Kansas House majority leader falsely claims Gov. Kelly waived welfare work requirement

The 2022 election season is fully underway, which means voters face a bombardment of misleading or flatly false statements each day.

The latest example comes from Topeka. House Majority Leader Dan Hawkins claims Gov. Laura Kelly has waived work requirements for Kansans who use the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, known as TANF. That’s not the case.

Hawkins’ claim, like almost everything he says, is politically motivated, aimed at boosting Republican chances at the polls.

But it’s more than that. By singling out a program that helps the poorest Kansans, Hawkins and his colleagues continue their sorry history of trying to intimidate those who need public assistance, a project that began decades ago.

The refusal to expand Medicaid is part of this strategy. It’s a foundational myth for the modern GOP: the belief that someone, somewhere, somehow, is getting something for nothing, or that families prefer welfare to work.

Hawkins’ effort is sad and amoral, and must be rejected where it counts, at the polls.

The story begins in September, when the Kelly administration announced plans to streamline the TANF process. The Department for Children and Families said it wanted to speed up TANF applications because the end of federal unemployment benefits might mean more families needed help.

A self-assessment form was suspended, for example, through the end of the year. So was the online “work program orientation.” Nothing in the policy memo suspends the actual work requirement.

Normally, Republicans support the elimination of this kind of red tape. When there’s a political advantage to be had, however, Hawkins and his pals are ready to leap into action.

In October, Hawkins fired off a letter to Kelly, claiming the memo waived state law, which requires a “work program assessment” for TANF applicants. “Your administration’s (TANF) memo … undermines the rule of law and the dignity of work,” he wrote.

The streamlined process does nothing of the sort. Speeding up the TANF application process reinforces human dignity by quickly helping families whose kids are hungry or cold. It’s that simple, and important.

A reminder: This dispute involves the scope of an assessment for applicants, not the actual requirement for work or training, which remains intact. “I am surprised,” Hawkins wrote, “(that) your administration would perpetuate unemployment by waiving policies that are proven to get Kansans back on their feet.”

In September, the Kansas unemployment rate was 3.9%, just a tick higher than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic. The average annual unemployment rate for the Sam Brownback-Jeff Colyer years was 4.6%.

Of course, conceding the strong economy might give Kelly a campaign advantage. So Hawkins has written Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt — yes, the same Schmidt running against Kelly — asking for a probe into the TANF decision.

Let’s take a wild guess. Schmidt will look into Hawkins’ allegations and issue a damning report next year — in May, say, just as the governor’s race accelerates. Sometimes the Kansas GOP is so transparent you can only smile.

“The self respect associated with having a steady job is even more important for the mental health of our state than ever,” Hawkins wrote.

The truth? Kansans’ mental health is far more endangered by Hawkins’ partisan shenanigans than by helping kids stay warm, or get a bite to eat.

This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kansas House majority leader falsely claims Gov. Kelly waived welfare work requirement."