By Tim Carpenter, Topeka Capital-Journal, May 06, 2010
A bipartisan contingent of House members laid out an alternative state budget Thursday requiring a $300 million tax increase and allocation of new funding to public education, social services and public safety programs targeted for cuts by the Republican House leadership.
The $13.6 billion measure didn't come to a vote after several hours of debate because the House adjourned to allow several members to attend a funeral. The House will reconvene Friday to resume consideration of the 417-page amendment, and a flood of other possible tweaks, as the Legislature moves haltingly toward conclusion of the 2010 session.
Rep. Bill Feuerborn, D-Garnett, presented the 13-piece budget amendment drafted by moderate Republicans and Democrats, which didn't contain the requisite tax element, to a chamber that two days ago overwhelmingly defeated, 45-74, the budget recommended by the GOP-controlled House Appropriations Committee. That rejected version wouldn't raise state taxes but made huge cuts in spending to reflect a projected $500 million shortfall in state tax revenue.
"There will have to be revenue," Feuerborn said. "This is going to take a revenue increase."
A mixture of tax options have been kicked around the Statehouse, but the most likely element of a tax proposal would be an increase in the statewide sales tax from 5.3 percent to 6.3 percent for three years.
Appropriations Committee Chairman Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park, said the alternative bill was written behind closed doors in contrast to the original Senate Bill 572 developed during four months of House meetings among legislators, government officials, special-interest advocates and ordinary Kansas citizens.
"Here we are on Thursday afternoon dealing with a whole series of amendments," Yoder said. "I do have concerns about the process."
"We have to discuss a budget bill," Feuerborn said. "We didn't pass your budget bill."
Democratic Gov. Mark Parkinson warned lawmakers he would veto any budget for the coming fiscal year that relied on budget cuts to balance.
Feuerborn's bill added $85 million for K-12 public schools, more than $22 million to pay state employee longevity bonuses and adjusts wages for distinctly underpaid state workers, and corrected an $11 million mistake in distribution of state fuel tax revenue that shorted Shawnee County by $5.3 million.
"I believe it's a fairness issue," he said. "There were counties that received more money than they should have."
He said the bill inserted $1.7 million to reopen Stockton Correctional Facility to deal with overcrowding in the prison system and earmarked $270,000 to continue psychological evaluations of sex offenders preparing for parole to determine if any are likely to commit more violent crimes. It also included $23 million set aside by the GOP House leadership for Kansans with developmental and physical disabilities, but voids the 5 percent salary reduction imposed under the plan rejected two days ago.
The alternative dropped a House-passed ban on Planned Parenthood receiving federal funding for family planning services. The previous measure would limit the funding to health departments and clinics other than Planned Parenthood.
Conservative Republicans in the House criticized Feuerborn for advancing a budget proposal necessitating a large tax hike at a time when the economy remained shaky.
"We're at the precipice of making a very dangerous decision," said Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe.
"We're asking our Kansas families to be more efficient with the dollars they have yet we're unwilling to do the same," said Rep. Kasha Kelley, R-Arkansas City.
Tim Carpenter can be reached at(785) 296-3005 or timothy.carpenter@cjonline.com.