Editors note: This is the second of two stories about the two Republican candidates for state senator from the 33rd District, challenger Andrew Evans and Sen. Ruth Teichman. Today’s story features Andrew Evans. No Democrats filed for the position.
The primary election scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 5 will determine the senate race unless a write-in candidate somehow unseats the eventual Republican nominee.
Republican Andrew Evans is eager to take some new ideas to Topeka. He decided there was too much fiscal irresponsibility in Topeka and determined to run.
Current legislative methods are not working, Topeka needs new ideas, and his opponent voted for bills that were fiscally irresponsible, Evans said.
The cost of the Capital building renovation and denying the permit for the coal-fired plant in Holcomb were the issues that pushed Evans into the race.
The $300 million capital renovation could have been done much less.
The governor shouldn’t have denied the coal plant permit. The governor is working for her own purposes to gain a seat on Presumptive Democrat Nominee Sen. Barack Obama’s cabinet, Evans said.
“That’s almost a conflict of interest,” Evans said. “I was shocked.”
Evans favors the coal plant, the transmission lines for wind generators and the jobs it would have created around Holcomb. He favors environmentally friendly legislation for wind and solar power.
The Legislature has to be accountable for increased funding for education. Progressing areas should be funded. He can’t promise an increase in education funding and thinks education could be more efficient.
He thinks more focus on private schools and home schools would have a positive effect on education.
“The competition would improve public schools,” Evans said.
He believes schools are trying to be more like parents, they are providing all day kindergarten, they provide two meals a day, they are teaching morals and ethics and are going from education to molding families.
“That should be up to families,” Evans said.
He is not opposed to the public school system, but that promoting both private and public schools will improve the public school system.
He wants congress to build a fence between the US and Mexico. He wants to crack down on illegals, have stiff fines for people who hire them, no driver’s licenses, no in-state tuition for illegals and deportation for illegals who commit a felony.
He opposes state owned casinos and said his opponent voted for it and it passed by one vote. He would have voted against it. Gambling will cause increases in crime and gambling addiction.
