Kansas legislators have wrapped up work on three measures responding to the coronavirus pandemic. They also tried Tuesday to resolve differences over the next state budget and a plan for funding transportation projects.
Lawmakers approved a bill to would give jobless workers an additional 10 weeks of unemployment benefits and another measure aimed at making it easier for the state to waive its requirements for how many hours of in-person instruction public schools must provide. They also passed a bill to allow courts to extend trial deadlines and grant people more time to file lawsuits if the pandemic forces them to shut down temporarily.
The Republican-controlled Legislature is rushing to finish important business early so that they can take a longer-than-usual spring break. Lawmakers want to make sure state government can keep operating after June and believe transportation projects will boost an economy that's deteriorating because of the coronavirus pandemic.
