Kansas Statehouse bigwigs lay down the law: Call us racist and we’ll crush you like a bug

Kansas Republicans sent an unmistakable message to Democratic Rep. Ford Carr this week: Mess with us, and we’ll destroy you.

The Wichita-based representative, who is Black, filed a complaint in February against Republican Rep. Nick Hoheisel, who is white. This week a disciplinary panel deadlocked along party lines when considering Carr’s complaint. But members had a new issue to consider: Republican Rep. Leah Howell of Derby lodged allegations against Carr.

Howell claimed that the Democrat showed “patterns of violent rhetoric, physical violence, intimidating behavior and derogatory language which is unbecoming of any Kansan, much less a member of the Kansas House.” House Majority Leader Chris Croft endorsed the complaint.

I’ll tell you what this looks like to me. It looks as though Kansas Republicans have decided to teach Carr a lesson. After not being able to shut him up on the floor, they are now determined to go after his reputation. I’m not saying the Carr is a perfect person. I don’t know him and can’t say. But I also know that in any workplace with 165 people, you’re going to see a variety of personalities and approaches.

You could put together quite interesting files on any number of Republican politicians when it comes to their behavior on the floor, in committees and with constituents. The fact that GOP members are doing this against Carr suggests they want vengeance, not justice.

You don’t have to listen to me about this. You can consider these word from former Hutchinson Democratic Rep. Jason Probst at his Substack blog:

“A few years ago, I was speaking on a bill in front of the entire House of Representatives, when I noticed a group of people from the Republican side of the aisle laughing vigorously.

“It’s not unusual for there to be chatter and conversation during floor debate, but this was more than usual. Enough to catch my attention and bother me.

“After the day’s session ended, I walked up to the House member at the center of the laughter. I told him I noticed it, and wondered if I had said something so funny that they couldn’t help themselves from cackling during a serious legislative debate.”

According to Probst, the members were laughing at the following racist joke: “What’s the most confusing holiday in Ferguson, Missouri?”

Answer: “Father’s Day.”

That’s the environment in which Carr works daily in Topeka. That’s the environment in which he has refused to tolerate the condescending admonitions of Republican leadership. He won’t play along. And now he faces the consequences of standing up for himself and his constituents. I don’t think highly of Kansas legislative leadership in the best of times. But this is far from the best of times, and they’re making a mockery of the House.

Or as Probst puts it: “It is amazing to consider how weak the powerful really are. They bristle at criticism. They actively legislate to silence any dissenting voice. They use the levers of the system they control to enforce compliance. They punish those who refuse to be controlled by the rules they’ve written or who chooses to disengage from the systems they’ve created.”

Progressive scuffle

At least House Republicans’ tussle with Carr follows familiar Republican vs. Democrat lines. More surprising was an uprising of progressive outrage against Sen. Patrick Schmidt, D-Topeka. Schmidt proposed an amendment to House Bill 2062, which provides “for child support orders for unborn children from the date of conception.” He asked senators to expand the child tax credit for all of the state’s pregnant parents.

Republicans ultimately backed his proposal. But Schmidt’s move didn’t sit well with other Democrats and progressive advocates.

“It is pretty disappointing to hear Senator Schmidt declare himself the most ‘pro-choice lawmaker’ while simultaneously adding the most anti-abortion language I’ve ever seen a democratic lawmaker intentionally amend into a bill,” said Melissa Stiehler, of Loud Light Civic Action.

Schmidt still voted against the legislation, calling it a “bad bill, with or without an amendment.”

I understand that the politics around reproductive freedoms arouse fierce responses. I understand that this bill can be seen as a “fetal personhood” law, laying the groundwork for future anti-abortion measures. But Democrats have only nine members in the 40-person Senate. Does attacking one of those nine make long-term political sense?

Emporia State hot air

Emporia State University president Ken Hush spoke to the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency on Wednesday, and his remarks were something to behold.

He said change at the ESU was needed because community surveys included descriptions of the university as a “mediocrity,” “no financial acumen,” “slow,” “no accountability,” arrogant,” “inaction,” “dictators versus team,” “low expectations” and “not data driven.”

Well, thank goodness he axed more than 30 staff members, then!

I’ll tell you who found the whole situation ridiculous and shameful: Emporia residents. Kansas Reflector staff traveled to the hometown of William Allen White on Tuesday for a town hall. Let me tell you, sympathy for Hush and his approach toward revamping the university looked pretty damn scanty.

But that’s the whole playbook for fiscal vandals like Hush and Elon Musk, isn’t it? Cut staff and programs so drastically that they barely function. Then whine that they’re being treated unfairly by those who don’t realize their visionary genius.

In the meantime, Hush enjoys a $9 million earmark from the Legislature to keep cutting. Wouldn’t a successful turnaround pay for itself?

Marshall on the spot

Associated Press reporter John Hanna, dean of the Kansas Statehouse press corps, posted this important update on Thursday.

Because of congestion at Reagan National, the airliner was diverted from a runway further away from where helicopters were flying to another one much closer, and the airliner’s approach was on the helicopter’s path, though it was supposed to be flying 200 feet below.#ksleg

— John Hanna (@APjdhanna) March 14, 2025

Looks like U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall was wrong about the crash occurring because of DEI then, huh?

This week’s questions

I wish I could quit asking all these questions about Statehouse goings-on and Kansas political happenings. But they still swarm around my mind like so many cicadas.

• What do Republicans have up their sleeves with their proposal for a commission to look at higher education in Kansas?
• How proud should we be that Kansas has joined the Make America Healthy Again crusade with our very own case of measles?
• Once again, wouldn’t it be great to see Kansas state legislators speak out about the deranged crusade to fire federal employees, now that a judge has ordered many back on the job?
• Who’s afraid of a little satanism at the Statehouse? Freedom of religion means freedom of religion, right?

Dan Hawkins defends free speech

Nah, I’m just kidding there, folks. House Speaker Dan Hawkins has still barred journalists from their traditional spot on the House floor.

We’ve also noticed that his office has stopped sending press releases and notices of news conferences to Kansas Reflector staff. They may want to understand that targeting a particular news outlet for its coverage is unconstitutional. I’m sure it’s all an oversight and that email will resume soon.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.