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Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Democratic challenger Paul Davis sparred over education, taxes, economic development and more during their second debate, before 250 business leaders Friday, Sept. 19, 2014, in Overland Park.
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Overland Park All three candidates for governor faced each other Friday during a debate in Johnson County, answering questions about tax policy, economic development, education funding and a variety of issues.
For the most part, though, the major candidates stuck to their key talking points, with Republican Gov. Sam Brownback boasting that his tax cuts are producing economic growth, while Rep. Paul Davis, the Democratic candidate from Lawrence, promised to restore cuts in base aid to public schools that have occurred under the Brownback administration.
Meanwhile, Libertarian candidate Keen Umbehr used the debate to promote his "fair tax" that would eliminate income taxes for everyone and replace them with a statewide consumption tax.
The candidates also tailored their remarks to the Johnson County audience, especially when criticizing each other.
"Rep. Davis talks about more money for schools, but he's not talking about your schools. He is talking about your money," Brownback said, suggesting that Johnson County as a whole accounts for a large percentage of all the taxes paid into the state and therefore helps subsidize the school budgets of less populous, less wealthy areas.
Davis fired back, saying Johnson County has suffered under the education cuts, which he blamed on Brownback's policy of cutting taxes.
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Kansas Gov. Brownback, Democratic, Libertarian rivals spar at debate