Advocates for disabled Kansans on Friday filed a lawsuit seeking about $300 million that they say the state has failed to provide as prescribed by law.

“Our case is pretty straightforward,” said Tom Laing, executive director of InterHab, a resource network for the disabled. “We want the state of Kansas to do what it said it would do.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of thousands of disabled Kansans by groups that provide services in local communities across the state.

The suit alleges the state has illegally under-funded these services in violation of a 1996 law.

Laing said Gov. Bill Graves’ administration has failed to provide any more in reimbursements to those community service providers.

Because of that, Laing said, the groups are unable to retain workers, and that has led to a waiting list of more than 1,500 people to get services.

A spokeswoman from the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services was not immediately available for comment.

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