Budget plan irks Kansas lawmakers
TOPEKA, Kan. — Departing Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is counting on growing tax revenue from a strong national economy to pay for his proposal to increase spending on public schools, stoking an open revolt Wednesday among fellow Republicans who control the Legislature.
The term-limited conservative Republican governor released budget proposals that were supposed to flesh out his plan to phase in a $601 million increase in education funding to meet a court mandate. But his recommendations contained no way to pay for the increase other than relying on growing revenue, and no fiscal projections beyond mid-2019.
Top GOP lawmakers already were upset by the idea even before Brownback outlined his school funding proposal in his eighth and final State of the State address Tuesday night. They fear they would be forced to consider raising taxes or making deep cuts elsewhere while also shorting public pensions and highway projects next year, when Brownback is out of office.
“I’m not sure what the logic is behind it,” said state Sen. Ty Masterson, a conservative Wichita-area Republican and usual ally of Brownback. “That’s irresponsible, to propose that much new spending without understanding where it’s coming from.”
Brownback’s proposed $16.8 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning in July would leave the state with a small cushion of cash reserves at the end of June 2019, without requiring another tax increase. Lawmakers approved a $600-million-a-year income tax increase last year over Brownback’s veto to help balance the budget.
Lawmakers must come up with more money for schools after the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in October that the state isn’t meeting its funding obligations under the state constitution. Lawmakers have been debating whether the court would accept an increase phased in over multiple years. The $601 million increase touted by Brownback includes $88 million appropriated last year in a previous effort to satisfy the court.
“I support the rule of law, and I will not stand to see schools closed because of inaction on our part,” Brownback said in a statement late Wednesday, touching on fears that the court could shut down schools if lawmakers defy it.