Jewish legislators Sen. Ethan Corson and Rep. Dan Osman addressed a gathering at Congregation Beth Shalom to share information on lawmaking in Kansas. Ace Allen moderated the event, which was a Café Ohev program, on Sept. 8.
Among the points shared were that 90% of the bills introduced in Kansas are uncontroversial, legislators work together most of the time, and there are robust alliances between legislators in Johnson County and western Kansas. Corson and Osman said that while national politics influence the Kansas legislature, model legislation drafted by national interest groups often does not fit the Kansas setting. Despite the bleedover of partisanship from the national level, they see positive change happening in Kansas, such as fully funding public schools for six years, achieving the largest budget surplus in the history of Kansas, economic development and more.
Both lawmakers spoke of working long days, preparing for committee meetings in the evenings and interacting with constituents.
Sen. Corson and Rep. Osman both said that their Jewish values inform who they are as individuals and affect how they view issues as lawmakers — and that their “guiding star” is what’s good for their district and for Kansas. They also stated that there is strong support for Israel and for opposing antisemitism in the legislature.
The lawmakers agreed that big issues in the next session include taxes, school funding (including special education), school vouchers, medical marijuana, reproductive rights, LGBT rights and Medicaid expansion. Bills that are ultimately heard on the floor of the House and Senate are only the ones that the majority leadership selects. Thus, some issues that may be of concern to many Kansans do not get a hearing because the leadership prevents them from advancing.
This discussion was an event of Café Ohev, a breakfast and speaker program that originated at Congregation Ohev Sholom and has been part of Congregation Beth Shalom’s programming since the two congregations consolidated in 2021. Community members who know of a local speaker on a topic of broad interest that they would like to hear present at a Café Ohev program can contact Audrey Asher through the Beth Shalom office.
