A scuffle involving Kansas House member, Rep. Ford Carr of Wichita, and Wichita City Council member Brandon Johnson broke out at a bar in Topeka during a debate about testing Wichita residents affected by a toxic chemical spill in a historically Black neighborhood. Rep. Henry Helgerson, another Democratic state representative, tried to intervene and was shoved to the floor by Carr. The incident was caught on video, showing Carr aggressively confronting Johnson and shoving Helgerson.
The altercation stemmed from a disagreement over how to handle state funding allocated for testing contaminated areas in Wichita. The spill, dating back to decades ago, led to cancer-causing chemicals contaminating groundwater and spreading for miles. Johnson emphasized the need for testing and remediation efforts in affected neighborhoods, while Carr criticized the delay in implementing the testing program.
Both Carr and Johnson engaged in a heated argument at the bar, with Carr expressing concern that the state funding could be withdrawn if not utilized promptly. Although Carr admitted to pushing Helgerson, he claimed it was not his intention to harm him. The incident is under investigation, but Johnson hopes it will not detract from the ongoing efforts to address the environmental and health concerns in the affected Wichita neighborhoods.
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Photo credit kansasreflector.com