By NOAH TABORDA
Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — Frustrations with the state’s distressed unemployment system are mounting among Republican legislators on an oversight panel who say they are not getting answers to their inquiries.
The legislators expressed displeasure with information provided by Ryan Wright, acting secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor, and the agency’s failure to meet timely deadlines in remedying a backlog of unemployment claims and a surge in fraudulent claims.
Sen. Caryn Tyson, a Parker Republican, said most questions asked during Monday’s meeting of the Special Committee on Economic Recovery remain unanswered.
“It is extremely difficult for us to do our job when we cannot get the responses and the information needed from your department,” Tyson said. “We’re trying to move forward and assist you however we possibly can, but when we do not have good information, it doesn’t benefit any of Kansas.”
When the pandemic began in March, unemployment claims surged across Kansas, leading to a backlog of more than 25,000 unpaid claims when Wright took over as secretary in June. Unemployment claims have decreased since, and KDOL has reduced the backlog significantly, but some legislators are not convinced the agency has taken sufficient steps.
In addition to concerns over Wright’s responses, Tyson added worries about the lack of a timeline for when these unemployment issues would be remedied.
“We have asked for timelines in the past. I know other committees have too, and I don’t see any of that, just the fact that we’ve started,” Tyson said during the meeting.
Rep. Kyle Hoffman, a Coldwater Republican, asked Wright when the backlog of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims would be paid.
Wright was unable to answer the question specific to PUA and was hesitant to provide a timetable.
“This agency made a lot of promises to folks they haven’t been able to keep for various reasons, so I’ve been careful not to promise something that we can’t absolutely deliver,” Wright said.
He said the hope is to have the backlog handled and checks in the mail by the end of the calendar year.
Wright tried to impress upon committee members that KDOL was doing everything in its power to mitigate fraud and the claim backlog. Since his appointment, the department has brought in more than 100 temporary employees who are working around the clock, Wright said.
“I know this is incredibly difficult for folks. These are family members, the people we go to church with and people who shop in grocery stores with,” Wright said. “We understand that. KDOL employees, there are some that literally work overnight. They’ve been working overnight for months now and then working weekends.”
Legislators were dissatisfied with Wright’s responses. That dissatisfaction was amplified by Wright’s decision to present his report via Zoom rather than in person, as legislators requested.
Sen. Richard Hildebrand, a Galena Republican, chose not to ask a question rather than deal with a non-answer or technological difficulties.
Hildebrand had requested the meeting be moved to an executive session closed to the public to ask a question that pertained to KDOL’s fraud resolution plan.
“At this point, instead of us just banging our head against the wall trying to hear what’s going on, I’ll withdraw my closed request,” Hildebrand said.