UPDATE: The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Governor Laura Kelly in her lawsuit against the Legislative Coordinating Council. The court heard arguments earlier in the day on the lawsuit. The seven-member LCC had voted 5-2 to overturn the governor’s executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than ten people in attendance. The Council and attorney general Derek Schmidt had argued that the order was likely a violation of the state constitution. The governor said the full legislature, not the LCC, has authority under the state constitution and state law to override the order. She said the LCC vote created confusion and put the lives of Kansans at risk.
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(earlier story)
By Roxana Hegeman, Associated Press:
An attorney for Kansas Governor Laura Kelly has told the state Supreme Court that a Republican-dominated legislative panel exceeded its authority by overturning the Democratic governor’s order banning religious and funeral services of more than 10 people during the coronavirus pandemic.
Lawmakers countered during Saturday’s hearing that the resolution that they contend gave the panel that authority was a compromise reached at the time with the governor’s office as a legislative check on the power.
The hearing came one day before Easter, and the justices said they would confer immediately after arguments were presented to try to come to a quick ruling.
