In a Legislature where Democrats hold just nine of the Kansas Senate’s 40 seats, Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau has built a reputation for accomplishing something many lawmakers never do: turning ideas into law.
This year, three measures she sponsored or helped shepherd through the Republican-controlled Legislature took effect July 1, bringing the total number of bills she has helped pass during her legislative career to approximately 18.
Faust-Goudeau said her success has never been about political victories. Instead, she credits relationships, preparation and learning how to build consensus in a place where agreement is often hard to find.
Finding Common Ground
That lesson reshaped how Faust-Goudeau approaches public policy.
Rather than viewing legislation solely through the needs of Wichita, she said she began asking how a proposal might also benefit western Kansas, small rural communities and districts represented by Republicans.
“In the Senate, you’ve got nine Democrats,” she said. “You’ve got to convince 23 people to vote for your bill.”
As the first Black Assistant Minority Leader in Kansas Senate history, Faust-Goudeau has learned that passing legislation begins long before lawmakers cast their votes. A proposal must survive committee hearings, floor debate in both chambers and countless conversations with colleagues before it ever reaches the governor’s desk.
“It’s a long process,” she said. “You’ve got to become a negotiator.”
Winning those votes, she said, requires understanding what matters to legislators whose communities may look very different from her own.
“When you’re presenting your proposal to people who may already oppose you, you’ve got to present something they’re going to benefit from too,” she said.
Laws Designed to Solve Real Problems
Two of the three bills Faust-Goudeau sponsored reflect what she values most often — people rather than policy.
One of this year’s new laws grew out of a Sunday afternoon serving meals to people experiencing homelessness in downtown Wichita. While volunteering with a local ministry, she repeatedly met homeless veterans who could not obtain housing, employment or veterans benefits because they lacked basic identification. For many, replacing a birth certificate required money they simply did not have.
That experience led her to introduce Senate Bill 106, later incorporated into Substitute for House Bill 2274. The new law allows eligible homeless veterans to receive birth certificates at no cost, removing a barrier that often prevented them from obtaining the identification needed to rebuild their lives.
She also worked with House lawmakers on legislation allowing eligible Kansans to to have their eviction records automatically cleared after meeting legal requirements. The law gives people who recovered from financial hardship an opportunity to move forward without years-old eviction filings continuing to stand in the way of finding housing.
A third measure established the Kansas Railroad Hall of Fame, honoring the workers who helped build Kansas and preserving an important part of the state’s transportation history.
A Career Focused on Practical Solutions
Among the measures Faust-Goudeau considers most meaningful is the Grandparents as Caregivers Act.
Before the law, many grandparents raising grandchildren received little assistance unless they became licensed foster parents. The legislation created support through the Kansas Department for Children and Families, helping more children remain safely with relatives instead of entering foster care.
She also authored the Driver’s Solutions program, allowing eligible Kansans with suspended driver’s licenses to obtain restricted driving privileges while making payments toward reinstatement. The program helps participants continue driving to work, school, medical appointments and court while restoring their full driving privileges.
“My goal,” she said, “is to implement policies and procedures that help people across the board.”
Relationships Before Politics
Faust-Goudeau acknowledges that serving in a Republican-controlled Legislature has presented challenges throughout her career.
“I have three strikes against me,” she said with a laugh. “I’m a woman, I’m a Democrat and I’m Black. Well, I’ll say four—I’m short too.”
Behind the humor is a philosophy that has guided her career.
Faust-Goudeau said passing legislation begins with building relationships long before a bill is introduced. Over nearly two decades, she has made a point of getting to know colleagues on both sides of the aisle, learning what matters to them and earning their trust before asking for their support.
“I’ve studied with my colleagues,” she said. “I’ve learned what matters to them.”
Those relationships, she said, make it easier to have difficult conversations, negotiate differences and find support when legislation comes up for a vote.
Whether advocating for homeless veterans seeking identification, grandparents raising grandchildren or Kansans trying to move beyond financial hardship, Faust-Goudeau measures success not by the number of bills carrying her name but by the number of lives those laws improve.
Looking ahead, she hopes to expand economic opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses while creating more reasons for young professionals to build their futures in Kansas.
For Faust-Goudeau, the work has never been about collecting legislative victories.
“We can’t fight every individual battle,” she said. “But if we put it in policy and procedure, it helps everybody across the board.”
You are simply amazing, your mother would be so proud. She was fearless. Thank you for all you do, God is pleased.
Absolutely outstanding! You have and continue to make a difference !!! Brava!