Valdenia C. Winn | |
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Member of the KansasHouseofRepresentatives from the 34th district | |
Assumed office January 8, 2001 | |
Preceded by | David Haley |
Personal details | |
Born | Kansas City,Kansas,U.S. | December 7,1950
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Keith V. Persley |
Residence(s) | Kansas City,Kansas,U.S. |
Alma mater | University of Kansas (BSEd,MA,PhD) [1] |
Profession | Community college professor |
Valdenia Camille "Val" Winn (born December 7,1950) is an member of the Kansas House of Representatives,representing the 34th district. A Democrat,she has served since 2001.
Since 1972,Winn has worked as a professor at Kansas City Kansas Community College. [2] Dr. Winn currently serves as the Vice President of the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Board of Education. [3]
Winn received a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education (1972),a Master's in History,and a PhD (1994) History from the University of Kansas. [4]
Winn is currently the chairman/treasurer for the Northeast Coalition,treasurer for the Northeast Cooperative Council,and a member of the Struggler's Hill/Roots Neighborhood Association.
She is a member of the Governor's Council on Travel &Tourism,and a previous member of the Health for All Kansas Steering Commission,Kansas Incorporated Strategic Planning Steering Committee,Governor's Council on Development of Including Kansas,and Kansas Sesquicentennial Steering Commission. [5]
In March 2015,Republicans proposed ejecting her from the legislature,after she'd referred to actions taken by Republican colleagues as "racist." [6] The bill would have denied lower in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. Winn,the ranking Democrat on the committee considering the proposed legislation explained her objections to it. "This is a racist,sexist,fear-mongering bill." "I would like first to apologize to the progressively-minded people of Kansas who are appalled that we are turning back the hands of time." She characterized the proponents as employing,"Jim Crow tactics,once again making Kansas a laughingstock." She apologized,"...to the students and their parents whose lives are being hijacked by the racist bigots who support this bill." [6]
From 2008 through 2020,Winn had no opposition in the primaries or in the general elections. In 2015,she also ran for Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Board,winning a four-year term. [7]