Marc Rhoades, chair of the House Appropriations Committee. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)Lawmakers capped the legislative session by passing a budget yesterday (SUN). The $14 billion spending plan includes a $40 million boost in education funding. But some legislators said it didn’t do enough to reverse cuts to state services made in recent years. Representative Tom Moxley is a Republican from Council Grove.
The budget also keeps millions of dollars in the bank. Representative Marc Rhoades chairs the House Appropriations Committee. The Newton Republican says he believes a tax cut waiting to be signed into law will create economic growth, but state tax collections could fall before that happens. Rhoades says a healthy ending balance will help the state get through that period.
Legislators left the redistricting process unfinished. They left Topeka without coming to agreement on maps to redraw congressional and legislative districts. That issue will now be settled by the courts.