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Kansas State Workers Paid By Feds Sent Home Without Pay

accesskansas.org

Another 263  people who work for national guard units in Kansas but are paid by federal programs, got  confirmation as late as October 4 that their paychecks have been stopped.

They join 772 others notified earlier to stay home without pay.

First it was soldiers and airmen of Kansas National Guard. 

Sharon Watson of the Adjutant General’s Office  says the latest are federally-funded state employees, sometimes more than one in a household.

“We know it’s going to cause a tremendous amount of difficulty and we are very hopeful that the federal shutdown will end soon because we’re concerned about the effects it will have on our employees and their families,” she said.

Many are military veterans.

According to Watson, 139 of these employees support the federal functions of the Kansas Adjutant General's Department/Kansas National Guard. They often do supply, clerical, facility maintenance and repair, and other support functions and are located primarily in Topeka, Wichita and Salina.

One hundred twenty-four of the state employees being furloughed work at the Regional Sustainment Maintenance Sites at Fort Riley and in Salina.

The program rehabilitates military equipment for the Department of Defense. Those workers are state employees who are paid by a cooperative agreement financed by the federal government.

Watson said the Guard has power to call up people if a tornado or other natural disaster strikes.

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