Incumbent Democratic Sen. Marci Francisco will face Republican David Miller in the Nov. 5 general election for Kansas Senate District 2.

Miller said he did not respond to the primary questionnaire — though he was invited to participate — because he did not have an opponent. He said he didn’t receive our initial email about this general election questionnaire, sent Oct. 8, until several hours before the deadline Friday evening. We offered an extension, given the circumstances, in hopes of giving him an opportunity to respond. He responded “Please just tell people I have a website: DavidGMiller.com and have answered several other inquiries available on line.”

We did not give candidates a word count limit but advised them to keep answers concise. We gave candidates who filled out the questionnaire for the primary election a chance to update their answers. Francisco’s updated answers appear below.

In addition to this questionnaire, Francisco participated in a candidate forum on Sept. 16 to which Miller submitted written responses. The video of that forum is available at this link.

Will this race be on my ballot? Check which legislative districts you’re in at myvoteinfo.voteks.org.

Early voting began Wednesday, Oct. 16. Voters can request a ballot to vote early by mail through Tuesday, Oct. 29 at KSVotes.org. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, which is Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Find out more at lawrencekstimes.com/election2024. 

Jump to a topic:

• Meet the candidate
• Experience and qualifications
• Top 3 issues
• Legalizing cannabis
• Expanding Medicaid
• Public funds to private schools
• Local control
• Abortion regulations
• LGBTQ+ rights and transgender kids
• Top concerns heard from voters
• Question for opponents
• Free space
• Just for fun

This district

Senate District 2, shown in pink in this map, changed with redistricting in 2022.

It previously contained a large portion of Jefferson County but now includes only Douglas County: most of Lawrence and parts of the Grant and Wakarusa townships.

It includes most of North Lawrence and all of downtown, central, southeastern and eastern Lawrence. Some parts of its western boundaries extend as far as Wakarusa Drive in Lawrence, but it follows along Kasold Drive in other places.

Its southern boundary extends to Kansas Highway 10 west of Iowa Street and West 31st Street east of Iowa, and its easternmost boundary is East 1810 Road.

Click here for a PDF map of Senate District 2.

Meet the candidate

Marci Francisco

Age: 74

Hometown, and time in Douglas County? I grew up in Prairie Village, Kansas, but have roots in Lawrence. My great-grandfather ran the livery stable at 8th and Vermont and was the first Democratic Mayor of Lawrence 1914-1917 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery along with other family members. I have lived in Lawrence for 50 years.

Where you currently reside: I live in the Oread Neighborhood in Lawrence

Day job: I have retired from the University of Kansas where I taught in the School of Architecture and worked in Facilities Planning and the Center for Sustainability. Now, in addition to being a State Senator, my husband and I are homemakers (renovating and maintaining affordable housing) and I’m a farm worker during the fall picking chestnuts at Chestnut Charlie’s.

How voters can reach you: maf@sunflower.com; 785-766-1473 (cell)

Website; social media links: marciforsenate.com; Marci Francisco, Kansas State Senator on Facebook

About you and your positions

A * indicates an answer was required to submit this questionnaire.

Q: What specific experience and qualifications do you possess that make you the best candidate for the seat you’re seeking?*

I have the experience and relationships in the Kansas Senate to make a difference for my constituents in Lawrence and Douglas County. I have earned a reputation of reading the bills, paying attention to details, and having amendments adopted. Among those amendments were ones that recognized dispatchers as first responders and increased the distributions – not the fees – for dispatch centers including ours in Douglas County and another that added $5 million annual funding for the State Water Plan in the Senate to match the proposal from the House.

Q: Please list the top three issues motivating you to run for this office. What concrete ideas do you have to make a difference on each issue if you are elected? Please be as specific as possible.*

Reproductive Health Freedoms, Public Education, Energy and environmental concerns

Kansas Voters and the State Supreme Court have consistently upheld the right to bodily autonomy and reproductive health care choices for Kansans. Nationally, however, the US Supreme Court has overturned Roe. Some individual states, guided by ALEC drafted legislation have begun placing new restrictions, not only on abortion care, but also IVF procedures and the right to contraception. After the August 2022 referendum and the earlier reversal of Roe, I reviewed statutes related to abortion care in Kansas which led to the introduction of SB 206. Senator Holland and I co-sponsored that bill to remove outdated statutes, allow insurance companies to cover abortion care, and provide equitable tax treatment of donations to groups like Planned Parenthood. If re-elected, I will begin work on an updated version of this bill that considers the recent Kansas Supreme Court rulings along with IVF care and contraception.

The legislature could do a much better job of funding public education. Although the funding required by the Gannon case was finally fully phased in last year, when that case was filed during the 2010-2011 school year, special education was being funded at the 92% statutory rate and therefore not included in the evidentiary record. Since then, general funding has been undermined by reductions in funding for special education which now only cover 64-65% of excess costs; USD 497 is transferring over $10 million of general funds to cover those special education costs. I want to be part of the discussions when the legislature considers a new finance plan for education next year. I will also continue to work on funding for early childhood education which could make a significant difference in outcomes.

The legislature significantly increased funding for the State Water Plan – my amendment in the Senate committee to increase the annual funding by $5 million a year to match the House proposal passed – however oversight of those expenditures is needed to address both water quantity and quality concerns. A bill passed last year allows for an increase of the capacity limitation for facilities operating subject to net metering for an investor-owned utility from 1% to 5%; the regulations for electric cooperatives should also be reviewed. I want to encourage the expansion of the State Energy Office, now just a half-time position, to make the adoption of a State Energy Plan possible. Such plan could address the transition to increased use of renewables and requirements for a state-wide energy efficiency building code. If utilities are not affordable, housing will not be affordable.

Q: Would you support legalizing cannabis in Kansas?*

Options given: Yes, for any use (medicinal, recreational, etc.); Yes, for medicinal use; No

Yes, for medicinal use

Q: Would you support expansion of Medicaid in Kansas?*

(Only yes/no options given)

Yes

Q: Would you support initiatives to spend more public money on private schools, such as through vouchers, charter schools, tax credits and so forth?*

(Only yes/no options given)

No

Q: Please elaborate on any of your answers to the yes/no questions above if you’d like to.

I think it is much more likely in the upcoming session that the Kansas Legislature would pass medical cannabis than recreational cannabis. I support those efforts; I believe cannabis should be available by prescription to address health concerns and it would allow the state to establish the regulations for production and sales to be fair and equitable manner. The legislature could also address banking regulations and expungement of past minor cannabis possession charges to set the stage for recreational use.

Public tax dollars should be for public schools only, PERIOD. I have not and will never support diverting any of these funds to private schools that are not required to follow the same rules of acceptance and accommodation as public schools.

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Q: Please share your views on local control. Do you believe the Legislature should seek to enact state laws that affect municipalities’ ability to self-govern? If so, in what circumstances? If not, how will you stand up for local control?*

Context given to candidates: The Lawrence City Commission in 2022 stripped some protections of immigrants from local ordinances in response to changes in state laws. 
The city in 2023 passed a safe haven ordinance to create additional protections for transgender people in response to anti-trans legislation (SB 180 in particular). 
The city also approved a ban on single-use plastic bags, which legislators attempted to nullify with a new law that was vetoed this year.

As a former City Commissioner and Mayor of Lawrence, I understand the importance of local governments being able to respond to the needs of their community. I have not supported state laws that affect a municipality’s ability to self-govern. I have stood up for local control by speaking out and voting “NO” on legislation that would limit local control.

Q: Kansas voters in August 2022 soundly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have opened the door to extreme restrictions on abortion. Still, the Legislature has passed or attempted to pass more laws regulating abortion. Please share your stance on what actions the Legislature should or should not take regarding abortion.*

As noted above, after the August 2022 referendum and the earlier reversal of Roe, I reviewed statutes related to abortion care in Kansas which led to the introduction of SB 206. Senator Holland and I co-sponsored that bill to remove outdated statutes, allow insurance companies to cover abortion care, and provide equitable tax treatment of donations to groups like Planned Parenthood. If re-elected, I will begin work on an updated version of this bill that considers the recent Kansas Supreme Court rulings along with IVF care and contraception.

Q: In recent years, the Legislature has increasingly passed or attempted to pass legislation that could have potential negative outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. Please explain your stance on the rights of LGBTQ+ people — particularly transgender kids — and what the Legislature’s role in their lives and health care should be.*

I supported equal rights for all when I served on the Lawrence City Commission in the 1980s and have continued that support as a Kansas State Senator. Opportunities for insurance, hospital visitation, and inheritance should be determined by individuals, not the state. The legislature has a responsibility for public health, but individuals have a right to make their own health care choices outside of those concerns for public health. The legislature should focus on education that encourages all children to succeed.

Optional questions

Q: What would you say is the top concern you’ve heard from voters as you’ve been campaigning, and what actions would you take to better that problem?

Property taxes remain a concern for many — Senator Holland and I tried to address those concerns when we introduced Senate Bill 2 during the special session. If re-elected, I will ask to be appointed as a member of the Senate Assessment and Tax Committee to focus on that issue and others — we should reduce the number of sales tax exemptions and make that process more workable for businesses.

Q: Please share a question we didn’t ask that you’d like your fellow candidates to answer. How would you respond?

How can we work to reduce our use of non-renewable energy? Check out the forecast of wind and solar energy production on the Southwest Power Pool’s site (google SPP) and make use of energy when it’s predicted that the wind will be blowing and the sun will be shining.

Q: Free space: Please share anything you’d like voters to know about you and your stances that we haven’t asked here. 

I have so enjoyed being part of this community and getting to know and working with so many others who are ensuring that our community is Unmistakably Lawrence.

Just for fun

Candidates were not required to answer any of these questions, but we wanted to give our readers a chance to get to know them a little better and have some fun with this.

Francisco:

Favorite color? Turquoise (I like green and blue)

Zodiac sign? Taurus

Do you have any pets, and/or what’s your favorite animal? Turtles

What’s a fun fact our readers may not know about you? (Have a hidden talent? Interesting hobby?) I didn’t get my Driver’s License until I was 38 – got around on my bicycle, busses and trains.

Favorite book, TV show and/or movie? I’m an avid reader so I’ll just give you three favorite books: “The Oregon Trail – A New American Journey” by Rinker Buck, “The Desert Smells Like Rain, A naturalist in Papago Indian Country” by Gary Paul Nabhan, and most recently, “The Women” by Kristin Hannah, reminding me of what was not said during the years of Vietnam War.

This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.

If you have news tips, questions, comments, concerns, compliments or corrections for our team, please reach out and let us know what’s on your mind. Email us at Hello@LawrenceKSTimes.com (don’t forget the KS!), or find more contact info and a quick contact form at LawrenceKSTimes.com/contact.

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