By John Milburn, Associated Press, March 11, 2011
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback said Friday that he would use his constitutional authority to immediately slash $56.5 million in spending from the current budget after fellow Republicans who overwhelmingly control both chambers of the Legislature have been unable agree on cuts.
Brownback declined to offer details about what programs would be cut but said he hoped the reductions do not result in layoffs and suggested reimbursement for Medicaid health care services would not be affected. The governor said he would have a list of spending reductions ready by the close of business Friday.
"I wish we didn't have to do this," Brownback said. "It's been difficult, but it's something we need to do."
Brownback's cuts would get the state's budget to zero for the fiscal year, assuming revenue collections through June meet expectations. The Constitution gives the governor the authority to impose budget cuts, but only to get to zero, not create a cushion.
The governor asked legislators during his Jan. 12 State of the State address to send him a bill that would cut spending and give Kansas $35 million in reserve to carry forward. Those dollars are necessary with the state facing a projected deficit in 2012 of $493 million.
"We must return fiscal sanity to government," Brownback said Friday. "We must grow our economy to have resources to work with."
The House and Senate passed rival versions of a cuts bill in February. Negotiators have since failed to reach a compromise, partly because the House's 92 Republicans are collectively more conservative than their 31 Senate counterparts, who want fewer reductions and more protections for K-12 education.
Brownback informed legislative leaders earlier this week that he would take matters in his own hands if negotiators couldn't agree on a bill. Talks appeared to break down Thursday evening over differences about how much of a revenue cushion to leave the state heading to the next fiscal year.
Complicating the negotiations has been a shortfall in special education funding. The state must increase its spending levels for the program by about $21 million in the current year or face the loss of federal funding in future years. Legislators propose funding the gap by delaying a payment due to the pension fund for teachers and reducing the base aid per pupil that is distributed to the 289 Kansas school districts.
Brownback's original proposal would have cut schools $75 per pupil in the current year and another $157 per pupil in 2012 to balance the budget. The reduction is partly due to the expiration of federal stimulus dollars Kansas used in recent years to maintain education spending.
House and Senate negotiators blamed each other for the stalled talks.
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Marc Rhoades, a Newton Republican, urged negotiators to continue their discussions. But senators considered the negotiations finished, and the chamber's GOP leaders said there's no point in continuing work on the current budget.
"Even if they should come back and say, 'Oh, we've changed our mind. We'll agree to what you want, and we'll support it,' I think there's a lack of trust that now makes it very difficult to continue those negotiations," said Sen. John Vratil, a Leawood Republican and one of the negotiators.
Democrats laid blame at the feet of Republican legislators, saying they left the governor no other choice. Rep. Bill Feuerborn, a Garnett Democrat and member of the House budget negotiating team, said he was disappointed no agreement was reached.
"It's unprecedented that any governor be forced to make allotments in the middle of a session due to the inaction of members of his own party," said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka. "The Grand Old Party is floundering."