Deep Background: What Brownback leaves behind in Kansas

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is stepping onto a previously obscure part of the international stage, leaving a notable legacy of political wins and losses in his state.

In late July, President Donald Trump chose Brownback to be his administration’s ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. Assuming he’s confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and there’s little doubt that won’t happen easily, Brownback will leave a state where he was twice elected governor and went from winning his first race in a rout to stepping down as one of the least popular governors in the country.

In the latest “Deep Background” podcast, the Star’s Bryan Lowry and Dave Helling mull Brownback’s time in the Statehouse, where he oversaw sweeping tax cuts and the budget troubles that followed. His economic policies were essentially reversed this year by a legislature that changed dramatically with the fall of Brownback’s political fortunes.

The governor also left behind a swath of changes to state law on social issues, particularly abortion.

And the Republican will be a lingering figure in the election of the state’s next governor, a race likely to be dominated by Secretary of State Kris Kobach and soon-to-be-governor Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer.

Give the podcast a listen and consider it for a subscription and review. It’s all free and comes without ads.

This story was originally published August 2, 2017 at 7:53 AM with the headline "Deep Background: What Brownback leaves behind in Kansas."