KANSAS (KSNT) – The Trump administration must restore hundreds of millions of dollars in AmeriCorps grant funding and thousands of service workers in about two dozen states, a federal judge ruled June 5. But those jobs and funds won’t be restored for Kansas under the order.
27 News reached out to the Kansas Department of Education (KSDE) to see if AmeriCorps funding would be restored following the lawsuit. KSDE spokeswoman Denise Kahler said the order only pertains to the states that were part of the lawsuit, which Kansas was not.
The lawsuit was filed by officials in Maryland, Delaware, California, Colorado, Arizona, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
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Governor Kelly called upon Attorney General Kobach to bring a similar case on behalf of Kansas to restore more than $33 million in grant funds to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) in May. Kobach declined the request in a letter, writing:
Therefore, should you request me to appear for the State in the above-referenced case, I intend to advocate the position that I believe to be legally correct, which is on the side of the Defendants.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach wrote in a letter to Governor Laura Kelly on April 9.
AmeriCorps reported in 2023 that it was investing more than $15.3 million in federal funding to Kansas. The funds were to allow nearly 5,000 Kansans to support their communities through national service. Through the program, Kansas residents have received over $30.8 million.
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On Friday, April 25, The Washington Post reported that AmeriCorps was directed to terminate nearly $400 million in grants, about 41% of its total funding. AmeriCorps provides service to various areas in Kansas such as education, veteran services, senior independence, disaster recovery, conservation and climate change efforts.
“We have reviewed the federal government’s actions and have determined that there is no violation of federal law,” Kobach said in a statement to 27 News on Thursday, June 12. “Therefore we are declining to bring a lawsuit in which the state would ultimately lose.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this article.
