The head of the Senate's budget-writing committee, Ty Masterson (left, R-Andover), speaks while the chair of the House budget-writing committee, Marc Rhoades (R-Newton), listens. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)
It was an unusual day (THUR) at the Kansas Statehouse, as Republicans from the House and Senate gathered to smooth out differences between the two chambers on tax and budget issues. Some lawmakers said it had been at least seven years since Republicans from the two chambers met as a group to discuss policy. Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, heads the Kansas Senate budget committee.
Reaching a compromise has been difficult, since the budget bills in the Kansas House and Senate have been predicting different levels of future economic growth for the state. Senate President Susan Wagle says it may be too late in the week to reach a consensus and have the bills ready for a vote over the weekend.