Kansas House 76th District Representative Eric Smith is retiring from the Legislature, and he says the district is in good hands if fellow Republican Brad Barrett is elected this fall.
Barrett is a Shawnee County District Attorney special investigator after time as a Coffey County deputy. Smith says Barrett “checks all the boxes” with his law enforcement experience and his focus on conservative values.
Smith has served the House 76th District for eight years. He says the 2024 session saw a lot of compromise, including tax relief — although that topic is still waiting for a likely veto from Governor Laura Kelly and resulting special session.
One area that didn’t see a lot of compromise was Medicaid expansion, which failed to move forward again this session. Smith has been concerned about money flow from the federal to state government since he started serving the district. This year’s push to expand Medicaid saw more public support from city, county, hospital and mental wellness administrators than in years past, with some telling KVOE News expansion would do the state a lot more good than harm.
Following Smith’s appearance on the Morning Show on Tuesday, 17th District Senator Jeff Longbine will be on the Morning Show at 8:20 am Wednesday to discuss his thoughts on the legislative session and his upcoming retirement. House 60th District Representative Mark Schreiber will be on the Morning Show at 7:20 am Thursday.
