Rep. Russ Jennings dies at age 66. He is remembered as an advocate on criminal justice issues.
Rep. J. Russell Jennings, a five-term state lawmaker from southwest Kansas, died Wednesday morning, just months after he was diagnosed with cancer. He was 66.
Jennings, a Republican from Lakin, was well known for his work on corrections and juvenile justice issues, serving as chair of the House Corrections Committee for the past three sessions.
He announced the cancer diagnosis in July and said he wouldn't be running for reelection to the 122nd House District in 2022.
House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, informed Kansas House members of the news in an email message Wednesday afternoon.
"Over the past few months, he has fought hard through treatments and embraced every minute with his family," Ryckman wrote. "Every time we talked after a treatment, he was motivated and inspired to fight this thing, to enjoy life and to finish out his term. But, God had other plans."
Respect despite differences
Jennings ran against Ryckman to replace former House Speaker Ray Merrick in 2016, something Ryckman referenced in his note, saying Jennings was the type of person he could "still have a laugh and a mutual respect for each other at the end of the day," despite their differences.
"That kind of character is a rare find, and one of the many qualities for which he will be missed," Ryckman said.
Prior to serving in the Kansas House, Jennings worked as a deputy sheriff in Kearny County, a magistrate judge and director of the Southwest Kansas Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
Jennings was first elected to the Kansas House in 2012, defeating Randy Hayzlett in the race to replace longtime Rep. Gary Hayzlett. Only once did he have an opponent in his five terms in office.
Sen. John Doll, R-Garden City, was elected to the Kansas Senate in 2013 and shares Jennings' six-county district. He noted Jennings helped guide him through the intricacies of state government, thanks to his involvement with juvenile justice work in Topeka under Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' administration.
"I came up here, I was just a country bumpkin, so he kind of showed me around a bit," Doll said. "He was like a mentor. I always said you're like a big brother."
Doll recalled a vote during the lean budget years under Gov. Sam Brownback when a maneuver proposed by Jennings avoided the furlough of hundreds of state workers.
When Jennings had a good idea, Doll said, he would often lean back in his chair and "a lightbulb went on."
"He was very pragmatic, very intelligent," Doll said. "He could think outside the box and think of solutions ... It is going to be a loss to the legislature, for sure."
Flags will fly at half-staff
Gov. Laura Kelly said she and Jennings "shared a commitment to reforming the Kansas criminal justice system, particularly our juvenile justice system." Flags will fly at half-staff until Sunday in his honor.
"His commitment to public service, his mastery of the subject matter, and his boundless tenacity made him a natural leader, well-respected by his colleagues and his constituents," Kelly said in a statement. "I will miss him, and I know others in the State Capitol and throughout his district will too."
Attorney General Derek Schmidt echoed that sentiment, saying "Kansas is better for his leadership and service."
"As a judge, a state leader in juvenile justice, a transformational leader for crime victim support, and a state representative, Russ Jennings lived a life full of service and consequence," Schmidt said in a statement.
Andrew Bahl is a senior statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at abahl@gannett.com or by phone at 443-979-6100.