TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas officials have issued a new fiscal forecast that boosts projected tax collections by a total of $540 million through June 2019. Republican Governor Jeff Colyer's budget director and Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka said Friday that the higher revenue projections mean that the state can afford a public school funding plan passed by lawmakers earlier this month. But Republican Senate President Susan Wagle of Wichita immediately called for income tax cuts. The new forecast predicts that Kansas will collect $6.7 billion in taxes during the current budget year. That's almost $226 million more than predicted under a forecast issued in November. Forecasters predict the state will collect $6.9 billion in taxes during the budget year beginning in July. That's almost $315 million more than previously predicted.
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