More than ‘District 59’: Community and accountability in Kansas
Rep. Rebecca Schmoe represents Kansas House District 59, where she says public service is shaped by the kind of community where you see your neighbors at ball games and in the grocery store. In this conversation with American Habits editor Ray Nothstine, Schmoe reflects on “Kansas values,” the basics of federalism, and why restoring public trust starts with transparent representation.
I want to ask you something right off the bat. I’ve heard you mention “Kansas values” in a few speeches and conversations. As a non-Kansan, though grandmother was from Coffeyville, can you explain what you mean? What are Kansas values?
Rep. Rebecca Schmoe: By and large, Kansas values are reality-based, rooted in what’s happening every day in our communities and in our homes. That’s what my constituents focus on, and really what people across Kansas care about.
Yes, the federal government encroaches here and there, and there are a few things we can champion along the way. But there are also a lot of rules and regulations being made that we don’t agree with.
What it all boils down to is the kitchen-table dynamic: faith, freedom, and family. It’s about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, not the promise of happiness. Happiness is something you build for yourself. All we’re asking for is the opportunity to do that.
During recent national election cycles, a lot of people in Middle America felt overlooked. The media promises it won’t happen again—and then it does. I know every person you represent is different and not homogeneous, but from your perspective, what’s special about the people in your district?
Rep. Schmoe: The people in my district truly are a community. When I talk about where I’m from, it’s never the sterile, cold “District 59.” It’s our community, because that’s what we are.
We see each other at local school ball games. We see each other at the grocery store. I live close enough that I try to come home every night, and sometimes I get out of the Capitol early enough that I’m stopping at the store to pick up dinner for my family.
And I know that whatever I voted on that day, I’m going to look someone in the eye at that grocery store and be able to answer how I voted and why.
By and large, the people here want to go to work, love their families, go to church on Sunday, and when they get home, they certainly don’t want to idolize politicians. Those are the people I represent, and it’s an absolute honor to be their voice in that room.
Shifting to the political landscape in 2026: what feels different in Kansas politics than even a few years ago? Are there trends you find encouraging, or issues you think are ripe for reform? And what are people in your district telling you they want?
Rep. Schmoe: Mostly, people want to get back to reality. They’re tired of living in a land of fantasy, tired of other people making decisions that don’t align with their strongly held beliefs, including their religious beliefs. They’re also tired of outside efforts to influence what they can say, including compelled speech. They want to speak plainly about what they believe, and they want that respected, just as they’re asked to respect what others believe.
One thing I’ve noticed this year is the intensity of emotional arguments. Politics has always involved emotion, not just facts and figures, but we’ve seen a real ramp-up. Cutting through that to keep the issue the issue, to focus on how policies affect each Kansan, their rights and their pocketbook—has gotten harder.
That said, I’m encouraged that we’re taking steps on some key issues. We protected women’s sports. We defined “woman” based on biological sex. We spent nearly six hours on the House floor debating who can use which bathroom, and it got intense at times.
I also have a bill moving through the process and it passed the House and is now in the Senate—that says the U.N., the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have no jurisdiction in the state of Kansas. In practice, it means local and state governments can’t base new policies, fees, restrictions, or regulations on the advice of the U.N., the WHO, or the WEF. That’s a good snapshot of where things stand in Kansas right now.
What does federalism mean to you? You’ve touched on it already, but where should Kansas draw firmer lines with Washington, regardless of who’s in power? We’ve seen federal overreach in recent years, like efforts to rewrite Title IX. Many debates that get labeled “social issues” are often driven by federal strings attached to money and regulations. Where do you think Kansas should hold the line?
Rep. Schmoe: I have to educate people on this all the time, and our civics courses in schools aren’t doing a good enough job. The federal government should cover what’s outlined in the Constitution. Anything not specifically outlined in the Constitution falls to the states.
That includes schools and how they’re run. It includes health care, areas where the federal government has taken a broad view and used that broad reach to meddle in ways that should be left to the states.
Anything not specifically outlined in the Constitution falls to the states.
That said, there are things I appreciate about what the current federal administration is doing. The federal government should be securing our national borders—that’s a federal responsibility. And the Second Amendment—“shall not be infringed”—applies to everyone; it’s not something that should vary state by state. On issues like that, we want to support our federal allies in making sure those responsibilities are carried out.
Everything else should be, and could be, handled at the state level. What happens within the borders of Kansas is Kansas’s business when the Constitution doesn’t place it in the federal sphere.
You have a supermajority in your party now in the legislature. What does your party need to do to retain or expand that public trust it has with voters right now? I know that’s a big, maybe loaded question, but I’m sure that’s something you’re thinking about, and other lawmakers are thinking about.
Rep. Schmoe: I don’t know that any of us don’t think about that. And Kansas has had a supermajority fairly often. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always mean what people think it means. A supermajority can be mostly “on paper.”
People get elected at every level of government who tell voters what they want to hear in order to get the position—and then they vote differently than what they promised.
To build trust, we have to get back to the fact that this is a representative government. I’ve made it a personal mission to be very clear with people about who I am, what I believe, and how I’m going to vote. If you don’t do that, and people send you to represent them, it’s not only a headache for you, but it also puts them behind in having their voice heard in rooms they can’t all fit into. Constituents can’t pack into every hearing room.
So part of building trust is educating people on what our job is as state legislators—and what it’s not. I can’t change things at the federal level; I’m just their constituent there. I can’t change things at the local level; I’m just their constituent there.
And we also must make sure our election integrity is above reproach. Even if someone believes there weren’t problems in previous elections, we still need to dig in and shore up confidence so people feel secure that (1) they understand what level of government they should be engaging, and (2) the people in those positions were actually sent to be their voice. There are a lot of layers to it.
A lot of people are thinking about President Trump’s efforts on election administration, some see it as a nationalization of elections. But the flip side is that it can be read as a call for states to make sure elections are run well: Do we have public trust? Are we operating above board and fair? State legislatures and secretaries of state play a big role in oversight and election law. Is that how you see it, as a call for states to tighten up their systems?
Rep. Schmoe: Yes, absolutely. We’ve taken it very seriously here in Kansas. There’s been some blowback from people who think this means we assume every election has been stolen. That’s not the case.
For us, it’s about closing loopholes, cleaning up voter rolls, and making sure that when people go into the voting booth, they have confidence their voice is being heard. That’s how our government is supposed to work. We are “We the People.”
America’s 250th anniversary is coming up. A lot of people feel the challenge today isn’t just politics; it’s civic erosion and the way we argue. I want to end on a positive: What gives you hope in Kansas and in the country overall? And where do you think we still need to improve? What are Americans doing right?
Rep. Schmoe: I love this question—because I haven’t lost hope. It’s been a tumultuous few years. We’ve been on a roller coaster. But if you look back through American and world history, that’s often how it goes.
What gives me hope is education and engagement. The more we educate people on their role as part of “We the People,” the more we teach what the different branches of government are responsible for, and the more we clarify what federal, state, and local governments should be doing, the easier it is to find that American equilibrium where we can come together despite different ideas and strongly held beliefs.
And I’m seeing more of a push toward having difficult conversations than I’ve seen in my adult life. For a long time, people followed a media narrative. But during COVID and the reaction to it, more people started questioning—strongly and openly—“Is this best for us? Is this the direction we want to go?” Before that, those conversations were often quieter and contained to one side.
That overreaction during COVID helped kick off a new push to have the hard conversations—and to make sure people with dissenting views can come together and really hash things out: Where do we agree? Where can’t we agree? Unfortunately, that also means you’ll sometimes see extremists on either side ramp up rhetoric—and even violence. But the hope is still there: that we’re coming together and doing our job as “We the People” by having these conversations.
We’re also electing people who are willing to take on problems but also work harder to hold them accountable. Our role as “We the People” doesn’t stop at the voting booth. I’m seeing far more of that today than I ever have in my adult voting life, and that makes me hopeful.
As for the country as a whole, I think we’re getting back to reality. We’re having honest conversations and rejecting fantasy. We’re also beginning to reject compelled speech—just as we should have all along. That doesn’t mean the other person can’t say what they believe. It means they can’t tell you that you have to repeat it. I think that’s better for all of us.
