(Syndicated to Kansas newspapers April 25, 2016)
Legislators return to the Statehouse this week to consider whether they want to do some really politically ugly stuff to balance the state budget this year…or not.
It’s that simple.
The latest financial report shows that the state is going to have to come up with about $140 million—either new revenues (virtually impossible) or spending cuts, more likely—to get out of this fiscal year with a constitutionally required positive ending balance in the treasury. Doesn’t have to be much, just a few bucks give the state a constitutional balanced budget.
Now, there is talk about the two-year budget cycle, and that the state will need $151 million in higher revenues or budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year which starts July 1, but, well, we understand that the Legislature will meet again next year to work on that.