COVID-19 Has Kansas Lawmakers Pondering Broader Oversight | Kansas News
By JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas have started pushing to give more of their colleagues a say in how the state manages protracted emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic after months of conflict between them and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
A Republican-led legislative committee studying the state’s emergency management laws agreed Thursday that the GOP-controlled Legislature should consider creating a new panel with permanent oversight of how the governor handles monthslong emergencies. The study committee also said lawmakers should look into making it easier for them to reconvene later in the year after their annual spring session has concluded.
Top Republicans previously concluded that the Legislature needs to revise laws that give the governor sweeping powers during a state of emergency, arguing that they were designed for short-term emergencies such as floods and tornadoes. Kelly and GOP lawmakers compromised in June on