Kansas safety law could shut down some amusement rides

? A new amusement ride law would affect more than a dozen counties in western Kansas that have home-owned carnivals and rides.

The Hutchinson News reports that Gov. Sam Brownback signed the bill in April following the death of a 10-year-old who rode a giant water slide in Kansas City. The new standard includes more expensive insurance and having rides examined by a certified inspector.

The Kansas Senate passed a subsequent bill postponing the amusement ride law until January 2018. Kansas House Majority Leader Don Hineman says criminal penalties won’t go into effect until then, giving small rural rides a chance to operate this year.

Carrie Handy of the Lane County Amusement Association says there likely will be no rides at their fair next year because certifying volunteers is difficult.