Kansas Sen. Renee Erickson, a Wichita Republican, is aiming for a convincing victory against two challengers. Republicans have won this seat in the past five elections, but the most recent election was the closest. Erickson won with only 51.8% of votes. She now faces Libertarian Olivia Hayse and Democrat Richard Smith. Election Day is Nov. 5. Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote. Early voting starts Oct. 16. You can find your polling place and the races you vote in here. Who are the candidates in Kansas Senate 30?Republican Renee Erickson (Incumbent) Erickson, the Senate’s assistant majority floor leader, has been in the Statehouse since 2019. She first served in the Kansas House before switching chambers. She chairs the Commerce and Unemployment Modernization Committee. She also chaired a special committee on government overreach during the pandemic. Erickson is the vice chair of the Senate Education and Public Health and Welfare committees. She is a retired educator and has two children with her husband. “Senator Erickson has sponsored and championed bills and resolutions affecting pro-life efforts, educational choice and freedom, athletic opportunities for women, free market principles, Second Amendment rights, election integrity, truth in taxation, healthcare freedom, and honoring military heroes and families,” her campaign website said. She is endorsed by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, NFIB-Kansas, the Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Livestock Association, Kansas Family Voice, Kansans for Life and the Kansas Rifle Association. Her campaign website is here. Libertarian Olivia Hayse Hayse was the marketing director for the Libertarian Party of Kansas from 2020 to 2024. She’s on the Oaklawn Leadership Committee and has served on the Sedgwick County 5th District Citizens Advisory Board since 2021. Hayse is also an adviser with the Kansas Cannabis Coalition. “I am active in local and state politics,” she said. “I am an outspoken advocate for small government and personal freedoms.”She is endorsed by the Cannabis Justice Coalition-Kansas. Her campaign website is here. Democrat Richard Smith Smith spent the last 15 years of his aerospace engineer career as a stress engineer. He’s worked for Boeing and has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Tulsa. He also has a bachelor’s degree in English. Smith served in the Kansas Air National Guard and was deployed during Desert Storm. He won an Airman of the Quarter Award while serving. Smith was the president of the Mid-Kansas Jewish Federation and served two terms as president of the Hebrew Congregation. He is on the board of the Wichita Grand Opera. “I am running for senator to ensure that the Kansas family has the resources to thrive,” his campaign website said. His campaign website is here. Erickson and Smith didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire. Their responses were compiled from campaign websites, legislative records and public statements.If elected, which of these politicians would you most closely resemble?Options include: Joe Biden, Sharice Davids, Bob Dole, Nancy Kassebaum, Laura Kelly, Roger Marshall, Jerry Moran, Donald Trump or someone else.Erickson: Erickson didn’t respond to the questionnaire. Hayse: Justin AmashSmith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. If you could pass any bill, what would it be and why? Erickson: Erickson has sponsored a bill adjusting Kansas teachers’ retirement plans. Hayse: Finally legalizing cannabis and all other plant medicines in Kansas. As an adviser with the Kansas Cannabis Coalition I have heard from some of our most vulnerable populations that they need and want access to plant medicine. It is time we put down fear-mongering tactics of the past and let Kansans choose what to treat their own bodies with.Smith: We need to get a future high-speed rail line from Oklahoma City through Wichita to Kansas City. Likewise, there must be western high-speed rails to join the Kansas City metro area and Denver, and Wichita to Amarillo, Texas, and/or Albuquerque, New Mexico. We must support our existing oil industry and startups as we transition our dependence on fossil fuels to renewable resources. Someday, as fossil fuels become more and more expensive to extract, gas at the pump will hit $8 per gallon. It could arrive faster than we anticipate. We must be ready to support our livelihoods with lower cost, energy efficient transportation. We must leave our children with a safe and healthy environment to live in.How would you have voted on the following items? You can vote yes, no or pass. The Aug. 2, 2022, constitutional amendment on abortionVoting no meant the state constitution would continue to protect the right to abortion. Voting yes would have meant it can be regulated or banned. Erickson: Yes. Erickson is endorsed by the anti-abortion group Kansans for Life, and her Facebook page advocated for passing the amendment. Hayse: No. It is not the role of the government to tell women what to do with their bodies.Smith: The people of Kansas have spoken. We need to hold the line on the assault on women’s access to reproductive health care services, and their right to make that decision for themselves.Flat tax on incomeA flat tax on income was packaged with property tax cuts and eliminating Social Security income tax. Democrats and Republicans agreed on other parts of the plan, but were at odds over a flat tax. A single rate on income didn’t pass this year.Erickson: Yes. Is there anything that the governor’s proposing that hasn’t been a Republican-led policy?Hayse: Neutral. While I believe that sweeping tax reform is needed, a flat tax rate that would help those in higher tax brackets more than those in lower tax brackets is not the solution I believe is best for Kansas at this time. We have to address overall government spending if we really want to give tax relief to citizens.Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. Banning transgender women from women’s sportsVoting yes would mean athletes have to play the sport based on their gender assigned at birth. This bill was vetoed but the veto was overridden in 2022. Erickson: Yes. When it comes to athletic competition, men have an inherent physiological advantage. When men are allowed to participate in women’s sports, that creates an unlevel playing field and takes away opportunities for women. Hayse: No. It should be left up to the local school districts and/or individual leagues to decide how they want to run their teams.Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. Banning gender-affirming care for trans youthVoting yes means children under 18 can’t get puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and in rare cases, gender-reassignment surgery. This bill narrowly failed this year and is expected to come up again in 2025. Erickson: Yes. Erickson didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who supported the bill said children may not understand the true consequences of this procedure. Hayse: No. Health care decisions for children should remain with those children, their parents, and their health care professionals.Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. Chiefs and Royals stadium-financing billThis bill didn’t spend any taxpayer money to attract the teams, but it did set aside future sales tax dollars from future stadium districts to pay off bonds. This law passed by a comfortable margin, and voting yes opens the door to the Chiefs and Royals in Kansas. Erickson: Yes. We see an incredible opportunity, and exciting opportunity, to put Kansas on the map along with states that have professional sports.Hayse: No. This is not a suitable use of taxpayer dollars. Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. APEX (Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion)This bill had billions in tax incentives to bring a Panasonic battery plant to De Soto, Kansas. As it was being passed, lawmakers were not told which company would be coming, but were told the bill is necessary to attract large businesses. Voting yes approved a massive tax incentive plan for companies. Erickson: Yes. Erickson didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who supported the law said it will bring jobs to Kansas and grow the economy. Hayse: No. The state government should not be picking winners and losers of industry. The state should not be incentivizing some industries while placing restrictions on others.Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. Mail ballot grace periodCurrently, any mail ballot in Kansas can arrive three days after Election Day and still be counted if it was postmarked on or before Election Day. Voting yes would eliminate that grace period. Erickson: Yes. Erickson didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who supported the bill said it will restore faith in elections. Without the grace period, almost all ballots would be counted by election night. Hayse: No. We should not be making it harder for citizens to participate in democracy.Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. A bill loosening child care regulationsIt would expand allowed child-to-staff ratios and allow teenagers to work at these facilities. Voting yes approves the loosened restrictions. Learn more about this bill here. Erickson: Yes. Erickson didn’t respond to the voting guide, but lawmakers who supported the bill said stripping away burdensome regulations will let businesses grow.Hayse: Yes. I do not believe the state government should be telling any business what to do. If child care facilities want to explore creative solutions to staffing and other issues they are facing then we should allow them to run their businesses as they see fit.Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. The Parents’ Bill of RightsThis bill lets parents pull their kids out of classes if they are being taught objectionable material. Republicans say it is up to parents to determine what their children should be learning. Democrats say this bill addresses a problem that doesn’t exist. Erickson: Yes. As an educator, I saw how students thrived when parents were involved in their education. Parents need to know what their children are being taught and have significant engagement in the process … School boards, even in Kansas, have been violating parents’ rights. Hayse: Neutral. It should be up to the local school districts and/or schools to decide on curriculum. The state government does not need to pass a sweeping law in either direction when it comes to educational content. The motivation behind this bill opens the door to prejudice and would need to be addressed before I could sign on enthusiastically. Smith: Smith didn’t respond to the questionnaire. The post Incumbent Renee Erickson draws two challengers for Kansas Senate seat appeared first on The Beacon.First published by The Beacon.