Kansas senators will consider a budget-balancing plan for the current fiscal year that avoids cuts, but Thursday's debate will likely also include some talk of budget trimming.
Senate President Susan Wagle’s office says she’s planning to propose some across-the-board cuts for Kansas government, including education.
It’s not clear how much support the plan might get. Some lawmakers, including Republican Senator Ty Masterson, say they should be considering spending cuts to balance the budget.
“I’m always interested in the idea of shrinking government,” says Masterson.
But Masterson wants ongoing cuts to fix budgets in the coming years. Anything less won’t be enough cutting for him.
“They’re bringing up a bill that’s only addressing 2017. This session is about ’18 and ’19,” says Masterson.
Some other senators want to avoid cuts to K-12 and higher education. They say making cuts this late in the fiscal year is especially difficult for schools and state agencies.
Stephen Koranda has more: