Kansas Helen Podcast

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.

To close the interview, Rico explains why she believes voters should choose her in the August Democratic primary. She says people should vote for her because she is authentic and not trying to become a career politician.

Rico says her personal experiences and her work as a nurse pushed her to ask what she was willing to do to help people in her community. She says she wants to work across the aisle, bring in nontraditional voices, and help build a path forward if people are willing to do the work.

See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:

https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-house

You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.

For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.Property taxes and Amendment 1 are major parts of this section of the conversation. Rico says voters are concerned about property taxes, privacy, and the August 4th vote over whether Kansas Supreme Court justices should be elected.The conversation connects the amendment to abortion rights, school funding, and long-term control over the courts. Rico says it is concerning to see people who usually argue against big government support a change that would give politicians more power over the judiciary.See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-houseYou can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.At the doors, Rico says AI data centers are one of the biggest issues she is hearing about from voters. She connects data centers to privacy concerns, Flock cameras, AI, and the water demands that could affect Kansas communities.Rico says her first reaction is to oppose the data centers being proposed in her area because Kansas water is limited, drought is real, and leaders have not fully thought through the long-term consequences. She also talks about being pro-union while still questioning whether data centers create enough long-term jobs to justify the strain on resources.See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-houseYou can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.

When asked whether she knows what it is like to not have one more penny, Rico says she absolutely does. She talks about experiencing financial struggle as a child, as a nursing student, and later as a single mother trying to reenter the workforce.

The conversation also turns to local tax decisions and fixed-income seniors. Rico says even a small increase, like $20 more a year, matters to someone who may only have $50 left at the end of the month for toiletries and basic needs.

See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:

https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-house

You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.

For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.Here, Rico explains what it means to her to not be an establishment candidate while still having to work with people inside both parties. She talks about being biracial, Mexican, Native American, and white, and how that shaped her ability to walk between different worlds.Rico connects that experience to her work in nursing and public health. She says she has often served as a mediator between families, patients, doctors, systems, and the people trying to receive services from those systems.See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-houseYou can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.

This part of the interview moves into the current political climate in Kansas. Rico talks about the political spectrum shifting to the right and the difference she sees between everyday conservatives or Republicans and the people who remain deeply attached to the current administration.

The conversation also covers unaffiliated voters, distrust in government, and why some voters do not trust either party. Rico says people want candidates who are not establishment politicians and who look like someone they know, not lifelong politicians.

See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:

https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-house

You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.

For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.

This section looks at the systems Rico believes are failing working-class people. She talks about her master’s degree in nursing with a focus on health systems leadership and says many systems are set up to benefit someone, but not the working-class people who keep the world moving.

The conversation connects healthcare, patients, workers, taxes, and fear of change. Rico says people need to ask who the current system benefits, how many people it benefits, and whether those benefits are reaching the people who actually need help.

See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:

https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-house

You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.

For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.

Asked why she is running, Rico describes herself as a reluctant new politician. She says her campaign comes from concern for Kansans and a belief that people deserve dignity and opportunity.

Her answer is rooted in her work as a registered nurse. Rico talks about working in critical access hospitals, larger hospital systems, home health, and long-term care, and she connects that experience to the impossible choices families face when healthcare, nursing home care, and basic survival become too expensive.

See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:

https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-house

You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.

For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running for Kansas House District 69 in the August 4th Democratic Primary. Kansas House District 69 is in Saline County. It includes the southern portion of Salina and runs from Brookville to Gypsum.

The opening of the conversation introduces Meagan Rico, her connection to Salina, and the boundaries of Kansas House District 69. Rico says she was born and raised in Salina, left a few times, but always came back because that is where her people are.

She also talks about being Mexican American and Indigenous, with family in Kansas and New Mexico, and explains that her father’s side of the family is enrolled with the Navajo Nation and uses Diné to refer to themselves in their own language.

See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas House District 69 Democratic primary here:

https://kansashelen.substack.com/s/kansas-house

You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Reminder: Vote NO on Amendment 1: Elections for Supreme Court Justices.

For more information, visit:

https://protectkansasrights.org/

#Kansas #2026elections #2026Primary #ksleg #Vote

Meagan Rico is running in the August Democratic primary for Kansas House District 69, which encompasses parts of Salina and surrounding communities from Brookville to Gypsum in Saline County. Born and raised in Salina, Rico has always returned to the area, describing Salina and central Kansas as possessing a unique “vibe and flavor” that continually draws her back.

Rico characterizes herself as a reluctant newcomer to politics. Running for office was not a childhood dream, but a deep concern for Kansans motivates her, as does a belief that everyone deserves dignity and opportunity. This conviction largely stems from her extensive work as a registered nurse in various settings, including critical access hospitals, larger hospital systems, home health, and long-term care. She recounts witnessing young families burdened with medical debt upon leaving the hospital and older couples contemplating divorce to afford long-term care. For Rico, these stories exemplify how broken systems force individuals into cruel choices.

Her focus heavily centers on understanding systems and identifying their true beneficiaries. With a master’s degree in nursing specializing in health systems leadership, Rico views healthcare from a broad perspective. She contends that many systems benefit specific entities, often at the expense of working-class people. She emphasizes that working-class individuals drive society, yet they are frequently the least served by the systems built around them.

Rico also addresses the current political climate and the rise of unaffiliated voters. She observes that many people feel disempowered by both major parties. Some neighbors question trusting her as a Democrat, viewing Democrats and Republicans as two sides of the same coin. While Rico doesn’t fully agree with this sentiment, she understands its origin. She believes government failures in education, transparency, and honest communication have fostered deep distrust.

Voters, Rico notes, are seeking candidates who are not establishment politicians. While she doesn’t consider herself an establishment Democrat, she recognizes the necessity of collaborating with both establishment Democrats and Republicans. She draws parallels to her life as a biracial woman of white, Mexican, and Native American heritage, having always navigated different worlds. She also connects this to her nursing experience, where she often mediated between patients, families, doctors, and healthcare systems.

When asked about experiencing extreme financial hardship, Rico affirms she has. She recalls this struggle during her childhood, as a low-income nursing student, and as a single mother. She remembers thinking her family would be financially secure when her father earned $50,000 annually, finding it jarring to reflect on that now. She also speaks of the financial strain of nursing school and the challenges of re-entering the workforce as a single mother. Rico states she has had less than zero cents in her account at various life stages, with each experience imparting different lessons.

This leads to a discussion of property taxes and local budgets. Rico points out that while officials might describe an increase as only $20 more per year for the average person, this amount is significant for seniors on fixed incomes who might have only $50 remaining at month’s end. Her argument is that policy must not be judged solely by averages but by its impact on those already living on the margins.

Rico reports that the most pressing issues she hears about from constituents are AI, data centers, personal privacy, and Flock cameras. She views these issues as interconnected, given that some camera systems utilize AI, which in turn requires data centers. Rico states she hasn’t encountered anyone who supports data centers. Her immediate reaction is opposition due to water concerns. As a public health professional and a Native American woman, she emphasizes water as one of our most vital resources, stressing that Kansas does not have an unlimited supply.

She acknowledges the labor argument, being pro-union and understanding that some unions view data centers as a source of jobs. However, she questions whether these jobs are truly long-term and if they justify the strain on natural resources. She advocates for reserving tax incentives for projects that offer long-term benefits to workers and communities. Although Saline County has a three-year moratorium on data centers, Rico states the issue is not resolved, and she is monitoring it closely.

The conversation also covers property taxes, privacy, and the August 4 constitutional amendment vote. Rico notes that Democrats are concerned the amendment could lead to the overturning of abortion rights, despite Kansas having already voted on abortion rights in 2022. She also highlights that the amendment concerns school funding and the balance of power in Kansas. Rico finds it troubling that Republicans often claim to oppose big government while simultaneously pushing for greater political control over the courts.

Rico believes many working people are too preoccupied with survival to meticulously study every election. Their focus is on bills, work hours, deductibles, and keeping their households afloat. She argues that the current system benefits from an overworked and exhausted populace. She asserts that government must rebuild trust through transparency and improved communication. If elected, she plans to use tools like TikTok or livestreams to explain daily legislative proceedings in clear, accessible language.

Rico also discusses Kansas’s loss of young people, particularly in rural areas. She attributes this exodus to young people’s inability to envision a future in the state. She aspires for Kansas to be a place offering meaningful work, quality healthcare, strong public schools, safe communities, and genuine opportunity. She believes Kansans are straightforward; they simply desire to live ordinary lives.

Concluding the conversation, Rico urges voters to choose her because of her authenticity. She is not seeking a career in politics but is driven by her personal experiences and her work as a nurse. She expresses a willingness to collaborate across the aisle and incorporate voices often excluded from political discourse.

The full conversation reveals Rico as a candidate shaped by her experiences in nursing, public health, motherhood, identity, financial struggles, and frustration with systems that complicate ordinary life. Her core message advocates for a government that is more transparent, understandable, rooted in lived experience, and focused on the working-class Kansans who bear the brunt of the current system.