansas government was modernized during that period and how new legislative leaders were developed and empowered to act. Hoagland was involved with several significant legislative issues: the 911 emergency phone system, the comparative negligence act, Show Moremandatory prison sentence for crimes committed with a firearm, banning the sale of handguns, small claims process. Hoagland, himself is an interesting person with many talents and wide-ranging interests. His business activities have been beneficial to Kansas, our country and the world. Sports lovers will like his description of being a professional baseball scout and the first one to discover Albert Pujols. His airline-related businesses took him abroad, living in Brussels, Belgium for over 20 years. He describes traveling around the world 15 times. He als describes his work to develop a new breed of cattle and establish the American Black Hereford Association. He developed a cellphone app to track the movement of cattle in the beef supply chain.

Highlight -- a short excerpt from the interview

How Kansas Passed the First Comparative Negligence Law

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Interview of Richard Walker, December 2, 2022

Interviewed by Nancy Parrish

Richard Walker's oral history interview shows the human side of being a judge for 30 years in his hometown of Newton. After a brief foray into politics while fresh out of law school and starting the private practice of law, Walker found his niche on the bench in his hometown of Newton in Harvey County KS. His describes of a group of young Republican lawmakers organizing to elect Wendell Lady as Speaker. Walker became disillusioned about the parole board practices during his service there but saw a way as a judge to look for creative, flexible alternatives Show Moreto resolving domestic disputes and preventing children from being damaged in the process. In 2015 he moved to senior judge status and worked with the Court of Appeals, largely because "he had had it with domestic cases." Show Less

Interview of Carol Beier, November 23, 2022

Interviewed by Richard Ross

In this 2022 oral history interview, Carol Beier explained how the Kansas judicial branch of government operates, showing how cases get to the Supreme Court and explaining that the justices can only consider facts framed by the parties and their counsel. They don't "Google" for extra facts. They stay in the bounds of the facts as framed by the case. Beier is also an advocate for merit selection of judges and made the case that merit selection is the most appropriate method. She gave examples of how retention elections operate. Beier told a story Show Moreabout a friend living in New York City who asked the question, "What do people do in Kansas?" The answer was "Everything important in life." Beier connected that response to her conclusion: A strong, healthy, supported Judiciary that understands it role and performs it well is part of "everything important in life."

Highlights -- short excerpts from the interview

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Interview of Thomas (Tim) Owens, October 14, 2022

Interviewed by Nancy Parrish

In this oral history interview, Tim Owens described his career path from military officer to private attorney to city council member to the state legislature. He served seven years in the Kansas House and then ran for the Kansas Senate where he chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. Owens recounts the pressure from Governor Brownback to change the merit selection procedure for judges, making them elected. Also, the education bills were then being sent to the Judiciary Committee because of lawsuits and that caused friction because of the court's decisions on resolving the Montoy and Gannon school finance Show Morecases. Owens also dealt with a death penalty bill which failed 20-20. He described frequent trips "across the street" carrying messages between the Chief Justice and the Governor's office. He lost his bid for reelection to the Senate in 2012 and afterward taught at Johnson County Community College and retired from the military as a full colonel. He also served a year as municipal judge in Lenexa. Show Less

Interview of Bill Graves, December 5, 2022

Interviewed by Mike Matson

Matson's interview of Governor Graves shows the deep respect Matson has for the man he describes as "the last of the centrist, moderate Republican Kansas governors." The interview reveals the values that guided Graves throughout his 8 years in office--to whom much is given, much is expected. It shows how a well-grounded young man dealt with the news that the career for which he had prepared was no longer an option, and how he earned the respect of 73 percent of the state's voters by winning a second term for Governor. Graves talked about his three most Show Moredifficult decisions: replacing a US Senator (Dole), concealed carry and abortion restrictions. Graves concludes with a discussion of issues he thinks the Republican party should be embracing in the future. Following the interview, Matson wrote a column which summarized Bill Graves' success. It is worth reading. (Download it after the interview transcript.) Show Less

Interview of Kathleen Sebelius, October 28, 2022

Interviewed by Joan Wagnon and Duane Goossen

Kathleen Sebelius ran for the legislature to "go home." Her kids were ages two and five and she was eager to get out of a demanding job to spend more time at home--better work-life balance. In her 2022 oral history interview, she discussed the changes in the culture of the legislature and state government she experienced over the 30-plus years she served in public office. She observed that when both US Senate seats for Kansas came open in 1996, and Sam Brownback challenged incumbent Sheila Frahm for one of the seats, a fissure Show Morewas created in the Republican party. Sebelius observed the insurance industry being very partisan and tilted toward the industry interests. Her discussion of budget issues during her terms as governor reveals her problem-solving process, even though her time in office was bookended by recessions. School finance also posed some unique challenges during her administration because the Great Recession got in the way of the court's mandates. Phill Kline, the Kansas Attorney General at the time urged Republicans to do nothing regarding school finance. The BEST teams created in the Sebelius administration were important to solving the budget crisis. This interview concludes with discussion of her selections of Lt. Governors and her experiences at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and her activities after leaving government service.

Another oral history interview of Sebelius may be found in the Energy & Environment collection on this site.

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Interview of George Teagarden, October 28, 2022

Interviewed by Duane Goossen and Joan Wagnon

This interview with George Teagarden covers the 14 years he spent in the House of Representatives, mostly serving on the Ways and Means/Appropriations committee. Teagarden describes the committee whose job was to work the state budget every year. In the early years it was characterized by cooperation and working together on issues regardless of party. He notes that cooperation was changing as he left and becoming much more partisan. The use of provisos often bypassed the traditional legislative route for policy-making. He followed his legislative service by working 16 years as Kansas Livestock Show MoreCommissioner. The livestock industry had appointed him to that job, but it is now a gubernatorial appointment. Show Less

Interview of George Wingert, October 28, 2022

Interviewed by David Webb

The "legendary" George Wingert served in the Kansas House from 1971-1978, but his political career spanned 50 years, five governors and countless stories. He learned early on the importance of building connections to the Republican majority and leadership and when to vote your district even if your party leader objects. Wingert was involved with higher education issues and the changes to the correctional institutions and mental health institutions and many of the other progressive issues of that period. After leaving the legislature Governor Carlin appointed him to the Kansas Board of Regents where he and fellow Show Moreregent Jordan Haines "hired and fired" a lot of people including college presidents. Then he lobbied for dog racing issues for another 15 years. The interview concludes with a couple of interesting stories about his family's involvement with national Democratic politicians. Show Less

Interview of Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker, October 17, 2022

Interviewed by Deanell Reece Tacha

Nancy Kassebaum, still lively at age 90, recalled being a young girl in Topeka growing up with a famous father, Alf Landon. She described her motivation for entering a US Senate race in 1978 and turned to friends and the League of Women Voters in Wichita for help with that highly contested primary race. Kassebaum had a "special relationship" with the other Kansas Senator, Bob Dole. Her legislative interests in the U.S. Senate were foreign relations, Africa and apartheid, and a major health care bill she worked with Senator Ted Kennedy. Toward the end of Show Moreher senate career she married Tennessee senator Howard Baker, and went to Japan with him as wife of the Ambassador. After Baker's death she returned to the ranch in Burdick, Kansas where she still follows politics closely. Show Less

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