Candidate Ellis says his GOP roots will allow him a seat at the table
Ron Ellis, the republican challenger for the state's second senate district is a 49-year-old rancher from Meriden.
As a 37 year school teacher, Republican Ellis said he knows what works in the classroom.
But when it comes to funding the state's public school, Ellis said lawmakers have a lot to learn.
If elected, he said he'll fight to put more dollars in the classroom
"To me, education is not an expense, it’s an investment," he said.
Ellis said the uncertainty surrounding the state's school finance formula means superintendents like Rick Doll in the Lawrence School District are limited in how they use resources which is a detriment to students
"They would like to have a clear picture of what they can do for the future and plan these things out instead of using their reserve funds and getting down to hardly anything," Ellis said.
Another sector of the electorate facing uncertainty from Topeka are small business owners, and Ellis said he has some ideas to get the state's economy churning again
"In Jefferson County, I'd like to propose a plan where you go in and take an old building in a town and you want to take a chance on a small business, we would keep their property taxes down three to five years. Let people take a chance on a new business," he said.
Ellis said he supports cutting taxes for small businesses and low income individuals but he said the legislature should take a hard look at the drastically lowered upper tax bracket.
"They had the two top rates, 6.45 and I think 6.25 and they made it down to 4.9, the top rate, I think that was too aggressive," Ellis said.
Ellis is challenging incumbent senator Marci Francisco-, a democrat from Lawrence.
He admits that the two are likely to agree on many policy fronts but he says his republican roots will allow him a seat at the table in the GOP dominated statehouse
"I think if you work together and you talk early and you get things done and for Lawrence and Jefferson County to have a good voice there I think I would be the best choice," Ellis said.
Ellis identifies himself as pro-life and pro second amendment.
He is a life-long Kansan and has lived in Jefferson County for 37 years.