Welcome to my website! It has been my privilege to represent the citizens of the 39th District in the Kansas Senate since 1992. As a farmer and a life-long resident of Southwest Kansas, I have firsthand knowledge and experience in the issues and concerns facing our corner of the state. I am honored to be able to bring a Southwest Kansas perspective and sensibility to the Statehouse.

As President of the Kansas Senate, I am in a unique position to have a greater impact on all committees and legislation. Serving in the leadership of the state senate can be challenging, but it is also very rewarding when we are able to craft sound public policy to help guide our state securely and responsibly into the future.

In 2008, one of our highest priorities will be a comprehensive energy plan for Kansas. I am convinced Kansas should - and will - be a major player in developing the future of biofuels that may one day make the U.S. energy independent. We can use our ever advancing technology to responsibly and cleanly use coal while working to expand and develop our other natural energy resources, including wind and solar power.  Another major focus is the future of the bioscience industry in Kansas; we continue to work with the federal government and private companies to expand Kansas' role in this increasingly critical area.

We will also need to address school finance, as we move into the final year of the current three-year plan. Setting the budget for public schools 2 to 3 years at a time is a good way to help the school districts plan for the increased funding, assuring our dollars get where they need to go: to our children in the classrooms.

Health care is also high on the list, with an emphasis on preventive health care, promoting healthy lifestyles for all, from infants to seniors. We continue to seek ways to provide reliable, quality health care to all our citizens, whether in the bustling metro areas such as Johnson County and Wichita, in our smaller cites and towns or in the vast far flung rural parts of the state.

Let me conclude by thanking you for visiting this website. I hope you find it informative and helpful. If you have ideas, questions or concerns you would like to share, or if you would simply like to add your name to our e-mail newsletter list, please take this opportunity to do so.

Thank you for the trust and support you have given me in the past. It is an honor to serve the residents of the 39th District and Southwest Kansas, and the people of Kansas in this public capacity.