TOPEKA — Republicans in the Senate and House punctuated the close of the 2021 legislative session Wednesday by asking Gov. Laura Kelly to cut off federal support for out-of-work Kansans and failing to override the governor’s veto of a short-term insurance bill.
Lawmakers returned to the Statehouse for a largely ceremonial one-day close to the session. Legislative leaders declined to attempt an override of the governor’s vetoes on a $500 million pandemic relief fund for businesses or funding for a controversial COVID-19 research project.
Senate President Ty Masterson led the charge in his chamber to end federal unemployment aid, referring to the boost of $300 per week to state payments as a “perverse incentive” that prevents Kansans from returning to employers who need workers.
