Jim Ward (Kansas politician)

James (Jim) Ward was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 5, 1957.{{cite web|url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/12557/jim-ward|title=James Ward's Biography|publisher=Vote Smart|access-date=November 6, 2023}}

Ward received his bachelor's degree from Creighton University and his JD from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. He practices law in Wichita, Kansas. He is a member of the Wichita Bar Association, Project Freedom, and the Wichita Youth Court Project.[http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=12557 Project Vote Smart - Rep. Jim Ward Biography]

Before his election to the Kansas House of Representatives, Ward served on the Wichita City Council, then beginning in 1991, in the Kansas Senate through 1993, and later the Wichita School Board. He was elected to state House seat 88 in 2002, defeating Republican Hoyt Hillman and Libertarian David Moffett.[https://ballotpedia.org/Kansas_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2000 Jim Ward], Ballotpedia. Retrieved April 13, 2020.

In 2018, Ward supported the Kansas Legislature's override of former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's 2012 tax cuts.{{Cite news|url=http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article154684809.html|title=Lawmakers override Brownback veto of tax increases, rolling back 2012 cuts|work=kansas|access-date=2017-09-06|language=en}}

In November 2017, Ward spoke in Washington D.C. to U.S. Senate Democrats at a hearing examining similarities between a national Republican tax plan and former Kansas Governor Brownback's 2012 tax plan which was overridden in 2017. Ward said "The great experiment was a complete and utter failure that nearly bankrupted our state...You put that on steroids and pass it around the country. Not only will it hurt the U.S. economy, it'll affect the world economy."{{Cite news|url=http://www.graydc.com/content/news/Senate-Democrats-compare-GOP-tax-plan-to-failed-Kansas-plan-454539733.html|title=Senate Democrats compare GOP tax plan to 2012 Kansas plan|last=Zampa|first=Peter|access-date=2017-11-16|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://ksn.com/2017/11/02/tax-reform-bill-reminds-some-of-kansas-plan/|title=Tax reform bill reminds some of Kansas plan|date=2017-11-02|work=KSN-TV|access-date=2017-11-16|language=en-US}}

Ward was named a Public Official of the Year for Bipartisan leadership in 2017 by Governing.{{Cite web|url=http://www.governing.com/poy/gov-jim-denning-jim-ward.html|title=Jim Denning & Jim Ward |date=13 November 2017 |publisher=Governing|language=en|access-date=2017-11-16}}

Ward is a supporter of Medicaid expansion, and he has repeatedly introduced legislation to expand the program.{{Cite web|url=http://www.khi.org/news/article/medicaid-expansion-bill-introduced/|title=Medicaid expansion bill introduced - Kansas Health Institute|last=Institute|first=Kansas Health|website=Kansas Health Institute|language=en-us|access-date=2018-06-14}}{{Cite news|url=http://kcur.org/post/medicaid-expansion-votes-denied-both-kansas-chambers#stream/0|title=Medicaid Expansion Votes Denied In Both Kansas Chambers|last=Marso|first=Andy|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.cjonline.com/news/20180328/kansas-house-democrats-again-fail-to-introduce-medicaid-expansion|title=Kansas House Democrats again fail to introduce Medicaid expansion|last=Smith|first=Sherman|work=The Topeka Capital|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}} Ward also opposes efforts to impose work requirements and lifetime caps on Medicaid recipients. In 2018, he said, “There is no independent data that shows work requirements do anything except reduce the number of people who get health care."{{Cite news|url=http://kcur.org/post/colyer-insisting-work-coverage-requirement-kansas-medicaid-rules#stream/0|title=Colyer Insisting On Work-For-Coverage Requirement In Kansas Medicaid Rules|last=McLean|first=Jim|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}}

In 2015, Ward called for an audit of the Kansas Department for Children and Families after several children died in state custody. He spoke to the Kansas Legislative Post Audit Committee on July 29, 2015: “In the last couple of years, I’ve been getting more and more and more concerns presented to me about supervision not being done, placements being changed fairly radically quickly, and care plans not being followed through with."{{Cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2015/jul/29/gop-legislators-block-audit-kansas-foster-care-sys/|title=GOP legislators block audit of Kansas foster care system, despite recent child deaths|website=LJWorld.com|language=en|access-date=2018-06-14}}

Later in 2015, Ward requested another audit of DCF on the grounds that the agency was discriminating against same-sex couples who were trying to adopt children.{{Cite news|url=http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article49072560.html|title=Decision on DCF audit delayed until January|work=kansas|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}} An audit of DCF was conducted in 2017.{{Cite news|url=http://kcur.org/post/audit-finds-concerns-about-child-placement-services-kansas-foster-care-system#stream/0|title=Audit Finds Concerns About Child Placement, Services In Kansas Foster Care System|last=Wingerter|first=Meg|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}}

Ward is an advocate of greater K-12 education spending in Kansas. In 2018, he said, “We are not adequately funding schools, and the outcomes are proving that."{{Cite web|url=http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2018/mar/16/consultants-estimate-billion-may-be-needed-kansas-/|title=$2 billion estimate for Kansas public schools shocks lawmakers; consultants' accuracy questioned|website=LJWorld.com|language=en|access-date=2018-06-14}} When the Kansas House passed a $500 million school funding increase during the 2018 legislative session, Ward did not vote for it. He argued that a larger investment was required to make up for years of “chronic underfunding” and adhere to the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling that education funding in the state is inadequate and inequitable: “It’s frustrating. I don’t think anyone on our side of the aisle thinks we’ve fixed the problem or ended the litigation."{{Cite news|url=http://kcur.org/post/kansas-house-passes-500m-school-funding-plan-prompting-senate-ultimatum#stream/0|title=Kansas House Passes $500M School Funding Plan, Prompting Senate Ultimatum|last=Koranda|first=Celia Llopis-Jepsen, Stephen|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}}

During the 2018 gubernatorial campaign, Ward said he would reinstate an executive order that protects LGBT state workers from discrimination (which was originally signed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius). He also said he would support an anti-discrimination law: “As governor, I would reinstate the executive order, in addition to encouraging the legislature to enact a law protecting every Kansan from discrimination."{{Cite news|url=http://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article177319291.html|title=Kansas governor candidates split on order protecting LGBT workers|work=kansas|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}}

Ward supports substantial changes to gun laws in Kansas. He has worked to repeal the Personal and Family Protection Act, which allows concealed firearms on the campuses of public universities in the state.{{Cite news|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article142436754.html|title=Kansas House poised to debate guns on college campuses and in state hospitals|work=kansascity|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}} He is opposed to arming K-12 teachers, while he supports raising the minimum age for semi-automatic firearm purchases to 21, implementing comprehensive background checks for all gun buyers, preventing people with domestic violence or other violent crime convictions from possessing or purchasing firearms, and banning bump stocks in Kansas.{{Cite news|url=http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article202351869.html|title=Raise age to buy an AR-15? Arm teachers? Here's where Kansas governor candidates stand|work=kansascity|access-date=2018-06-14|language=en}}

Ward served as Assistant District Attorney for the 18th Judicial District{{Cite web|url=http://www.dc18.org/|title=18th Judicial District Court|website=www.dc18.org|language=en|access-date=2017-09-06}} prior to opening his own practice in 1990. He worked on the first case in Kansas history to utilize DNA as evidence in a murder trial.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/06/magazine/dna-detectives.html|title=DNA Detectives|last=Science|first=Stephen G. Michaud: Stephen G. Michaud Writes Frequently About Forensic|date=1988-11-06|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-09-06|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} (State v. Pioletti{{Cite news|url=http://law.justia.com/cases/kansas/supreme-court/1990/62-485-3.html|title=State v. Pioletti|work=Justia Law|access-date=2017-09-06|language=en}})

On August 19, 2017, Ward announced his candidacy for the 2018 Kansas gubernatorial race.{{Cite web|url=http://ksn.com/2017/08/19/kansas-rep-jim-ward-announces-hes-running-for-governor/|title=Kansas Rep. Jim Ward announces he's running for governor|publisher=KSN|date=2017-08-19|website=KSN-TV|access-date=2017-08-29}} He withdrew from the race in May 2018, instead announcing that he would seek re-election to the Kansas House of Representatives.

Ward has two adult children; Zack and Emily.[https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/12557/jim-ward Biography Jim Ward], Vote Smart. Retrieved March 13, 2020.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{official website|https://kansasforward.com}}
• [http://votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=12557 Project Vote Smart profile]
• Campaign contributions: [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=31748 1996], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=18295 2002], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=74315 2004], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=91156 2006], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=108202 2008]

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{{s-ttl|title=Minority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives|years=2017–2019}}

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Category:1957 births

Category:21st-century members of the Kansas Legislature

Category:Creighton University alumni

Category:Kansas lawyers

Category:Democratic Party Kansas state senators

Category:Living people

Category:Democratic Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives

Category:Washburn University School of Law alumni

Category:20th-century members of the Kansas Legislature