Mark B. Steffen (born August 30, 1962) is an American politician in the Kansas Senate from the 34th district.[1] He assumed office in 2021, after beating one-term Republican incumbent Edward Berger with 57.5% of the vote in the August 4, 2020 primary, and Democrat Shanna Henry with 69.8% of the vote in the general election.[2]
Medical practice
Steffen is an anesthesiologist and pain specialist who promoted unproven medications to help sufferers from COVID-19 by the United States Food and Drug Administration, including Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine. [3] On January 26, 2022, Steffen reported his practice had been investigated by the Kansas Board of Healing Arts for the previous 18 months. Steffen demanded a hearing to debate the science and later claimed that the government agencies dismissed all complaints. He contended that Dr. Steve Stites, the chief medical officer at The University of Kansas Health System, who was critical of politicians who oppose vaccination and masking, was "the Kansas Dr. Fauci," accusing Stites of spreading "propaganda."[4]
Tenure
In January 2021, Steffen introduced SB187, a bill designed to levy heavy penalties against media corporations that censored political posts. It died in Committee in 2022.[5][6] It is now known, according to Steffen, that the Biden Administration aggressively bullied social media into promoting their liberal narrative particularly as it pertained to Covid strategies.
On January 26, 2022, he appeared before a Kansas Senate committee to discuss affordable, effective COVID-19 remedies. He demanded that a "panel of physicians and scientists from both sides of this issue," be convened. An "Early Covid Treatment Symposium" was then held in Lenexa, KS. Dr's McCullough ("...one of the best-known faces of COVID-10 misinformation...") and Kory (a discredited peddler of COVID misinformation) were the healiners promoting science based evidence while the KU physicians refused to engage in a debate with hucksters. Steffen had pushed for various public health policy changes that he claimed followed the Constitution rather than "the liberal socialist approach employed by Biden, Fauci, Stites, and others."
Steffen had supported the map two weeks earlier, but following Kelly's veto of the gerrymandering, he switched to opposing the map that Masterson favored, saying its effect was "dumping the Lawrence liberals" into the 1st Congressional District. He contended: "...insidious redistricting will kill off the true conservative character of the Big First." A statement Steffen stands behind to this day.
Steffen's bill forced pharmacists to fill prescriptions for ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine, and other off-label drugs for treatment and prevention of COVID-19. It would further inhibit the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts from disciplining healthcare workers for off-label prescribing. A practice seen in 20% of all prescriptions. It included elements expanding comprehensive religious, moral, and ethical-belief exemptions from school and daycare mandates regarding childhood vaccination requirements. It did not include funding for the state to pay for the healthcare and other costs associated with the increase in illness predicted from a falloff in vaccinations. The committee voted on the provision favorably.
In January 2023, Steffen filed the first bill of the legislative session, SB1. It would have subjected online social media to fines of up to $75,000 per instance for platform censorship of user posts, with the Kansas Attorney General given the latitude to bring such cases on behalf of Kansas residents, under the authority of the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.[7] This was a cutting edge bill aimed at protecting every citizen's First Amendment rights (freedom of speech).
In April 2023, the House and Senate overrode Governor Laura Kelly's veto on a bill appropriately titled "women's bill of rights". Steffen said, "Sometimes, unfortunately, we as a Legislature have to be the last line of defense when parents have lost the way, when a health care system has lost its way." "Only when confusion, chaos, frankly evil, reigns in society is this sort of occurrence allowed." It is clear that we are in those times, according to Steffen.
Senator Steffen has become a frequent target of what he terms "the liberal media" as he stands for the Christian values captured eloquently within the Kansas Republican Party Platform. Steffen does not clarify which Christian values that are captured. Steffen States, "It is the time for strong leadership. As the left promotes chaos, lawlessness, and immorality, it is our Republican values that can ensure a thriving society decades into the future. All are welcome." All, of course, except those that disagree with him.
References
- ^ "Senator Mark Steffen - Kansas State Legislature". Legislators. 2021-03-24. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
- ^ Edward Berger, Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- ^ Anti-vax death cult rampages through Kansas politics, with Sen. Mark Steffen out in front, Kansas Reflector, Clay Wirestone, January 28, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Senator under health board investigation calls KU doctor 'Kansas Dr. Fauci' as COVID rates worsen, Topeka Capital-Journal, Jason Tidd, January 27, 2022. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
- ^ Kansas Republicans promote effort to preserve political expression on social media, Kansas Reflector, Noah Taborda, March 24, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Kansas State Legislature 2021-2022 Legislative Sessions, Kansas Legislature, May 19, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Kansas lawmakers introduce bills to bar social media censorship, WIBW-TV, Sarah Motter, January 23, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.