There’s been talk around the Statehouse that Kansas may try to privatize state mental health hospitals. A member of the governor’s administration asked lawmakers on Wednesday to allow privatization talks to go forward.
The troubled Osawatomie State Hospital lost its federal certification recently and the funding that comes with it. There have been efforts underway to improve the facility. Secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Tim Keck, says they want to consider all options, including proposals from outside organizations to privatize services.
“We need this bill to have a legitimate review of the process and what might be best for Kansas,” Keke says.
Rebecca Proctor, with the Kansas Organization of State Employees, says the proposal would allow a single legislative committee to approve a contract to privatize services.
“This bill allows any privatization to happen very quietly, with only a few people involved and no public hearings,” Proctor says.
Lawmakers have already said any plans to privatize the facilities will need their approval.
