A Kansas House member has a proposal for saving money on landscaping the Statehouse grounds now that the cost of renovating the building has jumped to $319 million.

Baldwin City Republican TerriLois Gregory has suggested the state ask service clubs and master gardeners to volunteer to work on the north side of the Statehouse grounds.

Gregory said several clubs are interested.

The Statehouse renovation began in 2001. The interior work is supposed to be finished later this year, but there’s no money yet for landscaping.

The north grounds are a construction area, dominated by a parking lot for workers.

The renovation’s cost has been an issue for many lawmakers because it originally was estimated at between $90 million and $120
million.