Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback tendered his resignation Thursday, effective Jan. 31. That same day, Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer made the rounds with reporters, outlining his plans for when he takes over.
Colyer is still talking mostly in broad strokes about what he’ll do as governor, but in an interview with Kansas Public Radio, he hinted that he may offer an alternative to the budget proposal Brownback delivered earlier this month.
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“I’m going to be working with legislators and there’s going to be a process over the next few weeks,” Colyer said. "I think that we can come to a solution."
Lawmakers had a harsh response when Brownback, in the State of the State speech, called for a huge increase in funding for schools without a long-term way to pay for it.
Colyer agrees the state can fund schools adequately without a tax increase, but he said he might move past Brownback’s ideas after considering an education cost study due in March.
“The governor had made some proposals. I think they’ve moved the ball some," Colyer said. "The Legislature is doing a study right now. Let’s get all the information on the table."
Colyer said he's also preparing legislation on government transparency and economic growth that he'll unveil after he takes over the executive branch.
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Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @KPRKoranda.
