COVID-19 news: Kansas Gov. Kelly faces opposition; kids talk about life in pandemic
Opposition to Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly will culminate on Thursday when Republicans attempt to pass a bill limiting her authority during the coronavirus pandemic. GOP leaders indicate it will focus on whether her orders can be enforced with criminal penalties and if the Legislature has the power to review her decisions when not in session.
The move comes after a McPherson barber’s brief rebellion became a flashpoint in a growing Republican struggle against the Democratic governor’s public health strategy.
The coming week offers lawmakers their first and likely only chance to take control of the state’s reopening. The Legislature meets for just a single day before adjourning until next year.
The outcome will shape how fast Kansas businesses reopen and something approaching normal life resumes. The consequences are nothing short of life and death as COVID-19 continues to spread through the population and the death toll ticks up daily.
“The decisions we make in the coming weeks and months … will determine what Kansas looks like after this pandemic has run its course,” Kelly said in a televised address at the end of April.
KC metro coronavirus numbers
Sixty-three new cases of the coronavirus and two more COVID-19 related deaths were reported in the Kansas City area on Saturday, according to statistics from state health agencies.
The area, which consists of Kansas City and Jackson, Clay and Platte counties in Missouri and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas, now counts 3,259 cases and 160 deaths.
The metro added 64 new cases Friday and 46 on Thursday.
Kansas City accounted for 15 of those new cases cases, bringing the city’s total to 863 cases. Jackson and Clay counties added seven and five cases, respectively, for a total of 432 cases in Jackson County and 642 in Clay County. Platte County removed a case from its list, bringing the total down to 53 cases.
Kids cope with COVID-19 pandemic
The Star interviewed more than a dozen Kansas City area children about their hopes and fears in the midst of a pandemic that is reshaping their childhoods.
One junior high school boy is an aspiring TikTok star. A fourth grader makes her own newscasts to keep in touch with family. A young ballerina is confined to practicing in the living room, and another teen made her closet a getaway destination.
Many miss their friends and fear for their grandparents. They’ve found new ways to stay busy as extracurricular activities came to a screeching halt.
Each has hopes for a future beyond the present crisis.
This story was originally published May 17, 2020 at 1:32 PM.
