Steve Abrams
Steve Abrams | |
|---|---|
| Member of theKansas Senate from the32nddistrict | |
| In office January 12, 2009 – January 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Greta Goodwin |
| Succeeded by | Larry Alley |
| Chairman of theKansas Republican Party | |
| In office May 1998 – January 1999 | |
| Preceded by | David Miller |
| Succeeded by | Mark Parkinson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 4, 1949 Arkansas City, Kansas,U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Susan |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Kansas State University |
Steve Abrams(born September 4, 1949) is an American politician who served as theKansas State Senatorfrom the32nd districtfrom 2009 until 2017. He previously served as chairman theKansas Republican Partyfrom 1998 to 1999.
A former member of the Board of Education for Unified School District 470 inArkansas City, Kansas,he was elected as a member of the Kansas State Board of Education in 1995, representing District 10. He served as chairman for the Kansas State Board of Education from 2005 to 2007. In 2009, he became the Kansas State Senator for District 32. Reelected withoutDemocraticopposition in 2012, by narrowly winning the Republican primary over Miranda Allen by 461 votes, he chose not to run for reelection in 2016. He was replaced by Larry Alley, who had lost House District 78 races to DemocratEd Trimmerin 2012 as an Independent, as well as narrowly in 2014 as a Republican. The conservativeAmericans for Prosperity,Kansas Chapter, gave him a 100% evaluation on spending, budget and taxes in 2010.
Biographical information
[edit]Abrams was born in and is a resident ofArkansas City, Kansas.He is married. He has a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine fromKansas State Universityand has been a veterinarian since 1978.[citation needed]
Religious beliefs
[edit]Abrams believes that the Earth is about 10,000 years old. Abrams also believes that the biblical account of Genesis is factually literal and in the historicity of the Old and New Testaments.[citation needed]He supports theanti-evolutionistCreationistandIntelligent Designviews of man's origins.[citation needed]
Abrams is also a member of the Family Life Servicesanti-abortion"Crisis pregnancy center",in Arkansas City, Kansas.[1]
Gun ownership issues
[edit]Abrams has received an "A" grade from theNRA Political Victory Fund.The highest grade they give is an "A+".[2]
Committees
[edit]- Education (chair)
- Assessment and Taxation
- Agriculture[3]
Kansas State Board of Education
[edit]While serving as chairman[4]of the Kansas State Board of Education in 2005, Abrams supported the adoption of standards that would bring into question the theory of evolution, the preferred one being Creation or "Intelligent Design".[5]His tenure included the hiring of controversial Education Commissioner Bob Corkins, a former Koch think tank director whom theTopeka Capital Journalnoted "didn't bring...any education credentials whatsoever," to the position.[6][7]Republican state Sen.John Vratil,characterized Corkins' hiring as education commissioner as "sort of like making Saddam Hussein president of the United States." The executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, Paul Houston, had written a letter referring to Corkins as an "amateur."[8]
Political campaign financing
[edit]During the Kansas State Senate election campaign of 2008, the Abrams Campaign collected a total of $42,191. His Democratic (incumbent) opponent Winfield's Greta Goodwin, lost the race despite having campaign funds of $78,528.[9]
Some of the top contributors to Abrams's 2008 campaign included the Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee, the Fourth (Congressional) District Republican Committee, theKansas Republican Partyand theNRA Political Victory Fund.[citation needed]Koch Industrieswas a supporter of Abrams.[10]Koch Industries donated $2,000, the maximum that was legally allowed at the time from an individual, company or organization.[11]Political parties are able to donate larger amounts to their own candidates. Koch Industries also donated to the Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee and the Kansas Republican Party which in turn donated to the Abrams campaign.
References
[edit]- ^"Home".flsonline.net.
- ^"The Voter's Self Defense System".
- ^Kansas Legislative Sessions 2015–2016,Kansas State Legislature. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ^Profile from the Kansas Legislature
- ^NBC News
- ^"Bob Corkins -- Mixed grade".Topeka Capital Journal.November 29, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon August 12, 2016.RetrievedMay 1,2015.
- ^Scott Rothschild."New uproar in education erupts".LJWorld.com.Lawrence Journal World.RetrievedMay 1,2015.(subscription required)
- ^Justin Kendall (December 1, 2005)."He don't need no education".The Pitch.Archived fromthe originalon August 28, 2016.RetrievedAugust 25,2016.
- ^http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/state_election_results.phtml?s=KS&y=2008[dead link]
- ^Rich, Frank (28 August 2010)."Opinion | the Billionaires Bankrolling the Tea Party".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on August 30, 2010.(subscription required)
- ^Liptak, Adam (21 January 2010)."Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on January 24, 2010.(subscription required)
External links
[edit]- Kansas Senate Biography
- Project Vote Smart profile
- Campaign contributions:2008
- Abrams's website