Citizens Ask Questions, Express Concerns At Town Hall Meeting

Wed, December 28, 2011

Click Image to Enlarge

KMUW / Carla Eckels

A town hall meeting with four elected officials was held at Wichita’s Northeast Senior Center on December 27.

Kansas Rep. Melody McCray-Miller, Rep. Gail Finney, Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau and Wichita Vice Mayor Lavonta Williams fielded questions about several issues including education, jobs, taxes, health care costs, redistricting and neighborhood blight.  Representative Melody-McCray Miller states that it’s important to hear from the community about how laws and issues impact them. “What I heard was education, the funding formula change that’s happening, and voter ID is a huge challenge and issue for particular people of color because it’s considered to be a voter suppression law as opposed to one that’s going to increase the legality of voting,” she says. “That’s the way the state posses it but individuals that I’m listening to today see it as voter suppression.”

Attendees talked about the importance of getting residents registered to vote and educating the community about how the voter ID law may effect them. The lawmakers also stressed keeping in contact and participating in upcoming forums. The next Southcentral Kansas Legislative Delegation public forum takes place at the Sedgwick County Courthouse on January 3rd at 7pm.