Megan Phillips is the Democratic Party candidate running for the Kansas State District 8 seat in the November 3 midterms. Ahead of the elections, she spoke exclusively to HT.com about her views on various matters, including ICE activity in the state.
Phillips seeks to represent District 8 which has an Asian population of 9 percent, more than double of the numbers across Kansas, as per Census Reporter. Asians make up the largest demography after Whites, the report further noted. However, in the past Asians have complained about performative allyship.
“The allyship is very performative, and it’s really unfortunate. Like, once AAPI month is over, they’re like, ‘OK, let’s move on’,” KCUR reported a local say in 2022. Further back, in 2017, two Indian men – Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani – were shot by a gunman, in neighboring Olathe, who yelled ‘get out of my country’ believing them to be Iranians.
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Now, anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies have fueled ‘alarming’ levels of anti-South Asian hate, online and on the ground, Stop AAPI Hate noted. However, Phillips promises that things will be different with her as the Kansas State District 8 representative.
Megan Phillips takes strong stance on racism, ICE activities
Phillips expressed concern about ICE activities in Kansas. She slammed their ‘racist agendas’ and said she wanted to ‘see significant reform’ in how the government managed immigration concerns, going forward.
“People should not be afraid to go to work, school, or doctor’s appointments for fear that they may be picked up off the street and thrown into detention centers indefinitely without due process or communication with the outside world. That is inhumane,” Phillips said.
The aspiring lawmaker added that she hoped to work with local governments to help protect the people and fight for proper legal protocol.
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Speaking about the issues of racism, Phillips began with an apology for her would-be constituents. “I am truly sorry if anyone in my community has experienced racism or anti-immigration rhetoric, and that is unacceptable. I am a firm believer that diversity makes a community great, and I will work to support ALL of my constituents, regardless of their race, country of origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or cultural background,” Phillips told HT.com.
She promised to work for minority communities and protect them from legislative actions that could directly harm them. Phillips also expressed a strong interest in letting their voices be heard. “I hope to hold community gatherings within diverse cultural spaces so that I can hear directly from my constituents about concerns that matter to them. That is a promise that I can keep if elected,” she said.
Megan Phillips on opponent Chris Croft
Phillips noted she has no larger political aspirations apart from representing Kansas State District 8. She’s a psychologist and a mother.
Explaining her choice to contest the midterms, Phillips said “I entered this race because the schools I love, where I send my kids, are under threat. For 15 years, the legislature has chronically underfunded Kansas public schools, resulting in a deficit of about $200 million. Kansas law dictates that the state reimburse schools for their special education expenditures at a rate of 92%, but since 2011, they have woefully missed that mark. This means schools have repeatedly footed the bill and made cuts year after year. We are at the edge of a funding cliff; if things don’t change fast, my local school risks closing, much like what happened to our neighbors in Olathe who just voted to close six schools at the end of this school year. I am not going to let that happen.”
She faces Republican Chris Croft, a seasoned politician who is also the House Majority Leader. However, Phillips is not all too perturbed. “I don’t think Chris Croft is particularly popular right now. Many constituents are as upset as I am about some of his decisions and his track record of saying one thing and doing another,” she said. HT.com has reached out to Croft as well for his remarks.
Phillips, meanwhile, signed off with a message for her voters, saying “I want to strongly encourage them to come to me with questions and concerns because I listen to everyone, not just folks who vote for me. This job is a public servant role and I intend to keep it that way.”
