Kansas

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    • Headlines : Kansas

      State senators propose adding rainy-day fund to constitution

      The Wichita Eagle | by Adam Strunk | January 30, 2012

      Under the proposal, the state would be required to deposit up to 1 percent of its budget into the account when the state has a year-end balance of 3 percent or more. When the account reaches 15 percent of the previous year’s tax revenue, the state would not be required to continue to make deposits.

    • Headlines : Kansas

      Brownback releases a tight Kansas budget proposal

      The Kansas City Star | January 12, 2012

      The proposed Kansas budget plan calls for spending a little less than $6.1 billion in general state revenues on government programs, compared to a little more than $6.1 billion under the current budget. The difference is about $39 million, or a little less than 1 percent.

    • Kansas

      Kansas legislators feel the calm before taxes, school funding and pension storm

      Kansas Reporter | by Gene Meyer | January 10, 2012

      Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback offered a new glimpse at his still undisclosed state budget plan  as lawmakers formally convened the 2012 Legislature and Brownback announced a plan to provide $20.5 million in new funding for career and technical education in the state's elementary and high schools.

    • Headlines : Kansas

      State awaits governor's tax plan

      The Topeka Capital-Journal | by Andy Marso | January 8, 2012

      Gov. Sam Brownback wants cuts to state income taxes, which he said will spur growth, which in turn will allow more cuts.

    • Headlines : Kansas

      In Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback puts tea party tenets into action with sharp cuts

      The Washington Post | by Annie Gowen | December 22, 2011

      In the upcoming legislative session, Gov. Sam Brownback plans to roll out proposals to change the way schools in Kansas are funded, taxes are levied and state pensions are administered.

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    Anticipated state budget gap for FY 2011: $550 million
    The Kansas City Star, January 5, 2011

     

    KS 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/

     

     

    Duane Goossen, 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

     

    2012 Legislative Calendar: Regular Session convenes January 9, adjourns March 31.

     

    Legislative Budget Leaders:
    Rep. Marc Rhoades (R), Chair, House Committee on Appropriations, marc.rhoades@house.ks.gov 785-296-7682

    Rep. Kasha Kelley (R), Vice-Chair, House Committee on Appropriations, kasha.kelley@house.ks.gov 785-296-7671

    Rep. Joe McLeland (R), Chair, House Committee on General Government Budget, joe.mcleland@house.ks.gov 785-296-7681

    Rep. Pete DeGraaf (R), Vice-Chair, House Committee on General Government Budget, pete.degraaf@house.ks.gov 316-777-0715

    Rep. Mitch Holmes (R), Chair, House Committee on Pensions and Benefits, mitch.holmes@house.ks.gov 785-296-7667

    Rep. John Grange (R), Vice-Chair, House Committee on Pensions and Benefits, john.grange@house.ks.gov 785-296-7655

    Rep. Richard Carlson (R), Chair, House Committee on Taxation, richard.carlson@house.ks.gov 785-296-7660

    Rep. Marvin Kleeb (R), Vice-Chair, House Committee on Taxation, marvin.kleeb@house.ks.gov 785-296-7680

    Sen. Carolyn McGinn (R), Chair, Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Carolyn.McGinn@senate.ks.gov 785-296-7377

    Sen. John Vratil (R), Vice-Chair, Senate Committee on Ways and Means, John.Vratil@senate.ks.gov 785-296-7361

    Rep. Sharon Schwartz (R), Chair, Joint Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Benefits, sharon.schwartz@house.ks.gov 785-296-7637

    Sen. Steve Morris (R), Vice-Chair, Joint Committee on Pensions Investments, and Benefits, Steve.Morris@senate.ks.gov 785-296-2419

     

     

    The current state budget can be found here.

     

    kansas budget trends graph

     

    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.

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    • Solutions: Kansas

      A Budget Stabilization Plan for Kansas

      The Kansas Policy Institute | by Barry W. Poulson | November 29, 2011

      This study proposes a budget stabilization plan for Kansas, which is a rules-based approach to state budgeting. A tax-and-expenditure rule is linked to rules for the disposition of surplus revenue. Under a rules-based approach to budgeting, surplus revenue is used to meet emergencies, stabilize the budget over the business cycle and/or earmarked to fund one-time capital projects. Once those needs are met, remaining surplus revenue is returned to taxpayers in rebates or used to reduce tax rates.

    • Solutions: Colorado, Kansas

      State Pension Funds Fall Off a Cliff

      by Barry Paulson, Arthur Hall | January 28, 2011

      This study examines different measures of historical and current funding shortfalls in state pension plans. Two case studies are examined in greater depth to explore some fatal flaws that have caused funding crises in these plans: Public Employee Retirement Association of Colorado (PERA) and the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System (KPERS).

    • Solutions: Kansas

      Commonsense Budget Proposal

      April 14, 2010

      The Commonsense Budget for Kansas provides some specific examples of the application of these commonsense fiscal policies to agencies and programs to give citizens and law makers a roadmap on how to weather the current economic downturn as well as reduce Kansas' individual income tax rate.

    • Kansas

      Kansas legislators feel the calm before taxes, school funding and pension storm

      Kansas Reporter | by Gene Meyer | January 10, 2012

      Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback offered a new glimpse at his still undisclosed state budget plan  as lawmakers formally convened the 2012 Legislature and Brownback announced a plan to provide $20.5 million in new funding for career and technical education in the state's elementary and high schools.

    • Kansas

      In Kansas, Gov. Sam Brownback puts tea party tenets into action with sharp cuts

      The Washington Post | by Annie Gowen | December 22, 2011

      In the upcoming legislative session, Gov. Sam Brownback plans to roll out proposals to change the way schools in Kansas are funded, taxes are levied and state pensions are administered.

    • Kansas

      Retirement plans for state's hires may change

      The Wichita Eagle | by Brent D. Wistrom | December 8, 2011

      Future employees in the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System and those who aren't vested by July 2013 would have 401K-style investments under a defined contribution plan recommended by the KPERS Study Commission.

    • Kansas

      Analysis: Pension woes likely to linger

      The Topeka Capital-Journal | by John Hanna | December 5, 2011

      A commission created this year to consider changes for the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System is grappling with the knowledge that whatever it proposes, closing the system's long-term funding gap is likely to squeeze the state budget for years.

    • Kansas

      Kansas Legislature’s Legal Authority to Modify the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)

      by John L. Utz | November 29, 2011

      Report explaining the Kansas legislature's ability to make modifications to benefits under the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, and specifically describing the legislature's ability to provide for lesser benefits than are currently provided under KPERS.

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