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May 20, 2020Topeka, Kan. |  By: AP

GOP wants top Kansas lawmakers to control coronavirus aid

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Republican lawmakers in Kansas have moved to give the GOP-controlled Legislature's leaders the final say over how federal coronavirus relief funds are spent.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Wednesday to include legislative oversight of the distribution of $1.25 billion in federal funds in a broader measure that's likely to also curb Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's power to direct the state's coronavirus response.

Many GOP lawmakers argue that the Legislature has the duty to oversee how the aid is spent, just as it approves an annual state budget. They are also frustrated with Kelly's plan for a phased reopening of the state's economy.