Dave Heinemann
Energy & Environment
Energy & Environment contains the interviews of individuals who were involved with the development and implementation of state energy and environmental policy from the 1970s through the early decades of the 2000s. The interviews elicit insights about the policy-making process, the assignment of priorities, and the give-and-take involved in reaching final policy decisions. Of special interest are instances in which Kansas developed singular solutions and means for implementing them. To explore this collection and others, visit the Kansas Oral History Project home page: https://ksoralhistory.org/
Dave Heinemann earned his bachelor's degree in Political Science and German from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 1967, and attended graduate school in International Relations at the University of Kansas. He received his Juris Doctorate from Washburn University School of Law in 1973. Heinemann was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives from Garden City in 1968. He was Speaker pro tem of the House two terms (1985-1988) and chaired several committees including the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. In 1995 he became General Counsel and in 1997 Executive Director of the Kansas Corporation Commission. From 1999 to 2003 Heinemann served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Kansas Department of Revenue and also as head of the agency's Office of Administrative Appeals. From 1987 to 1994 he served by appointment of President Ronald Reagan as a U. S. Commissioner and Alternate Chairman of the Kansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Commission. He has served as a member and chairman of the Kansas Geological Survey advisory council.
In this 2014 oral history interview, Dave Heinemann recalls his long career in the Kansas House representing Garden City, a career that spanned the years during which there were important changes in Kansas government. He served during an era when rural influence in the Legislature was waning due to fundamental changes in legislative districts. Heinemann's recollections of how legislators serve their constituents and how they worked with one another to craft legislation paint a picture of collaboration in the creation of public policy. His perspective points to the importance of personal relationships with colleagues within the chamber, across the rotunda in the Senate, and with the Governor's office.
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