Jerry Henry looking to unseat Pyle in Kansas Senate race

Democrat Jerry Henry, 60, of Cummings is seeking the First District Kansas Senate seat during the Nov. 8 general election.

Henry, who currently serves the 63rd District in the Kansas House, will face incumbent Republican Dennis Pyle for the position.

“I would like to ask for everyone’s vote to hopefully bring some stability back to our state government,” Henry said. “I have been a member of the Atchison City Commission and the mayor for the city of Atchison. I have been a member of the Kansas House of Representatives for 24 years, so I can bring a level of experience to the Kansas Senate. I have for many years asked the citizens of Atchison and Doniphan Counties for the privilege to represent them in the Kansas Legislature, and they have allowed me to serve them.”

Henry was born in Seneca and has lived in Atchison County all his life. He graduated from Maur Hill High School and received a degree in business administration from Benedictine College. 

Since 1978, Henry has served as the executive director of Achievement Services for Northeast Kansas Inc., a non­-profit that provides programs and services for developmentally disabled citizens.

He was a member of the Atchison City Commission from 1986 to 1990, and he served as mayor from 1989 to 1990. He was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1992.

During the last Legislative session, Henry was assigned to the following committees: Appropriations, Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Oversight, Health Care Stabilization Fund Oversight, Education Budget and Legislative Budget. 

He and his wife, Linda, have three adult children, Sarah Swafford, Hank Henry and Ted Henry, and seven grandchildren.

Would you vote to eliminate the LLC income tax exemption?

“Yes, but only after extensive public hearings to determine exactly how the LLC income tax exemption would be reinstated, and I would also need to know exactly how the income from the re-instatement of the tax will be spent in the State of Kansas budget,” Henry said.

Do you think we have a state spending problem or a state tax problem?

“I believe at this point in time that we have a state tax problem,” he said. “Over the past six years, we drastically reduced funding for many core functions of our state government. Our state tax structure is out of balance in that we have a number of businesses and individuals who are paying little or no state income taxes while other Kansas citizens are paying more.

“We need to re-balance our income tax structure so that everyone pays a fair and stable amount that maintains essential services for all our citizens.

“For example, currently our income tax structure allows for a doctor or a lawyer to pay no income tax to the state of Kansas. At the same time, an assistant or a secretary who works for these doctors or lawyers has to pay state tax on all of their income. Many Kansas citizens, including doctors and lawyer, believe this to be unfair.”

Would you vote to implement a flat state income tax on all state citizens?

“At this time, I would not vote for a flat state income tax or a flat sales tax,” he said. “There are too many unknown factors. This proposal would require a lot of study to determine exactly how everyone would be taxed and is it fair to all taxpayers.”

Would you vote to expand Medicaid?

“I would not vote for the Medicaid Expansion Proposal as presented by the federal government. But I would vote in favor of the expansion program as designed and proposed by the Kansas Hospital Association,” he said. “The Kansas Hospital Association plan has been developed by numerous professionals in the health field right here in Kansas. The plan requires all participants to pay a monthly premium and to have a job or to be actively seeking employment.

“One in every three Kansas Rural Hospitals are reporting a serious level of financial instability. It is extremely important that we implement some type of expansion for uninsured Kansas citizens.

“Kansas Hospitals cannot refuse to treat any patient who is sick. It would benefit our rural hospitals to implement an expansion plan that has been developed by professionals from right here in Kansas.”

Do you think the state needs to provide more funds for public education?

“I do believe that we will need to provide more funding for public education,” he said. “Many elected school board members have told me that their level of funding has impacted their ability to operate schools, especially in rural Kansas.”

Do you/did you send your children to private, public or home school, and how has it shape your view of funding for public schools?

“I have sent my children to both public schools and private schools. We have never done any home schooling,” Henry said. “My children attended both private and public universities and colleges including Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas State University and Wichita State University.

“I have always believed that education is one of the most important core functions of state government. In my 24 years as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, I have always been viewed as a strong supporter of public education and have voted accordingly. If elected to the Kansas Senate, I will continue to be a strong advocate for public education.”

Would you favor using KDOT funds to solely build safer roads and create jobs rather than to prop up the state general fund?

“Kansas should be using Kansas Department of Transportation funding to build and maintain our roads and bridges,” he said. “Diverting funds away from our highways and bridges will cause many of the highways and bridges to deteriorate faster. In the long run, we will have to pay more to get them back in acceptable shape.

“For many years, Kansas maintained our highways and bridges to a level that all of us were very proud of, that is not case anymore. Our highways and bridges need constant maintenance to keep them in top shape. Our rural highways and bridges are very important to all of us and they need to be maintained just as they have been maintained for many years.”

If elected, Henry said he would to work on creating more stability at the state level and he wants to “bring back a moderate approach to govern the state.”

“The current administration has caused a great disruption in providing the proper funding to ensure that core functions of state government are provided to all citizens,” Henry said. “We now have many other states who are studying what is happening in Kansas, just to make sure that they do not make the same mistakes. We can and we should have a better plan to provide important state functions, especially to rural Kansas.

“As I talk to many citizens of Northeast Kansas, they want a fair and balanced tax plan where everyone shares equally in providing core services to our communities. Everyone does not like to pay taxes, but we also know that we have to provide for good schools, good highways and to provide necessary services to address the needs of the poor, the sick, the disabled and the elderly who need an extra measure of help in their daily lives.”

Henry said he tries to attend as many community events as he can and participates in activities that “work to better our communities.” He has been a member of the Atchison Knights of Columbus for 42 years and has served as the Grand Knight for the Council. His family attends St. Joseph        Catholic Church in Atchison, and he is active in the Atchison Chamber of Commerce.

“I will do my best to accept the challenge to make Kansas government work efficiently for everyone concerned, especially for those of us who live in rural Kansas,” he said.