Kansas

  • In The News
  • Background
  • Issues
  • Solutions
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  • Commentary
    • Headlines

      State Budget Transparency: A Look Behind the Numbers

      RealClear Markets | by Tracy Gordon | June 19, 2013

      Most states are now wrapping up their 2013-2014 budget cycles, and apparently they're in good shape too. But thanks to the lack of budget transparency, state and local governments are estimated to owe up to $4 trillion more than they have set aside for pensions and retiree health care.

    • Policy Brief

      Financial Incentives Are The "Core" Of New Education Standards

      State Budget Solutions | by Bob Williams, Joe Luppino-Esposito | June 18, 2013

      The implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative is forcing states to determine when a “good offer” becomes an offer that cannot be refused. This report will explain the issues, in terms of both finances and fedearlism, surrounding the adoption of the Commone Core.

    • Research

      Public Sector Pension Reform: Addressing Pressing Fiscal Realities from a Long-Term Perspective

      TIAA-CREF Institute | by Thomas L. Gais and Paul J. Yakoboski | June 17, 2013

      There are persistent fiscal and demographic challenges in most states. The public sector workforce is aging as the baby boom cohort moves towards and into traditional retirement ages. Budgetary pressures at the state and local level make it difficult to increase plan funding and maintain the size of the public sector workforce.

    • Headlines

      Report Says State Budget Surpluses Don't Mean That Much

      Governing | by Ryan Holeywell | June 17, 2013

      A new study shows that many states could end the current fiscal year with surpluses in their general funds. While that may seem like good news, it's probably too early to get excited. That's because those positive numbers are largely the result of one-time influxes of tax revenue that came when investors sold off assets late last calendar year to avoid higher federal tax rates that came in 2013.

    • Headlines

      State pensions in America: Ruinous Promises

      The Economist | June 14, 2013

      States cannot pretend to be in good financial health unless they tackle pensions.

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    Budget timeline: Annual (although smaller agencies may receive biennial budgets)

    Fiscal Year starts: July 1

    Find the current state budget here.

    Find the legislative session calendar here.

    Find the current legislative leaders here.

     

     

    Gov. BrownbackGov. Sam Brownback
    Office of Governor Sam Brownback
    State Capitol
    2nd Floor
    Topeka, KS 66612-1590
    Phone: (785) 296-3232
    Fax: (785) 296-7973
    http://governor.ks.gov/

     

     

    Steve Anderson, Director of the Budget
    Division of the Budget
    900 SW Jackson, Suite 504
    Landon State Office Building
    Topeka, KS 66612
    Phone (785) 296-2436
    Fax: (785) 296-0231
    http://budget.ks.gov/
    budget.info@budget.ks.gov
    steve.anderson@budget.ks.gov

     

     

    Kansas is required to pass a "balanced budget." Section 75-3722 of the state law requires the "secretary of administration, on advice of the director of the budget, must assure that expenditures for any particular fiscal year will not exceed the available resources of the general fund or any special revenue fund for that fiscal year." Kansas law forbids the carrying over of a deficit from one year to the next.

     

    The State has five major governmental funds: the General Fund, the Transportation Fund, the Transportation-Capital Projects Fund, the Health Policy Authority Fund, and the Social and Rehabilitation Fund. Annual budgets are adopted on a cash basis with encumbrance modifications for all governmental funds. All major funds are budgeted except for the Transportation-Capital Projects Fund.  [from the Institute for Truth in Accounting]

     

    Find the state's bond ratings here.

     

    Kansas Policy Inst. Logo

    • Solutions:

      How Reality-Based Budgeting Can Permanently Resolve State Budget Gaps

      State Budget Solutions | by Bob Williams | November 7, 2012

      State Budget Solutions recommends that state legislators take action in 2013 to resolve the serious state financial crises by changing their focus from inputs to outcomes by redesigning budgets from the ground up based on priorities and performance.

    • Solutions:

      How to Prevent Future Pension Crises

      by Cory Eucalitto | November 1, 2012

      The time for state and local governments to offer defined contribution retirement plans that protect both taxpayer dollars and public employee retirement security is now.

    • Solutions:

      State Lawmaker’s Guide to Evaluating Medicaid Expansion Projections

      The Heritage Foundation | by Edmund F. Haislmaier and Drew Gonshorowski | October 17, 2012

      Supporters of Obamacare claim that expanding Medicaid will entail little to no cost to state governments, since the federal government will fund the vast majority of the additional costs. Indeed, some analyses project states achieving savings from adopting the expansion. However, state lawmakers should be wary of accepting such analyses at face value.

    • Solutions:

      Medicaid Is Broken—Let the States Fix It

      The Wall Street Journal | by Paul Howard and Russell Sykes | October 15, 2012

      Block-granting Medicaid is the best way to deliver better, cost-effective care to the most vulnerable Americans.

    • Solutions:

      The Case for Reform: Prisons

      Right on Crime | August 1, 2012

      Prisons are supremely important, but they are also a supremely expensive government program, and thus prison systems must be held to the highest standards of accountability.

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