Cheryl Helmer is an American politician and educator who formerly served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives as the representative from the 79th District. A former school counselor in Wichita, Kansas, she defeated Democratic Rep. Ed Trimmer in the 2018 election. She was defeated by Webster Roth in the 2022 Republican primary.[1] She is a resident of Mulvane, Kansas.[2]
Cheryl Helmer | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 79th district | |
| In office January 14, 2019 – January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ed Trimmer |
| Succeeded by | Webster Roth |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Mulvane, Kansas |
Kansas House of Representatives
edit2019-2020 Kansas House of Representatives Committee Assignments[3]
- General Government Budget
- Education
- Rural Revitalization
Controversy
editHer career as a politician has been fraught with controversies. As an example, she blamed a break-in at her home on an influx of illegal immigrants, although her house is in a heavily trafficked area, near a casino in Mulvane, Kansas. She insisted without any evidence that the incident was due to nearby Wichita, Kansas being a "sanctuary city".[4] [5] [6]
She has also targeted the LGBTQ+ community. She once famously sponsored a bill that referenced same-sex marriage as "parody marriage" and offered support for conversion therapy and other anti-LGBTQ provisions. [7] [8] [9] When called out on this, she claimed to not have read the bill that she was sponsoring. [10]
Helmer attracted national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when she requested that Kansas Governor (of the opposing party) produce information on the Governor's hairstyling. “I am respectfully requesting the name and Kansas license No. of the hairdresser who has touched, colored, cut, performed any service on or with Governor Laura Kelly’s hair since March 12,” Helmer said. Governor Kelly later shared that her husband has been cutting her hair during the suspension of services from professional hairstylists.[11]
In 2022, she again drew national controversy after writing in an email to a Kansas University student who identifies as transfeminine that she did not "appreciate the huge transgender female who is now in our restrooms in the Capitol," a comment aimed at Rep. Stephanie Byers, the first openly transgender person to serve in the state legislature. In the email, Helmer went on to falsely assert that "little girls have been raped, sodomized and beaten in the restrooms by these supposedly transgenders who may or may not be for real."[12]
References
edit- ^ Newscow (2022-08-02). "Election: Winfield's Roth Beats Incumbent In 79th; Trimmer Wins; Cowley Votes No". Newscow. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
- ^ Courier Traveler Staff (2018-03-01). "Helmer seeks House seat". Courier Traveler. Retrieved 2019-12-28.
- ^ "Representative Cheryl Helmer". Kslegislature.org. Retrieved 2019-12-02.
- ^ "State lawmaker tells Sen. Moran that Wichita is a sanctuary city. She's wrong". Wichita Eagle Beacon. 2019-07-03. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Rep. Cheryl Helmer taking heat for comment made about Wichita being a sanctuary city at Moran town hall meeting". Sumner New Cow. 2019-07-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Helmer defends comments on sanctuary status". Courier Traveler. 2019-06-05. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Kansas House Bill 2321". Kansas State Legislature. 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Kansas bill calls LGBTQ a religion, same-sex unions 'parody marriages'". KWCH 12. 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "'Vile, hateful and disrespectful': LGBTQ lobbyists blast attempt to undermine legitimacy of Kansas same-sex marriages". The Topeka Capital Journal. 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Freshman lawmaker said she didn't fully review anti-gay marriage proposal". Courier Traveler. 2019-02-19. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ "Kansas coronavirus update: GOP leaders unhappy with pace of Gov. Laura Kelly's strategy for opening businesses". Leavenworth Times. 2020-05-01. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
- ^ Bahl, Andrew. "Republican legislator says she does not 'appreciate' sharing bathroom with transgender colleague". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 27 April 2022.