Kansas wants people to stay home during the novel coronavirus pandemic – except if they are going to church, buying or selling guns or running a childcare center.

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An executive order issued by Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, says that "in these challenging times" the state "will do whatever it can to avoid immediate dangers to the health, safety and welfare of Kansans," while also ensuring that "essential functions not be interrupted."

In Kansas's case, that means letting people go to church (despite federal guidelines urging "social distancing," a policy the Trump administration on Sunday extended to April 30) and buying guns.

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That's Kansas, which has fewer than 3 million people but 6 million registered firearms, according to USAFacts . More than 7 in 10 Kansans attend religious services, and 37% go weekly, according to the Pew Research Center . But it also reflects the political environment for Kelly, who won an astonishing victory in the conservative state in 2018, says Nathaniel Birkhead, a political science professor at Kansas State University.

"Laura Kelly is in an unusually difficult position. She's a Democratic woman governor of Kansas," where President Donald Trump beat Democrat Hillary Clinton by more than 20 percentage points, Birkhead says.

"She has less leeway to operate than if she were a Republican. She's working very hard to maintain a kind of friendly image toward Republicans. This was to send a signal, as much as anything else."

Officials in Kansas's largest counties have already issued their own, more restrictive guidelines, and many churches have suspended services for the duration of the crisis – meaning the exception might be less relevant, he says. "Kelly can afford to do that (offer the exemptions) while still delivering the goals she has" to limit the spread of the virus in the state, he adds.

Kansas's policy reflects a hodgepodge of restrictions by states, where rules reflect not just the rate of infection in the state but the culture of the local residents. Several states have explicitly protected gun sales – a move backed up by an updated, nonbinding advisory by the Department of Homeland Security Friday declaring "workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors and shooting ranges" to be part of the nation's "essential infrastructure."

Some states have sought to stop abortions (moves being challenged in court), while others have pointedly not listed abortion as a non-essential, "elective" procedure. Opponents of abortion see the current crisis as good time to curtail abortion, arguing that it uses medical personnel and equipment needed to fight coronavirus. Abortion rights activists say abortion delayed is abortion denied, since there is a narrow window to obtain one.

Nor are states singularly super-restrictive or very lax in their approaches. In Mississippi, for example, Gov. Tate Reeves named a wide swath of businesses – including restaurants and bars – as "essential" businesses. But he also vowed to take action against the state's only remaining abortion provider if it continued to provide the service during the crisis. ( Jackson Women's Health Organization's website says it is open and accepting patients, though visitors are being screened for coronavirus symptoms).

In Oklahoma, Gov. Kevin Stitt – who put out a photo of himself and his family eating at a restaurant even as officials were urging people to avoid crowds – over the weekend issued an order saying visitors from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Louisiana and Washington — had to self-quarantine for 14 days. Stitt has also issued an executive order calling abortion a banned "elective surgery" (exceptions are made to prevent serious health risks to the pregnant female), saying the medical equipment was needed by people treating coronavirus patients.

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Similar battles over abortion are occurring in Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa and Tennessee, with the governor's moves being challenged in court. On Monday, several abortion providers filed litigation in Iowa, Ohio, Alabama and Oklahoma to stop efforts to use the public health crisis to stop abortions. A lawsuit is already pending in Texas.

Meanwhile, Washington state, while banning non-urgent medical procedures, explicitly says the rule "does not apply to the full suite of family planning services."

Guns and gun enthusiasts, too, enjoy special protections in some states. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat whose state was the site of the Sandy Hook elementary school shootings, incurred anger for allowing gun shops to stay open, but has issued an order too, saying such purchases must be made by appointment only.