Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly joined Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand in Des Moines Thursday, saying her tenure shows it is possible to be an effective Democratic governor while working with a GOP-controlled state Legislature.
Joining Sand in person at the Iowa State Education Association headquarters, Kelly said when she was first elected in 2018, Kansas faced a “very similar situation” to Iowa as the state experienced budget problems — including public schools being “chronically underfunded.” Since then, she said, Kansas has “fully funded our schools now for eight years in a row,” alongside making additional investments in public education and special education services.
“None of this has been easy, and none of it happened because one party got its way,” Kelly said. “It happened because we worked across the aisle and stayed focused on our schools. After two terms, I am proud to say we did get things back on track. We balanced our budget, we funded our schools every year, and we built records for business investment and job creation. … What does that prove? That with the laser focus on the issues that matter, you can turn things around. And Rob Sand is that leader.”…