Terry Bruce (politician)
| Terry Bruce | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Kansas Senate from the 34th district | |
|
In office 2005–2016 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 5, 1975[1] |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sarah Bruce |
| Residence | Hutchinson, Kansas |
| Profession | attorney |
Terry Bruce, of Hutchinson, Kansas, is a Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 34th District since 2005. He previously worked as an Assistant District Attorney for Reno County, Kansas. He has also interned with Speaker of the House Robin Jennison and has worked for House Majority Leader Clay Aurand.
He has served in the Kansas Senate for 12 years, since 2005.
Controversies
Arrest of Bruce's spouse
In December 2013, Bruce's wife, Sarah, was arrested and taken to the Reno County Jail by Hutchinson police after crashing into another vehicle while driving under the influence. According to the incident report, she had been driving with a 15.9% blood alcohol content in her system and was charged with a DUI and possession of alcohol/drugs. Sarah was ultimately granted a diversion by the Reno County District Court and served no jail time however.[2]
Sales tax increase
In June 2015, Bruce voted in favor of SB 270, which increased Kansas state sales tax from 6.15% to 6.5%, while also increasing the cigarette tax by 50 cents. According to the American Tax Foundation, this was the 8th highest tax increase in the history of the United States.[3]
Gay marriage
In March 2014, Bruce stated that he supported Kansas's ban on gay marriage and opposed efforts then to remove the ban.[4]
Committee assignments
Since 2013, Senator Bruce has served on the following legislative committees:[5][6]
- 2013 Special Committee on Judiciary
- Assessment and Taxation
- Confirmation Oversight, chair
- Interstate Cooperation, vice-chair
- Joint Committee on Special Claims Against the State
- Judiciary
- Legislative Coordinating Council
- Organization, Calendar and Rules, vice-chair
Major donors
Some of the top contributors to Sen. Bruce's 2008 campaign, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics:[7]
- Terry Bruce (self-finance), Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee, Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee, Kansas Bankers Association
Sen. Bruce financed $22,972 of his own campaign, more than any of his other donor groups.
References
- ↑ KanFocus: Terry Bruce
- ↑ "Bruce gets diversion in DUI case". The Hutchinson News. Retrieved Apr 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Kansas Approves Tax Increase Package, Likely Will Be Back for More". American Tax Foundation. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
- ↑ Carpenter, Tim (29 March 2014). "Kansas shying from spotlight in gay-marriage drama". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ↑ Kansas State Legislature - Senator Terry Bruce, 2013-2014
- ↑ Kansas State Legislature - Senator Terry Bruce, 2015-2016
- ↑ Terry Bruce 2008 campaign contributions
External links
- Kansas Senate Biography
- Project Vote Smart profile
- Campaign contributions: 2004, 2006, 2008
- Senator Bruce's website