HIgh Stakes in Kansas Budget

TOPEKA, KS. -- Lives literally may be in the balance as the Legislature reconvenes today and seeks to pass a new state budget.
Since 2009, 65 Kansans have died while on waiting lists for in-home services, according to Shannon Jones, executive director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas.
"People are languishing," she told the Lawrence Journal-World. "Reducing their quality of life does lead to their death without dignity."
Budget decisions also will determine whether some Kansans remain independent. People with developmental disabilities and their advocates will rally in Topeka on the south side of the Capitol this morning to raise awareness of how budget cuts are affecting their lives. More than 4,000 Kansans with developmental disabilities are on waiting lists for help.