TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly issued an order Thursday directing Kansas residents to wear masks in public places and their workplaces, likely provoking a backlash from the Republican-controlled Legislature even though enforcement is expected to be lax.

Kelly issued the order after the state saw a surge in reported coronavirus cases following her decision to lift statewide restrictions on businesses and public gatherings May 26. She left the rules to the state's 105 counties after weeks of complaints from Republican lawmakers that she was moving too slowly to reopen the econom...