The Kansas House has approved its version of the budget for 2012. After a marathon session yesterday (THUR), the House voted 69-52 to approve the package, which includes about 6 billion dollars in state spending. The proposal would leave the state with around 80 million dollars at the end of the fiscal year. House Speaker Mike O’Neal, a Hutchinson Republican, was happy with the outcome.
Paul Davis of Lawrence is the top Democrat in the House. He wasn’t satisfied with millions of dollars in cuts to social services and school funding.
Complicating matters is yesterday's (THUR) revenue report for March showing the state missed a tax collection estimate by 19 million dollars. The Senate approved its version of the budget on Tuesday. Negotiators will meet in the coming weeks to iron out differences between the bills, before lawmakers return to the Statehouse in late April.