KS House Rejects Funding Bill

The Kansas House has rejected a bill that would have raised income taxes and increased spending on public schools.

The vote Monday was 91-32 against a bill that would have raised more than $1 billion over two years with higher taxes. The measure also would have phased in a $293 million increase in aid to public schools over two years.

Republican leaders tied tax and school funding measures together in a single bill to make it easier to pass a tax increase. But Democrats and many Republicans objected to the tactic.

Legislative researchers also projected that the bill might not quite close projected budget shortfalls totaling $889 million through June 2019.

The spending increase was a response to a Kansas Supreme Court ruling in March that education funding is inadequate.