Legislators’ allegiance will soon be known

Taking the high road is what got Laura Kelly elected our next governor of Kansas.

She didn’t accuse public schools of being mismanaged. She didn’t accuse undocumented immigrants of voter fraud. And she didn’t mock supporters of gun control.

Kelly’s calm resolve was in stark contrast to the bombastic style of her opponent Kris Kobach and the balm Kansas voters needed. Simply put, voters showed they prefer common sense to theatrics and consensus-building to polarization.

So listen up, legislators.

Instead of casting aspersions on our governor-elect — there’ll be “very liberal” spending, predicts Susan Wagle, Senate president; she expects a “free lunch,” rejoined Ron Ryckman, House Speaker — we ask that you give progress a chance.

Kelly’s win is a message that we want you to raise our quality of life by expanding Medicaid so another 152,000 Kansans will have access to health insurance. The Affordable Care Act is here to stay and the longer we opt out of its benefits, the more we are hurting our least off. By broadening the umbrella of coverage, not only will more Kansans receive health care, but also rural hospitals and clinics will receive critical reimbursements for their care.

Kelly’s victory reflects our support of public education and the need to invest in our schools by providing programs that enable every child to reach their potential. And there’s no better recruitment tool than a decent salary for teachers.

Kelly’s success gives voice to low- and middle-income wage earners who are unfairly penalized by the sales tax on food. Everybody needs food, but not everybody has the same means to procure it. Kansas is but one of a few states that taxes food the same as other products. At 6.5 percent — not counting what local municipalities may tack on — the sales tax on our food exceeds that of most other states.

KELLY WON because her goals for a healthy and prosperous Kansas aligned with those of a majority of voters.

But she can’t do it alone.

And by their actions, we’ll soon know which legislators are there to serve the greatest number of Kansans and which are there to cater to a select few.

— Susan Lynn