Legislative impasse continues
0 | May. 17, 2013 |
The Statehouse stalemate on budget and taxes continues. Lawmakers ended the week with no agreement on either matter before taking the weekend off. Negotiations are expected to resume next week.
House GOP leaders pen letter backing DD supports in KanCare
0 | May. 17, 2013 |
House GOP leaders penned a memo to members of the chamber saying they support including long-term supports for the developmentally disabled in KanCare and rebuking the providers of DD services who oppose the KanCare expansion for "making every effort to undermine the state's ability to improve services to our DD population and address the waiting list for DD services."
House member gathers signatures to extend DD KanCare "carve-out"
0 | May. 15, 2013 |
Rep. John Rubin, a Shawnee Republican, has been collecting signatures from fellow House members who support extending for another year the "carve-out" of long-term supports for the developmentally disabled from KanCare.
House KanCare proviso could complicate Legislature's budget negotiations
0 | May. 13, 2013 |
A dispute between advocates for developmentally disabled Kansans and the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback has the potential to complicate budget negotiations and the end of the legislative session.
More than 1,000 rally at Statehouse for DD carve-out
0 | May. 08, 2013 |
A Statehouse rally that coincided with the start of the Legislature's wrap-up session drew more than 1,000 people from across the state protesting Gov. Sam Brownback's plan to include long-term supports for the developmentally disabled in KanCare. But administration officials say their plan would better assure future funding for DD programs.
Advocacy group's Open Records request generates no new information
0 | May. 07, 2013 |
The head of of a Topeka-based child advocacy group said today that she was disappointed she couldn't get more information sooner from the Attorney General's Office about details of the state's recent arbitration agreement with the nation's tobacco companies. Legislators return to the Statehouse on Wednesday to begin wrapping up the budget and that information could be useful for deciding how to fund children's programs, she and others said.
DD advocates praise governor's call to trim waiting lists for services
0 | May. 06, 2013 |
Advocates for the developmentally disabled called a Statehouse press conference to praise Gov. Sam Brownback's plan to reduce by 600 the number of disabled Kansans awaiting home and community-based Medicaid services. They urged the Legislature to consider developing a plan to fully eliminate the waiting lists.
Advocacy group blasts Brownback, Schmidt
0 | Apr. 30, 2013 |
The leader of a child advocacy group today criticized Gov. Sam Brownback and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt for their handling of the money the state receives from its master settlement agreement with the nation’s tobacco companies.
Advocates for DD carve-out jam Olathe meeting
0 | Apr. 29, 2013 |
Parents and legislators met in Olathe with KDADS Secretary Shawn Sullivan to talk about the issue of including long-term supports for the developmentally disabled in KanCare. Rep. John Rubin was among those who have concluded it would be a bad idea. But Sullivan said expanding KanCare would leave the current system in place while improving health outcomes and reducing costs. Rubin said he and others would try to persuade fellow lawmakers to continue the current "carve-out."
Governor's plan would take 600 off waiting lists for social services
0 | Apr. 29, 2013 |
Gov. Sam Brownback released details of his plan to reduce the waiting lists for home and community-based Medicaid services. The $18.5 million in additional spending would move 400 physically disabled and 200 developmentally disabled Kansans into services, if approved by the Legislature.
Tobacco settlement payment tops projection
0 | Apr. 25, 2013 |
Lawmakers had expected the state to receive $55.8 million this fiscal year in tobacco settlement payments. Instead, payments from the tobacco companies topped $60.2 million.
Governor urges lawmakers to back off higher ed cuts
0 | Apr. 25, 2013 |
Gov. Sam Brownback was at the University of Kansas Medical Center today as part of his statewide campus tour in support of steady funding for higher education instead of the cuts proposed by the Kansas Legislature. Higher ed officials have said the reductions would set higher ed funding back a decade, if adopted.
Governor's reading plan faltering in Legislature
0 | Apr. 24, 2013 |
Gov. Sam Brownback’s plan for improving fourth grade reading skills, highlighted in his State of the State speech at the beginning of this year’s Legislature, appears to be floundering. “I don’t know what the problem is,” said Rep. Marc Rhoades, the Newton Republican who chairs the House Appropriations Committee. “All I know is that I keep hearing it’s not going anywhere.”
Med school programs in Salina and Wichita face cuts or elimination, chancellor says
0 | Apr. 17, 2013 |
The presidents of the state universities took turns describing how the schools would cope, if the Legislature moves forward with plans to cut higher education spending.
House tussles over 'mandate lite' health insurance measure
0 | Apr. 05, 2013 |
The Kansas House tied itself in knots today over a bill to allow insurance companies to market “mandate lite” health insurance policies in the state. Members voted in the morning to reject the bill but abruptly reversed themselves in the afternoon. The whole thing took hours of debate as legislators pushed to conclude the regular session before taking a month-long break. The measure, part of a legislative package included in a conference committee report, passed the Senate earlier this week. It now goes to Gov. Sam Brownback for signature.
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