Topic: Children's Issues
Interview of Marvin Barkis, October 27, 2017
Interviewed by H. Edward (Ed) Flentje
Marvin Barkis discusses, in detail, the various processes within the House of Representatives in its day-to-day work. He points out differences in working as the majority versus the minority party and talks about working with the governors during his terms in office. When Barkis was the minority leader, he tried to build a sense of community among party members to facilitate working together. Barkis also made changes in legislative procedures to promote efficiency. Much of the interview addresses these internal procedures. Marvin Barkis' primary legislative passion was children’s issues and the interview covers the various attempts to Show Morework on a variety of topics to aid children. He was also involved with school finance, reapportionment, and the death penalty. Show Less
Steel Magnolias – Conversation with former Representatives Martha Jenkins, Ginger Barr, Nancy Brown, October 18, 2019
Interviewed by Joan Wagnon
This conversation among four female legislators describes their experiences as friends and colleagues in the Kansas Legislature in the 1980's and early 1990's. The climate of the Legislature at that time encouraged women to make friendships across the aisle without worrying about political party. Republican women had formed a group called the Steel Magnolias, saying "we're all different but we come together when we need to get something done." The particular incident described in this short conversation was an attempt to defeat a budget proposal in retaliation for an abortion amendment. News coverage of the incident stated, Show More"GOP Women's gang of Eleven shows men their chauvinism can be costly." The conversation concludes with memories of their legislative service and favorite issues. Show Less
Interview of Nancy Brown, October 18, 2019
Interviewed by Joan Wagnon
This interview with Nancy Brown covers not only the ten years of her legislative career but her volunteer work on the local (township), state, and national levels. Her philosophy of focusing on the issues rather than party positions sometimes created problems for her within the Republican caucus. Her focus on local issues, from the Stanley Sewer Crisis to annexation to the Blue Valley Recreation Commission created legislative battles but left lasting change that she feels benefited her rural constituencies. She worked on a variety of women's issues, such as expanding funding for mammograms and discussed in detail Show Morehow the legislature was changing its attitude towards women members. She explains how she managed her family, particularly her school-age children during her time in the legislature. The interview concluded with Dr. Annie Miller of the Washburn University Political Science Department leading Brown through a discussion of personal identity and its impact on her legislative career. Show Less
Interview of Robert (Bob) Miller, November 9, 2017
Interviewed by H. Edward (Ed) Flentje
Former Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, Robert (Bob) Miller recalls his many years of service to the State. He describes his involvement with the Young Republicans at K-State, his first campaign to represent his area of Sumner County, and moving up through the ranks in the House despite not having ambition for any other elected position. Miller reflects on his sometimes arms-length relationships with fellow House members and with lobbyists. From his position as chair of the House Federal and State Affairs Committee he oversaw the development of implementing legislation for liquor-by-the-drink, parimutuel wagering, and Show Morethe State Lottery by building subject-matter expertise within the committee. Miller describes instances when legislators' positions on policy issues did not break along purely partisan nor on purely urban-rural lines. He also witnessed the early development of what eventually became the conservative movement in the Legislature.
A version of this interview is also posted on KansasMemory.org, the website of the Kansas Historical Society. Show Less
Interview of Sandy Praeger, October 18, 2019
Interviewed by Joan Wagnon
Former Kansas legislator Sandy Praeger describes in this 2019 oral history interview how she never anticipated having a career in politics when she ran for the Lawrence City Council. Praeger looks back on her service in the Kansas House and Senate and her time as the elected Kansas Insurance Commissioner. While in the Legislature, Praeger represented a Lawrence district that she described as being a place where "it was easy to run more on policy issues than any kind of political ideology." Praeger ran for the State Senate after one term in the House. Praeger built her Show Morebackground on health issues, including insurance, in the Legislature serving on the Public Health and Welfare, Children and Families, and Insurance and Financial Institutions committees. She recalls stepping into the role of committee Chair during her first session in the Senate and presiding as Vice President of the Senate many years later. Praeger's background on health policy came to the forefront while the country was implementing the Affordable Care Act which she strongly supported as Kansas Insurance Commissioner. Show Less
Interview of Joan Wagnon, May 11, 2018
Interviewed by H. Edward (Ed) Flentje
Ed Flentje's interview of former Representative Joan Wagnon is lengthy and complete, covering her 12 years in the state legislature, 4 years as Mayor of Topeka, and 8 years as Secretary of Revenue. She talks about the work of the House Taxation Committee in implementing legislation after passage of a constitutional amendment classifying property for tax purposes. Wagnon discusses the 1992 school finance lawsuit which produced massive change in the school funding formula, including how the concepts were developed and what strategies were used to get them passed. The interview covers in detail how the House Democrats interacted with Show MoreGovernor Finney in the 1991 session, when Finney vetoed the major tax bill and the Supreme Court found the school finance formula to be unconstitutional. Wagnon served as facilitator for the Children's Initiatives Committee which Speaker Marvin Barkis chaired. That committee produced fourteen bills that affected children and families. Economic development issues are discussed in the last part of the interview which links Wagnon's legislative interests to her work as Mayor of Topeka: neighborhood revitalization, spreading the tax base from city to county for Washburn University and the library, and developing economic development infrastructure to attract growth and new business for Topeka. She also discusses some of her eight years as Secretary of Revenue, particularly her involvement with the Streamlined Sales Tax.
A version of this interview is also posted on KansasMemory.org, the website of the Kansas Historical Society. Show Less
Interview of Barbara Sabol, January 14, 2022
Interviewed by Joan Wagnon
The former Secretary of Aging and Health and Environment under Governor John Carlin describes herself first and foremost as a nurse. That nursing background propelled her into high level positions in the local, state and federal government, always asking how her actions affected the children and the people she served. She started out in leadership positions in Kansas government and academia before being appointed Secretary of Aging by Governor John Carlin. She worked with advocates to establish the Silver-haired Legislature. She worked for Mayor Marion Barry in Washington DC in his office of Policy and Show MorePlanning in the Department of Human Services. Carlin asked her to return to Kansas as Secretary of Health and Environment where she quickly established a reputation as a problem solver for tough issues such as the permanent closure of a waste dump in Furley that leaked toxic chemicals. Sabol talks candidly about the challenges she faced as an African American and a woman and how she met those challenges. The interview concludes with her describing her latest project, housing for young adults who have aged out of the foster care system. 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 has served on almost every committee. His interview discusses a wide range of issues including groundwater management, mental health reform, changes in the penal system, but 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 Show Morethe 21st Century, Feleciano notes the split in the Republican Party between conservatives and moderates became a real problem because the impact was, "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 Carolyn Campbell, March 25, 2022
Interviewed by Eric. Sexton
Mrs. Campbell, as she is known around the Statehouse, has experienced an important part of state history in Kansas government. Following her 1991 retirement from Southwestern Bell, she has served countless numbers of elected legislators; then using that experience , she became an elected official in her own right in local and state school board positions. becoming the first African American to serve on the Kansas Board of Education. Mrs. Campbell started her interview with this: "I am a proud product of segregation. I tell that because folks sometimes think, “Oh, that’s too bad,” Show Morebut I want everybody to know that as a black child in Topeka with the four all-black elementary schools that we had, we got excellent education, and we were told that we could be whatever we wanted to be, and we were valued every day. " This interview covers her experiences as a 12 year member of the Topeka Public Schools Board of Education, and later her eight year term as a member of the State Board of Education where she was the first African American elected to this post. Show Less
Interview of Pamela Johnson Betts, March 25, 2022
Interviewed by Eric Sexton
The interview begins with Pamela Johnson Betts talking about attending Washington Elementary School, which was one of the schools noted in the landmark Brown v. Board Education case that overturned segregation. She describes her friendship with Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of Rev. Oliver Brown who was the plaintiff in the case, and the fact that the family never talked about the landmark case. The two women worked on saving the Monroe school building in the early days before it became a national historic site. This was the beginning of a 50 year career in public service Show Morefor both. Ms. Johnson Betts also talks about an experience she had in the 7th grade when a teacher slapped her (the only African-American student in the class) and the lessons from that experience.
Later in the interview she compares the leadership styles of the three governors with whom she worked and some of the public policy issues she was responsible for managing, such as childhood immunizations, public health. Her own experience in working on issues affect the elderly was shaped by those earlier experiences. She was fortunate to find other African American women role models in top management positions, such as Dr. Joycelyn Elder, Surgeon General of the United States. Even as a member of the Governor's cabinet, she continued to experience incidences of racism directed at her. She talks candidly about how she dealt with those incidents and their impact on her. The interview concluded with her stating that "public service is the rent we pay for living on this earth." Show Less