TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Latest on the Kansas budget debate (all times local):
The Kansas Senate’s top Democrat says the state shouldn’t be cutting education funding to help balance its budget and is pushing for higher income taxes on the state’s wealthiest families.
Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka told reporters Thursday that cutting aid to public schools would send the wrong signal to the Kansas Supreme Court.
The court is considering a lawsuit filed in 2010 by four districts and whether the state’s total spending on schools is adequate.
Hensley also said Democrats want to reinstate a third personal income tax bracket for wealthy taxpayers. The state went from three brackets to two in 2012 as GOP lawmakers slashed income taxes at Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s urging.
The state is facing projected budget shortfalls totaling nearly $1.1 billion through June 2019.
___
11:50 a.m.
The chairman of the Kansas House Taxation Committee says it will debate proposals for increasing personal income taxes to help balance the state’s budget.
Chairman and Assaria Republican Steven Johnson said a debate planned for Thursday afternoon would go forward as planned.
In the Senate, GOP leaders canceled a debate they had planned for Thursday on proposals to increase income taxes and cut education funding.
The House committee is considering proposals to increase income taxes to generate $917 million in new revenues over two years, starting in July.
The proposals include eliminating an income tax exemption for more than 330,000 farmers and business owners and the state’s top income tax rate to 5.25 percent from 4.6 percent.
The state faces projected budget shortfalls totaling nearly $1.1 billion through June 2019.
8:55 a.m.
Republican leaders have cancelled the Kansas Senate’s debate on budget-balancing proposals because they could not sell GOP colleagues on education funding cuts.
The Senate had planned to debate a bill Thursday that would cut aid to public schools by $128 million by June 30. They also had expected to take up another bill increasing income taxes to raise $660 million over two years, starting in July.
But some GOP senators thought the cut in aid to public schools was too steep with only months left in the school year.
Senate Republican leaders said the chamber would not consider any legislation until members agreed on proposals to balance the budget.
____
8:25 a.m.
Republican leaders have delayed a Kansas Senate debate on budget-balancing proposals to have another discussion among GOP senators about tax increases and education funding cuts.
It was a sign before Thursday’s debate on those issues that GOP leaders were having at least a little trouble selling a proposal to trim aid to public schools by $128 million by June 30. The cut would be about $279 per student.
The state is facing a projected shortfall in its current budget of about $320 million and total budget gaps of nearly $1.1 billion through June 2019.
The education cuts are intended to help get the state to July with a balanced budget. Senators also planned to debate a bill increasing income taxes to raise $660 million over two years, starting in July.
———–
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republican legislators in Kansas are facing a key test of support for budget-balancing proposals to cut education spending and hike income taxes.
The state Senate planned Thursday to debate a tax bill and a separate measure making the cuts. The package would move the GOP-controlled Legislature toward a confrontation with Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.
The governor already has criticized the tax bill.
It would raise $660 million in new revenues over two years by increasing rates and eliminating an income tax exemption for more than 330,000 farmers and business owners.
The other measure would cut aid to public schools in the current state budget by $128 million and trim spending on higher education by $23 million.
The state faces projected budget shortfalls totaling nearly $1.1 billion through June 2019.