Darrell Monfort, a local veterinarian, makes no bones about being an advocate for agriculture.
He has taken his dedication to farming a step further than most, delving into its politics.
Monfort spent five years as southeast Kansas representative on the Farm Bureau Political Action Committee and now serves on Allen County’s policy committee where he keeps a close eye on state issues that affect farmers.
Monfort said the recent legislative session has left him befuddled.
“I have the general impression that some issues should have been left alone,” Monfort said Wednesday afternoon from his office at Red Barn Veterinary clinic.
He cited a Senate bill championed by Sen. Caryn Tyson, who represents Allen County, that proposed to break up Extension districts, such as Southwind, of which Allen, Neosho and Bourbon counties are members.
“The districts are working well, providing economy of scale and Southwind isn’t costing Allen County any more,” he said. The county supports Extension Service programs.
The bill failed to gain traction.
Turning to income tax cuts, Monfort allowed he doesn’t like to pay taxes more than anyone else, but, “if you’re going to get services you have to pay for them.”
One service Monfort rates above all else and that he thinks should be adequately funded is education.
“The best product the state can have is a well-educated public,” he said. “We need the best schools we can have. Education is more important to Kansas than anything else, more important than wheat or soybeans.”
A typical admonition is that Kansas needs to keep its college graduates in the state.
“One way to do that and draw people to the state is to have good schools,” he said.
MONFORT ALSO has definite ideas about elective politics.
“I think Republican primaries should be open to everyone, not just those in the party,” he said.
