Sebelius to help Palmer get early start on campaign fundraising

Kansas Rep. Shirley Palmer said she learned much from her first year serving in the Kansas House of Representatives.

One important fact that she learned is that legislators, especially those lawmakers serving their first terms, need to begin re-election fund raising efforts early.

This is why the former long-time local educator and past Kansas Teacher of the Year will host a special "Evening of Elegance" fundraiser for her 2008 re-election campaign from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, at The Liberty Theatre, 113 S. Main St.

"One thing they (other legislators) told me is to start fund raising now," Palmer said.

The event will also be attended by special guest speaker Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a Democrat and known strong supporter of Palmer, D-Fort Scott.

Palmer, who spent a 40-year career teaching elementary school students in USD 234, won the 4th District seat during the Nov. 2006 election after narrowly defeating then-incumbent Lynne Oharah, a Republican, by a two-percent margin.

Palmer said before serving her first year as a legislator, she didn't realize just how vital early fund raising efforts are to a political re-election campaign.

"I don't like asking for money for anything, especially for myself," she said. "But it's a necessity."

After leaving Topeka in May, Palmer said she was given two books from her colleagues that outlined a few primary factors that are important for legislators to remember; to be active in fund raising, to be involved in their district, and to be visible in their community.

This is how the idea for the fundraiser next week came about, she said.

"So now I'm trying to be more involved in Fort Scott and Bourbon County," she said.

Palmer said she recently received a call from Sebelius' office, and the governor said she would set aside a date that she could attend to speak on behalf of Palmer's campaign and inspire people to financially support her re-election efforts. Sebelius also plans to talk about other pertinent state issues during her speech, Palmer said.

Now that the dust has settled from her first year working in Topeka, Palmer, who said she was once hesitant about getting involved in politics, now looks at her job from a different perspective.

"I don't know why I waited so long to do this," she said. "I always thought, that's not for me, I was a teacher for so long. It's for somebody else. I knew it was going to be difficult because I had to reach across party lines. But it felt so good and so in place. I'm in a position to make a difference."

Palmer added that she feels that voters today choose candidates based on personality and their qualifications to do the job, rather than strictly on their party affiliation.

"I think the days of voting a straight party ticket are over," she said.

Palmer said she introduced two new bills this year that eventually passed; one being the Riverfront Authority Bill that Sebelius signed that will create a wildlife and recreational area near the Marmaton River on the north edge of Fort Scott; and the other being legislation that changed state law concerning sexual relations between K-12 teachers and students.

Issues that lawmakers plan to address during the 2008 session, which begins in January, include healthcare, the three-year $466 million school finance bill passed in 2006, the funding of all-day preschool and kindergarten in school districts across the state, and the funding of the next Comprehensive Transportation Plan, Palmer said.

The current 10-year CTP, which was approved in 1999, runs its course in 2009. That plan includes a $45 million Kansas Department of Transportation project to expand U.S. Highway 69 into a four-lane freeway from Fort Scott north to Louisburg. Palmer said she will continue to support the idea of extending U.S. 69 south through Crawford and Cherokee counties to U.S. Interstate 44 and the Kansas-Oklahoma state line.

The Nov. 29 event, which costs $25 per person and is open to the public, will include a social time starting at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. The program will begin at 7:15 p.m and will feature music and a ceremony honoring the nation's veterans, Palmer said.

Those people interested in attending should make reservations by Wednesday to Palmer by contacting her at 1862 Eagle Road, Fort Scott, Kan., 66701. To make a donation to Palmer's campaign, contact her at (620) 223-4105.