One of the most courageous and dedicated legislators I have ever met is Mary Pilcher Cook of Kansas. Mary came to my attention several years ago, when as a freshman in the Kansas House, she asked me out to testify in favor of a proposed cloning ban. (Through a lot of grit and persuasion, she got it through the House, but it never passed the Senate). That was when I first met David Prentice, another reason to look back fondly on that trip because he and I are now good friends.
For standing against the desires of the Stowers Crowd, Mary was targeted politically, and in subsequent years won and lost the House seat. This year, she is running for the state senate, and in spite of being smeared with the usual Stowers-type attack ads about being against cures for opposing human cloning—a word the ads, of course, did not use—she just won the primary. (More evidence that the old “anti-cures” smear is losing its traction.)
Since she is running in what is usually a Republican district, without taking anything for granted, there is cause for optimism that she will soon be in the Kansas Senate. If so, that will be good for the people of Kansas.
Congratulations Mary!
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