Hold on tight. We?re in for a rocky budget year in the Kansas Legislature. Legislative researchers project the state will end its current fiscal year on June 30 with a $141 million budget deficit. They also say if the problems aren?t addressed, the shortfall between anticipated revenue and current spending commitments will surpass $1 billion by June 30, 2010.
Kansas collected 7.2 percent less than anticipated in general tax revenue in December, a sign that its budget problems might not have hit bottom.
Gov. Sebelius has indicated that not even schools will be safe from cuts, and will that hit all of us close to home. Our hope is that the budget crisis will be met with bipartisan cooperation in Topeka. There?s going to be enough blood on the floor the way it is. ?DR
