Kansas Senate Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Kansas Oral History Project

Interview of John Vratil, September 13, 2022

Interviewed by Joan Wagnon and David Heinemann

John Vratil served 14 years in the Kansas Senate, chairing the Judiciary Committee eight of those years and serving as Senate Vice-President for 10 years. Vratil was a leader in the Senate on both education and judiciary issues. He served on the Judicial Council helping the courts coordinate policy initiatives with the executive and legislative branches. He discusses the change in the power structure of the Senate, from "moderate Republican to Right Wing Conservative." He cites Medicaid expansion as one example of an issue popular the public, but not with the "right-wing" conservative majority. Vratil comments Show Morethat the declining number of lawyers in both the Senate and House may be due to the low salaries. Show Less

Interview of Anthony Hensley, September 16, 2022

Interviewed by Alan Conroy

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1976 at the age of 22. He moved to the Senate in 1992, finishing an unexpired term of Senator Nancy Parrish. His interview covers his 44 years in the House and Senate, and almost every issue the legislature dealt with in those years: taxes, reapportionment, school finance and labor issues, to name a few. His story about negotiating with Dick Bond to increase funding for schools is a "must read". Hensley's description of how the Show MoreBrownback tax cuts were enacted after the Senate reconsidered its vote to kill them is a lesson in how parliamentary maneuvering between House and Senate can have unexpected consequences.

Highlights -- short excerpts from the interview

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Interview of Phillip Martin, August 19, 2022

Interviewed by David Webb

Phil Martin served southeast Kansas, as county treasurer, senator, appraiser and and Kansas as the Director of Property Valuation. He influenced major tax changes like reappraisal & classification and the implementation of the severance tax while in state government. In this oral history interview, he recalls people with whom he served and the issues that arose during his years of public service.

Interview of David Owen, July 22, 2022

Interviewed by David Webb

Dave Owen's name is well known to most Kansans who follow politics. This interview is replete with stories about how Republican politics in the 60's, 70's, 80's worked. Stories include his friendships with Senator Bob Dole and Governor Bob Docking. One of his lasting accomplishments as Lt. Governor was the creation of the Kansas Cavalry for promoting business development. He left elective politics in 1972 but chaired Dole's Vice-Presidential run in 1976. His interests turned to banking and he became Chairman and CEO of the Bank of Stillwell. His affiliation with Ottawa University athletics Show Moreand his love of basketball led to the creation of the Dave Owen Leadership Institute. He will be leading a delegation to Ukraine this fall, 2022 from the Lenexa Baptist Church and the Leadership Institute. Show Less

Interview of Eugene Anderson, April 21, 2022

Interviewed by Frances Jackson

Senator Eugene Anderson's oral history interview covers his 20-year career in Kansas politics, serving in both the Kansas House and Senate and later, in the administration of Governor Joan Finney. In addition, Anderson has been a Wichita business man and author. Anderson described growing up in Georgia and the values he learned in his segregated community - work hard, never quit, build relationships and make your community better. His priority issue when he went to the legislature was making the schools better. Anderson described his friendship with Governor Joan Finney, going back to when she was Show MoreState Treasurer and how he asked her not to invest in the apartheid government in South Africa. Later, she appointed him Director of Aviation and he was able to work with other state directors to support the Kansas aviation industry on product liability legislation. Throughout the interview Anderson revealed his philosophy of effective governance. Show Less

Interview of Paul Feleciano, February 11, 2022

Interviewed by Eric Sexton

Paul Feleciano served from 1972 until 2003 in the Kansas Legislature, primarily in the State Senate. During his 31 year tenure he served on almost every committee. His interview discusses a wide range of issues including groundwater management, mental health reform, and changes in the penal system. His descriptions of the personalities of Senate leadership make that era come alive. He characterizes the men and women serving in the 1970's and 80's as giants --articulate, caring, compassionate problem solvers who would work "across the aisles" to make things happen. As the legislature moved into the 21st Show MoreCentury, Feleciano noted the split in the Republican Party between conservatives and moderates became a real problem because, "they didn't want to compromise." After leaving the legislature, Feleciano was appointed to the Kansas Parole Board and served there for six years. Show Less

Interview of Ron Hein, April 16, 2021

Interviewed by Alan Conroy

Ron Hein, former legislator, lobbyist, and lawyer speaks about his 47 years in and around the Kansas Legislature and his impact on Kansas policy. He ran first for the House in 1974 in a 7-way primary which he won. Two years later he ran for the Senate, winning after extensive door-to-door campaigning against a well-known Senator, Bob Storey. He was just 25 when he was sworn into the Senate in 1975, Hein tells some interesting anecdotes about working with Speaker Pete McGill and Senate President Ross Doyen, particularly in his first years in the legislature. Hein Show Moresponsored or cosponsored 142 pieces of legislation on a wide variety of topics. His interview recounts the difficulty he had getting the Higher Education Loan program passed when he was in the House. Ultimately it failed the first year but passed the second. Hein noted the lack of lawyers in today's legislature is detrimental to the process, as is an increased lack of civility. The interview concludes with Hein discussing his lobbying career and why he felt he needed to leave elected office when T. Boone Pickens approached him to represent Mesa Petroleum. Hein notes that he has been more successful getting legislation passed as a lobbyist than as a legislator. Show Less

Interview of Janis Lee, October 14, 2019

Interviewed by Joan Wagnon

Former State Senator Janis Lee's 2019 oral history interview covered her 22 years in the Kansas Senate as well as several years on the Kansas Court of Tax Appeals (formerly the Board of Tax Appeals and later returned to that name). The interview covers many topics, including how she campaigned in a rural district that increased in area over those 22 years, driving as much as 45,000 miles in an election year. Lee developed expertise in tax issues that was important to the agriculture community and in funding rural schools. Water supply was an important issue in her district, Show Moreas was adapting federal regulations so they would work in rural communities. She witnessed the shift to a more conservative legislature and more anti-abortion legislation. Funding for schools dominated most sessions.

Highlight -- short excerpt from the interview

Keeping Promises

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Janis Lee, Lana Oleen, Joan Wagnon, Kansas

The Ladies Room – Conversation with former Senators Lana Oleen and Janis Lee, October 14, 2019

Interviewed by Joan Wagnon

The Ladies Room is a short Statehouse Conversation with former Kansas State Senators Janis Lee and Lana Oleen facilitated by former State Representative Joan Wagnon. The conversation centers around the culture of the Kansas Senate when Lee and Oleen served their first session in 1989. Altogether, eight new women Senators began their service that year. Lee and Oleen rose to leadership positions in their respective caucuses.

Interview of August (Gus) Bogina, February 6, 2018

Interviewed by H. Edward (Ed) Flentje

In this 2018 oral history interview, Gus Bogina discusses his service in the Kansas Legislature, focusing on his 14 years in the Senate (1981-1995). Bogina reflects on his relationships with Senate leaders and governors during 11 sessions as Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Bogina also describes his storied ride with the Highway Patrol when he was brought back from Johnson County following bypass surgery to cast the deciding vote on the water plan funding.

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