As Kansas lawmakers return to the Statehouse on Monday, some major issues will hang like a cloud over the legislative session.
First is a ruling by the Kansas Supreme Court that says the state hasn’t been adequately funding schools. Complying with that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars and plunge the state budget back into the red.
The second issue is when Gov. Sam Brownback will step down, and how Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer will handle things when he takes over.
Related: What's Ahead For The 2018 Kansas Legislature?
When Brownback was nominated for a job in the Trump administration in July, most people thought the transition would take place well before the end of the year.
But the confirmation process has dragged on, and that has created some confusion about who’s making policy and budget decisions.
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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.
