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Jim Ward (Kansas politician)

James Ward (born December 5, 1957) is a Democratic former member of the Kansas House of Representatives, who represented the 86th district from 2013 to 2021.[1] He was first elected to seat 88 in 2003 and served as the House Minority Leader from 2017 to 2019, succeeded by Representative Tom Sawyer as of January 14, 2019. Ward ran for the 28th district of the Kansas Senate against incumbent Mike Petersen but was defeated.[2]

Jim Ward
Minority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives
In office
January 9, 2017 – January 14, 2019
Preceded byTom Burroughs
Succeeded byTom Sawyer
Member of the Kansas House of Representatives
In office
January 13, 2003 – January 11, 2021
Constituency86th District (2013-2021)
88th District (2003-2013)
Member of the Kansas Senate
from the 29th district
In office
January 1991 – January 11, 1993
Preceded byEugene Anderson
Succeeded byU. L. Gooch
Personal details
Born (1957-12-05) December 5, 1957 (age 67)
Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseKaren
Children2
EducationCreighton University (BA)
Washburn University (JD)

Prior to his election to the House, Ward served in the Kansas Senate from 1991 to 1993 and on the Wichita City Council in 1991.

In 2017, Ward announced but later withdrew his candidacy for the 2018 gubernatorial election in Kansas.

Early life, education, and career

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James (Jim) Ward was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 5, 1957.[3]

Ward received his bachelor's degree from Creighton University and his JD from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. He practices law in Wichita, Kansas. He is a member of the Wichita Bar Association, Project Freedom, and the Wichita Youth Court Project.[4]

Before his election to the Kansas House of Representatives, Ward served on the Wichita City Council, then beginning in 1991, in the Kansas Senate through 1993, and later the Wichita School Board. He was elected to state House seat 88 in 2002, defeating Republican Hoyt Hillman and Libertarian David Moffett.[5]

In 2018, Ward supported the Kansas Legislature's override of former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's 2012 tax cuts.[6]

In November 2017, Ward spoke in Washington D.C. to U.S. Senate Democrats at a hearing examining similarities between a national Republican tax plan and former Kansas Governor Brownback's 2012 tax plan which was overridden in 2017. Ward said "The great experiment was a complete and utter failure that nearly bankrupted our state...You put that on steroids and pass it around the country. Not only will it hurt the U.S. economy, it'll affect the world economy."[7][8]

Ward was named a Public Official of the Year for Bipartisan leadership in 2017 by Governing.[9]

Political positions

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Ward is a supporter of Medicaid expansion, and he has repeatedly introduced legislation to expand the program.[10][11][12] Ward also opposes efforts to impose work requirements and lifetime caps on Medicaid recipients. In 2018, he said, “There is no independent data that shows work requirements do anything except reduce the number of people who get health care."[13]

In 2015, Ward called for an audit of the Kansas Department for Children and Families after several children died in state custody. He spoke to the Kansas Legislative Post Audit Committee on July 29, 2015: “In the last couple of years, I’ve been getting more and more and more concerns presented to me about supervision not being done, placements being changed fairly radically quickly, and care plans not being followed through with."[14]

Later in 2015, Ward requested another audit of DCF on the grounds that the agency was discriminating against same-sex couples who were trying to adopt children.[15] An audit of DCF was conducted in 2017.[16]

Ward is an advocate of greater K-12 education spending in Kansas. In 2018, he said, “We are not adequately funding schools, and the outcomes are proving that."[17] When the Kansas House passed a $500 million school funding increase during the 2018 legislative session, Ward did not vote for it. He argued that a larger investment was required to make up for years of “chronic underfunding” and adhere to the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling that education funding in the state is inadequate and inequitable: “It’s frustrating. I don’t think anyone on our side of the aisle thinks we’ve fixed the problem or ended the litigation."[18]

During the 2018 gubernatorial campaign, Ward said he would reinstate an executive order that protects LGBT state workers from discrimination (which was originally signed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius). He also said he would support an anti-discrimination law: “As governor, I would reinstate the executive order, in addition to encouraging the legislature to enact a law protecting every Kansan from discrimination."[19]

Ward supports substantial changes to gun laws in Kansas. He has worked to repeal the Personal and Family Protection Act, which allows concealed firearms on the campuses of public universities in the state.[20] He is opposed to arming K-12 teachers, while he supports raising the minimum age for semi-automatic firearm purchases to 21, implementing comprehensive background checks for all gun buyers, preventing people with domestic violence or other violent crime convictions from possessing or purchasing firearms, and banning bump stocks in Kansas.[21]

Assistant District Attorney

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Ward served as Assistant District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District[22] prior to opening his own practice in 1990. He worked on the first case in Kansas history to utilize DNA as evidence in a murder trial.[23] (State v. Pioletti[24])

2018 gubernatorial candidacy

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On August 19, 2017, Ward announced his candidacy for the 2018 Kansas gubernatorial race.[25] He withdrew from the race in May 2018, instead announcing that he would seek re-election to the Kansas House of Representatives.

Personal life

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Ward has two adult children; Zack and Emily.[26]

References

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  1. ^ Jim Ward, Vote Smart. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  2. ^ "Kansas State Senate - District 28 Election Results | Journal Sentinel". www.jsonline.com. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  3. ^ "James Ward's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  4. ^ Project Vote Smart - Rep. Jim Ward Biography
  5. ^ Jim Ward, Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  6. ^ "Lawmakers override Brownback veto of tax increases, rolling back 2012 cuts". kansas. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  7. ^ Zampa, Peter. "Senate Democrats compare GOP tax plan to 2012 Kansas plan". Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  8. ^ "Tax reform bill reminds some of Kansas plan". KSN-TV. 2017-11-02. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  9. ^ "Jim Denning & Jim Ward". Governing. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-16.
  10. ^ Institute, Kansas Health. "Medicaid expansion bill introduced - Kansas Health Institute". Kansas Health Institute. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  11. ^ Marso, Andy. "Medicaid Expansion Votes Denied In Both Kansas Chambers". Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  12. ^ Smith, Sherman. "Kansas House Democrats again fail to introduce Medicaid expansion". The Topeka Capital. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  13. ^ McLean, Jim. "Colyer Insisting On Work-For-Coverage Requirement In Kansas Medicaid Rules". Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  14. ^ "GOP legislators block audit of Kansas foster care system, despite recent child deaths". LJWorld.com. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  15. ^ "Decision on DCF audit delayed until January". kansas. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  16. ^ Wingerter, Meg. "Audit Finds Concerns About Child Placement, Services In Kansas Foster Care System". Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  17. ^ "$2 billion estimate for Kansas public schools shocks lawmakers; consultants' accuracy questioned". LJWorld.com. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  18. ^ Koranda, Celia Llopis-Jepsen, Stephen. "Kansas House Passes $500M School Funding Plan, Prompting Senate Ultimatum". Retrieved 2018-06-14.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Kansas governor candidates split on order protecting LGBT workers". kansas. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  20. ^ "Kansas House poised to debate guns on college campuses and in state hospitals". kansascity. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  21. ^ "Raise age to buy an AR-15? Arm teachers? Here's where Kansas governor candidates stand". kansascity. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  22. ^ "18th Judicial District Court". www.dc18.org. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  23. ^ Science, Stephen G. Michaud: Stephen G. Michaud Writes Frequently About Forensic (1988-11-06). "DNA Detectives". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  24. ^ "State v. Pioletti". Justia Law. Retrieved 2017-09-06.
  25. ^ "Kansas Rep. Jim Ward announces he's running for governor". KSN-TV. KSN. 2017-08-19. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  26. ^ Biography Jim Ward, Vote Smart. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
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Kansas House of Representatives
Preceded by Minority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives
2017–2019 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Kansas House of Representatives
From the 86th District
January 14, 2013 - January 11, 2021 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the Kansas House of Representatives
From the 88th District
January 13, 2003 - January 14, 2013 		Succeeded by
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