Kansas lawmakers have wrapped up their 2022 Session. They spent part of their final day, Monday, overriding a Veto from the Democratic Governor. Republicans overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s Veto of a Bill that blocks her Administration from negotiating a new multi-billion-dollar contracts with companies that run KanCare, the State’s Medicaid Program. They say that should be left to the next Governor. Opponents, mainly Democrats, argue the Bill could give the current KanCare companies what amounts to no-bid contract extensions. To ensure they had the votes, Republicans combined the Contracts Bill with one that prohibits the Governor from closing down religious services during disease outbreaks.
The Kansas Senate also blocked efforts to legalize possession of Fentanyl test strips. Fentanyl is a prescription opioid, 100 times stronger than morphine. Because dealers often blend it with illegal drugs, it’s contributing to a sharp increase in Kansas overdose deaths. The House supports legalization of testing strips, but the Senate does not, saying the proposed change would suggest Kansas condones illegal drug use.
