It turns out that Kansas Governor Laura Kelly didn’t have COVID-19 after all.
After noticing symptoms Wednesday, and after leading a special ceremony to create the Early Childhood Transition Task Force through executive order, the governor announced she had tested positive for COVID and was self-isolating. Thursday, however, both she and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Kelly had a false positive test after several subsequent negative tests. The governor has been cleared to work in-person as of Friday.
Kansas State Health Officer Joan Duwve says the governor followed all the needed protocols. She encouraged residents to follow infection prevention protocols, get tested for respiratory viruses and stay home until no longer symptomatic.
There is no official word on whether the governor was sick with another illness.
Separately, Governor Kelly unveiled her budget plan for the legislative session now underway: The governor is:
*Pushing to completely “Ax Your Taxes” by eliminating the food sales tax in one move instead of several, adding a four-day back-to-school sales tax holiday and increasing the exemption on Social Security income tax.
*Calling for full public education funding for the fifth straight year, including a $110 million increase in higher education
*Adding $500 million to the state’s “Rainy Day Fund”
*Adding $220 million to the state’s “Infrastructure Leveraging Fund” to help cities and counties with matching funds through the Kansas Department of Education
*Paying off $53 million in debts at Milford and Perry lakes
*Adding $5 million to increase foster home placement rates and support foster children moving into adulthood
*Expanding Medicaid
*Increasing state employee pay by 5 percent
*Modernizing information technology infrastructure and cybersecurity
Senate President Ty Masterson says the governor’s plan would grow government “at an unsustainable rate” and says Republicans are committed to adopting a fiscally-responsible budget that eliminates wasteful spending, pays down debt and ensures enough available money in case of an economic downturn.
Click here for a link to Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s budget proposal.