Kansas Helen Podcast
Ed Young - Kansas House District 27 - Full Conversation
Beschrijving
Ed Young is running for Kansas House District 27 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Young begins by answering whether he knows what it feels like to “not have one more penny.” He affirms that he does, recalling his and his wife’s student years at KU when they had to scrape together enough money for a weekly Whopper from Burger King. He remembers making soup in a coffee pot, breaking it, and not having enough money to replace it. He also talks about growing up in a duplex with his grandfather and how his grandparents helped his family through childhood. Young then discusses his Kansas roots. He says he was born in Ohio and moved to Kansas at age 10. He describes growing up near 127th and Black Bob in Olathe, returning to that neighborhood, and observing how some surrounding areas have changed while the neighborhood itself still feels familiar and nostalgic. Young explains that several issues triggered his decision to run, including the fact that no one else had filed in the district as the deadline approached. He expresses frustration with his current representative’s approach toward the school district and local government. He discusses House Bill 2299, the cellphone ban issue, and Blue Valley’s estimated cost to implement the proposed requirements. Young states his concern is not just whether phones are good or bad in schools, but that a statewide mandate does not fit every school district, campus, classroom, or safety plan. Young connects this issue to his background as a first responder, police officer, firefighter, and workforce development center director. He talks about planning for school violence response on a campus with multiple buildings and explains why he would not want his child in a school where students had no access to a phone in an emergency. He argues that cellphone and screen policies should be handled locally because each district has different needs, including rural districts that may use screens to provide programming they otherwise could not offer. Young also covers his experiences as state director of aviation. He describes how programs sometimes had to be designed with the fear that leftover funds could be swept or changed before the end of the year, even when programs were already established, bids were ready, and the Legislature had previously allocated money. Young explains that the situation became even more complicated when state projects were paired with federal money or federal funding was delayed. Young discusses the August 4 judicial amendment vote from the perspective of an attorney who has voted on judicial nominating committees. He pushes back on the idea that the Kansas Bar Association controls the process, stating he is a member of the bar but not the Bar Association, and that licensed attorneys in each congressional district vote for nominating committee members. The conversation also covers Supreme Court statistics, how few cases reach the Supreme Court, retention votes, the 2022 abortion amendment, and concerns about trying to change judicial selection to achieve a predetermined political outcome. A major part of the conversation focuses on AI data centers and transparency. Young says Kansas has bigger issues to address than targeting marginalized communities, including groundwater, industrial development, the aviation industry, economic growth, and major projects like Panasonic. He says people want transparency about economic impact, jobs, environmental concerns, tax incentives, and public accountability. Young criticizes broad incentives for AI data centers and argues that communities need a voice before large projects receive public benefits. Young also talks about the risks of rushing development without planning for future consequences. He compares AI data center development to earlier waves of oil wells and cell phone towers, where communities were later left with abandoned or unsafe infrastructure and unclear responsibility. He says Kansas should ask who is responsible if a project fails, becomes obsolete, or leaves behind buildings, water demands, or infrastructure needs that local governments cannot manage. When asked why voters should choose him in the August primary, Young says he respects his opponent and would support her if she wins, but believes his Kansas experience makes him a strong candidate. He points to his work for KDOT, his place in the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame, his planning work during wind energy growth, his budgeting experience, his education at KU, his teaching for Kansas State University, and his service as a firefighter, police officer, EMT, and disaster response worker. He also discusses the district’s mix of Republican, Democratic, and unaffiliated voters and says his experience can help him compete in November. The interview spends significant time on school funding, vouchers, and special education. Young says Republicans he speaks with are also raising concerns about schools, and he points to the Blue Valley School District’s lawsuit over the funding formula and special education. He says private school vouchers shift more responsibility onto property taxpayers because private schools are not required to serve special education students in the same way public schools are. He argues that strong public schools are part of what makes communities valuable and that weakening those schools would hurt families and property owners alike. Young also discusses the importance of paras and special education support in classrooms. He says his daughter, who teaches in a rural district, has told him that paras make it possible to teach the class and provide specialized support for students who need additional help. The conversation connects special education funding to real families, the legal obligation to serve students, and the long-term value of investing in children rather than treating them as a burden. When asked for the top issues in District 27, Young names schools, AI, and transportation. He talks about 69 Highway, congestion, growth moving south through Johnson County, coordination between cities and the county, and the need for better transportation planning. He also discusses the loss of older transportation options, the challenge of being car-dependent, and water as a long-term Kansas issue tied to agriculture and the future of the state. Young frames long-term planning as one of the deeper themes of the conversation. He describes progressivism as systemic thinking and says Kansas needs to plan for changes in industries and technology before problems arise. He points to wells, cell phones, windmills, and AI data centers as examples of issues where the state should build systems that protect Kansans over time instead of reacting to each situation only after it becomes urgent. The conversation also covers high-speed rail, light rail, and infrastructure protection. Young says existing rail infrastructure could potentially be improved and that better rail options could benefit Kansas, especially for people who need affordable travel, rural healthcare access, or transportation between communities. He also discusses short line rails, grain, aviation manufacturing, the role of rail in Kansas’ economy, and the importance of protecting infrastructure in small towns rather than constantly building new infrastructure farther south while older communities fade. Young closes with his campaign message, “Think Young.” He says the phrase is not only a slogan but also a call to think progressively about what Kansans can achieve together. He talks about community, shared values, experiencing other cultures, and building from people’s existing strengths. The interview ends with a broader message about restoring balance in Topeka and approaching Kansas politics with more cooperation, planning, and respect for the people affected by state decisions. You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify. 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