Classification and reappraisal Archives - Kansas Oral History Project

Interview of Wint Winter, August 9, 2024

Interviewed by Chris Courtwright

This oral history interview covers not only the decade of Wint Winter, Jr's legislative service, 1983-1992, but also his continued involvement with politics up to the time of the interview in 2024. The 1980s and early 1990s saw considerable change in taxes, education funding, and abortion law, to name a few. The mineral severance tax, the "booster" tax, classification and reappraisal for property tasation, and a new school finance law that lowered property taxes were all discussed in this interview. During his time in the Kansas Senate, Winter chaired the Judiciary Committee and was Vice-chair of the Show MoreWays and Means Committee during that period. Winter was involved in shoring up the KPERS fund for state employees and appropriating funding for educational institutions, including colleges and universities. Senator Winter was a strong advocate for bipartisanship, saying, "No Party has a monopoly on good ideas." After leaving the Legislature, remained active in politics as a founder of Traditional Republicans for Common Sense.

Highlights --short excerpts from the interview

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Interview of Robert (Bob) Tomlinson, August 2, 2024

Interviewed by Chris Courtwright

Chris Courtwright's interview of Bob Tomlinson, former city councilman, legislator and Assistant Insurance Commissioner is one of the longest and most complete undertaken by KOHP. The entire interview (2 hours 23 minutes) is posted here. But in addition, several shorter clips, taken from the interview, are posted below and will also be used as part of Resources for Educators. Tomlinson's interview covers his wide political experience and lessons he learned. He tells lots of funny stories about other prominent politicians of the era and shares his political philosophy and technics for "vote-counting" for Speaker Glasscock and Show Moreothers. He also comments on the public policy issues at the time of the interview, including health insurance mandates, Medicaid expansion, school vouchers, the need for full funding for special education.

Highlights -- short excerpts from the interview

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Interview of Bruce Larkin, April 12, 2024

Interviewed by Chris Courtwright

Larkin's interview focuses extensively on his involvement with tax issues during his 20-year tenure in the legislature, and after, at the Board of Tax Appeals (BOTA). He tells lots of funny stories in the interview, particularly about legislative strategy. Larkin got interested in the legislature because of the American Agriculture movement in the mid-1980's. He joined the Department of Revenue's Use Value Advisory Group at a time when appraising farm ground was difficult. Larkin was a small family farmer who farmed ground that his great grandfather had bought in 1878. Larkin was also interested in education; Show Moreparticularly how small rural communities were faring under the school finance formula. But his consistent interest was in taxation. He was involved in almost every tax issue that surfaced during his 20-year involvement with the legislature, and afterward, as a staff member at the Kansas Department of Revenue or on the Court of Tax Appeal as a judge or as Chief Judge. His discussion of issues surrounding classification and appraisal is very informative. He described changes in the use value appraisal of agricultural land. Show Less

Interview of James (Jim) Maag, September 28, 2021

Interviewed by Joan Wagnon

The Kansas Oral History Project reviewed the original transcript of Dr. Burdett Loomis's interview of former Kansas State Representative Jim Maag and decided to recapture part of the interview on video for inclusion in a civic education series about the Kansas legislature. This videoed interview follows the original Loomis interview, asking similar questions. A transcription of the video is also posted here.

In the original 2014 oral history interview, Jim Maag reflected on his service in the Kansas House of Representatives (1969-1976) including his term as Speaker pro tem (1975-1976). Maag's years in the House Show Morespanned a time of significant change and modernization of the Kansas Legislature and its processes. He provided a view into the evolution of the Legislature into a more professional organization. He commented on the bipartisan approaches to policymaking during that era when the urban-rural split affected legislative dynamic more often than purely partisan considerations. Maag was witness to the impact of the U.S. Supreme Court's one person, one vote decision as well as the increased number of women legislators, and the reduced number of attorneys among the House members. Jim's recollections draw a vivid picture of an institution in transition. His connection with the Legislature continued in his role of legislative liaison for Governor Bennett and later as a lobbyist for the Kansas Bankers Association. Show Less

Interview of Jack Wempe, September 28, 2021

Interviewed by Alan Conroy

Jack Wempe of Rice County gave a detailed interview about the decade of the 1990's he spent in the Kansas House of Representatives. He played pivotal roles in the passage of the 1992 school finance bill and legislation to consolidate governance in higher education. He worked with members of both parties to pass legislation important to rural communities as well as education. Wempe became interested in taxation and economic development. Wempe also comments on the shift in philosophy of the Republican party during his time in office and its move to a more conservative leadership. Show MoreAt the conclusion of his legislative service, Wempe was appointed to the Board of Regents where he became chair in 2003.

Another interview of Wempe is included in the Leaders in Kansas Education collection on this site.

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Interview of Jayne Aylward, June 18, 2021

Interviewed by Alan Conroy

Jayne Aylward's Oral History Interview described her experiences as one of the youngest members of the Kansas House of Representatives. Aylward was elected in 1978 from the 74th District in Saline County, Kansas. She served from 1979 to 1990 when she resigned to become an administrative tax judge with the Kansas Board of Tax Appeals. She later became a Certified Public Accountant specializing in tax matters. At the time of this interview Aylward was a rancher and stockwoman in addition to having a tax practice in Salina. During the interview she discussed her interest in Show Moreagriculture and taxation which came from growing up on her family farm and her participation in 4-H showing cattle. During the 1985-1986 legislative session, she was the Chair of the House Communications, Computers and Technology Committee. She also served on the House Federal and State Affairs Committee and the House Taxation Committee, both of which handled high-profile issues that she discussed in the interview, including reappraisal and classification of property taxes, and a constitutional amendment authorizing the Kansas lottery. Show Less

Interview of Gerald (Jerry) Karr, May 11, 2017

Interviewed by Janice Huston

This interview of Senator Jerry Karr by Janice Huston for the Lyon County Historical Society is lengthy, but gives great insight into the 18 years Karr spent in the Kansas Senate. It also covers his academic career which preceded his election and delves into rural life in Kansas. It begins with his Sierra Leone experiences teaching agricultural economics and other teaching jobs in the Midwest. Karr was elected to the state Senate in 1980 which is the time the farm crisis started boiling over in Kansas. During those first 10 years he developed legislation addressing Show Morethe farm crisis, including changing the method of selecting the Secretary of Agriculture, altering the classification and reappraisal of land, and regulating corporate hog farming. His service on the Joint Rules and Regulations Administrative committee helped him shape agricultural policy. He became Minority Leader ten years after his first election. Redistricting in 1991 ended up in the courts and spelled the end of many rural Democrats. There are numerous examples of policy making, particularly the details about the 1992 school finance legislation that amplify others’ accounts of that legislation. His examples of effective leadership and effective campaigning will be of interest to many. The interview also covers communication with constituents in a large district and has anecdotes about issues leaders have to deal with. Karr covers just about all aspects of leading a caucus and life in the Senate in the 1980s and 1990s. Show Less

Interview of Fred Kerr, March 30, 2015

Interviewed by Burdett Loomis

This is the first of two oral history interviews of Fred Kerr in this collection. Kerr reflects on his 15 years in the Kansas Senate representing the 33rd Senate district. He recalls Senate leaders and fellow Senators who helped him as a freshman and the influence of those mentors on his career. Fred talks extensively about the process involved in securing a leadership position in the Senate and the dynamics of leadership races. He also reflects on the urban-rural divide in Kansas politics that during the late 1970s and early to mid 1980s was often more Show Moreof a force than the partisan divide. A version of this interview is also posted on KansasMemory.org, the website of the Kansas Historical Society.

The other oral history interview of Kerr is included in the Statehouse Conversations collection on this site.

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Interview of Fred Kerr, April 13, 2018

Interviewed by H. Edward (Ed) Flentje

Fred Kerr reflects on his 15 years in the Kansas Senate representing the 33rd Senate District. He recalls Senate leaders and fellow Senators who helped him as a freshman and whose influence guided him throughout his career. Kerr talks about the process involved in securing a leadership position in the Senate and the dynamics of leadership races. He observes how relationships between competitors for leadership offices affected Senators differently and how they worked together in subsequent legislative sessions. He also reflects on how decisions were made regarding tax policy to fund both highways and public schools. Show MoreKerr, who ran for Governor in 1994, comments about the increasing influence of money and monied interests in state-wide politics.

Another oral history interview of Kerr is included in the Statehouse Conversations collection on this site.

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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

An interview of Lee and her former colleague in the House, Laura McClure, may be found in the Energy & Environment collection on this site.

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