Kansas lawmakers decided to wrap up work for this week and take a four-day weekend. As KPR’s Stephen Koranda reports, the session was supposed to end last week, so legislators are already into overtime.
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There’s been deep division among lawmakers on tax and budget issues. Democratic state Representative Jim Ward says they likely wouldn’t have accomplished much if they had decided to work today (FRI).
“For the next four days, the Legislature doesn’t get paid. Hopefully, we go home, talk to constituents and get our head straight about what needs to move forward,” says Ward.
Each overtime workday costs the state of Kansas $43,000. But before leaving, lawmakers passed a bill suspending their pay for the four days they’ll be away from Topeka.