TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Two top Republican lawmakers said Monday that Kansas might not need to keep its state of emergency for COVID-19 in place past the end of March, signaling possible internal GOP divisions about keeping the pandemic restrictions further into the spring.
The comments from Senate President Ty Masterson, of Andover, and Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop, of Wichita, are significant because a law enacted last month keeps the current state of emergency in place only through March 31. Lawmakers plan to revise the emergency management laws that govern the state’s response to the pandemic and haven’t yet discussed how far they want to let Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly extend the current state of emergency.
The state’s average number of new daily confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases has dropped in recent weeks to lows not seen since late October.
