It’s been a contentious year for two-term Kansas Rep Ford Carr. He admits, he’s passionate about his constituents and he’s been vocal about Republicans “agenda of horrible, discriminative and hateful legislation for Black people as well as all minority groups.”

However, his terse words aren’t just limited to Republicans. He has a few choice words for Democrats as well, saying they lack “courage to do more, risk more and fight harder than we have” against Republicans who dominate the legislature.

No more is Carr willing to go high, when they go low, to the Democrats he says. “When they [Republicans] go low, introduce their a** to the basement. Our constituents deserve nothing less.”

True to his words, Carr has proven to be a different kind of legislator people in Topeka are accustomed to. His outspoken approach has drawn considerable resistance.

Last month, Carr’s made a statement in house chambers indicating some representatives could harbor racist sentiment. The statement upset Wichita Rep. Nick Hoheisel so much that the Republican approached Carr’s desk on the House floor. According to Carr, who filed a formal complaint against Hoheisel for his actions, the representative directed threatening language and a curse word at him.

That complaint, reviewed by an appointed six member panel composed of three Republicans and three Democrats, deadlocked. The three Republicans urged Carr’s dismissal with the three Democrats seeking further consideration of the issues.

Now, Kansas Rep Leah Howell of Derby, a Republican, has filed a formal complaint against Carr. The complaint, endorsed by House Majority Leader Chris Croft of Overland Park, alleged Carr should be reprimanded, censured or expelled by the full House for engaging in “patterns of violent rhetoric, physical violence, intimidating behavior and derogatory language which is unbecoming of any Kansan, much less a member of the Kansas House.”

The filed complaint included documents tied to bitter exchanges between Carr and Republicans and Democrats. It appears this complaint will be taken up by the same investigatory committee that reviewed Carr’s complaint against Hoheisel.

Carr has requested a precise declaration of which House rules or Mason’s Manual procedures he was accused of violating. He said the four-dozen pages of emails, news articles and correspondence accompanying Howell’s complaint didn’t point to a specific infraction. He also asked for sufficient time to prepare a defense.

“If I’m not sure what the crime is I’m being accused of, I don’t know the rule, how would I defend myself?” Carr asked the House committee. “If I don’t have it now, how can I prepare? How can I offer up a reasonable defense?”

The file containing Howell’s evidence obtained by Kansas Reflector begins with information about Carr’s verbal “attack” in 2023 on Marvin Robinson, an African American and Democrat state representative from Wyandotte County. On the house floor, Carr called Robinson a “House Negro.” for his almost unanimous voting record in support of Republican policies and proposals.

The packet also included information about a letter from House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, and House Speaker Pro Tem Blake Carpenter, R-Derby, that advised Carr not to engage in disparaging and disorderly remarks during House debate. The letter tied to the Robinson incident said a formal House complaint would be filed against Carr if he repeated the offense.

“While we recognize that disagreements over policy is part of the process,” the Hawkins and Carpenter letter said, “proper decorum in addressing the House is essential for proper functioning of the legislative process and respect of the House. Your conduct failed to maintain proper decorum.”

The complaint also included a set of emails from January between Carr and House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, as well as a Kansas House Democrat staff member. The exchange centered on Carr’s objection to being assigned the Capitol office formerly occupied by Robinson.

“This must be some sort of retaliation for votes I took in previous years,” Carr told House staffer Logan Demond. “You can have my things boxed and left in the office lobby and I will take them home, but I’ll be damned if someone will sit me in the seat of a dead man that I had issues with.”

Woodard, in response to Carr, wrote that “retaliation isn’t in my nature” and that House furniture belonged “to the people, not us. If you’d like to discuss alternatives, we are ready to find a solution. But I will ask you to at least be respectful of our staff.”

The complaint against Carr also included a letter sent by Woodard to Carr informing Carr that he wouldn’t face a complaint for Carr’s involvement in a fight with Wichita City Councilman Brandon Johnson i n January at a Topeka tavern across the street from the Capitol.

In that encounter, which was captured on video, Carr shoved to the floor Democratic Rep. Henry Helgerson, who had attempted to diffuse the situation by stepping between Carr and Johnson.

“Should a future public incident occur,” Woodard said in that letter to Carr, “there will be a complaint filed using Rule 4901.” This letter said Carr would be compelled to vacate Democratic leadership spots on House committees and that Rep. Mike Amyx, D-Lawrence, had been assigned to serve as Carr’s “official mentor.” Amyx is among the six House members appointed to the special investigative committee.

Carr issued a statement in February on House letterhead that indicated he had previously requested to be released from leadership assignments on committees.

“I sought this separation weeks ago for myriad reasons, including my party’s brand of vapid party leadership that I could no longer stomach,” Carr said in the two-page statement submitted by Howell to the committee. “For Woodard to leave reporters with the impression that he’d removed me should cause deep concerns with news media, constituents and party officials about Woodard’s deliberate dishonesty.”

Croft, the House majority leader called the stack of documents attached to Howell’s complaint were “serious, substantive and require a thorough investigation and ultimate adjudication” under rules of the House.

Rep. Bob Lewis, the Garden City Republican serving as chair of the House committee, indicated it was possible not all material submitted with Howell’s complaint would be considered by the committee.

Carr still wants to know what the specific charges are against him. What rules has he violated, noting the four-dozen pages of emails, news articles and correspondence accompanying Howell’s complaint didn’t point to a specific infraction.

In terms of the Kansas Constitution, the full 125-member House has final say on disciplining its members. The Kansas Senate possesses the parallel responsibility for all in the 40-member Senate.