The Kansas Statehouse in Topeka.

Democrat Kara Reed currently serves on the Tonganoxie City Council, but this year marks her first candidacy in state politics as she faces Republican Jim Karleskint in the 42nd District House race. That district includes much of eastern Douglas County, including Eudora.

Reed holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in vertebrate zoology. She currently works at Kansas City, Kan., Community College and teaches dual credit classes at area high schools. She has also been active in several community organizations such as the Southern Leavenworth County Leadership Development program, the Ephraim Basehor Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Friends of the Tonganoxie Library.

“The Brownback experiment has failed,” Reed said in response to a Journal-World candidate questionnaire. “We have not seen the promised benefits to our state economy and instead of growing, Kansas has month after month of shortfalls.”

Reed said she supports reversing some of the tax cuts enacted in 2012 and 2013 and reducing the sales tax, particularly the sales tax on groceries.

She also said she believes the state could find efficiencies by shortening the length of legislative sessions, and expanding Medicaid as allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act.

“Crafting a new school funding formula that addresses both adequacy and equity, and then fully funding our public schools, are the two most important things the legislature can do to help prepare Kansas students for life after graduation,” Reed said.

Regarding LGBT rights and proposals for “religious freedom” laws, Reed said in part: “Businesses are not individuals and do not have the rights of individuals, but owners and employees should have the right to provide services to the populations they choose. If they choose to discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual identity, or orientation, then I will exercise my right not to solicit their business.”

She also said she opposes current voting laws that were championed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach in 2011.

“Proof of citizenship requirements for registration and photo ID requirements at the polls only create a situation where those that need government the most are excluded, and we must change that,” she said.