Orrick Public Policy Podcast #5 – A Conversation with Kansas Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman

Recorded May 7, 2020
May.15.2020

In the latest Public Policy Podcast episode, Orrick Public Policy Partner Scott Ward and Senior Strategist Michelle McGann sit down with Kansas Speaker of the House Ron Ryckman.

Join us as we discuss with Speaker Ryckman how his state legislature is addressing the response to COVID-19 in Kansas, including the constitutional, procedural, and budgetary challenges they have faced as a result of the outbreak.

Episode 5 Guest: Kansas House Speaker Ron Ryckman

photo of Ron Ryckman, Kansas House Speaker Representative Ron Ryckman serves as Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, a position he’s held since 2017. A native of western Kansas, he has represented the town of Olathe in the Kansas legislature since 2012. Before assuming his role as Speaker, he previously served as chair of the House Appropriations and Social Services Budget Committees. He also served on the Olathe City Council from 2009 to 2017.

Speaker Ryckman’s legislative accomplishments include passing government transparency measures, such as ending the century-old practice of the anonymous introduction of bills in the Kansas House, and passing welfare reform measures in his early years in office.

Apart from his work in the legislature, Speaker Ryckman is a business owner. He attended MidAmerica Nazarene University on a basketball scholarship, earning his degree in Business Administration.

Contacts

Jeremy Kudon Partner, State Legislative & Regulatory, Gaming & Gambling

New York

E[email protected]

See my bio

E: [email protected]

Practice:

Technology & Innovation Sector
State Legislative & Regulatory
Gaming & Gambling
Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

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Jeremy Kudon Partner

New York

No other group in the United States - whether at a law firm, public affairs firm, or inside the Beltway - can match Jeremy and Orrick's record of success in the state legislatures. Unlike others, who specialize in tracking bills, identifying contract lobbyists (and taking a % of their fee), or developing expensive media and PR campaigns, Jeremy and his team don't specialize in any one area of state government affairs; they specialize in EVERYTHING. They learn your business, work with you on your objectives--both overall and in the state legislatures, identify threats/opportunities, develop a budget, hire contract lobbyists, draft legislation, prepare advocacy pieces, attend legislative conferences, travel to state capitols and educate members about your issue, testify before committees, develop and implement grassroots and PR campaigns, coordinate roll calls, and coordinate every aspect of both the state and overall campaign to add the most possible value to your business.

Just listen to what the media and our clients have to say – The New York Times profiled our efforts in passing online sports betting and daily fantasy sports legislation in an extensive above-the-fold report and in an episode of their podcast, “The Daily.” And from an interview with TechCruch, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said Jeremy and Orrick’s Public Policy team have “helped us go from a tech company that didn’t know a whole lot about legislative affairs and regulation to really being sophisticated there” and praised that “For anyone who’s in a disruptive industry and might be regulated, they really did a fantastic job.”

Scott Ward Partner, State Legislative & Regulatory, Gaming & Gambling

Washington, D.C.

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D:+1 202 339 8578
E: [email protected]

Practice:

State Legislative & Regulatory
Gaming & Gambling
Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

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Scott Ward Partner

Washington, D.C.

Scott has spent years working in the political arena on both the federal and state level, promoting political and policy agendas via a national network of elected officials, policy makers and outside influence groups.

He has comprehensive experience in federal and state campaign finance, ethics, lobbying and compliance law, and assists clients in all aspects of compliance with rules related to engaging in the political process.

Prior to joining Orrick, he was the President and General Counsel of the Republican State Leadership Committee, a $30 million national political organization focused on electing Republicans to the state offices of Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, and State Legislator. Under his leadership, the Republican State Leadership Committee made historic gains in the 2010 elections, netting a record 700 plus state legislative seats, flipping 20 state chambers to Republican control as well as netting six Attorneys General, seven Secretaries of State and three independently elected Lt. Governors.

Scott was previously in private practice with Holtzman Vogel Josefiak PLLC and Arent Fox LLP in the areas of Political law and Litigation. He advised numerous IRS § 527 political organizations, federal and state political action committees, federal and state candidates, state parties, associations, corporations and non-profits in all aspects of fundraising, organization, compliance, disclosure and reporting under federal and state campaign finance laws.

He was General Counsel and served on the Executive Committee of the District of Columbia Republican Party from 2004 to 2012. Prior to his legal career, Scott served as Field Director for Americans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (ARMPAC) and worked on the majority staff of the U.S. House Budget Committee for Chairman John Kasich.

Michelle (McGann) MacGregor Senior Strategist, State Legislative & Regulatory, Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

Washington, D.C.

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D:+1 202 339 8552
E: [email protected]

Practice:

State Legislative & Regulatory
Strategic Advisory & Government Enforcement (SAGE)

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Michelle (McGann) MacGregor Senior Strategist

Washington, D.C.

Before joining Orrick, Michelle gained broad experience working with elected leadership at the federal and state government levels. Most recently as Executive Director of the Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, Michelle was responsible for advancing the Committee’s objectives of providing financial support, leadership development, and strategic assistance to lawmakers nationwide. In her previous leadership positions at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, Michelle reported directly to Senate and House leadership and was tasked with advancing their objectives by evaluating and managing the nexus of policy initiatives and political impact.

Michelle is a graduate of Amherst College, where she received a B.A. in Political Science.