Posted on Mar 3, 2023
Local public health officials fear a Kansas bill would undercut work to contain diseases
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The Kansas legislature is considering a bill that would strip powers from local public health officials to contain disease outbreaks.
Kansas Republican lawmakers want to take over powers from state and local public health officials to fight the spread of contagious diseases.
The Kansas Senate passed a bill to shift those powers from local health officials to state lawmakers last week. It now goes to the House. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a similar bill last year.
If the legislation became law, public health officials could still make recommendations on things like wearing masks and closing businesses. But only the Legislature would have the power to issue public health orders.
Kansas Republican lawmakers want to take over powers from state and local public health officials to fight the spread of contagious diseases.
The Kansas Senate passed a bill to shift those powers from local health officials to state lawmakers last week. It now goes to the House. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a similar bill last year.
If the legislation became law, public health officials could still make recommendations on things like wearing masks and closing businesses. But only the Legislature would have the power to issue public health orders.
Local public health officials fear a Kansas bill would undercut work to contain diseases
Posted from kcur.org
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Posted 1 y ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel good day Brother William, always informational and of the most interesting. Thanks for sharing, have a blessed day!
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
..."University of Kansas Medical Centers professor Vicki Collie-Akers co-authored a study looking at why Kansas state and local public health officials are leaving the profession.
She said the pandemic politicized the profession and put public health officials under fire.
“People really struggled with their credibility being impugned throughout the pandemic,” Collie-Akers said. “Their use of important public health practice tools was up for debate in ways that hadn’t been happening before.”
The Senate hearing on the bill drew testimony from people frustrated with how local public health officials handled the pandemic.
“The mandates were a failure, with great loss to the economics, the children, the family businesses, the working class of Kansas,” said Debbie Detmer of Shawnee.
The bill passed the Senate 22-18. It would need a larger margin of victory to override a veto.
Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher voted against the bill because it takes public health officials out of the response to disease outbreaks.
“It puts politicians in charge of children’s health and (the) vulnerable populations,” Holscher said, “who often rely on the general public for safeguards.”
..."University of Kansas Medical Centers professor Vicki Collie-Akers co-authored a study looking at why Kansas state and local public health officials are leaving the profession.
She said the pandemic politicized the profession and put public health officials under fire.
“People really struggled with their credibility being impugned throughout the pandemic,” Collie-Akers said. “Their use of important public health practice tools was up for debate in ways that hadn’t been happening before.”
The Senate hearing on the bill drew testimony from people frustrated with how local public health officials handled the pandemic.
“The mandates were a failure, with great loss to the economics, the children, the family businesses, the working class of Kansas,” said Debbie Detmer of Shawnee.
The bill passed the Senate 22-18. It would need a larger margin of victory to override a veto.
Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher voted against the bill because it takes public health officials out of the response to disease outbreaks.
“It puts politicians in charge of children’s health and (the) vulnerable populations,” Holscher said, “who often rely on the general public for safeguards.”
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