John P. Wheeler Jr. (born August 6, 1947) is an American politician. He has served as a Republican member for the 123rd district in the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafti ...

since 2017. In March 2018, Wheeler rejected

legalizing marijuana The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These ...

. On March 23, 2022, at the swearing in of the first Indigenous Kansas state representative, Ponka-We Victors-Cozad, Rep. Wheeler commented that he wanted to make sure she was using a gavel and not a tomahawk. Rep. Wheeler later apologized to Rep. Victors-Cozad who did not accept his apology and called for accountability.https://www.wibw.com/2022/03/25/native-lawmaker-rejects-legislators-apology-racially-insensitive-comment/ He was born and raised in Garden City, Kansas. Shortly after graduation, he served in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

and received the

Air Force Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

. After this, he went to work for several law firms and also served as a member of the Federal District Court of the State of Kansas and as a member of the Kansas Supreme Court. He also served as a member of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Later in his career, he practiced as a sole practitioner and served as the county attorney for Finney County, Kansas. He retired from practicing law in 2013 and served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives beginning in 2017.

Biography

Early life

John Wheeler was born in 1947 and grew up in Garden City, Kansas. He graduated from Garden City High School in 1965. After high school, he served in the United States Air Force from 1969-1973. He received his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from

Fort Hays State University Fort Hays State University (FHSU) is a public university in Hays, Kansas. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with a total enrollment of approximately 15,100 students. History FHSU w ...

and his JD from

Washburn University School of Law The Washburn University School of Law is a public law school located on the main campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn Law was founded in 1903. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of ...

in 1976 where he graduated cum laude.

Legal career

Shortly after graduation, he member of the Federal District Court of the State of Kansas and as a member of the

Kansas Supreme Court The Kansas Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Kansas. Composed of seven justices, led by Chief Justice Marla Luckert, the court supervises the legal profession, administers the judicial branch, and serves as the st ...

in 1976. In 1978, he served as a member of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Also during this time, he was an associate at Calihan, Green, Calihan and Loyd from 1976-1979. He then worked at Soldner and Wheeler as a partner from 1979-1987. From 1988-1992, he practiced as an attorney at law/

sole practitioner A sole practitioner or solo practitioner is a professional, such as a lawyer or an architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connect ...

. In 1993 he was elected as the county attorney and served that position until his retirement in 2013.

Politics

Following retirement from his law practice, he ran for and was elected as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives for the 123rd district. In March 2018, he voted to reject legalizing marijuana. He has served on the Judiciary, Transportation, and the Veterans, Military and Homeland Security committees. He also served as a member of the Kansas Supreme Court Budget Advisory Council in 2013 and a member of the Kansas Supreme Court Blue Ribbon Commission from 2010-2012.

Personal life

He has been a lifelong Republican. His hobbies include golfing, singing and reading. His favorite movies are When Harry Met Sally... and

My Cousin Vinny ''My Cousin Vinny'' is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Jonathan Lynn, and written by Dale Launer, who also produced with Paul Schiff. The film stars Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill, a ...

Honors and awards

*Air Force Commendation Medal *Graduated cum laude from Washburn University School of Law *Inducted into the GCHS Hall of Fame in 2016

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, John 1947 births Living people Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives 21st-century American legislators Fort Hays State University alumni Washburn University School of Law alumni