Dick Kelsey

ISSUES

Kansas State Senator Dick Kelsey is a conservative leader in America's heartland and he will bring those same Kansas values to Congress. That is why he is a candidate in Kansas's 4th Congressional District (open seat). Senator Kelsey has a stellar legislative record of passing commonsense solutions that positively impacts the family, small business and taxpayers.

Tax Relief: Providing sound tax policy for Kansas businesses, families and property owners that makes Kansas more competitive with surrounding states.

• Passed HB2031 that exempts social security benefits from state income tax.
• Increased the homestead property tax refund with HB2476
• Passed the Selective Assistance for Effective Senior Relief Act (SAFE Senior) HB2434 gives those age 65 and older property tax credit if they make less than 16,800 per year.

Businesses:

• Repealed the State Franchise Tax by passing HB2264.
• Reduced the Unemployment Insurance Rate by passing SB83.
• Restructured the state's Corporate Income Tax Rates by passing HB2434.

Education: Improving our public schools, vocational schools, community colleges and universities.

• Pre-fund the school finance plan without a tax increase through 2020. Passed HB2368 and SB531.
• Tuition equality for regent schools. Passed HB2185, HB2425 and SB355.
• Infrastructure and building repairs for Kansas universities and colleges. Passed HB2237.
• Restructured education programs at vocational schools, community colleges and universities by refocusing on meeting the needs of the Kansas business community. Passed SB288 and HB2556.

Supporting the Second Amendment

• 100% supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member. Endorsed by the NRA in all previous races.

Crime and public safety: equipping law enforcement agencies and prosecutors with ample funding and tougher penalties to better protect citizens and ensuring the Kansas Judicial System serves all Kansans.

• Passed Alexa's Law HB2062 making the killing of an unborn child a crime.
• Established Controlled Substances Monitoring Task Force. Passed HB2062.
• Established Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act. Passed SB18.
• Established Community Parole and Probation Program. Passed SB14.
• Kansas Funeral Privacy Act. Passed SB244 and SB226.
• Expanded state's stalking laws. Passed SB414.
• Established anti-bullying and cyber-bullying school programs. Passed HB 2758.
• Toughened DUI penalties Passed SB35

Health Care: Improving affordable access and services to all Kansas, relieving the burden of increasing premiums for individuals and small businesses and to putting people in charge of their health care dollars.

• Passed Healthy Kids Initiative
• Increased Newborn Screening Tests. Passed SB11.
• Early Intervention Program, Passed SB138.
• Improved delivery of mental health, alcohol and drug prevention treatment programs. Passed SB354.
• Continued health care reforms including various KHPA recommendations. Passed House Sub for SB81.
• Supported tax incentives for small businesses that provide or expand 125 plans to their employees. SB81.
• Improved portability of health insurance coverage by extending state COBRA policy from 6 to 18 months of optional coverage. Passed SB81.
• Expanded Medicaid eligibility and added dental services for pregnant women.
• Increased funding for Safety New Clinics which provides medical care for the poor and uninsured.

Budget: Supporting a balanced budget and by slowing government growth and spending.

• Expanded state budget transparency. Passed Sub for Sub of SB316 which established the Kansas Taxpayer Transparency Act, expanded the Kansas Governmental Operations Accountability Law and created the Kansas Performance Measurement Commission. This bill will help taxpayers know more precisely where and how state funds are being spent.

Immigration: Ensuring state and federal immigration laws are enforced, relieving Kansas taxpayers of the cost of services to illegal aliens and assisting legal immigrants assimilate into our culture and economy.

• Established English as the official state language. Passed HB2140.
• Enhanced worker ID enforcement. Passed SB9.
• Imposed civil and criminal penalties on illegal aliens who register to vote or votes in an election and on those who knowingly register an illegal alien to vote. SB329
• Enhanced penalties for dealing in false ID documents.

Economic Development: Encouraging our entrepreneurial spirit by utilizing our natural resources, history and people to encourage private sector job growth.

• Established qualified industrial manufacturer act. Passed SB164.
• Established enterprise facilitation fund. Passed HB2004.
• Extended rural business development tax credit. Passed HB2004.
• Lessened the impact of rules and regulations on small businesses. Passed SB579.
• Passed Workforce Development Act. Passed SB288.