By TIM UNRUH

Salina Journal

The two men challenging Sen. Pete Brungardt, R-Salina, for his 24th District Kansas Senate seat have cited energy issues as their impetus for filing.

Tom Arpke, chairman of the Saline County Republican Party, is challenging Brungardt, 61, a Salina optometrist, in the Aug. 5 primary. Salina City Commissioner Abner Perney filed as a Democrat and will face the winner of the Republican primary in the Nov. 4 general election.

Both Arpke and Perney filed for election Tuesday. The 24th District covers all of Saline and Ottawa counties and part of Dickinson County, including Solomon and Abilene.

"I have enjoyed serving the citizens of the 24th District, and I'm proud of my eight years of incumbency. I will run on my record," Brungardt said.

Arpke, 56, a self-employed energy consultant, wants to better represent voters in the 24th District by improving communication with them, focusing on his "It's All About You" campaign slogan.

"Pete doesn't communicate real well. He decides for us instead of getting opinions from voters," Arpke said. "I've heard from people who are frustrated with his response time in getting together to talk about legislative issues, or not getting a response back. I want to improve on that."

Brungardt's view is that Arpke's candidacy is more about "the religious right" than communication.

"It's a coordinated effort in the Republican party from the Bushes and the Brownbacks on down to the local level," Brungardt said. "I've never cut them any slack and I don't intend to now."

Smaller, frugal government

Arpke intends to focus on smaller government with a "frugal fiscal policy" and influence a switch from expecting the state to solve so many of our local problems.

"I don't think we need to legislate health care," he said. "We have a lot of philanthropy here in Salina. I don't think the emergency room checks your Blue Cross/Blue Shield card if you're in need of care."

Arpke wants to involve the medical community and medical suppliers to reduce the price of health care.

"Some costs are inflated to cover some of the things that are not paid for by insurance," Arpke said.

Energy battleground

But the biggest issue is energy and the Legislature's fight with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius over Sunflower Electric's attempt to expand its coal-fired electric generation plant at Holcomb in southwest Kansas. Kansas Secretary of Health and Environment Rod Bremby denied Sunflower air quality permits last year.

Arpke said he has toured the plant as a parts supplier for Sunflower, and he vouches for Sunflower's efforts to make it "environmentally friendly."

Not adding the two 700-megawatt generators "hurt us economically in terms of new business," Arpke said.

Kansas has been an energy exporter and has been able to hold down the price of power in the state while bringing back energy revenues.

"We should continue to develop wind, but that is not the baseload here," Arpke said. "Things should be thought through. Part of that is having the information and making rational, informed decisions."

He takes issue that Brungardt voted for the plant expansion twice and against it once.

"You are either for it or against it," Arpke said.

Brungardt said he voted against the coal plant bill at the end of the session because it was bundled with economic stimulus measures.

"I didn't think it was appropriate to hold the economic stimulus bill hostage for the coal plant," he said. "My concern ... always has been for reliable, economic energy for Kansas. We have to balance respect for the environment with what's available. The primary thing is to make sure we have energy for the future."

We need solar, wind

Perney, 61, a downtown Salina businessman, said his decision to run was made based on "environmental issues," primarily energy.

He said Brungardt is not embracing wind and solar energy "like I think the general populous thinks he should."

Perney said Kansas should adopt at least a 20 percent renewable standard.

"It's really regrettable that we're not a leader in wind energy when we're number three in wind potential in the whole country, right up there with north Texas and North Dakota," he said.

Further, Kansas is better situated to deliver electricity to population centers.

Nobody is against wind and solar, Brungardt said, but it has to be "available any time and any day. We have days when it's cloudy and when the wind doesn't blow."

More innovations are needed to make the alternatives more beneficial.

"As soon as you can store it or move it efficiently, then you can use any number of things," Brungardt said.

n Reporter Tim Unruh can be reached at 822-1419 or by e-mail at tunruh@salina.com.