Category: Gov. Laura Kelly

KDHE reporting 10,000 Delta cases, two dozen Omicron cases of COVID-19 in Kansas

December pandemic numbers: 42,000 cases, 1,000 hospitalizations, 250 fatalities

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — Testing confirmed emergence in Kansas of more than 10,000 cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and documented 25 instances of the Omicron mutation, while public health reports showed more than 1,000 hospitalizations and 250 fatalities linked to the virus so far in December.

Medical professionals in Kansas attributed the rise in hospital patients to the Delta version of COVID-19. In Kansas, an Omicron spike in hospitalization could arrive in January.

“I, like everyone else, was hoping that the Delta was the worst we were going to see and then we were going to get past that and we could move on to more normal,” said Gov. Laura Kelly. “I think Omicron has taken everybody a bit by surprise — the fact that it is so transmittable.”

She said growth in COVID-10 hospitalizations placed stress on health facilities expected to care for the typical caseload of patients and those requiring post-release rehabilitation services. The compounding burnout is prompting resignations and retirements among health workers, she said.

On Monday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment reported 512,461 infections, 16,846 hospitalizations and 6,964 deaths attributed to coronavirus since March 2020. So far in December, KDHE confirmed 42,694 cases, 1,064 hospitalizations and 259 fatalities.

In terms of vaccinations among Kansans 12 years of age or older, the state health agency said 66% were fully vaccinated as of Dec. 17. The highest rates of vaccination among the state’s 105 counties: Geary, 81%; Johnson, 80%; Graham, 79%; Jackson, 70% and Brown, 67%. The lowest rates of vaccination by county: Neosho, 30%; Elk, 37%; Linn, 38%; Sheridan and Riley, both 40%.

The lowest infection rates among Kansas counties per 100,000 population: Stevens, 10 per 100,000; Gray, 12; Stanton, 14; Hamilton, 17; and Ottawa, 20. Highest infection rates by county: Wabaunsee, 161 per 100,000; Harper, 155; Woodson and Chautauqua, 132; and Allen, 125.

Physician Chris Brown, a hospitalist at the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas, said people should pay attention to symptoms of COVID-19 and seek medical assistance before the virus had time to cause serious illness. Common symptoms include fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle aches, headache, loss of smell or taste, sore throat, congestion, nausea and diarrhea.

Last week, KUHS was treating 64 people with the active COVID-19 virus. Only three of those patients had received a vaccination for coronavirus.

“Listen to evidence-based medicine,” Brown said. “Get vaccinated. Get your booster.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/27/kdhe-reporting-10000-delta-cases-two-dozen-omicron-cases-of-covid-19-in-kansas/

Kelly recommending one-time $445 million tax rebate to 1.2 million Kansas taxpayers

Democrat enters re-election year with proposals for tax rebate, food sales tax reform

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — Gov. Laura Kelly said the flow of state tax revenue was sufficient to propose Wednesday a $445 million tax rebate to Kansans who filed tax returns in the 2021 calendar year.

The Democratic governor said the recommendation would deliver a one-time $250 rebate to individual taxpayers. The 2022 Legislature, which is led by Republicans, would have to concur with her strategy.

“Thanks to our fiscal responsibility and record economic development success, we can return money to taxpayers and give every Kansas resident who filed taxes in 2021 a $250 rebate. These are significant savings for every family to be delivered by summer of 2022,” she said.

The governor, who will be seeking re-election next year to a second term as governor, previously recommended elimination of the state government’s 6.5% sales tax on groceries. Kansas has the nation’s highest sales tax on food, when local sales tax rates are factored.

Under the tax rebate proposal, Kelly said it would take the form of a non-taxable direct payment of $250 for every Kansas resident tax filer. Resident tax filers who filed as married and who filed jointly would be eligible for a $500 direct payment. All other filing types would be eligible for a $250 direct payment.

The Kelly administration estimated 1.2 million Kansas resident taxpayers would qualify for the tax rebate.

Kelly said the plan would have “no impact on the state’s ongoing ability to collect revenues that fund critical services.”

She said the tax refund proposal would be paid for with Kansas’ current budget surplus. The state has experienced income and sales tax revenue collections in excess of analysts’ projections. In addition, Kansas has benefitted from billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 and economic revitalization funding.

“Since 2019, my administration has carefully worked to get Kansas’ budget back on track after years of mismanagement,” Kelly said.

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2021/12/22/kelly-recommending-one-time-445-million-tax-rebate-to-1-2-million-kansas-taxpayers/

A Kansas commission says one step toward racial equity is to stop using Native Americans as mascots

The report offers dozens of other recommendations advocating for expanding tracking of demographic information, targeting use of COVID-19 relief funds and incentive programs to diversify workforces.

by Blaise Mesa, Kansas News Service and KCUR

A state commission asked by Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly to study the state’s racial equity called for ending the use of Native Americans as team mascots, getting vaccines to underserved populations and expanding Medicaid. It also called for a higher minimum wage.

The Commission on Racial Equity and Justice released its recommendations on Tuesday on child care, broadband access, racial equity and other factors related to the social determinants of health.

“My administration remains committed to working together to address inequities and improve the health and well-being of every Kansas community,” Kelly said in a statement.

The commission filed two reports previously, including recommended changes to policing last year.

Increase minimum wage

The report didn’t give a specific wage it’d like to see, but it said Kansas hasn’t adjusted its wage since 2009. Kansas and dozens of other states have kept their minimum wage in line with the federal minimum wage — $7.25 an hour. The minimum wage in about half the states runs $10 an hour or more.

Kansans working 40 hours a week 50 weeks a year will earn $14,500 per year, and the commission said increasing the wage will address labor shortages.

Remove Native American mascots

The commission called for the end to Native American mascots, imagery and names in schools and sports teams. It further called for schools to review anti-bullying and anti-discrimination policies to make them more culturally diverse, and have institutions collaborate with the Kansas Office of Native American Affairs and the Kansas Association for Native American Education to educate people on Native American representation.

Schools in Wichita and Shawnee Mission have already voted to remove such imagery from their facilities. The cost of removing Native American imaging can be expensive. Wichita schools in May learned in May new uniforms, painting over gym floors and changing band equipment could cost over $400,000.

Rethink the role of police in schools

The commission previously recommended schools explore alternatives to school resources officers, such as counselors. Those police school resources officers spend time in schools while class is in session.

The commission now recommends that those officers not “enforce rules or be used to discipline students.”

“If SROs are utilized in a school or school district, their role should be mentorship of students and enforcement of laws,” the report says.

Increase vaccine access

The commission said existing programs that allow for in-home calls should be used to provide vaccines to homebound individuals. Expanding vaccine access to communities of color and other impacted communities should also be the state’s priority, the report read.

Black and Native American Kansans are vaccinated at lower rates than white Kansans, the report says. Meanwhile, local health officials warn of a wave of COVID-19 cases now that the omicron variant has been confirmed in Kansas.
“We still have a lot of unvaccinated folks. We set ourselves up for danger,” University of Kansas Health System chief medical officer Steven Stites said Friday. “That danger is real. … It’s at our doorstep. … We are in trouble.”

Creating a new tax bracket

There are three tax brackets for state income taxes. Families who make over $60,000 per year that file jointly all pay the same rate. The commission called for a fourth tax bracket for joint-filing families that make over $100,000 a year.

The commissions said creating the new tax bracket will evenly divide the state’s tax burden.

Increase access to contraceptives

The commission said access to birth control should be expanded so it is easily accessible for people on private health insurance plans, health insurance provided through employers and on plans that are exempted from a contraceptive coverage requirement.

The report is at https://governor.kansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/CREJ-Report-December-2021_FINAL.pdf

Blaise Mesa reports on criminal justice and social services for the Kansas News Service in Topeka. You can follow him on Twitter @Blaise_Mesa or email him at [email protected].
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on health, the social determinants of health and their connection to public policy.

Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.

See more at https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-12-21/a-kansas-commission-says-one-step-toward-racial-equity-is-to-stop-using-native-americans-as-mascots.