The 2018 Candidate Forum took place at Fort Scott High School auditorium Tuesday night, July 31.

The forum lasted fours hours and featured 25 candidates from the national level to the county level. Tim McKenney was the moderator, Mark McCoy the timer.

This feature highlights excerpts from the Kansas House of Representative Candidates for District 2 and District 4.

District 2 Kansas House of Representative Candidates excerpts from opening remarks:

Adam Lusker is the current house representative, married,  three children, a lifelong resident of Southeast Kansas, Frontenac.

Kenneth Collins is a  military veteran, Air Force, and Army National Guard, divorced, Conservative, pro-life,  pro 2^nd amendment.

District 4 Kansas House of Representative Candidates opening remarks excerpts:

Trevor Jacob is from Fort Scott,  and is pro-constitution, pro-life and is the current District 4 Representative.

Lawrence Forbach was an Eagle Scout, a Navy Veteran,  a retired union boilermaker, single, and lives in Mound City.

Question 1: Property Tax Relief?

Lusker: ” We changed last year, about 350 business owners. like my self, put back on the tax rolls… I think that will deal with some of the problems that the sheriff’s office or here in the county are dealing with, as well as local governments.”

Collins: ” I think we should look into it… cut waste from the budget…and bring more business to the state.”

Jacobs: “It’s a matter of being accountable for our spending…We need a vision change and a heart change.”

Forbach: “I don’t know that we can lower, but I think we make them more accountable… It’s not what you spend, it’s what you get for your money.”

Question 2: Are you in support of any tax dollars going toward the funding of abortions?

Collins  “Absolutely not.”

Jacobs: “Absolutely not.”

Forbach:  “I am pro-choice for women’s rights, but not with taxpayers dollars”.

Lusker: “No, I would not be in favor of  paying for that with state dollars.”

Question 3: Kansas Education Spending and how to fund it?

Jacobs: ” Right now Kansas spending on education is over 60 percent of the budget…I think the (local)school board and teachers and parents should have more involvement where that money is being allocated I think it’s best for local control”.

Forbach:  “Schools on a local level…are doing bond money to improve their schools, so there is stuff done on a local level…The schools on a state level need adequate funding…That’s where we need to make sure teachers have adequate funding.”

Lusker:  “I think we have made some incredible strides this past year to meet those funding needs… I think as money comes in, in the next few months, we’ll be able to fund our schools and meet that requirement…I’ve worked on a school board we stretched every dime we could… we need to give them the all the resources they need.”

Collins: “We should strive to keep funding on par with neighboring states…We are competing with neighboring states with taxes and education…Let local school boards decide what to do with the money they get… I would like to see our schools funded adequately.”

The candidates were allowed closing remarks:

Forbach: “We’ve heard doctors talk about hemp and the proceeds that could come from that, I’ve talked to some of the lobbyists on this and I ‘d like to see the tax revenues that come from this help schools with funds…and school lunches…There are students not having lunches.”

Jacobs: Quoted Ronald Reagan. “There are no easy answers but there are simple ones.”  He quoted the Bible,  “‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”‘.” We need to be under the authority of God…  I  believe our rights come from God and not man… I believe in small limited government with accountability to the people.”

Collins: ” I’ve been talking to people…. in different communities. I am going to go talk to ….school boards, teachers, hospitals to see what they need… A state representative is a basic level of state government… The job of the representative is to represent the people.”

Lusker: “I own a masonry company in Frontenac for 25 years… In Topeka, I’ve served in leadership roles in my house minority party… Over the past five years, I have been able to bridge the aisle in the Kansas Legislature… He quoted John Glenn: Don’t tune out, cop out, or drop out don’t give into complacency or cynicism… concentrate building on what is good.”