Bipartisanship isn’t dead as Kansas millennial lawmakers walk in Bob Dole’s footsteps

On Dec. 5, former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole passed away after a lifetime of public service and championing bipartisanship. If you’ve had a chance to watch the coverage of the senator’s funeral in the U.S. Capitol, you may have heard pundits say that this was also a funeral for bipartisanship — for the bipartisan ways of Sen. Dole are now, seemingly, few and far between.

But during that same week, a celebration of bipartisanship and forging new ways of legislating took place: We, the leaders of the Kansas Future Caucus, were recognized for our millennial leadership and solutions-over-party mindset through a national award by the Millennial Action Project. MAP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that activates millennial policymakers to create political cooperation. On behalf of the Kansas Future Caucus, we were honored to be awarded the Cherisse Eatmon Collective Impact Award. We have committed to supporting fellow millennial state legislators, championing bipartisan legislation and maintaining collaborative, Dole-like legislative norms in the great state of Kansas.

Just this past year, we helped pass HB 2187, a bipartisan bill for a first-time home buyer savings account. The bill enables young people to have economic stability in the housing market. This is just one example of the holistic benefits that come from producing forward-thinking, post-partisan legislation — and we can accomplish that only when we work together.

As millennial state legislators, we are not bound by traditional party politics. Rather, we are here to listen to one another, and co-create innovative policy solutions so that our constituents can prosper — regardless of party. Some may say that bipartisanship is impossible, but here in the Kansas Future Caucus, it is only just the beginning of a new political era.

In the words of Sen. Dole, “When we prioritize principles over party and humanity over personal legacy — when we do that, we accomplish far more as a nation. By leading with shared faith in each other, we become America at its best.”

This story was originally published December 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.