Post by Logan on Feb 11, 2016 4:31:10 GMT -6
The Kansas House shuffled through parliamentary procedure and election-year politics Wednesday before endorsing budget legislation to eliminate a projected deficit of more than $175 million in the next fiscal year.
“It reduces overall spending. It addresses the budget gap,” said Rep. Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “Let’s dive on the ball. Let’s continue to the next play. Our state is counting on it.”
Votes by the Republican-led House during a five-hour debate on the $16.1 billion spending blueprint demonstrated willingness to close the deficit by drawing heavily upon state funding that would otherwise be contributed to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System or earmarked for the Kansas Department of Transportation. The bill would leave the state with an ending balance in June of an estimated $35 million and in June 2017 of about $88 million.
The 2015 Legislature raised the statewide sales tax about $300 million to help close a deficit, but tax revenue fell below expectations and reopened a hole in the state government’s budget. All House and Senate members are up for re-election in 2016, and many favor reaching into KPERS and KDOT instead of voting for back-to-back tax hikes.
Read more: cjonline.com/news/state/2016-02-10/house-pushes-ahead-new-16-billion-state-budget-bill
“It reduces overall spending. It addresses the budget gap,” said Rep. Ron Ryckman Jr., an Olathe Republican and chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. “Let’s dive on the ball. Let’s continue to the next play. Our state is counting on it.”
Votes by the Republican-led House during a five-hour debate on the $16.1 billion spending blueprint demonstrated willingness to close the deficit by drawing heavily upon state funding that would otherwise be contributed to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System or earmarked for the Kansas Department of Transportation. The bill would leave the state with an ending balance in June of an estimated $35 million and in June 2017 of about $88 million.
The 2015 Legislature raised the statewide sales tax about $300 million to help close a deficit, but tax revenue fell below expectations and reopened a hole in the state government’s budget. All House and Senate members are up for re-election in 2016, and many favor reaching into KPERS and KDOT instead of voting for back-to-back tax hikes.
Read more: cjonline.com/news/state/2016-02-10/house-pushes-ahead-new-16-billion-state-budget-bill