Topic: Gender bias
Interview of Christine Downey, August 2, 2019
Interviewed by Dale Goter
Former State Senator Christine Downey recalls her three terms in the Kansas Senate (1993-2004) during her 2019 oral history interview. With her background as a teacher, education issues were important to her as the era of school-funding litigation continued. She was involved in water-related policy making, in particular at the nexus of water quality and agricultural practices. She recalls her service in the Senate and on the Kansas Board of Regents first developing the policy and then implementing fundamental changes to the postsecondary education system. Ms. Downey discusses numerous instances of working across the aisle Show Moreto accomplish policy objectives that did not break on strict party lines. Show Less
Interview of Deanell Tacha, April 12, 2023
Interviewed by Jim Concannon
Jim Concannon skillfully guides retired Judge Tacha through an interview that probes her background, reasons for becoming a lawyer, and then a judge of the United States Court of Appeals, and her career in public service as an administrator and professor of law. Tacha spoke about how women were treated in law school and in her early law practice. She advocated for the advancement of women in law and the workplace. Tacha credits Bob Dole for her nomination to the Court of Appeals. She compares the federal system of selecting judges with the Kansas merit selection Show Moresystem and prefers the Kansas nonpartisan system. Her explanation of how the federal judiciary is organized is clear and instructive, especially as to what kinds of cases they hear. She relates an interesting story about her trip to Albania to assist with developing a new constitution for the country, discusses her experience as Dean of the Law School at Pepperdine University and closes with a plea for "thoughtful, civilized discourse". Show Less
Interview of Janis Lee and Laura McClure, May 20, 2024
Interviewed by Rex Buchanan
Janis Lee and Laura McClure, both Democrats elected from predominantly Republican districts that overlapped, often campaigned together and conducted constituent communication sessions in the areas they both represented. Because their time in the legislature (1989-2011) and their largely rural districts in northcentral Kansas intersected, Lee and McClure both worked on a wide range of policies pertinent to the Energy & Environment Collection of oral histories: confined feeding facilities, solid waste, waste tires, water quality standards, the Kansas v. Colorado lawsuit, and the Water Transfer Act that the city of Hays was exploring at the time of this interview, among Show Moreothers. In the energy arena, significant issues during their time of service in the Kansas Legislature included retail wheeling of electricity, gas pollution remediation, well plugging, and gas-gathering systems regulations. In this May 2024 interview, they explore those issues, the dynamics of the legislature, campaigning, and the work involved in serving in the legislature. Show Less