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Kansas Senate Committee Votes To Block Tax Dollars Going To KU Project

Stephen Koranda
/
KPR

A state Senate committee has voted to put a major construction project at the University of Kansas on hold, at least temporarily. Some lawmakers are unhappy with how KU financed the plan to construct new buildings on the Lawrence campus. As KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports, more than $300 million in bonds were issued.

Republican Sen. Tom Arpke says KU officials didn’t give them enough information, so his amendment is aimed at blocking payments for the project from state funding or student tuition.

“We can remove this at any time, but until we get an answer to this committee’s questions I think it would be imprudent to allow this project to go forward,” Arpke says.

Democratic Sen. Marci Francisco calls the move an assault on KU. She points out that KU officials are scheduled to speak to the committee later today, just a day after Arpke blasted them for not providing information.

“It’s on the calendar to hear about this. So for the argument to be ‘we don’t know anything about this’ seems a little awkward,” Francisco says.

KU officials have said state tax dollars won’t be used for the project.

Stephen Koranda is the managing editor of the Kansas News Service, based at KCUR. He has nearly 20 years of experience in public media as a reporter and editor.