The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on legislation, helping to create a state budget, and legislative oversight over state agencies.
Campaign Phone
785-554-1830
Personal Biography
Suzanne has more than 16 years experience working on issues that make a difference for children and families. Suzanne is an expert on health and human services issues, including Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, and nutrition assistance. For the past nine years Suzanne has been working with advocates across the country to help them identify policy changes to improve families’ economic security. Suzanne also spent seven years at Kansas Action for Children, an advocacy group working to make Kansa
Education
Master of Social Welfare, University of Kansas; Bachelor of Arts, Washington University in St. Louis
Community/Public Service
Community Children's Center - Board Member; Alliance for a Healthy Kansas - Board Member
I have worked in the policy and advocacy space for 17 years with a focus on children and family issues, anti-poverty work, health policy, and racial equity policy. In my career I spent seven years working in the Kansas statehouse as an advocate for children’s health issues. For the past nine and a half years I’ve worked for national policy organizations. In that capacity I work with advocates across the country to help them identify how their states can provide better economic supports to children and families.
I have developed a depth of policy knowledge that makes me qualified to craft and debate legislation, engage with stakeholders, and find compromise with other members of the legislature.
Affordable and accessible healthcare - this includes Medicaid expansion and ensuring abortion and other reproductive health care remains accessible. Also includes addressing gun violence. I’m proud to share that I have the Gun Sense Candidate Distinction from Moms Demand Action.
Fully supporting education systems - this includes early childhood education and child care, K-12 funding (including special ed), and supporting higher education. I have the endorsement of KNEA.
Relieving economic stress on families and state fiscal responsibility - a fairer tax system, managing the growth in property taxes, providing a true safety-net, taking steps to increase affordable housing options, shoring up KPERs & never going back to the Brownback era.
I would propose a public system where someone can enter a bill number they want to track and they receive notifications when there is any action with the bill. Actions would include a hearing scheduled, amendments passed, bill passed out of committee, and floor votes, Actions would also include if the bill is bundled with other bills, placed into a conference committee report, or if the text of the bill is placed into a different bill.
I think there needs to be a conversation around parameters for using "gut and go". I think that when a "gut and go" is used the general public needs a way of tracking what happened and the process needs to be more transparent overall.
I would support changes that make it easier to vote, such as same day registration and automatic registration through the DMV. I believe making voting fully accessible is the best for our democracy. I would oppose any changes that make it harder to vote or register to vote.