Bonds Authorized to Pay For Capitol Renovations

Kansas legislators have agreed to authorize
an additional $34 million in bonds to pay for the rising costs of
renovating the Statehouse.
House and Senate negotiators settled on the amount Wednesday
during their ongoing talks on a $14 billion spending plan for the
fiscal year beginning July 1.
The Senate’s version of the budget had authorized $55 million in
bonds. The House’s version included no bonds.
Legislators already have authorized $285 million in bonds for
the renovation. The project began in 2001 and is supposed to be
completed in 2013.
The $34 million in new bonds would cover the cost of replacing
the aging copper on the Statehouse’s leaky roof and dome. Also, the
state could finish construction already in progress in the rotunda
and north wing.