Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Editorials

The Star’s recommendations for Tuesday’s elections in Kansas and Missouri

The Associated Press

The politicians’ speeches and negative TV ads are (almost) over. Today, voters will make crucial decisions on several statewide races in Kansas, four amendments to the Missouri Constitution and many other issues.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Kansas and 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Missouri.

The Star’s editorials on selected contests can be found here.

Here is a summation:

KANSAS

U.S. SENATE

Greg Orman (I)

GOVERNOR/LT. GOVERNOR

Paul Davis/Jill Docking (D)

SECRETARY OF STATE

Jean Schodorf (D)

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Derek Schmidt (R)

TREASURER

Ron Estes (R)

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER

Dennis Anderson (D)

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

QUESTION: Permits Legislature to authorize charitable raffles. — YES

U.S. HOUSE

2nd District — Margie Wakefield (D)

3rd District — Kelly Kultala (D)

KANSAS BOARD OF EDUCATION

1st District — Janet Waugh (D)

KANSAS HOUSE

8th District — Jodie Dietz (D)

14th District — Merlin Ring (D)

16th District — Don McGuire (D)

17th District — Larry Meeker (D)

18th District — Cindy Neighbor (D)

19th District — Stephanie Clayton (R)

20th District — Elizabeth Arnold (D)

21st District — Barbara Bollier (R)

22nd District — Nancy Lusk (D)

23rd District — Linda Gallagher (R)

24th District — Jarrod Ousley (D)

25th District — Melissa Rooker (R)

26th District — Larry Campbell (R)

29th District — Heather Meyer (D)

33rd District — Tom Burroughs (D)

36th District — Kathy Wolfe Moore (D)

38th District — Jan Pringle (D)

39th District — Vicki Hiatt (D)

43rd District — Caitlin Trujillo (D)

JUDGES

Standing for retention: YES to all, including Supreme Court Justices Eric S. Rosen and Lee Johnson, and Johnson County judge Kevin P. Moriarty

JOHNSON COUNTY

Chairman — Ed Eilert

1st District — Laura McConwell

4th District — Curt Skoog

LEAWOOD

QUESTION: Renews a one-eighth-cent sales tax for roads and stormwater improvements. — YES

OLATHE

QUESTION: Renews a one-eighth-cent sales tax for parks, trails and recreation areas. — YES

SHAWNEE

QUESTION 1: Renews a one-eighth-cent sales tax for parks, trails and stormwater drainage system. — YES

QUESTION 2: Creates a three-eighths-cent sales tax for maintenance of existing streets. — YES

MISSOURI

AMENDMENTS AND PROPOSITIONS

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 2: Enables judges to consider admitting relevant evidence of past criminal acts in sexual abuse cases involving children. — YES

CONSTITUTONAL AMENDMENT NO. 3: Requires schools to use test-based evaluation system to determine whether teachers keep their jobs, get promoted or receive raises. — NO

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 6: Restricts early voting in person or by mail to only six business days. — NO

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT NO. 10: Reduces ability of governor’s office to withhold funds and balance the budget once the legislature has voted on it. — NO

U.S. HOUSE

4th District — Nate Irvin (D)

5th District — Emanuel Cleaver (D)

6th District — Sam Graves (R)

MISSOURI SENATE

34th District — Robert Stuber (D)

MISSOURI HOUSE

12th District — Sandy Van Wagner (D)

14th District — Stephanie Isaacson (D)

17th District — Mark Ellebracht (D)

18th District — Lauren Arthur (D)

20th District — John Mayfield (D)

29th District — Noel Torpey (R)

32nd District — Jeanie Lauer (R)

33rd District — Donna Pfautsch (R)

34th District — Dale Mercer (D)

35th District — Ken Duvall (D)

36th District — Kevin McManus (D)

56th District — Patty Johnson (D)

JUDGES

Standing for retention: YES to all

KANSAS CITY

QUESTION 1: Creates a quarter-cent sales tax for capital improvements. — NO

QUESTION 2: Creates an eighth-cent sales tax for public transportation purposes. — NO

JACKSON COUNTY

County executive — Mike Sanders (D)

1st District at-large — Frank White (D)

2nd District at-large — Crystal Williams (D)

3rd District — Dennis Waits (D)

CLAY COUNTY

Presiding commissioner — Jay Swearingin (D)

Auditor — Sheila Ernzen (D)

LIBERTY

QUESTION 1: Creates a 2.5 percent use tax for a new animal shelter. — YES

QUESTION 2: Creates a 5 percent tax on hotel guests to promote tourism. — YES

QUESTION 3: Creates a new three-eighths-cent sales tax for economic development projects. — YES

This story was originally published November 3, 2014 at 4:14 PM with the headline "The Star’s recommendations for Tuesday’s elections in Kansas and Missouri."

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