Republicans seeking to unseat Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Saturday that she has failed in taking the lead in the school finance debate and developing the economy.

The candidates or their representatives participated in a forum at the Kansas Bar Assn. annual meeting at the Marriott Hotel.

While refraining from criticizing each other, the field for the Aug. 1 GOP primary aimed their barbs at Sebelius, a Democrat who is seeking re-election.

“Kansas is really a plane without a pilot,” state Sen. Jim Barnett of Emporia said.

He complained that Kansas is not keeping up with the nation or its neighbors in economic growth.

He pledged to increase dependent exemptions by $500 and provide an investment tax credit for businesses.

Ken Canfield, of Overland Park, who founded an institute on fathering, said the state tax code needs to be reformed and promised he would appoint a commission to do just that.

“We need some major, fresh, new thinking,” he said.

Tim Pickell, a Prairie Village attorney, said the Kansas Republican Party should focus on fiscal issues instead of fighting over social issues, such as abortion, which he said can only be determined at the national level.

“We have to stop this intolerance of each other’s points of view,” he said.

Pickell proposed starting a state auditor’s office to stop waste, even if it takes using private funds to establish it, a policy to get high-speed Internet to every area of the state and building an ethanol plant.

Dennis Wilson, the lieutenant governor running mate of gubernatorial candidate Robin Jennison, said their ticket was the best combination of geography and political experience.

Jennison is a former House speaker from Healy, while Wilson is a state senator from Overland Park, who has also served in the House as Johnson County treasurer and in the state treasurer’s office. “This is a campaign where east meets west,” Wilson said.

Several candidates said Sebelius had backed off her previous promise to Johnson County to fight for legislation to allow for greater local spending on schools.

Sebelius has defended the school finance law that was adopted by the Legislature and signed by her.

The measure will increase school funding by $466 million over the next three years.

She has described the bill as a “great step forward” but that more work is needed.

On the issue of economic development, Sebelius issued a news release last week that said Kansas’ economy grew faster than the national average and all neighboring states except Colorado, according to figures from the U.S. Commerce Department.

The report that measured the output of goods and services ranked Kansas 18th nationally. “Kansas’ economy is strong, and it should continue to grow now that we’ve given employers another great reason to create jobs in Kansas,” said Sebelius, referring to recent legislation to phase out property taxes on new business machinery and equipment.

Two Republican candidates were not represented at the forum – Dennis Hawver of Ozawkie and Richard Rodewald of Eudora.