ShawneeDispatch.com

Augie Bogina

John Crabtree

Augie Bogina

John Crabtree

Before November’s general election, Republicans in the state’s 23rd House District will have to decide between two candidates who currently serve in their city government.

August Bogina III of Shawnee will face John Crabtree of Merriam for the Republican nomination. The 23rd District covers southeastern Shawnee as well as Merriam. Judy Morrison, R-Shawnee, has held the seat since 1999 but announced in May that she would not run for re-election.

Bogina, who will be 55 later this month, has lived in Shawnee since 1987. He works in real estate development and reconstruction of historic buildings, “typically involving a mixed-use and sustainable approach,” he said.

Bogina served on the Johnson County Planning Commission from 1984 to 1986, and he has been on the Shawnee Planning Commission since 2001, currently serving as its vice chairman.

He said he decided to run for the legislative seat because he believes he could help people in Merriam and Shawnee. He said his top priority would be the budget and taxes, making sure to trim or increase them in the appropriate areas.

“It is too easy just to say that taxes can be cut because of the worthy programs the State is responsible for,” he said. “I believe, as most Republicans do, it is economic growth that provide for an expanded economy leading to Shawnee and Merriam being great places to live, work and raise a family.”

Crabtree, 36, is an event coordinator for large corporations. He is currently in the last year of a four-year term as a Merriam City Council member. As a legislator, he said he would like to focus on education, economic development and healthcare.

Crabtree said he decided to run for the Legislature because he has enjoyed serving his community on the City Council so much.

“The House of Representatives gives me an opportunity to continue that service on a higher level,” he said. “The time seems right.”

When it comes to the recent debate about coal-fired plants in western Kansas, Crabtree said he supports construction of the plants.

Bogina agreed the plants should be built, since the applicant met all written criteria to be approved. He added that current electric co-ops would not have enough energy available to extend service in the area.

“I would have been inclined to support a proposal to provide an incentive to the plant applicant to meet a higher standard of clean-air emission than required rather than squabble over its construction,” Bogina said.

Cigarette taxes and smoking in public places have been other legislative topics of late. Bogina said he wouldn’t support an increase in the cigarette tax or any taxes, in part because it may adversely affect funding for public education concerning the hazards of smoking.

“The Kansas Health Policy proposes an increase in this tax and admits that if the program to decrease smoking is successful, less revenue will be received from the tax causing deficit spending for the program,” he said.

Crabtree agreed he wouldn’t necessarily support a cigarette tax increase because more people are quitting smoking and more of the state is becoming smoke-free, so it may not be the most effective way to raise funds.

However, Crabtree said he doesn’t support a statewide ban on smoking in indoor, public places.

“I believe it should not only be up to each community, it should be decided by individual business owners that have a business that is open to the public,” he said.

Bogina, on the other hand approves of Shawnee smoking ordinance, which allows smoking in bars whose food sales equal 33 percent or less of their total annual sales. He added that smoking bans could affect liquor sales, and liquor taxes help fund parks and recreation programs.

“I think the state, if they found it necessary for a statewide ban, should model the same after the Shawnee Council’s format,” Bogina said.

Concerning funding for education, the candidates agreed they wanted to see programs adequately funded, but Crabtree said he wouldn’t support a no-growth state budget for public schools and higher education.

“Kansas will be facing a teacher shortage in the next couple of years,” he said. “We need to work hard now toward better working conditions, not only to retain the teachers we have, but to also attract quality educators in the next couple of years.”

Bogina said because state funding for higher education has dropped since the 1990s, he would like to see state tax deductions available for college costs. He said he’d also like to see any additional K-12 funding coming from something other than property taxes, pointing to a collaboration of Kansas City businesses providing materials for science programs as an example.

Reducing the state’s overall budget may be possible by reducing duplicity, Bogina said.

“I believe there are duplicate services provided by state agencies and a top to bottom review of each agency is in order annually in lieu of the cursory reviews with percentage increases to each agency,” he said.

Crabtree said he didn’t think the budget should be reduced; rather, he said the legislature should find ways to use what they have more effectively.

Illegal immigration has continued to be a big topic for legislators, and both candidates said something should be done for the system employers use to verify employees are not illegal immigrants.

Perhaps the biggest cause for concern in the economy is the price of gasoline, and the candidates differed on how the state should work to reduce prices.

Bogina said he’d like to see a public/private partnership to reopen an oil processing plant in Coffeyville to help reduce prices.

“Domestic oil production is at its higher level ever and in my opinion, the lack of processing capacity from oil to fuel is what causes higher pricing,” he said.

Crabtree said he didn’t see any one “magic” solution to the problem.

“I believe it will take a number of solutions working together to solve the pinch at the pump,” he said. “Serving at the state level will give me the time and opportunity to work hard to find solutions.”

The winner of the Aug. 5 primary will move on to face Democrat Milack Talia of Merriam in the general election.

For the candidate’s full responses to questions posed by the Dispatch, visit shawneedispatch.com.

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