Laura Kelly: Kansas deserves to keep moving ahead, not backward into partisan politics

Before I took office, Kansas was making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Our schools were chronically underfunded; our economy was in free fall; our roads and bridges were crumbling and our budget was a disaster.

So, I ran for governor to get our state back on track. That meant bringing together both parties to get things done for Kansans. I’m happy to report that during my first term, we’ve done just that.

Since I took office, we fully funded our schools and balanced the budget every year. We recruited some of the largest businesses in the country to come to Kansas to invest more than $14 billion. We’ve cut $1 billion in taxes for Kansans — including eliminating the food tax. We are paying down debt while making record investments in the state’s rainy day fund.

I’m proud of that record.

But my opponent, Derek Schmidt, will take us back. He supported the Sam Brownback agenda that drove our state into the ditch in the first place. We’ve come a long way — and we simply can’t afford to go backward now.

Kansans face a really important choice this November.

We can either stay on track — with a growing economy, a balanced budget, fully funded law enforcement and public schools, and lower taxes. Or, we can turn back the clock and return to the same disastrous policies that broke our budgets, our schools and our economy.

My opponent wants you to believe I’m someone I’m not.

But I think Kansans know me, and know I’m pretty middle of the road. I bring people together, not pull them apart with divisive politics. I’ve worked tirelessly to put party politics aside and do what’s best for Kansas.

Now that we’ve steadied the ship, we’re well-positioned for big things.

On Day One of my second term, I’ll send a bill to the Legislature to eliminate the food sales tax completely and immediately. This plan would save Kansas families hundreds of dollars a year — and thanks to our fiscal responsibility, we can afford it.

Kansas has lost out on billions of dollars and thousands of jobs by not expanding Medicaid. Medicaid expansion would help over 150,000 Kansans access affordable health care. I’ve proposed a plan to expand Medicaid every year since taking office. I’ll propose my fifth plan to the Legislature in January 2023, to finally get this done.

Access to high-speed Internet is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. I was the first governor in Kansas history to invest in high-speed internet access. We’ve connected more than 50,000 homes and businesses across the state to the internet. By the end of my second term, every home, business, school and hospital that wants it will have access to high-speed Internet.

I always said that the legacy I want to leave is the most robust, comprehensive early childhood education system in the country. I want all our children to receive the world-class education they deserve, including in their early, formative years. We are going to continue fully funding our schools, but we are also going to invest more in preschool and early literacy programs. We are going to set our children up for success.

We’ve come a long way, but I believe our best days are ahead of us. I know that we can make Kansas the very best place in America to raise a family.

I hope to earn your vote again this November to keep building on all we’ve done these last four years.

Laura Kelly is governor of Kansas.