Kansas lawmakers are back in the Statehouse for the veto session, where they’re considering how to deal with a budget deficit. As KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports, how they try to tackle the issue could determine how long they’re in Topeka.
Republican Rep. Barbara Bollier suspects it could be a brief veto session.
“I expect short and I expect very little to happen,” Bollier says.
Bollier would like to amend Kansas tax cuts passed in recent years to balance the budget. But some conservative lawmakers and the governor do not like that idea. Bollier suspects they could leave town quickly and let the governor make budget amendments himself.
“I think this is something he needs to deal with,” she says.
Republican Ron Ryckman chairs the House Appropriations Committee. He expects they will dig into the budget issues, but he says it’s too early to tell what angle they’ll take.
“How we can build consensus will determine if it’s a short time here or a more extended time,” Ryckma says.
A fight over taxes and the budget could be a recipe for a longer veto session.
