TOPEKA – Gov. Mark Parkinson ordered steep cuts in funding that will affect schools, roads, state agencies, and elderly and poor people, to cover a $260 million budget gap. Parkinson said there is no fat being cut and now the cuts will start to cripple services.He said he expects some schools to begin laying off teachers and increasing the size of classrooms, closing schools, more cuts in professors at state universities, and disabled citizens to be placed on waiting lists for services. Cuts include road maintenance, parole and probation supervision, the Department of Agriculture, Historical Society, the Bioscience Authority. Parkinson said the cuts could have been worse but he will dip into economic stimulus funds that were intended for next year’s budget.
