Boneheaded remarks dominate discussion as Kansas legislative session sprints toward finish line

Opinion editor Clay Wirestone takes issue with remarks by, from left, Rep. Sean Tarwater, Sen. Bill Clifford and Rep. Bob Lewis. (Illustration from Kansas Reflector photos)

The days of the Kansas legislative session have dwindled. Lawmakers should wrap up their business by the end of next week.

The deadline pressure, exacerbated by early mornings and late nights, along with an avalanche of garbage legislation, has led to an uncommon number of looney statements from lawmakers. These men (they’re all men today) don’t just say dumb things. They say ignorant, dopey and vacuous things.

The season of boneheaded bon mots has burst into mid-March flower.

Here are a handful that grated across my consciousness like so many fingernails on a chalkboard Wednesday. More could be added, but then the column would be tens of thousands of words long and I wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep.

Yes, the strain is getting to me too.

 

Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, watches the action on the House floor on March 18, 2026, in Topeka. (Photo by Anna Kaminski/Kansas Reflector)

Remark 1: Tarwater on nurses

Rep. Sean Tarwater, R-Stilwell, on Senate Bill 334, which would water down requirements for instructors at nursing schools.

“Does it really matter who or how the material is delivered or the subject matter is delivered if you still have to pass the same test and you have to get the same grade?” Tarwater asked his chamber rhetorically. “I don’t care if you learned it on YouTube. Let’s get more nurses out there.”

Let’s put aside the insulting disrespect for a field that has endured more than its fair share. Who would put their own health, or that of their family and friends, at the mercy of someone trained via Google’s online video platform?

Here’s my proposal. Tarwater should conduct his very own research when visiting a doctor or hospital. He can exclusively enjoy the services of nurses trained via online videos. The rest of us can have our vitals checked and blood drawn by folks who, you know, take classes from living people.

Perhaps the representative didn’t mean his words the way they came across. Perhaps. I’ll giving all of these gentlemen the benefit of the doubt: You can say boneheaded things without being a bonehead yourself.

 

Sen. Bill Clifford, a Republican ophthalmologist from Garden City, chats with a colleague on Feb. 2, 2026. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Remark 2: Clifford on voting lawsuits

Sen. Bill Clifford, R-Garden City, arguing in favor of House Bill 2569, which requires challenges to state voting laws be filed in Shawnee County District Court.

“I can assure you that we’re hardy folk out west, and we certainly think that this appropriately should remain in Shawnee County,” Clifford told his chamber. “We generally don’t question election law. We vote, and we actually vote a certain way, and we are very proud of that.”

This statement interests me greatly, both for what it says and what it implies. First off, Clifford claims that those he represents don’t make a habit of challenging election laws, and therefore it’s not a big deal if they have to file suit on the other side of Kansas.

But that doesn’t make sense if you think about it for more than 30 seconds.

Just because I don’t make a habit of being hit by a car doesn’t mean I want the nearest emergency room located in Dodge City.

Then there’s the implication carried by Clifford’s phrase: “we actually vote a certain way.” You don’t have to squint very tight to see Clifford implying that votes for Democrats aren’t legitimate. His constituents “actually vote,” as opposed to everyone else in Kansas. Do these nefarious others not vote at all? Perhaps they’re being bankrolled by George Soros.

In a session overstuffed with reprehensible, conspiracy-minded rhetoric about voting, Clifford crossed a line. Not only does his comment count as boneheaded, he’s practically wearing a skull helmet atop his noggin.

 

Rep. Bob Lewis, R-Garden City, sits at his desk during a Jan. 28, 2026, session of the House. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

Remark 3: Lewis on Lawrence

Rep. Bob Lewis, R-Garden City, on his vote against Senate Bill 391, which would allow landlords to discriminate against tenants based on source of income.

“Look, Lawrence is crazy, and if they want to be crazy I don’t know why we should stop them,” he said.

Raises hand. Hey there, Lawrence resident here.

Last I checked, this town has the state’s premier research university and a population of nearly 100,000 people. We attract folks from across the United States because of our welcoming, diverse culture. We also make a point of looking after our neighbors, be they LGBTQ+ or immigrants or poor folks or people of color.

You might call that crazy. I call that empathetic. I call that taking care of your neighbor and actually following Jesus’ advice:  ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Lawrence might not always fulfill its promise or live up to the rhetoric of its most enthusiastic boosters. But we try.

That deserves better than Lewis’ contempt. He’s a product of the elite Stanford Law School in California (not to mention hoity-toity Grinnell College in Iowa). Some might say those are both far more elite than anything going on in Lawrence.

I wouldn’t say that, though. I’m just hanging on for dear life here.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.