Oletha A. Goudeau (August 5, 1959) is a Democratic member of the

Kansas Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...

, representing the 29th district (central/northeast Wichita) since 2009—the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

woman in the Kansas Senate."County hopefuls focus on property taxes,"
October 20, 2010, ''

Wichita Eagle ''The Wichita Eagle'' is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and is the largest newspaper in Wichita and the surrounding area. History Origins In 1870, ''The Vidette'' was the fi ...

,'' retrieved January 9, 2021 Most recently, she is the Senate Assistant Minority Leader.Smith, Sherman
"Senate President Susan Wagle says she lacks votes for veto override,"
Apr 3, 2019, Updated Apr 4, 2019, ''

Topeka Capital-Journal ''The Topeka Capital-Journal'' is a daily newspaper in Topeka, Kansas, owned by Gannett. History The paper was formed following numerous name changes and mergers, including the merger of ''The Topeka Daily Capital'' and ''The Topeka State Jour ...

'' retrieved January 8, 2021 She was previously a Kansas Representative, serving from her appointment in 2004 until 2009.Stephens, Ken
"Faust-Goudeau continues pushing her mother's legacy,"
January 2019, ''Active Age,'' Vol. 37, No.2, retrieved from Issuu.com January 9, 2020Shorman, Jonathan

November 28, 2018, ''

,'' retrieved January 9, 2021 She is a community activist from Wichita.

Early life and education

Born August 5, 1959 in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

, Faust-Goudeau is one of five children of Oretha Faust, a prominent inner-city Wichita community activist and politician."In Memory of Oretha Ann Faust - 2007 Legacy Award Winner,"
in ''2007 "Legacy Award" Winners,''

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&nb ...

Wichita Branch, retrieved January 9, 2020 Faust-Goudeau studied pre-law at

Wichita State University Wichita State University (WSU) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in ...

,"Senator Oletha Faust-Goudeau papers,"
September 9, 2016,

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...

library, retrieved January 9, 2020"Diverse Women's Summit today (Wednesday, March 8) and Thursday, March 9,"
March 6, 2017, ''WSU News,''

, retrieved January 9, 2021 and became a photographer and community activist.

Kansas House of Representatives

In 2002, she ran for the seat of retiring Kansas State Representative Jonathan Wells, representing the 84th District (inner-city Wichita) - but was defeated by fellow Democrat Donald Betts. However, in 2003, Betts was appointed to fill a state senate vacancy, and by a vote of precinct committeemen and committeewomen, Faust-Goudeau was appointed to fill Betts' vacant seat 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 craftin ...

. In 2004, she was elected to the seat, becoming the first African-American woman elected to represent the district. In 2006, she was re-elected to the seat.

Kansas Senate

In 2008, Faust-Goudeau was elected to the

, representing the 29th District (Wichita) -- becoming, upon inauguration in 2009, the first African-American woman in the state senate's history, and one of the only two African-Americans in the Kansas Senate (as of January 2016)."Wichita senator questions racial composition of child-welfare task force,"
March 25, 2019, ''

'' retrieved January 9, 2021 She is currently Senate Assistant Minority Leader. She was re-elected by wide margins in 2012, 2016 (unopposed),
June 1, 2016 Updated June 2, 2016 ''The Community Voice,'' retrieved January 9, 2021 and 2020."2020 Kansas State Senate - District 29 Election Results"
Nov. 3, 2020, Updated Dec. 5, 2020 ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

,''

Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area."2020 Kansas State Senate - District 29 Election Results"
Nov. 3, 2020, Updated Dec. 5, 2020 ''Ellwood City Ledger,''

Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.29th Senate district—predominantly inner-city central/north-central and northeast Wichita—includes most of the minority neighborhoods—and the city's poorest people, along with its richest.

Committee assignments

Faust-Goudeau serves on these legislative committees:Profile from the Kansas Legislature
/ref> * Ethics and Elections * Federal and State Affairs * Joint Committee on Arts and Cultural Resources * Joint Committee on Children's Issues * Commerce * Joint Committee on Economic Development * Local Government

Major donors

Some of the top contributors to Faust-Goudeau's 2008 campaign, according to

OpenSecrets OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP). ...

: * Kansas National Education Association * Kansans for Lifesaving Cures * KTLA Consumer Civil Justice * Kansas Contractors Association * AT&T Labor interests

Positions

Faust-Goudeau characterizes herself as a "Republicrat," representing her district's voters regardless of party. Senate Minority Leader

Anthony Hensley Anthony Hensley (born September 2, 1953) is a former Democratic member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 19th district since 1992. He was the Minority Leader from 1996 through 2021 and has also been a committeeman of the Democratic Preci ...

has characterized her as "the strongest pro-family legislator in the Legislature," building her career chiefly on helping families and children. Faust-Goudeau's chief activity has been in protecting rights and services for seniors, the disabled, and children—including children in state custody—and in promoting business/development interests. Some legislation which Faust-Goudeau introduced, which became law: * "Grandparents' rights" bills, three of which she introduced, became law in 2006-2012—latest became law in 2012 with unanimous Legislative backing—essentially forcing the State and the courts to consider grandparents' for possible custody requests in most child-custody cases in which the State has intervened (e.g.: foster care cases). Prior laws she introduced required grandparents to be heard in foster-care cases, and—if caring for their grandchildren as foster parents—to be reimbursed by the state the same as foster parents.
"Senator pushes for grandparents' rights," February 25, 2012, CJonline.com, ''

'' newspaper
"Grandparents, firefighters celebrate bill signings," June 1, 2012 excerpt from "Author Archives: Dion Lefler", WichiTopekIngton archives, ''

'' newspaper.
"Good work on grandparents’ rights," June 10, 2012 excerpt from "Category Archives: Child welfare", WE Blog, ''

'' newspaper. * Firefighters' insurance bill — became law in 2012 with unanimous Legislative backing—ensuring that the families of firefighters killed in action are able to continue receiving protection under their firefighter's insurance coverage for the first 18 months following their firefighter's death in the line of duty. * Drug paraphernalia prohibition bill — outlawing the distribution of certain kinds of drug paraphernalia, became law. * Poor/working-class issues - Representing the inner-city area of Wichita (the state's largest city), Faust-Goudeau frequently takes the lead in speaking out on, and advocating for, the needs and interests of poor and working-class Kansans. Examples include: :* Opposing welfare restrictions. When the newly-libertarian Kansas Legislature in 2015 began a series of "attacks on the poor," these included bills introduced with exceptionally detailed lists of restrictions on welfare recipients, forbidding a wide range of purchases with welfare money, and limiting welfare cash disbursements to $30 per day, severely complicating bill-payment and other financial management issues for welfare recipients -- unusual restrictions which drew international attention. Faust-Goudeau was the most frequently cited opponent of the proposed restrictions.Marso, Andy
"Kansas Senate Passes Passel Of Welfare Restrictions"
Apr 2, 2015,

KCUR-FM KCUR-FM (89.3 MHz) is a public, listener-supported radio station in Kansas City, Missouri, broadcasting over the Kansas City metropolitan area and parts of Missouri and Kansas. It is a service of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, which als ...

radio news. :* Food sales tax elimination bill. With the increasingly-libertarian Kansas Legislature in 2014-2015 opposing taxes at every turn, Faust-Goudeau joined with new Republican/libertarian legislator Michael O'Donnell to propose the elimination of sales taxes on food (widely decried as a "regressive" tax disproportionately affecting the poor and working class families, and outlawed in several other states). Specifically, their Senate Bill 263 would have eliminated the state tax on fruits and vegetables. At the time of the bill, the Kansas sales tax on groceries was among the highest in the nation (second only to Mississippi), further aggravated by Kansas localities often adding additional taxes to groceries. However, during a growing state funding crisis brought on by Republicans' previous tax-cutting measures, the grocery tax-relief bill faced little support from the Republican/Libertarian-controlled legislature and Governor. But, at the close of the 2015 Legislative Session, a variation of Faust-Goudeau's plan passed the Kansas Senate, and (at this writing, June 8, 2015) awaits House approval."Wichita senators seek to eliminate grocery sales tax"
''

Wichita Business Journal American City Business Journals, Inc. (ACBJ) is an American newspaper publisher based in Charlotte, North Carolina. ACBJ publishes The Business Journals, which contains local business news for 44 markets in the United States, Hemmings Motor News ...

,'' Oct 22, 2014"2 senators seek to eliminate food sales tax in Kansas"
''

Salina Post Salina may refer to: Places United States *Salina, Arizona *Salina, Colorado * Salina, Iowa *Salina, Kansas *Salina, Michigan, a former village now part of Saginaw, Michigan * Salina, New York *Salina, Oklahoma * Salina, Pennsylvania *Salina, Uta ...

,'' Oct. 22, 2014Weeks, Bob, editor
"Kansas sales tax on groceries is among the highest"
October 21, 2014, ''WichitaLiberty.org'' (prominent Wichita Libertarian news blog)Wingerter, Justi

June 3, 2015, ''Topeka Capital-Journal'' in the ''Salina Journal''"Kansas Senate considers eliminating food sales tax"
Feb. 24, 2015, WDAF-TV "Fox 4 KC"
June 7, 2015, ''

'' in ''

Kansas City Star ''The Kansas City Star'' is a newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Star'' is most notable for its influence on the career of President Harry S. Truman and as ...

Sedgwick County Commission candidacy

In 2010, Faust-Goudeau was the Democratic Party nominee for County Commissioner for the Sedgwick County 1st District. She was defeated by Republican Richard Ranzau.

Awards and recognition

* 2008: "10 to Watch in 2010"—list of 10 noteworthy leaders cited by the state's largest newspaper, the ''

'' * 2008: Service Award (for work as Co-Chair of the Sedgwick County legislative delegation), Sedgwick County, KansasMeeting Of The Board Of County Commissioners
Regular Meeting, January 2, 2008, Board of County Commissioners,

Sedgwick County, Kansas Sedgwick County ( county code: SG) is located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 523,824, making it the second-most populous county in Kansas. Its county seat is Wichita, the most populous city in the stat ...

, retrieved January 9, 2021 * 2011: "Legislator of the Year Award, 2011," by the "Silver-Haired Legislature", a Kansas senior-citizens' lobbying organization * 2017: Distinguished Service to Children Award, Kansas Children's Service League''Annual Report 2017''
Kansas Children's Service League, retrieved October 27, 2020."Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau receives the 2017 Distinguished Service to Children Award."
Spring/Summer 2017, ''KidsView'' Vol. 124, No. 1, retrieved January 9, 2021 * 2017: Outstanding Ally in Government Award, Voices for Choice"Former President at Wichita State Wins at Voices for Choice,"
May 10, 2017, URGE.org, retrieved January 9, 2021. * 2017: Wichita - Butterfly Award, Katherine Johnson Scholar Sisters Elementary STEM Club
February 10, 2017, in "Calendar", ''The Community Voice,'' retrieved January 9, 2020. * 2021 Legislator of the Year Award, Kansas Interfaith Action"Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau named Kansas Legislator of the Year,"
June 1, 2021, ''Eyewitness News,''

KWCH-TV KWCH-DT (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Hutchinson, Kansas, United States, serving the Wichita area as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CW affiliate KSCW-DT (channel 33), and maintains studios on 3 ...

, retrieved June 2, 2021"Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau from Wichita named ‘Legislator of the Year’ by Kansas Interfaith Action,"
June 1, 2021,

Kansas State Network KSNW (channel 3) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with NBC and Telemundo. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, and maintains studios on North Main Street in northwest Wichita (near downtown); its tran ...

News,

KSNW-TV KSNW (channel 3) is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with NBC and Telemundo. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, and maintains studios on North Main Street in northwest Wichita (near downtown); its tran ...

, retrieved June 2, 2021 * "Perfect Attendance" record—appearing for all Senate votes, in 2010, 2011 and various successive years

Memberships

Current and former board memberships:
"Blogger profile: Oletha Faust-Goudeau - Representative District 84 Kansas House, 2008" * Wichita

Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a US non-governmental, and nonprofit organization which was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. Habitat for Humanity is a Ch ...

executive board * Legal Services of Wichita executive board *

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

KPTS-TV KPTS (channel 8) is a PBS member television station licensed to Hutchinson, Kansas, United States, serving the Wichita area. It is owned by Kansas Public Telecommunications Service, Inc., a non-profit educational organization. KPTS' studios a ...

(public TV station) Community Advisory Board *

Wichita Branch * City of Wichita Human Services Board

References

"Nearly half of Kansas Senate had perfect voting attendance," June 21, 2011, by Earl Glynn, KansasWatchdog.org
"Silver-Haired Legislature Names Faust-Goudeau 'Legislator of the Year'," October 13, 2011, The '' Oskaloosa Independent'' newspaper, Valley Falls , Kansas
"NAACP Wants Drug Paraphernalia Out of Shops," Jan. 19, 2007, ''

,'' reprinted on Media Awareness Project at mapinc.org
"State Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau files for re-election," April 26, 2012, ''

'' newspaper, Topeka bureau, by Dion Lefler.
"New Kansas laws help seniors, families of firefighters killed," June 3, 2102, ''

Tulsa World The ''Tulsa World'' is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma. Tulsa World Media Company is part of Lee Enterprises. The new owners announced in January 202 ...

'' newspaper (from the ''

'')
10 to Watch in 2009: Oletha Faust-Goudeau," Dec. 28, 2008 item listing under "10 to Watch" articles in ''

'' archives, on Newsbank.com

External links

Oletha Faust-Goudeau: * Website
http://oletha.org
* Twitter:
https://twitter.com/oletha29
* Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/oletha.faustgoudeau.7
...and on

Kansas Democratic Party The Kansas Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Kansas and one of two major parties in the state, alongside the Republicans. The chair of the party is Vicki Hiatt. The party currently controls the state's gove ...

sites:
KDP website

Kansas Senate Democrats on Facebook
...and elsewhere: *
Vote SmartKansas SenateProject Vote Smart profile
* Follow the Money campaign contributions *
200420062008
*

Kansas African American Affairs Commission - "Legislators, Senator Faust Goudeau"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Faust-Goudeau, Oletha Democratic Party Kansas state senators Democratic Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives Living people Women state legislators in Kansas African-American state legislators in Kansas African-American women in politics 1959 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American politicians 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women