Kansas is reporting that its tax collections in July were 11% greater than expected, good news even as the spread of the more contagious COVID-19 delta variant has some officials worried about the economy. The state Department of Revenue says Kansas collected nearly $603 million in general tax revenues last month. Its official forecast predicted $543 million, making the surplus $60 million. It was the 12th consecutive month in which tax collections were greater than expected. Revenues have been less than anticipated in only three months during the past four years. July’s surplus came after Kansas ended its 2021 budget year on June 30 with tax collections and cash reserves approaching $2 billion.
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“We just don’t have enough nurses over there,” said Debra Robinson. Robinson has been a nurse for more than 40 years. She says right now the need for nurses and other health care workers is higher than ever. “I’m not sure there’s going to be enough to take care of us,” said Robinson. “I gotta stay healthy, because… I’m just not sure if there will be enough if I were to get sick. Yeah, and that’s scary. That’s real scary.” Just before the pandemic, Robinson became a traveling nurse, something she says a lot of hospitals around the U.S. are utilizing because of the lack of workers. “We don’t have the same amount of staff to care for our patients. This time around we will run out of staff before we run out of beds,” said commissioner Sarah Lopez during the Sedgwick County Commission meeting Tuesday morning. Lopez says the recent spread of the delta variant combined with the nursing shortage is a recipe for disaster.
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During the pandemic, we’ve often focused on bigger metro hospitals like in Wichita. But when they start filling up, it creates a domino effect making it sometimes impossible for rural patients to get the help they need. Preston Sauers is the CEO of Kingman Healthcare Center. Like many rural communities, the pandemic hit hard for him and his team. “Her statement to the ER provider was, I shouldn’t have listened to facebook. I should have gotten the vaccine,” said Sauers. Over the weekend, a young patient came in with COVID. After doing everything the doctors could, they decided she needed to be transferred for additional care. After days of trying, the closest option wasn’t even in Kansas.
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In Overland Park, Kansas, city leaders are now researching changes to a possible ban on pit bulls. Currently, it’s illegal to own a pit bull inside city limits. Several residents have been working to change that. Critics call the ban subjective since animal control officers have to relay on how a dog looks to identify the dog’s breed. The city’s ban defines pit bulls as any dog that’s a Staffordshire terrier breed, any American pit bull terrier breed, as well as dogs “which have the appearance and characteristics” found in those breeds. Kansas City’s NPR Station, KCUR, reports at least 25 people spoke at last week’s Overland Park public safety committee meeting about the ban. They report only one person was against repealing the ordinance, which has been in place for 16 years. And, in a recent citywide survey on the ban, most of the 1,600 responses were in favor of repealing it.
Source: KAKE – News