One of the most talked about issues here at home and across our state is the rising burden of property taxes. We must find a balanced solution that allows our seniors and retired military to remain in their homes, and gives young people and new families in our community the opportunity to establish roots in Geary County and invest in their own home.

As a nurse practitioner, I see every day how the cost of prescription medicines, the cost of health insurance premiums, and the ability to recruit more healthcare providers to rural areas impacts our families. We must prioritize affordability and root out fraud, abuse and bureaucracy in the system that drives up healthcare costs for all of us.

As a mom, my hope for my children - and every child in our community - is that they have the resources to work toward their fullest potential. That includes fair funding for our schools & special education, and industry partnerships on career & technical education so that our next generation can develop the skills they need to fill gaps in our workforce.

Our community has proudly been home to the Big Red One for generations. We must continue to promote the national security and statewide economic impact of our military operations. We must also foster an environment that encourages active military families to make Geary County their home when their service is complete. This includes affordable, quality housing and good-paying jobs that utilize their military-learned skills.

As a small business owner, I understand what it’s like to make payroll and adhere to regulations. We need to listen to our local business owners, bringing them to the table to help find common sense solutions that will allow them to prosper and give more communities an upperhand in attracting good-paying jobs, instead of recruiting jobs to just the metro areas.

I’m proud to be born and raised in Kansas, where I learned the values of hard work and was raised to respect the flag, respect life and respect our Constitutional rights including our Second Amendment rights. You can count on me to protect those values at the state level, ensuring our next generation is proud to be part of our community and our state.