If Kansas lawmakers can’t reach a tax agreement soon, they could leave Topeka and let Gov. Sam Brownback make cuts to balance the budget. Both chambers have approved a budget, but have not agreed on a tax plan to fill a hole of around $400 million dollars.
Senate Republican Majority Leader Terry Bruce says the chance of lawmakers leaving the budget unbalanced increases if they haven’t reached a tax compromise in the next few days.
“It’d be the worst possible outcome at this point. I don’t think people have quite figured out what the full effect of that would be,” Bruce says.
The House’s Republican majority leader, JeneVickrey, says they’ll keep working to avoid leaving Topeka without a tax agreement.
The governor’s budget director outlined some of the possible cuts yesterday, including nearly $200 million from public schools and a reduction in corrections officers at state prisons.
