2014 Kansas Senate debates


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OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Greg Orman: Supports access to abortion services.     Pat Roberts: Let insurance plans deny abortions based on employer beliefs.     Randall Batson: Focus on alternatives such as adoption & foster children.     Milton Wolf: Human life begins at conception.     Chad Taylor: No prosecution of Planned Parenthood for lost reports.

Budget & Economy     Pat Roberts: Ok to spend in time of war; otherwise don't be over-generous.     Milton Wolf: Free enterprise is the key to national prosperity.     Greg Orman: Report federal spending by strict accounting standards.     Chad Taylor: Budget cuts threaten basic prosecutorial services.

Civil Rights     Greg Orman: Government should not prohibit same-sex marriage.     Chad Taylor: Advocate for equality, including equal pay for equal work.     Chad Taylor: Make bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.     Milton Wolf: Government shouldn't redefine marriage.     Charlie Hardy: Equal pay for equal work.     Chad Taylor: Successfully prosecuted 9-year-long rape case.

Crime     Randall Batson: Eliminate mandatory minimums; balance with rehabilitation.

Drugs     Chad Taylor: Legalizing marijuana may decrease crime & increase revenue.     Randall Batson: Legalization yields better results than current turf wars.     Chad Taylor: Successfully prosecuted case on hallucinogenic level-2 drugs.

Education     Milton Wolf: Block federal mandates such as Common Core.     Greg Orman: National innovation for high student achievement.

Energy & Oil     Milton Wolf: No subsidies for wind and solar.     Chad Taylor: "Wind cowboys" maintain fields of windmills in west Kansas.

Environment     Greg Orman: Rein in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.     Chad Taylor: Good farmers use best practices, as stewards of the land.     Greg Orman: We can protect our environment AND create jobs.     Pat Roberts: For early farm bill, but final bill had too many subsidies.

Families & Children     Chad Taylor: Successfully prosecuted case on child sexual exploitation.

Foreign Policy     Chad Taylor: Diplomatic solutions are always preferable.     Greg Orman: Eliminate our country's dependence on foreign creditors.     Charlie Hardy: Most military people want peace-making foreign policies.     Pat Roberts: Opposed UN ban on discrimination against disabilities.

Free Trade     Chad Taylor: Trade has globalized US, but also exports jobs.

Government Reform     Greg Orman: Ban on PACs formed by congressional leaders.     Greg Orman: 12-year term limit for Congress.     Pat Roberts: 2012: No transparency of PAC donors; 2014: Some transparency.     Pat Roberts: No term limits for Congress.     Milton Wolf: Photo ID for voting.     Greg Orman: Ballot requirements hinder 3rd-party candidates.     Chad Taylor: Require open meetings for water utility rate-setting.

Gun Control     Greg Orman: Don't make it easy for a convict to get guns at gun shows.     Pat Roberts: Don't mess with people's right to bear arms.     Greg Orman: Owns handguns but supports background checks.     Randall Batson: Possess & trade firearms as owners wish.     Chad Taylor: I'm a gun owner, but we need to enforce gun laws.     Milton Wolf: Opposes more gun restrictions.

Health Care     Greg Orman: Futile to repeal ObamaCare while Obama is in office.     Pat Roberts: Immediate and complete repeal of ObamaCare.     Milton Wolf: Repeal ObamaCare & replace with PatientCare free market.     Milton Wolf: Apologizes for posting gruesome medical X-rays on Facebook.     Pat Roberts: First to call for Sebelius resignation over ObamaCare fiasco.     Todd Tiahrt: Calls for Sebelius resignation over ObamaCare fiasco.     Milton Wolf: ObamaCare extends "crony health care" which began in 1929.     Milton Wolf: ObamaCare turns health insurers into public utilities.     Milton Wolf: Free market solutions ALREADY work; so add more.     Todd Tiahrt: FactCheck: Yes, ObamaCare levies some taxes before services.

Homeland Security     Randall Batson: Bring our troops home; close bases overseas.     Pat Roberts: $200M for new fleet of tankers at McConnell Air Force Base.     Milton Wolf: Maintain a superior nuclear arsenal.     Greg Orman: Understand costs of military action, including veterans.     Chad Taylor: Advocate of a national defense respected throughout world.

Immigration     Greg Orman: Increase border patrols; reduce undocumented immigrant flow.     Pat Roberts: Increase border patrols; reduce undocumented immigrant flow.     Pat Roberts: 1986: Opposed Reagan's immigration limited amnesty bill.     Randall Batson: Benefits of citizenship only if arrived by legal means.     Chad Taylor: Unmuddy the waters and create a path to citizenship.     Milton Wolf: Protect the borders; prevent illegal entry.     Greg Orman: Illegals already here should register and pay taxes.

Jobs     Greg Orman: Government should create environment conducive to job growth.

Principles & Values     Randall Batson: Libertarian offers third choice between Orman and Roberts.     Greg Orman: I've tried both parties and didn't like either.     Chad Taylor: Separation of church and state isn't a relevant issue.     Milton Wolf: OpEd: Tea Party "wolfpack" support; but no apology for X-ray.     Pat Roberts: Group ratings more conservative in 2014 than in 2012.     Pat Roberts: Returns home to Kansas "every time I get an opponent".     Milton Wolf: Judeo-Christian values established our government framework.     Greg Orman: Fiscally conservative, socially tolerant independent.     Greg Orman: We're sending the worst of both parties to Washington.     Greg Orman: 2010 Common Sense Coalition: give voice to sensible center.     Greg Orman: I consider myself fiscally conservative & socially tolerant.     Milton Wolf: AdWatch: Roberts doesn't live in Kansas anymore.     Milton Wolf: Career politicians are changed by Washington.     Pat Roberts: Resides in Virginia but votes in Kansas.     Milton Wolf: Obama is my cousin, but I oppose ObamaCare.

Social Security     Chad Taylor: No privatization; but we need to discuss reforms.     Randall Batson: Opt in/opt out of payroll deduction choice.     Randall Batson: Opt in/opt out of payroll deduction choice.     Greg Orman: Lack of economic growth drains Social Security.

Tax Reform     Chad Taylor: Simplify tax code, but no FairTax and no national sales tax.     Randall Batson: Replace income tax with FairTax national sales tax.

War & Peace     Chad Taylor: Sanctions on Iran are working; no further military action.     Chad Taylor: Air patrols on Syria ok; no deeper involvement.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Chad Taylor Democrat Challenger Kansas Charlie Hardy Democratic Senate Challenger Wyoming Greg Orman Kansas Independent candidate for Governor Milton Wolf Republican Challenger Kansas Pat Roberts Republican Sr Senator Kansas Randall Batson Libertarian Senate challenger Kansas Todd Tiahrt Republican Senate Challenger Kansas