Citing federal rules, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed lawmakers’ last-minute effort to require the state, counties and cities to set aside part of their federal COVID-19 aid to pay businesses harmed by public health orders.

The bill, passed in the final hours of the Legislative session in early May, would have created a three-member board to review business requests for relief using a quarter of the state’s relief dollars and 35% of county and city federal funding for compensation.

The only public information about the review process would be what companies received funds and how much.

In a statement Friday, Kelly said the bill was “well-intentioned” but violated federal rules by placing conditions on local governments’ use of the money, including to “resolve potential legal claims against state or local governments.”

Interim rules published by U.S. Treasury Department prohibit states from placing requirements or conditions on local government use of the latest round of COVID-19 relief funds.

https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article251564048.html


Dubious Kansas endorsements unravel truthfulness of attack on federal unemployment benefit


The letter sent Wednesday to Gov. Laura Kelly had all the trappings of a legitimate appeal from the business community.

Compiled by the state Chamber of Commerce and bearing the names of 181 diverse businesses, business associations, nonprofit groups and government agencies, it called for an end to enhanced federal unemployment benefits for Kansas workers.

But the truthfulness of the campaign unraveled Thursday as multiple executives whose organizations were listed as supporters said they didn’t know anything about the letter and wouldn’t have signed it if they did.