TOPEKA —Top Republicans are ending Kansas’ state of emergency for the coronavirus pandemic. They refused Tuesday to consider Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s arguments that an extension is still necessary for vaccinations and some testing for COVID-19. Senate President Ty Masterson announced the cancellation of a meeting of eight legislative leaders set for Tuesday afternoon. A law enacted in late March required the legislative leaders to sign off on an extension.
Governor Kelly issued a statement on GOP leaders ending the declaration.
"Our state's emergency response shouldn't be political, and I'm disappointed by today's actions by Republican leadership. "
"I asked Republican leaders to extend the disaster declaration until August to boost efforts to vaccinate our children before school starts, support our local governments, and help get our state back to normal. A state disaster response has never been, and should not be, political. The actions by a select few Republicans in the Legislature will make our response more difficult."
"We will move forward in spite of this political obstruction and continue to work with our partners and communities to support our schools, businesses, and all Kansans through this pandemic."
The state of emergency will expire by day’s end June 15 after being in place since March 2020.