Three Democratic candidates for governor, state Sen. Ethan Corson of Fairway, state Sen. Cindy Holscher of Overland Park, and Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog, participated in a debate at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market. The candidates discussed various issues, including the closure of early voting sites in Johnson County and state tax incentives for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Early Voting Sites

The candidates were asked about Interim County Election Commissioner Connie Schmidt’s decision to close eight advance polling places and open two new ones. Corson stated that he opposes the closure of these early voting sites, saying it was a wrong decision. Holscher supports elections for election commissioners, and Skoog believes that the decision is a reason more Democrats need to be elected.

Tax Incentives for the Kansas City Chiefs

The candidates were also asked about state tax incentives that will redirect over $2 billion in expected revenue from the state general fund for a new stadium and team headquarters for the Kansas City Chiefs. Holscher and Corson, as members of the state Senate, voted for the incentives, but Holscher expressed concerns about the amount of public money being used to benefit the team’s wealthy owners. Corson supported the incentives, citing the creation of 21,000 good-paying construction jobs.

Data Centers and Medical Marijuana

The candidates also discussed data centers and medical marijuana. Corson believes that the decision to allow data centers belongs to local communities, but there should be some requirements at the state level. Holscher regrets her vote for an incentive bill for data centers and now supports a moratorium. Skoog believes that the decision should be made at the local level. Corson supports medical marijuana, while Skoog thinks that more research is needed.

Original reporting: Johnson County Post (Overland Park) — read the source article.