Kansas House Speaker, Governor respond differently to shooting incidents

The leader of the Kansas House is responding to a series of mass shootings by proposing more mental health personnel in rural areas and expansion of a mental health program in K-12 schools while the Democratic governor proposes looking at gun laws.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports Olathe Republican Ron Ryckman said the 2020 Legislature should address the widespread deficit of behavioral health workers in Kansas. He said half of the state’s population lives in areas with shortages.

Ryckman addressed the issue in the wake of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, without discussion of firearms.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly responded to the latest mass shootings by calling for “real, common sense gun-safety laws” and described the shootings as part of a public health crisis.

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