Kan. House Tables Tax Hike, Tackles Budget

The Kansas House has taken up a proposed $13.6 billion state budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

The proposal is backed by Democrats and moderate Republicans and spends about the same amount as a budget bill approved earlier this week by the Senate.

House members debated the budget for a few hours Thursday and resumed the debate Friday.

The proposal would require new revenue to avoid a deficit in the fiscal year that starts July 1. The Senate has approved an increase in the state sales tax to raise about $314 million, but the House tabled that bill after brief debate Friday.

The House’s 69-52 vote to table it indicated supporters of raising taxes weren’t ready, perhaps because they worried about being short of votes.