TOPEKA — The shoe dropped. This morning, Gov. Sam Brownback announced a series of immediate spending cuts called allotments and fund shifts to help the state avoid finishing this fiscal year in the red. The state has faced budget black hole caused by a series of income tax cuts pushed by Brownback. The allotments involve a 4 percent cut for all state departments, and universities and community colleges. Brownback would also cut the state’s employer’s contribution to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System by nearly 10 percent or nearly $41 million. Brownback also seeks to generate more than $200 million to cover the budget gap by shifting money around. However, those transfers would have to be approved by legislators. Among the shifts, Brownback seeks to take $96 million out of the transportation fund, and take $55 million from inspection and permit fees paid to the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment. He also seeks to take $15 million from the state’s tobacco fund, which has been used for preschool and children’s health programs. The allotments and shifts would only deal with this fiscal year. They don’t address the even larger shortfall already projected for the next fiscal year beginning July 1. Nor do they address an even larger shortfall that would occur when additional income tax cuts are scheduled to take effect July 1.
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 11 a.m.
