Kansas House, pushing to pass budget and adjourn, asks for higher power to prod Senate

The daily prayer in the Kansas House usually offers broad calls for legislators to do their best for the common good.

But on Tuesday, as lawmakers assembled to pass a budget and adjourn because of the coronavirus, House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer called for divine intervention to speed things up in the Kansas Senate.

“Please nudge the Senate -- help them work with a little more urgency,” the Wichita Democrat said. “Please help us get on soon and safely to be with our friends and family.”

The prayer came as the Senate began debating a basic budget Tuesday morning that would keep the state government running if the Legislature adjourns and is unable to return later this spring.

The House had originally hoped to work on the budget over the weekend by allowing legislative negotiators to craft a deal that both chambers could vote on early this week. But the Senate instead demanded a full debate on its floor.

A spokeswoman for Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican, said “we are taking this very seriously.”

“We must also pass important legislation to help Kansans get through this time of uncertainty, which is what Kansans elected their leaders to do,” the spokeswoman, Laura McCabe, said in a statement.

On Monday, Wagle warned senators to not let fear drive “irrational decisions” and said the Legislature can help people affected by the virus through the bills it passes.

“We have been under tremendous pressure to shut the Legislature down and shut it down immediately,” Wagle said. “However, we must remember every decision we make has a consequence.”

The Wichita Eagle’s Jonathan Shorman contributed reporting