TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas lawmakers are moving ahead with two measures that are a response to issues arising during the COVID-19 pandemic.
One measure considered Wednesday is designed to help courts and prosecutors deal with a backlog of criminal cases. Another is a proposal to limit state and local officials’ power in setting restrictions in future pandemics. The House gave first-round approval to a bill that would suspend until May 2024 a law that sets deadlines for criminal trials to protect defendants’ constitutional right to a speedy resolution of their cases.
The Senate Judiciary Committee had a hearing on a bill rewriting the state’s emergency management laws.
