GOP leaders close to control over Kansas’ COVID relief funds

(AP) Republican legislators are poised to give their leaders the final say over how Kansas spends federal coronavirus relief funds. Some also pushed Tuesday to set aside nearly $2 billion of that money for small businesses. The Republican-controlled state Senate is expected to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a provision in budget legislation leaving to top lawmakers the final decisions on spending $4.8 billion in federal funds. The GOP-controlled House voted 86-38 on Monday to overturn the veto. The Senate also is considering a bill to set aside nearly $1 billion of the state’s COVID-19 relief funds another $1 billion earmarked for cities and counties to compensating small businesses.