Susan Wagle

Susan Wagle
President of the Kansas Senate
Assumed office
January 14, 2013
Preceded by Stephen Morris
Member of the Kansas Senate
from the 39th district
Assumed office
January 14, 2013
Preceded by Stephen Morris
Member of the Kansas Senate
from the 30th district
In office
January 2001 – January 14, 2013
Preceded by Barbara Lawrence
Succeeded by Lance Kinzer
Personal details
Born (1953-09-27) September 27, 1953
Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Tom Wagle
Education Wichita State University (BA)

Susan Wagle (born September 27, 1953) is a Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing Kansas' 30th district since 2001.[1] She was elected President of the Kansas Senate in 2013.

Early life

Wagle was born on September 27, 1953, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Her family moved to Wichita, Kansas when she was four.

She received her bachelor's degree in 1979 from Wichita State University. From 1979 to 1982, she taught special education for Wichita Public Schools before starting numerous small businesses with her husband Tom in the Wichita area.

Political career

Kansas House

In 1990, Wagle was elected to the Kansas House, representing District 99 in Sedgwick County, Kansas. In 1994, she was elected as the first female speaker pro tem and was reelected to the position in 1996. Wagle ran for Kansas Speaker of the House in 1998 but lost by two votes to Robin Jennison.

Kansas Senate

Wagle was elected to the Kansas State Senate in 2000.[2] She was elected senate president on December 3, 2012, winning 23–9 over Sen. Steve Abrams of Arkansas City and in 2013 she was sworn in as the 47th Senate President of Kansas. Wagle was reelected as senate president in 2016, defeating Sen. Ty Masterson by a vote of 23–7. She is one of four senate presidents in Kansas' history to serve a second term.

A cancer survivor, Wagle is the first female president of the Kansas Senate and the first senate president from Wichita.[3]

Abortion

Wagle is pro-life. As Speaker Pro Tem, Wagle passed the first pro-life legislation in Kansas, The Women's Right to Know Act, which gives women seeking a late term abortion more information on fetal development. She received the Kansas Catholic Conference Silver Angel Award in recognition for passing the first pro-life legislation in the state.

Wagle sponsored legislation banning dismemberment abortions in Kansas. The Kansas Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act prohibits a person from performing, or attempting to perform, a dismemberment abortion unless it is necessary to preserve the life of the mother.

Sexual Harassment Reform

In 2017, Wagle led the effort to update policies to combat sexual harassment at the Kansas Capitol[4]. Wagle worked with the Kansas City based Women's Foundation to implement policy changes such as mandatory training sessions, allowing for anonymous reporting, and policy to protect interns within the Statehouse.[5]

Government Accountability

In 2018, Wagle cosponsored legislation with Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley that worked to bring more transparency to state contracts. The bill required lobbyist registration for anyone attempting to influence officials in state agencies or the executive branch over a state contract[6].

As Commerce Committee Chairwoman, Wagle began an investigation into the Kansas Bioscience Authority (KBA) in 2011. The KBA was founded under Governor Kathleen Sebelius with the goal of spurring growth in the bioscience sector. Wagle called for an investigation due to excessive spending on salaries, benefits, travel, and entertainment[7]. Wagle noticed a stark difference between the state's 12-year investment and its final return. She called for an audit and review for the abuse of taxpayer dollars which ultimately led to the shutdown of KBA for findings of misspent funds[8].

Wagle served as a delegate to the 1996 Republican National Convention.

She served as the National Chairman for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in 2006 and currently sits on their Board of Directors.

Personal life

Wagle lives in Wichita with her husband, Tom, together they have seven children and 14 grandchildren.

Committee assignments

Wagle serves on the following committees:[9]

  • Commerce, vice-chair
  • Confirmation Oversight
  • Ethics and Elections
  • Interstate Cooperation, chair
  • Legislative Coordinating Council, chair
  • Organization, Calendar and Rules, chair

During the 2013–2014 Legislative Sessions, Wagle served on the following committees:[1]

  • Commerce, vice-chair
  • Confirmation Oversight
  • Interstate Cooperation, chair
  • Legislative Coordinating Council, vice-chair
  • Organization, Calendar and Rules, chair

Legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Wagle includes:[10]

  • Constitutional amendment to have supreme court justices' appointments subject to consent of the senate.[11]
  • A bill to ban dismemberment abortions[12]
  • A bill to create a budget stabilization fund[13]
  • A bill regarding the right to bear arms[14]
  • A bill increasing transparency within the executive branch[15]

References

  1. 1 2 "Senator Susan Wagle – President of the Senate". Kansas State Legislature 2013–2014. Kansas Legislative Information System and Services. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Project vote smart biography
  3. ↑ "Sen. Susan Wagle first Wichitan elected Senate president"
  4. ↑ https://klcjournal.com/political-opposites-raising-awareness-of-metoo-in-the-kansas-legislature-but-is-anything-changing/
  5. ↑ https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article192039299.html
  6. ↑ http://www.cjonline.com/news/20180119/kansas-senate-president-proposes-transparency-measure-for-executive-branch
  7. ↑ https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article1055190.html
  8. ↑ https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article121324173.html
  9. ↑ "Senator Susan Wagle – President of the Senate". Kansas State Legislature 2015–2016. Kansas Legislative Information System and Services. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
  10. ↑ Legislation Archived 2009-06-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ Bill 1612
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ SB 1614
  14. ↑ SB 1611
  15. ↑ https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article195603834.html
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