In this photo from Thursday, March 19, 2020, Kansas House Speaker Blaine Finch, left, R-Ottawa, confers with House Minority Leader Tom Sawyer, right, D-Wichita, as the House prepares to adjourn at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Finch says the widespread nature of the coronavirus pandemic has lawmakers wanting to re-examine the governor's power in disasters. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
March 21, 2020
Stories this photo appears in:
March 21, 2020 12:38 p.m.
Pandemic spurs Kansas lawmakers to rethink governor's power
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Some Kansas legislators say they didn't understand how much power the governor has in emergencies until Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly closed K-12 schools for the rest of the semester and ordered a six-week halt to new evictions and mortgage foreclosures amid the coronavirus pandemic.