In March 2021, Kansas lawmakers got the news they had been waiting for: The state would be in line for $1.6 billion in direct aid from Washington, D.C., to help cope with the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Officials soon learned, however, the problem with having over a billion dollars in funding: Everyone has a billion ideas for spending the windfall. The state initially was slow to spend the funds, with lawmakers instead intent on setting up a process to identify worthy projects outside the normal appropriations process controlled by the Legislature. In the months since, observers have complained of a convoluted process for spending the money, one plagued by delays and, at times, a lack of transparency regarding who will get some of the coveted federal aid.
Source: CJonline
