Kansas
Kansas raising death benefits for families of killed workers in ‘truly necessary’ overhaul • Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — The state is set to bolster benefits for families of workers who have been killed and for workers who have been permanently disabled, marking change for the first time in more than a decade.
Kansas workers will see the effects of the change in little more than a month, following the passage of legislation overhauling what have been some of the lowest workers’ compensation rates in the country.
Senate Bill 430, a bipartisan law formed after vigorous negotiations with business and labor groups, will go into effect July 1. Lawmakers sent the bill to the governor in March, and she signed it April 11. Gov. Laura Kelly held a second ceremonial signing Wednesday to reiterate the law’s importance, surrounded by lawmakers, labor groups and members of the National Guard.
Kelly estimated the last meaningful updates to workers’ comp happened 13 years ago, and it took 24 years of work before that to achieve change.
“I remind you of this so we all truly appreciate how big a deal this really is,” Kelly said.
A family of a worker killed on the job will receive up to $500,000 in death compensation benefits, up from the previous cap of $300,000. For a worker with an injury resulting in a permanent and total disability, benefits will be capped at $400,000, up from $155,000. Compensation benefits for a temporary total disability will go from the previous cap of $130,000 to $225,000. The benefits will also undergo cost-of-living adjustments starting in 2027.
“The bill’s language is the result of countless hours of effort by representatives of injured workers, industry, and the state to craft much-needed and meaningful updates to the Kansas Workers Compensation Act,” said Anton Andersen, a defense attorney and director for the Kansas Self Insurer’s Association.
Other changes include extending workers’ compensation coverage to those in the Kansas National Guard and decreasing the Social Security retirement offset for certain disability benefits.
“This legislation is a significant step in achieving a balance between the needs of workers and the realities of the business world,” said Kansas Department of Labor Secretary Amber Shultz. “We are proud to play a part in the creation of a more fair and equitable system.”
SB 430 also allows for the settlement of workers’ compensation cases without a formal court hearing and limits use of independent medical examinations, among other provisions.
“It has been way too long since we have revised our worker compensation laws,” Kelly said in an interview after the signing. “This was absolutely necessary. We were one of the states with the lowest workers’ compensation of any state in the country.”
KSHB 41 reporter Olivia Acree covers portions of Johnson County, Kansas, including Olathe and Lenexa. Share your story idea with Olivia.
—
If the motto to live by is to get 1 hour of movement a day, the Parkinson’s community in Kansas City is exceeding it.
Bob Zipse has been fighting Parkinson’s for 10 years. He said the diagnosis hit him hard.
Leawood’s Parkinson’s Exercise and Wellness Center expands services as diagnoses climb
“I was super depressed. I mean, I was in a chair. Did you want to move? Look around, just horrible. Because there’s no resources. Where do I go with the time?”
Zipse said the disease can be an isolating experience.
KSHB
“Parkinson’s, I say, is a very lonely, lonely disease. Either people don’t want to deal with you, or you’re embarrassing.”
He found the Parkinson’s Exercise and Wellness Center at his lowest point. Now, he sees people around him pushing past their limits.
“You see people out here, they’re in the mid-70s, they’re doing push-ups, sit-ups, lifting weights. I mean, it’s amazing, really,” Zipse said. “In here, we’re all the same.”
Sarissa Curry founded the center after seeing the power of healing through exercise and recognizing that diagnosis rates were increasing. An aging population and younger diagnoses are among the biggest factors driving that trend.
Kansas consistently ranks as having one of the highest Parkinson’s disease diagnoses and mortality rates in the United States, second only to Nebraska. According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, an estimated 20,000 people in the Kansas City metro alone are living with the disease.
“You see your neurologist once every six months to a year, and you see a physical therapist maybe a couple of months out of the year. Community-based programs are here every day to support this community,” Curry said.
Curry said the warning signs of rising Parkinson’s rates have been visible for years.
“They have been predicting this increase in Parkinson’s for many years. They were able to see the writing on the wall, they were able to see how the population was aging, and they knew that this was coming. We paid attention.”
She expanded the center to serve as an all-encompassing resource for people like Zipse.
KSHB
“I’d hate to wager what I would have been like. Life would have stopped for me, I think. This at least gives me hope, gives me some work towards and see some benefit of it,” Zipse said.
The PEWC will host a ribbon cutting on Wednesday, June 3, at 3:30 p.m. The community is invited to attend to learn more about the center’s services and the disease as incidence rates continue to rise each year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
Enter your email and we’ll send a secure one-click link to sign in.
FOX 4 Kansas City is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
FOX 4 Kansas City is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Two men were arrested following a lengthy Reno County Sheriff’s Office investigation into several burglaries and thefts in the area.
Garson Stanley Boyles was arrested May 21, and Jimmy Ray Miller was arrested May 27. Both were arrested on suspicion of 11 counts of burglary, five counts of criminal damage to property and four counts of theft.
The sheriff’s office said numerous stolen items have been recovered, including a vehicle. Investigators said several items remain missing.
Anyone with information about the location of stolen property is asked to contact the Reno County Sheriff’s Office at 620-694-2735. Those wishing to remain anonymous may call Reno County Crime Stoppers at 620-694-2666 or 800-222-TIPS.
-
World3 minutes ago
FIFA says match tempo, and limiting time-wasting, will be point of emphasis at World Cup
-
News10 minutes agoVideo: Another Night of Violent Protests Outside a Newark ICE Detention Center
-
Lifestyle43 minutes agoTrump floats MAGA rally instead of concert after musicians drop out of Freedom 250
-
Technology55 minutes agoAMD’s new pitch: our old tech is so good you should just keep using it
-
World58 minutes agoHezbollah’s ‘game changing’ night-hunting weapon punches through Israel’s defenses: expert
-
Politics1 hour agoHasan Piker says UK has barred him, trashes ‘unbelievable…power’ of pro-Israel groups
-
Health1 hour agoQuitting smoking could offer a major benefit beyond heart and lung health, study finds
-
Sports1 hour agoRoman Reigns domesticates Jacob Fatu to retain World Heavyweight Championship at WWE Clash in Italy
