Kathleen Sebelius
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| Kathleen Sebelius | |
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44th Governor of Kansas
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2003 |
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| Lieutenant | John E. Moore, Mark Parkinson |
| Preceded by | Bill Graves |
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| Born | May 15, 1948 Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Gary Sebelius |
| Profession | Governor |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Kathleen Sebelius (born May 15, 1948) is currently serving as the 44th Governor of Kansas.[1] She is the second female governor of Kansas, the 2008 respondent to the State of the Union address,[2] and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors Association.
Sebelius has endorsed Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama in the United States presidential election, 2008. She has also been mentioned as a possible vice president choice for Barack Obama.[3]
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[edit] Early life and family
Sebelius was born and raised in a Catholic family in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended the Summit Country Day School, a Roman Catholic secondary school, followed by Trinity Washington University, a Roman Catholic university in Washington, D.C., and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas. She moved to Kansas in 1974 at the age of 26, where she served for eight years as a representative in the Kansas Legislature and eight years as Insurance Commissioner before being elected governor.
Sebelius is the daughter of former Ohio governor John J. Gilligan, and thus they became the first father/daughter governor pair in the United States after her election.[4] Her husband K. Gary Sebelius[5] is a federal magistrate judge and the son of former U.S. Representative Keith Sebelius, a Republican. They have two sons. She also visits her childhood and current vacation home, located in Leland, Michigan, north of Traverse City, Michigan.
[edit] Early political career
She was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1986. In 1994 she left the House to run for state insurance commissioner and stunned political forecasters by winning — the first time a Democrat had won in more than 100 years. She is credited with bringing the agency out from under the influence of the insurance industry. She refused to take campaign contributions from insurers and blocked the proposed merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state's largest health insurer, with an Indiana-based company. The decision by Sebelius marked the first time the corporation had been rebuffed in its acquisition attempts."[6]
[edit] Governorship
[edit] First Term
[edit] 2002 Election
Sebelius defeated Republican Tim Shallenburger in the 2002 election by a vote of 53%-45%.[7] Her victory was partially the result of a divide between conservatives and moderates within the Kansas Republican Party.[8] This divide is touched upon in Thomas Frank's bestseller What's the Matter with Kansas?. Since winning the election, Sebelius has successfully built upon her popularity and as of January 2006 was one of the most popular governors in the country.[9]
[edit] Second Term
[edit] 2006 Re-Election
On May 26, 2006 Sebelius formally announced her candidacy for re-election. Four days later, Mark Parkinson, former Kansas state GOP Party Chair, switched his party affiliation to Democratic; the following day Sebelius announced that Parkinson would be her running mate for Lieutenant Governor. Parkinson had previously served in the state House during 1991–1992 and the Senate during 1993–1997. Parkinson was viewed as a pro-business moderate who strongly supported public education. This was somewhat reminiscent of the fact that John Moore had also been a Republican, before switching just days prior to joining Sebelius as her running mate.[10]
She was challenged by Republican Kansas State Senator Jim Barnett. A September 1 Rasmussen poll showed Sebelius with an 11-percent lead over Barnett. [11] Other polls gave Sebelius as much as a 20-percent lead. As of 2004 50 percent of Kansas voters were registered Republicans, compared to 27 percent as registered Democrats.[12] Sebelius, nevertheless, won a landslide re-election with 57.8 percent of the vote to Barnett's 40.5 percent. Because of Kansas' term limit law, her second term as Governor is her last.
[edit] Recognition
In 2001 Sebelius was named as one of Governing Magazine's Public Officials of the Year while she was serving as Kansas Insurance Commissioner.[13]
In November 2005 Time named Sebelius as one of the five best governors in America, praising her for eliminating a $1.1 billion debt she inherited, ferreting out waste in state government, and strongly supporting public education — all without raising taxes. Also praised was her bipartisan approach to governing, a useful trait in a state where Republicans have usually controlled the Legislature.[14]
In February 2006, the White House Project named Sebelius one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008.[15]
[edit] Speculation on political future
During the 2004 election Sebelius was named as a potential running mate for John Kerry.[16] In the aftermath of Kerry's defeat in the 2004 presidential election, some pundits named Sebelius as a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. Many contend that her appeal would be broad among her fellow Midwesterners. [17]As of Barack Obama's clinching of the nomination in June 2008, speculation remains that she will be a contender for the vice-presidential slot on the Democratic ticket this year.[18] The Washington Post has listed her as the top prospect for the 2008 nomination.[19] James Carville and Novak have also mentioned Sebelius' name.[20][21] Speculation that the Vice Presidential nomination lies in her future was heightened by the fact that she was chosen by the Democratic Party's congressional leaders to give their party's official response to Republican President George W. Bush's 2008 State of the Union Address.[22] The next day, she endorsed Obama's campaign, one week before the Kansas caucus on Super Tuesday.[23] Obama won the caucus easily, with 74% support.[24]
Also, due to Sebelius being term-limited in 2010 and owing to her being a Democrat who has achieved election to statewide office in the heavily Republican state, Sebelius is also speculated as a possible Democratic candidate for the US Senate seat currently held by Republican Sam Brownback, who has said he will not seek reelection in 2010.
Sebelius is a former chair of the Democratic Governors Association, a popular launchpad for those with national political ambitions.[25] In 2007, she traveled to Istanbul to attend the annual Bilderberg Group meeting.[26]
[edit] Political positions
[edit] Abortion
Regarding her position on abortion, Gov. Sebelius describes herself as personally pro-life, but opposed to efforts to eliminate or reduce abortions primarily by restricting legal access to abortion procedures.[27] Sebelius' office states that abortions have declined 8.5% during her tenure as governor.[28] According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment statistics, the number of induced abortions in Kansas declined by 1,568, or 12.6%, from 2001 to 2007, the year of the most recently available statistics.[29] Her administration attributes the decline to health care reforms that Sebelius initiated, including "adoption incentives, extended health services for pregnant women..., sex education and... a variety of support services for families."[30] Nationally, the number of abortions declined approximately 7.6% from 2000 to 2005, the year of most recently available and reliable U.S. statistics.[31]
Sebelius has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood and they have conducted fundraising activity on her behalf.[32] Sebelius vetoed abortion legislation in Kansas in 2003, 2005, 2006, and again in 2008.
Kansas City Archbishop Joseph Naumann has stated that Sebelius has a long record of supporting and advocating for legalized abortion and that her public stances have "grave spiritual and moral consequences." Naumann also asked that she no longer receive Holy Communion. Naumann has also criticized Sebelius for vetoing a bill passed by both chambers of the Kansas Legislature on April 21, 2008, which would have placed new requirements on abortion providers in Kansas.[33] Explaining her veto, she wrote, "The United States Supreme Court decisions make clear that any law regulating abortion must contain exceptions for pregnancies which endanger the woman's life or health. However, SB 389 allows a variety of individuals to seek a court order preventing a woman from obtaining an abortion, even where it may be necessary to save her life. I am concerned that the bill is unconstitutional or even worse, endangers the lives of women." In addition, she expressed concern that the bill would "likely encourage extensive litigation" and that it "unnecessarily jeopardizes the privacy of Kansas women's confidential medical records."[34]
On April 7, 2007, Sebelius hosted a reception at her Cedar Crest home that Dr. George Tiller attended. The State of Kansas was not reimbursed for the cost of this event until May 23, 2008. Sebelius' office cited staff turnover for the delay, though critics charged that the reimbursement happened only because an anti-abortion group and news organizations started asking questions about the event. [35] [36]
[edit] Education
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Early in the term, Governor Sebelius made education funding her top priority. Education funding reached a breaking point in the summer of 2005 when the Kansas Supreme Court ordered the Legislature to increase K–12 funding.[37] Sebelius offered one education funding plan early in her first term which consisted of property, sales, and income tax increases. Sebelius has since deferred to the Kansas legislature on education funding issues[citation needed], resulting in 2006 in the largest K–12 education funding increase in the history of the state. The three-year plan aimed to increase education funding by nearly $1 billion over three years but did not give a funding source for the second and third years. Current state projections show the state in debt by millions of dollars halfway into the second year of the plan.[citation needed]
[edit] Environment
Sebelius has also put environmental concerns at the top of her agenda. She pushed for more widespread recycling efforts across the state. [38] In addition, she vetoed bills authorizing the construction of coal-fired power plants on three separate occasions. [39] On June 2, 2008, Sebelius spoke at the American Wind Energy Association Conference, calling for greater federal support for wind energy and other renewable energy resources. [40]
[edit] Guns
Sebelius has said she supports Kansans' right to own firearms, but does not believe a broad concealed-carry law would make them safer: "I don't believe allowing people to carry concealed handguns into sporting events, shopping malls, grocery stores, or the workplace would be good public policy. And to me the likelihood of exposing children to loaded handguns in their parents' purses, pockets and automobiles is simply unacceptable."[41]
Sebelius vetoed, like her Republican predecessor Bill Graves, a concealed-carry law that would have allowed citizens to carry concealed weapons after obtaining a state permit and passing an FBI background check.[42] The veto left Kansas, at the time, as one of four states without any form of a conceal-carry law.
On March 21, 2006 she vetoed Senate Bill 418, a similar concealed-carry bill. On March 25, Sebelius's veto was overturned after the Kansas House of Representatives voted 91-33 to override it. This followed the Kansas Senate's 30-10 override vote, which occurred the day after her veto.[43]
On April 21, 2008, Sebelius signed Senate Bill 46 into law, which repealed a 1933 state law prohibiting civilian ownership of machine guns and other firearms restricted by the National Firearms Act of 1934 provided that any prospective civilian owner successfully meets the requirements of the NFA. The law was passed in part to address legal issues that could have prevented dealers from delivering firearms to law enforcement agencies in Kansas. The law takes effect on July 1.[44]
[edit] Other issues
Sebelius did not support an April 2005 amendment to the Kansas Constitution that made same-sex marriage in the state unconstitutional. Sebelius said she supported the existing state law outlawing same-sex marriage, viewed it as sufficient,[45] and therefore opposed the constitutional amendment. The amendment passed with 70 percent voter approval.
Sebelius is an opponent of capital punishment. During her first term, the Kansas capital punishment laws were declared unconstitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court. However, on appeal by then-Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline, the ruling was again overturned and the current law reinstated by the United States Supreme Court.
The Cato Institute gave Sebelius the grade of "D" [46], citing the combination of rapid spending growth and proposed tax increases. The tax increases were not approved by the legislature.
[edit] Electoral history
| Kansas Gubernatorial Election 2002 | |||||
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| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Kathleen Sebelius | 435,462 | 52.9 | ||
| Republican | Tim Shallenburger | 371,325 | 45.3 | ||
| Kansas Gubernatorial Election 2006 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
| Democratic | Kathleen Sebelius (Incumbent) | 480,532 | 57.8 | +4.9 | |
| Republican | Jim Barnett | 336,583 | 40.5 | ||
[edit] References
- ^ Governor Kathleen Sebelius Biography. Retrieved on October 2006.
- ^ Response to the 2008 State of the Union address.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris and Shailagh Murray. "So, Candidates, Who's It Going to Be?", Washington Post, May 11, 2008.
- ^ Meet Kathleen. Retrieved on October 2006.
- ^ Magistrate Judge K. Gary Sebelius (HTML). U.S. District Court, District of Kansas. U.S. Government. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
- ^ "Political Women Go Hunting", National Wild Turkey Federation, October 27, 2004.
- ^ State Races: Kansas.
- ^ Ripley, Amanda; Karen Tumulty. "America's 5 Best Governors", Time, November 13, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-05-05.
- ^ SurveyUSA (2006). Governor Approval Ratings 01/06 Sort by State. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
- ^ Twitty, David. "Kan. gov. selects running mate for race", AP, May 31, 2006.
- ^ Rasmussen Reports: The most comprehensive public opinion coverage ever provided for a mid-term election
- ^ CNN.com Election 2004
- ^ Gurwitt, Rob. "Kathleen Sebelius: Believer in Balance", Governing Magazine, November 2001.
- ^ Time (2006). America's 5 Best Governors: Kathleen Sebelius |Kansas. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
- ^ The White House Project (2006). [1] Retrieved March 19, 2008.
- ^ CNN (2004). John Kerry campaign: Democratic candidates for vice president. Retrieved April 25, 2006. See also CNN (2004). WHO WILL JOHN KERRY PICK AS HIS RUNNING MATE?. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
- ^ "The 2008 Veepstakes".
- ^ Zerger Nathan, Jesse. "Will Kansas Governor Be Dems VP Candidate in 2008?", BeyondChron, 24 April 2006.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris and Shailagh Murray. "So, Candidates, Who's It Going to Be?", Washington Post, May 11, 2008.
- ^ "Political Ticker", CNN, May 13, 2008.
- ^ A Vice President For Abortion
- ^ Carpenter, Tim. "Sebelius to give response to State of the Union, Governor represents Democratic Party in opposition speech", Topeka Capital-Journal, January 16, 2008.
- ^ "Kansas Gov. Sebelius Endorses Obama, Governor Represents GOP-Friendly State Where Candidate Has Family Ties", CBS News, January 29, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-14.
- ^ "Obama wins Kansas Caucus", Kansas City Star
- ^ Kan. governor draws national attention, by John Hanna, Associated Press. Retrieved January 28, 2007
- ^ Bilderberg Group list of attendees
- ^ [Tim Rutten]. "The rebirth of abortion: With an absurd attack on a Democratic rising star who's Catholic, the right is once again seizing on the issue", Los Angeles Times, May 28, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ [Chris Cillizza]. "Novak Takes A Swipe At Possible Obama VP Pick", Washington Post, June 5, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ "Abortions in Kansas: Preliminary Reports", Office of Health Assessment, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ Corcoran, Nicole. "Veto Message for House Substitute for Senate Bill 389", Office of the Governor, State of Kansas, Office of the Governor, State of Kansas, April 21, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ Wind, Rebecca. "U.S. Abortion Rate Continues Long-Term Decline, Falling to Lowest Level Since 1974; More Effort Still Needed to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy", Guttmacher Institute Media Center, Guttmacher Institute, January 17, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ [Robert Novak]. "A Vice President for Abortion", Chicago Sun-Times, Sun-Times News Group, May 26, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-05-26.
- ^ Sadowski, Dennis. "Archbishop Naumann: Kansas governor should stop receiving Communion", Catholic News Service, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, May 12, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-11. "[Naumann] said many Kansans "find it more than an embarrassment" that the state had become "infamous for being the late-term abortion center for the Midwest.""
- ^ Corcoran, Nicole. "Veto Message for House Substitute for Senate Bill 389", Office of the Governor, State of Kansas, Office of the Governor, State of Kansas, April 21, 2008. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ Carlson, James. "Auction payment was late", The Topeka Capital-Journal, 2008-06-03. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ Klepper, David. "Bill for Tiller event wasn't paid for a year", The Wichita Eagle, 2008-06-03. Retrieved on 2008-06-10.
- ^ Passions cool as session looms - Few legislators say they'd defy court Kansas City Star June 20, 2005 retrieved June 5, 2008
- ^ "State Agency ‘Green Teams’ Focus on Recycling and Waste Reduction", WBIW, March 4, 2008.
- ^ "Sebelius vetoes coal plant bill", Kansas City Star, May 16, 2008.
- ^ http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2008/jun/02/sebelius_calls_feds_step_development_wind_energy/
- ^ "Sebelius vetoes concealed carry bill", AP, April 16, 2004.
- ^ USA Today (2005). Kansas governor vetoes concealed weapons bill. Retrieved June 14, 2007.
- ^ Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline (2006). Kansas Concealed Weapon. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
- ^ "Sebelius signs machine gun bill", AP, April 22, 2008.
- ^ http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/04/06/kansans_vote_to_ban_same_sex_marriage Sebelius on gay marriage] retrieved June 5, 2006.
- ^ http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa581.pdf Fiscal Policy Report Card on America’s Governors: 2006
[edit] External links
- Kansas Office of the Governor Kathleen Sebelius official state site
- National Governors Association - Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius biography
- Follow the Money - Kathleen Sebelius & Mark Parkinson 2006 campaign contributions
- On the Issues - Kathleen Sebelius issue positions and quotes
- Project Vote Smart - Governor Kathleen Sebelius (KS) profile
- About.com's Inside Profile of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas
- Kathleen Sebelius for Governor official campaign site
Articles
- Trinity Washington University (2006). Profile: Kathleen Sebelius '70. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
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