Jo Ann Roth of Ellinwood delivered petitions to place her name on the August Democratic Primary Ballot for State Representative, 113th District.

Boundaries of the 113th District have changed in the recent reapportionment map. Once the legislative district included Pratt, but now the district stretches west including the city of Larned.

Roth was employed by the federal government in the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS), then renamed the Farm Service Agency (FSA), for a dozen years in Barton County. She was then elected three terms to the three-person Barton County Committee that oversees the local FSA Office and rules upon any farmer appeals. Following 9/11, Roth became employed by the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, (TSA), until her federal retirement. She was a member of Kansas Agriculture & Rural Leadership (KARL IV) 1998-99, touring Kansas Industries and traveling to Washington, D.C., and South America, Chile and Argentina.

Roth is a member of Kansas Farm Bureau and grew up on a farm near Cheyenne Bottoms the daughter of Bob and Bonnie Wirth.

The candidate focused in her announcement on issues concerning Larned State Hospital, noting that a year ago in June, convicted sex offender John Freeman Colt escaped from the hospital’s sexual predator treatment program. It was nearly three months later in September when he was captured in Utah by federal marshals.

“The Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services administers the Larned State Hospital which has nearly 1,000 employees who work at the 78-acre campus and serve 450 patients,” Roth said.

“In January of 2022, the agency ordered a security analysis of Larned State Hospital after a second patient had escaped from the sexual predator treatment program within six months. Understaffing has contributed to physical and sexual violence at the hospital. It has become commonplace that staff are forced to work 16-hour shifts because of unfilled positions.

“Larned State Hospital has been forced to enlist private nurse staffing agencies to fill in some gaps. The State can be billed as much as $175 per hour for contract nurses or four to five times what an in-house nurse is paid. We can and must do better!”

The candidate’s Facebook page, “Jo Ann Roth for State Representative, 113th District, Kent Roth, Treasurer,” may be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064307341084