Topeka ? Legislators wasted little time Friday in overwhelmingly passing a bill providing $250,000 to families of Kansas National Guard members killed in combat, sending it to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who promised to sign it.

Legislative leaders called the measure a temporary solution and said they would consider other ideas next year, including the state paying for special life insurance policies with a $250,000 death benefit.

Three Kansas guardsmen have been killed in Iraq, and more than 1,400 others are there.

Sebelius said the bill “sends a message to those who serve our state and nation, offering their lives in defense of our freedom, that Kansas takes care of its own.”

The bill was considered during the Legislature’s closing day, normally a ceremonial affair with a handful of lawmakers present. This year, Senate leaders decided to use the day to push the Guard proposal, which the House had refused to consider three times this year.

The renewed push was an abrupt turnaround from earlier this month, when lawmakers agreed to pay $125,000 each to the families of two guardsmen. The third guardsman died the same day lawmakers agreed to the watered-down version.

On Friday, it took 1 1/2 hours to push the bill through both chambers. The bill, which expires in 2007, also exempts from state taxes the $250,000 paid to families from the state’s emergency fund.

The Senate vote was 36-0, with four members absent. No opposition was voiced.

“It’s the right thing to do,” said Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton. “It’s the least we can do.”

In the House, the vote was 103-8 with 14 members absent. Among those voting against it was Rep. Lana Gordon, R-Topeka.

“This is irresponsible legislation,” Gordon said. “To expose the state to the liability presented in this bill is not prudent legislation. I cannot support this.”

She said providing life insurance for Guard members would be a better approach.

House Speaker Doug Mays and Morris said lawmakers will study the issue over the summer, and one option would be for the state to pay the cost of additional life insurance for all guardsmen going into combat.

“We’ve provided services for our service people, but what we haven’t done is provide protection for the state,” said Mays, R-Topeka.

He said it would cost the state about $400,000 to pay for the premiums for all Kansas guardsmen in Iraq.

Sen. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, agreed that would be a better approach.

“Let somebody else carry the risk, and the benefit would be the same,” he said.

The smaller plan emerged May 1 from House-Senate negotiations over the state’s $11.4 billion budget to finance state government after July 1.

House negotiators agreed only to the reduced amount, although Rep. Bill Feuerborn, D-Garnett, on Friday blamed the Senate for the low amount.

Kansas is among a few states providing such benefits to guardsmen.

Last year, Illinois expanded death benefits to a maximum of $250,000 for families of guardsmen or other military personal killed in combat; New Mexico provides $250,000 of life insurance for guardsmen, and Massachusetts is considering a bill providing $100,000 in death benefits for families of fallen guardsmen.