"Legislative absence; COBRA help; and awaiting confirmation" by Statehouse Briefing / LJWorld.com

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Legislative absence; COBRA help; and awaiting confirmation

Some lawmakers are upset that a group of legislators have been getting paid for working Friday when they haven’t been coming to the Capitol.

State Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, put a provision in the proposed budget that would require a lawmaker to be present to be paid, or the lawmaker could be paid with an excused absence granted by the leader of the House or Senate.

“It has been a problem over the past few years,” Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka said of legislators taking off Friday but still getting paid.

Help with healthcare

State Treasurer Dennis McKinney said that under the federal stimulus package, Kansans who have lost their jobs since Sept. 1, may receive assistance in maintaining family healthcare coverage.

Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, families could receive assistance paying for 65 percent of COBRA premiums, McKinney said. He said any unemployed workers who need more information regarding their eligibility they should contact their former employers.

Confirmation still up in the air

Still no word on when Gov. Kathleen Sebelius will have Senate confirmation hearing on her nomination to become the next secretary of health and human services.

If no hearing is scheduled in the next two weeks, it will need to be after the Easter recess, which runs from April 4-19.

By Scott Rothschild

March 20, 2009

Statehouse Briefing