The Kansas Supreme Court convened an emergency session today the goal to resolve a dispute between democratic governor Laura Kelly and Republican legislative leaders who opposed her attempt to stop churches from holding Easter services amid the corona virus outbreak more from Jim McLean of the Kansas news service there was nothing typical about today's hearing because of the coronavirus the court like everything else is operating differently today is a historic day as we hear arguments for the first time by video conferencing the justices led by Chief Justice more lucrative gathered virtually from their home to hear the case filed just three days ago by governor Kelly the dispute centers on Kelly's use of sweeping orders to slow the spread of the virus and efforts by Republican lawmakers to rein her in Kelly was the first governor closed schools for the rest of the academic year and among the first in the region to impose a state wide a stay at home policy three weeks ago I left these decisions to local health departments for as long as possible members of the Republican controlled legislature were quick to accuse her of over reacting here's senator rob Wilson I don't want anybody to die I don't want anybody to get this virus but we can't because this country do everybody can stay home just before the social distancing rules sent them home for the month of April Republican lawmakers agreed to extend the emergency declaration but only if Kelly agreed to allow a panel of legislative leaders to review and possibly reject her subsequent orders that agreement held until recently when lawmakers blocked Kelly's move to add church services and funerals the places were no more than ten people could gather Republican Senate president Susan Wagle led the opposition were restricting individual rights to practice religious liberties so I can't approve this the very next day and angry Kelly took the lawmakers to