TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Kansas new Democratic governor called Monday for the state to forge a new chapter of bipartisanship, arguing as she took office that the Statehouse had lost the spirit of neighbor-helping-neighbor under her Republican predecessors.
Laura Kelly was sworn in as the states 48th governor on the Capitol steps, in front of huge banners declaring Equality, Education and Opportunity. Her supporters celebrated a sharp break with her conservative GOP predecessors, even as she attempted to summon an ethos of cooperation across political, ethnic and religious lines.
Somewhere along the way, that spirit of neighbor-helping-neighbor that runs so strong in our communities failed to extend into this building, Kelly said in her speech to a crowd of a few thousand people. Public service gave way to partisanship. And the voices of Kansas families were not heard. Kansas lost its sense of self, its sense of community.