Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly warns Congress of 'drastic and damaging' cuts without more aid

Gov. Laura Kelly warned Congress Thursday that Kansas needs much more coronavirus financial aid to protect the state from “drastic and damaging” cuts.

The Democratic governor testified remotely before the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. In her first appearance before Congress as governor, Kelly repeated earlier calls for federal lawmakers to ramp up aid for state governments, which have experienced sharp reductions in tax collections during the pandemic.

The hearing came as the Senate prepared to vote on a Republican-backed plan to provide additional COVID-19 support. But the package doesn’t include direct relief checks for individuals like the CARES Act passed this spring or funds to backfill state budgets. Democrats are pushing for a more expansive bill.

Kansas officials have forecast sharp drops in revenue that could lead to tight budgets next year. The state ended the budget year in July with collections down nearly 6 percent from a year earlier, though some recent monthly figures have exceeded expectations.

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