Kansas state council to decide on extension of emergency declaration

This week Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly sent members of the State Finance Council a letter urging the renewal of the current State of Disaster Emergency Declaration, according to a Thursday news release from the governor’s office.

Kelly is asking for a renewal which will stretch the declaration a month beyond its current expiration date of Sept. 15, 2020, to Oct. 15.

The State Finance Council is scheduled to meet Friday to decide whether to extend the emergency declaration signed by Kelly.

Intended to allow the state to provide services in response to COVID-19, Kelly said that if the extension is not approved, many Kansans will not be able to access services such as personal protective equipment and community-based testing. For the state, Kelly has said the decision would impact access to federal aid as well.

Kansas’ current State of Disaster Emergency Declaration is in place due a prior extension granted by the state’s Legislature in a 2020 Special Session.

Extension of the declaration would also mean a renewal on several other related executive orders for Kansans, including a statewide mask order.