Governor Brownback speaking with reporters last month. (Photo by Stephen Koranda) Governor Sam Brownback says his office has officially received the state budget and he’s in the process of reviewing it. In Kansas, the governor has the power of line-item veto, meaning he can strike individual items from the budget. Brownback says he’s considering his options.
One thing that won't be available for line-item veto is a reduction in funding to the state's universities. Brownback had pushed to hold funding for higher education level, but lawmakers included significant cuts. Staff at the Legislative Research Department say that the governor will not be able to individually strike down those cuts because of the way the budget is written.