We just finished debating the budget bill in the Kansas House of Representatives until 4:00 am. We go back into session today at 1:00 pm. I wanted to send you this update. I'm a little tired and "blurry eyed" at this point.
You will read in the papers that a budget has been adopted by the House that spends $300 million more than we have revenue. Here is what you may not read in the papers.
We have an open public committee process. It is the most democratic process in the world. The appropriations bill was introduced and assigned to the House appropriations committee that started work last January. The budget is divided into sub-committees all of which have open hearings. Notice of the hearings are posted and announced publicly. Any one interested can attend and speak. All of the people that might be interested attend including the agencies representatives, the general public and the press. The bill is fully vented. We use this process so we can hear from anyone.
The House appropriations plan increased state spending for education. It started with the use of the savings accounts each school district has, a total of around 1.5 billion. It also removed the strings attached to the various local district funds. This alone would benefit our local district to the tune of $9 million. The plan included the selling of state assets that would add another $170 million to statewide K-12 education. The bill as it came to the floor added $86 million new money over last year. House Republicans offered a floor amendment adding another $86 million. The two $86 million dollar figures backfilled the hole created when the federal government cut its aid to our schools this year.
This fully funded the schools and all without a tax increase.
A "tax and spend" coalition of about 20 Republicans and all the Democrats voted this package down. The "tax and spend" coalition introduced a floor amendment that would not balance the budget but spend $300 million more than we have setting us up for a huge tax increase. Their plan was created behind closed doors, Washington DC style. Unlike Congress we have the option to force them to go line by line on the floor which we did. It was a long hard fight. We won the debate and lost the vote. The bill passed.
We go back into session today. The "tax and spend" coalition will attempt to push into law the largest tax increase in the history of the state including increases in sales taxes, property taxes, fees, borrowed money and fee sweeps.
I will oppose this "tax and spend" coalition.
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