Government

A top Kansas Democrat is criticizing Republican Gov. Sam Brownback and GOP legislative leaders for holding private talks to resolve tax issues.

Kansas lawmakers returned to the Statehouse on Wednesday, but reached the weekend having made little progress on the major issues that remain for this legislative session.

Gov. Sam Brownback's chief of staff says the latest cost estimates for a new, national biosecurity lab and commitments from federal officials about its funding are "pretty solid."

The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved a bill Wednesday that authorizes an additional $202 million in bonds for a national bio-defense lab, but only after adding limits designed to address concerns by conservative Republicans.

Kansas has authorized $105 million in bonds for the National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility at Kansas State University. Gov. Brownback and his aides have noted that in 2009,l  Kansas agreed  to pick up part of the cost as it and multiple states competed for the project.

Kansas lawmakers just returned to the Statehouse on Wednesday, but already it looks like a disagreement on taxes could push the session past lawmakers' 80-day deadline.

House and Senate Republicans disagree on whether to extend a temporary sales tax increase. It's set to expire on July 1, and House leaders want to let it end as planned. Republican leaders in both chambers want to lower income tax rates, and Senators say keeping the sales tax elevated allows the state to lower income tax rates more quickly.