Tagged: state budget

Kansas House and Senate negotiators have delayed the start of talks aimed at smoothing out differences between the budgets passed in each chamber.

The meeting originally scheduled for early Monday afternoon was canceled because the Senate had not yet officially appointed that chamber's three negotiators.

The Kansas House and Senate have passed their versions of both budget and tax plans, but there's still plenty of work ahead. The two chambers will now try to smooth out differences between the plans.

Conference committees made up of three members from each chamber will work to find a compromise between the different bills. Both chambers will then consider the compromise legislation.

Senate approves $14B budget; Bill would allow open carry anywhere in Kansas; Committee authorizes bonds to pay KPERS debt.

Kansas Senate Approves $14B Budget

The Kansas Senate has given final approval to a $14 billion budget for the next fiscal year.

Thursday's 24-16 vote sends the measure to the House, which approved its own budget bill Wednesday. Negotiators from the two chambers are expected to begin meeting next week to work out a final version.

The Kansas House has given first-round approval to a bill cutting sales and income taxes after rejecting a diversion of highway funds to stabilize the budget.

The bill advanced Wednesday on an 82-37 vote, suggesting it has enough support to pass on final action, which is expected Thursday.

The legislation follows up on personal income tax cuts enacted last year by promising income tax rate reductions each year that overall state revenues grow more than 2 percent.

Also, the bill allows the state sales tax to decline as scheduled in July.