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Marshall files for reelection
Bob Marshall has filed for reelection to the Kansas Senate.
The Fort Scott Republican has represented the 13th District for one four-year term. Marshall is a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel who served for 33 years, and was athletic director of Fort Scott Community College. He was also a commercial airline pilot and regional director of three pilot bases.
"It is a privilege and an honor to represent the citizens of Southeast Kansas," Marshall said in a news release. "As Kansas emerges from this economic recession, there will continue to be many serious issues before the legislature that will ultimately determine the future of our state and our region. I am running for reelection because now, more than ever, we need a respected voice in the Senate who can work with others to get things done to stand up for our jobs, our schools and fiscal responsibility."
Marshall, 74, has been an advocate for Southeast Kansas in a number of capacities. He has served as chairman of the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, executive director of the Bourbon County Economic Development Council and as chairman of the Fort Scott Airport Advisory Board. Marshall is a member of SEK Inc. and the Highway 69 Association.
Last year, he partnered with community members and fellow senators Pat Apple, R-Louisburg, Jeff King, R-Independence, and Dwayne Umbarger, R-Thayer, to launch Project 17. The venture is an effort to ensure job creation and economic growth in 17 Southeast Kansas counties, among them Bourbon, Cherokee and Crawford.
Currently, Marshall's 13th district encompasses all of Crawford and Bourbon counties, as well as a portion of Cherokee County that includes Galena, Weir, Scammon, West Mineral and part of Columbus. In the Senate, Marshall serves as vice chairman of the Transportation committee and a member of the Tax, Education and Local Government committees. He also serves on the Kansas Public Employment Retirement System Select Committee and Joint Committee on Economic Development.
In the release, Marshall said his priorities include:
* Jobs and economic development. Marshall helped pass the "Kansas Works" plan this year to help spur job growth in the manufacturing sector. "Kansas Works" is aimed at providing a more level playing field for manufacturers moving into Kansas so that the state can regain more good-paying jobs, increase the export of Kansas-made products and increase capital flow into the state.
Marshall has also been a strong advocate for the state's Comprehensive Transportation Plan, securing dollars for Highway 69 and other transportation projects that will encourage interstate commerce and keep Kansas roads and bridges safe, the release said.
* Schools and higher education. As a member of the Education Committee, Marshall helped develop a Comprehensive Education Plan that is supposed to increase local control in schools, return $100 million in lost dollars to Kansas classrooms over the next two years and provide greater job opportunities for students graduating from Kansas high schools, the news release said.
He also supported a plan that will help Kansas schools build and maintain the skilled workforce needed to attract and retain good-paying jobs statewide.
This plan, an initiative by Gov. Sam Brownback, will provide high schools with an incentive to graduate students with career-ready technical training.
By partnering with community and technical colleges, the plan builds on the state's kindergarten through 12 education system to ensure students are ready to join the workforce upon graduation and it provides tuition assistance to Kansas students who participate in high-demand technical programs where the state has a workforce shortage.
* Marshall, a member of the Senate Tax committee, has consistently voted to reduce spending and lower taxes. This year, he supported a bill to lower property taxes in Kansas. The legislation will send $180 million over the next four years back to local communities so it can be used to reduce property taxes across the state. Marshall also supported an amendment to roll back the state sales tax rate in 2013 and has sponsored legislation to create a budget stabilization fund that would protect the state and its citizens during economic downturns by requiring the state to set aside money in an emergency fund during periods of economic growth.
"From my work in the military, in the private sector and in our community, I understand what it takes to build consensus, find common-sense solutions and make the tough decisions that need to be made," Marshall said. "I look forward to talking with voters over the next year about the issues that matter most to our district so that we can continue to strengthen Southeast Kansas and our regional economy."