Topic: Emergency services
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 Raphael Wahwassuck, February 28, 2022
Interviewed by Brad Hamilton
The Tribal Council of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation selected Raphael Wahwassuck to interview with KS Oral History about public policymaking by tribal governments. The interview covers how tribal governments relate to local, state and federal governmental units and how Wahwassuck, as a tribal council member, develops effective working relationships. He gives examples of local cooperation using emergency services and law enforcement. He also speaks to the challenges in ensuring equitable distribution of school funding, COVID relief measures and impact aid. Relationships with local governments are easier than at the state or federal level. Show MoreNation to Nation conversations are more difficult. The development of casino gaming produced increased and adequate revenues for the Tribe since they have no tax revenue from property taxes. Their services to their tribal members and surrounding communities have increased as a result of gaming. Show Less
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 really expands the understanding of how Kansas government was modernized during that period and how new legislative leaders were developed and empowered to act. In addition, Hoagland was involved with several significant pieces of legislation: the 911 emergency phone system, Show Morethe comparative negligence act, mandatory prison sentence for crimes committed with a firearm, banning the sale of handguns, small claims process. Not only does the interview enlarge our understanding of this modernization, 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 has taken trips around the world 15 times. He developed a new breed of cattle and started the American Black Hereford Association. He developed a cell phone app called "CattleTracs" to track the movement of cattle in the beef supply chain. The app may soon be used in Brazil to prove beef is not being produced in areas of deforestation where the rainforest has typically been removed to increase areas for grazing cattle. Show Less