March 2022

There are times in life when I think our own DNA speaks to us from somewhere deep in our bone marrow and body tissues. I’ve never been to Ukraine, never paid much attention to that part of Europe and never felt connected to life outside of the United States. But this past week that changed as war erupted in Ukraine. I had heard the stories at some long-ago family gathering, but now I realized anew that my Mennonite ancestors had migrated from Germany to the Ukraine in the early 1800s farming the Molotschna valley for almost 100 years.

People have asked me what I thought about the trucker protest at the Canadian border. Well, two people, Jennifer the newspaper editor, and my brother Gary. Here is my answer so you will not have to ask me.

Circles of Hope, Pratt County has been a part of our community since 2015. The program is one for people struggling with poverty and provides assistance and support in improving lives.

Owners of micro-businesses, sole proprietors, and farmers spend many hours developing plans and attending training sessions to educate themselves on operating a business and what to do in the face of adversity.

Kansas Democrats and many Republicans finally agree on something–but is it a good deal? The socalled APEX deal raises more questions than answers. With Governor Kelly’s support, Republican leaders in the Kansas Legislature rushed through the most generous tax package in the state’s history, offering a previously unheard-of $1 billion in tax incentives to an unnamed company, along with a cut in the state’s corporate tax rate.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an avoidable tragedy for which Vladimir Putin is solely responsible. I condemn this unprovoked attack, and I am praying for the people of Ukraine. The United States must stand united with Ukraine and firmly on the side of freedom.

Each month I want to provide you with regular updates about what’s going on in our nation’s capital and throughout the 4th District of Kansas. Here’s what happened in February.