Kansas City would receive millions under House Democratic bailout for states, cities
Kansas City would receive more than $560 million over two years under the coronavirus relief plan House Democrats are expected to pass Friday evening.
The $3 trillion bill is intended to give fiscal relief to states and cities facing massive revenue losses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation is expected to pass the U.S. House along party lines, but hit a wall in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate.
Kansas City did not qualify for direct aid under legislation Congress passed in March and city leaders have been scrambling to find ways to pay for coronavirus-related expenses.
Under House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s bill, the city would receive $375 million in 2020 and another $187.5 million in 2021, according to a House Democratic analysis shared by Missouri Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s office.
The four counties that span the city— Jackson, Clay, Cass and Platte— would also receive aid, as would Independence, Blue Springs and other towns in the area.
The plan provides a two-year total of $9.4 billion to cover the state’s revenue shortfall, provide additional funding for emergency services and expand mail voting among other programs. City and county governments in the state would receive a combined $7 billion over two years.
Kansas would receive $5.2 billion and local governments in the state would receive $3.2 billion over two years, according to data shared by Kansas Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids’ office.
The proposed funding would come at a time when Kansas is facing a more than $650 million budget shortfall.
