McKinney, Dennis Archives - Kansas Oral History Project

Interview of Eber Phelps, July 26, 2024

Interviewed by Chris Courtwright

Eber Phelps' interview covers the 18 years he served in the Kansas Legislature. Phelps paints a picture of the changes in the political culture and environment that occurred during his tenure. He blamed his loss in 2012 on the Brownback tax cuts, and his win in 2016 on the Brownback tax cuts. He lost because he voted against the tax experiment; he defeated Sue Boldra because of the problems the tax experiment caused in the Kansas economy and her insistence that nothing was wrong. The interview covers how Phelps became interested in politics, and the Show Morework he did on education and economic development. His work on the Insurance committee with chairman Bob Tomlinson stands in stark contrast to the current mode of work in the Legislature. The description of how the Mayor and city council found a way to solve a pressing water problem reveals his belief in community engagement. The interview closes with a discussion of how state government changed during his tenure. He noted there were 18 Democratic legislators elected from west of Salina when he was sworn in in 1996 and tax returns were filed on paper. Today, everything is online, and the makeup of the legislature is completely different.

Highlights -- short excerpts from the interview

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How Things Got Done in the Kansas Legislature

In this video, compiled from interviews on this site, 12 former Kansas legislators who served from 1960-2010 talk about why they ran for public office, how they developed and executed strategy, and how different leaders perceived their roles and what they accomplished. Among others you will hear Dick Bond describe initiating renovation of the Capitol, Steve Morris recall creating a plan to train more engineers, and Fred Kerr explain the need for reappraisal and classification. You also hear Mike Hayden recount lessons learned from two Speakers with vastly different styles who preceded him – Pete McGill and Wendell Show MoreLady. 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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Interview of Doug Mays, September 25, 2020

Interviewed by Alan Conroy

This interview with former Speaker Doug Mays contains good insight into how the Kansas House of Representatives functioned at the end of the Twentieth Century and the first decade of the Twenty-First. The institution was changing as its membership became more conservative. Mays describes in great detail how its leadership dealt with controversial issues such as school finance and taxation. Mays cites two issues as his proudest accomplishments: passing a sales tax to lower property taxes for Washburn University and neighborhood revitalization legislation. Speaker Mays notes that every time a bill came through, he read Show Moreit. His discussion of the power of the speaker is illustrated with numerous examples. “ I believed in the process. I believed that the speaker was the keeper, the protector of the process.” He promoted civility in the body and developed a good relationship with the Minority Leader Dennis McKinney which allowed him to end the 2005 Special Session without adjourning sine die. Mays promoted greater use of technology for the legislature and tightening of deadlines to ensure smooth operations. There are several examples of his relationship with governors. Anyone interested in being a speaker should read this interview. Show Less