COVID-19 Archives - Kansas Policy Institute

Looking ahead to the next school year 0
- Education
- May 17, 2020
As we rapidly approach what would have been the end of the school year, our attention is naturally drawn to what to expect come August. Will schools open as typically scheduled? Will the opening of the 2020-21 school year be delayed into September or beyond? Will health concerns drive a different approach to the way
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Will Kansas unemployment benefits stall re-opening?0
- Tax & Spending
- May 15, 2020
Kansas lockdown and social distancing rules to combat COVID-19 have led to massive unemployment. With claims for unemployment benefits hitting record levels, the state’s real unemployment rate is likely well above 10%. Governor Kelly must change unemployment benefits policy to encourage work. Otherwise, the full Kansas economic recovery from COVID-19 may not start until well
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It’s time to reopen Kansas and let everyone go back to work 0
- Tax & Spending
- April 29, 2020
As Governor Kelly and local officials prepare to ease their COVID-19 shutdown orders, we call on them to reopen Kansas now. No more essential versus non-essential. If a business meets reasonable safety guidelines, they should be allowed to open and serve their customers without arbitrary limits. That’s not to say that efforts taken to date
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Kansas Consensus Undervalues COVID Economic Impact – Part 1 0
- Tax & Spending
- April 22, 2020
Recently, state forecasters predicted a substantial reduction in state tax revenues as an economic impact of COVID-19. However, comparisons to the Great Recession as well as state forecasters’ history of projections can give key insights. They suggest the state government will have another off-target tax revenue prediction. On April 20th, economists and analysts from the
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Moody’s: Kansas, Missouri ill-prepared for COVID revenue declines 0
- Featured
- April 20, 2020
The state budgets of Kansas and Missouri are among the worst-prepared states in the nation, according to an April 9 report from Moody’s Analytics. The main reason is that both states are below the national average in rainy-day balances as a percentage of fiscal 2019 general fund revenues. According to Moody’s, Kansas and Illinois are
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Kansas lockdown shrinks economy, needs post-COVID-19 reforms 0
- Tax & Spending
- April 17, 2020
Governor Kelly extended her statewide lockdown into May amidst signs that 25% of small businesses feel they are weeks away from closing permanently. Now, new data details how difficult it’s been for Kansas businesses and families to make ends meet. According to these estimates, COVID-19 and, in no small part, government lockdowns have closed half
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