Kansas Lawmakers Make Progress in Budget Talks

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Kansas legislators have been settling small

differences between the House and Senate over a proposed $14.1

billion state budget.

Three negotiators from each chamber continued talks Tuesday on

the spending plan for the fiscal year that beginning July 1. They

must resolve dozens of disagreements to draft the budget’s final

version.

The talks began Monday and are expected to continue all week.

The negotiators agreed not to appropriate tax dollars to cover a

shortfall in fees collected by the state’s court system, caused by

fewer case filings than expected.

That was the House’s position. The Senate had added $1.2 million

to cover the shortfall.

The budget for the next fiscal year is likely to cut overall

state spending by at least $570 million, or about 4 percent.