Kansas Mental
Health Coalition

REPRESENTATIVES ASK SENATE TO PREVENT STATE GOVERNMENT FURLOUGHS

June 05, 2015 11:00 AM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

As posted at www.kshouserepublicans.com Friday, June 5th, 2015 @ 9:08AM

TOPEKA–House leaders and House Republican legislators on Friday implored the Kansas Senate to pass the conference committee report on the state budget without delay to prevent state government furloughs.

The House passed the budget on Wednesday. Without Senate approval and a signature from Governor Brownback, non-essential state government workers in the executive branch will be furloughed beginning Monday.

“There is no time to waste. Kansans expect state government to be there for them when they need it, and state workers who provide valuable services should not have to endure furloughs because the Senate stalled on taking up the budget,” said House Speaker Ray Merrick (R-Stilwell). “While some parts of this process were unavoidably delayed, this budget plan was constructed over the course of months and the time to act is now.”

Meanwhile, tax negotiations in order to fill the roughly $348 million hole in the budget the House approved are ongoing.

“The unfortunate reality is that revenues will be raised this year because we made a commitment to K-12 schools not to cut their funding and we kept that promise with the budget we passed,” said House Majority Leader Jene Vickrey (R-Louisburg). “We scoured the other half of the budget for savings and we implemented them. Now we are going to find a tax compromise and get it passed.”

The budget passed by the House represents a 2.3 percent increase in FY 16 over the current fiscal year, and a .47 percent increase in FY 17. The slight increases represent funding for K-12 education, KPERS, and social services caseloads. The budget keeps Regents’ funding steady, and also includes a tuition freeze limited to the 2 percent over the rate of inflation. It also includes $3 million to fund an efficiency study that will identify further savings in state government to ensure the most effective use of taxpayer dollars. It imposes a 25 percent reduction on executive branch travel, as well as reduced subscriptions and advertising expenditures for agencies, in addition to other efficiencies.

“I applaud Senate President Susan Wagle in her efforts to push this process forward, and ask Senate Majority Leader Bruce to join her in the movement to debate and pass the budget we sent them,” said House Speaker Pro Tem Peggy Mast (R-Emporia).

Representatives who voted yes on the budget conference committee report and join with leadership in calling on the Senate to pass it as soon as possible include:

Rep. Bud Estes (R-Dodge City); Rep. Mike Houser (R-Columbus); Rep. James Todd (R-Overland Park); Rep. Jack Thimesch (R-Cunningham); Rep Gene Suellentrop (R-Wichita); Rep. Keith Esau (R-Olathe); Rep Lane Hemsley (R-Topeka); Rep. Becky Hutchins (R-Holton); Rep. Steven Johnson (R-Assaria); John Ewy (R-Jetmore); Rep. Sharon Schwartz (R-Washington); Rep. Kyle Hoffman (R-Coldwater); Rep. Mark Hutton (R-Wichita); Rep. Dan Hawkins (R-Wichita); Rep. Ron Highland (R-Wamego); Rep. Kent Thompson (R-Iola); Rep. Randy Powell (R-Olathe); Rep. Steve Alford (R-Ulysses); Rep. Steve Anthimides (R-Wichita); Rep. John Barker (R-Abilene); Rep. Tony Barton (R-Leavenworth); Rep. Rick Billinger (R-Goodland); Rep. Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill); Rep. Sue Boldra (R-Hays); Rep. Kristey Williams (R-Augusta); Rep. John Whitmer (R-Wichita); Rep. Chuck Smith (R-Pittsburg); Rep. Joe Seiwert (R-Pretty Prairie); Rep. Scott Schwab (R-Olathe); Rep. Steve Brunk (R-Wichita); Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady (R-Palco); Rep. Larry Campbell (R-Olathe); Rep. Blake Carpenter (R-Derby); Rep. Will Carpenter (R-El Dorado); Rep. Susan Concannon(R-Beloit); Rep. Ken Corbet (R-Topeka); Rep. Erin Davis (R-Olathe); Rep. Willie Dove (R-Bonner Springs); Rep. Dick Jones (R-Topeka); Rep. Jim Kelly (R-Independence); Rep. Jerry Lunn (R-Overland Park); Rep. Charles Macheers (R-Shawnee); Rep. Les Mason (R-McPherson); Rep. Les Osterman (R-Wichita); Rep. Jan Pauls (R-Hutchinson); Rep. Richard Proehl (R-Parsons); Rep. Marty Read (R-Mound City); Rep. Marc Rhoades (Newton); Rep. Ron Ryckman Sr. (R-Meade); Don Schroeder (R-Inman); Dennis Hedke (R-Wichita).

 



(c) Kansas Mental Health Coalition, P.O. Box 4744, Topeka, KS  66604  785-969-1617

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