Sullivan defended Brownback’s decision not to include proposals on corrections officers’ pay or Highway Patrol troopers.
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“In 2011, I signed legislation stopping most taxpayer funding from going to Planned Parenthood”, Brownback continued.
Turnover among uniformed officers at prisons has risen to almost 30 percent with pay starting at $13.61 an hour.
The patrol wants to increase the state’s vehicle title fee to $17.50 from $10 to raise the funds for filling 75 trooper positions.
Sam Brownback (R) announced Tuesday that Kansas will block Planned Parenthood from receiving state Medicaid funds. Budget Director Shawn Sullivan says state highways are in good shape. Brownback says efficiencies will keep it from impacting major projects.
The authority’s board voted last month to rely on private-sector support for its investments, and Brownback’s budget would eliminate the state’s remaining $7 million commitment. Governors and legislators have repeatedly diverted highway funds to general government programs in the past to help cover budget shortfalls.
But it does include a number of other spending cuts, fund transfers and accounting changes, including a proposal to liquidate the portfolio of the Kansas Bioscience Authority, to make up for shortfalls in sales, income and severance taxes that have threatened to put the general fund in red ink.
“We’re pleased with where the session has started”, he said, noting that if the governor’s budget passes, it will be the third consecutive year of “stable” funding for the university.
Brownback’s administration projects that his proposals would leave the state with cash reserves of $88 million at the end of June 2017.
Republican Gov. Sam Brownback drew strong criticism Wednesday from Democrats and advocates over his proposal to overhaul how some children’s programs are financed.
The state faces a projected $190 million deficit in the state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, who serves on the Senate budget committee.
His proposals call for diverting $51 million from the Children’s Initiatives Fund to general government programs.
The funding for the children’s programs comes from tobacco lawsuit settlements in the 1990s.
It wasn’t immediately clear from a summary provided by the governor’s office what happens to the programs financed from the fund.
The state has struggled to balance its budget since Brownback successfully pushed the GOP-dominated Legislature to slash personal income taxes in 2012 and 2013 in an effort to stimulate the economy.
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The governor spoke about the measure on Tuesday during his State of the State address.
