Former Kansas House member dies at 81

Former Kansas Rep. Larry Hibbard, a Greenwood County farmer and rancher who served in the House from 2013 to 2019, died Sunday. He was 81.

A moderate Republican from Toronto, he helped overturn Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s state income tax experiment and backed Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s plan for Medicaid expansion, his family said in a news release.

He stood up to leadership during budget negotiations during the 2019 legislative session.

“Leadership comes up here and starts threatening cuts for each and every one of us,” Hibbard told the Topeka Capital-Journal, adding that most people didn’t appreciate bullying in schools or prisons and “we shouldn’t be allowing it here.”

He resigned after the session because of stress.

Hibbard served on agriculture and rural revitalization committees, and he proposed a constitutional amendment to limit legislators to 12 consecutive years in office.

He attended Kansas State University and served for six years in the Kansas National Guard, according to his obituary.

He died Sunday at Fredonia Regional Hospital. The news release didn’t cite a cause of death.

A celebration of life is planned for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Toronto High School gymnasium. The family will receive friends from 9 to 10 a.m. at the gym.