Note: The Lawrence Times runs opinion columns and letters to the Times written by community members with varying perspectives on local issues. These pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Times staff.
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When we do what’s right for our children, we do what’s right for our state. That’s why we need more legislators who understand the challenges facing Kansas families. I will bring this perspective to the Kansas Legislature if elected to represent District 10.
As a parent of young children, I know how much it costs to feed a family of four, how quickly kids outgrow their clothes and shoes, and how the high cost of child care creates impossible decisions for families. The majority of the Kansas Legislature is out of touch with the financial challenges that Kansans are grappling with daily.
Kansans are concerned about whether our kids’ classroom will be overcrowded next school year, the cost of an unexpected car repair or medical bill, if we’ll be able to find a child care spot for our babies and toddlers, and how much the costs of groceries went up this week. We worry about whether we’ll be able to afford college or technical training for our kids without them starting adulthood buried in debt, or how many more years of property tax increases we can absorb. These are the things Kansans want the Legislature to address, and these are the reasons I’m running for the 10th District of the Kansas House of Representatives.
Kansans want an education system that keeps public dollars in public schools, supports teachers, and makes higher education accessible. We need to address the child care crisis by investing in early education to create more child care slots, make care affordable and accessible for families, and better support our early childhood educators. The economic success of our families and businesses depends on it.
I will be a champion for common sense solutions for the issues facing our state. We must expand Medicaid, protect our reproductive rights, enhance tax credits for families and seniors, provide property tax relief, and ensure the state’s robust economic development translates into living wage jobs in our community.
I grew up in Kansas, went to public schools, and am better for it. My husband and I feel lucky to live in Lawrence and raise our kids in this community. But when I think back to when I was a kid being raised by a single mom, I know things are different now. It’s harder to make ends meet, and families need more support. The economic struggle faced by working Kansans today is in part because the majority of the Kansas Legislature has been focused on increasing the wealth of a few, maintaining the status quo for those with power and trying to divide us with social issues.
With more than 17 years of experience advocating for policies to advance health, economic and racial equity, I am well qualified to represent Lawrence residents of the 10th District. If elected to represent District 10, I will be a steadfast champion for policies that strengthen our community by improving families’ economic security and placing children at the center of decisions.
— Suzanne Wikle is a Democrat running in the Aug. 6 primary to represent Kansas House District 10 in the Legislature.
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