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Attorney General Steve Six worries that some crimes in Kansas may stay unsolved longer because of budget problems facing the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
FY 2009 Budget Update
February 22, 2009
The FY 2009 budget, approved by the House late last week, reached the Governor’s desk this Tuesday. The Governor signed the bill into law as soon as she received it on Tuesday afternoon, but she did exercise her authority to issue line item vetoes. Final cuts in the FY 2009 budget totaled approximately $300 million and will satisfactorily fill the budget gap we face in the current fiscal year.
The governor issued the following line item vetoes:
- Reductions to Kansas schools. As I have been reporting the last few weeks, a $66 base state aid per pupil reduction would have had a devastating impact on Kansas schools so late in the school year. Under the $66 reduction, 48 schools would have been operating in the red by the end of the fiscal year. The Governor adjusted the cut to $33 base state aid per pupil, which is the amount originally agreed upon in the Senate and by several members of the House. She also preserved $4.5 million in special education money, which may be a requirement to receive federal stimulus money.
- KPERS debt service. Restructuring of the KPERS bond must be approved by the State Finance Council. Because this has not yet happened, the Governor was forced to veto the transfer.
- $2.5 million in additional funding for the Wichita Center for Graduate Medical Education (WCGME). The Governor had already included $2.5 million in additional funding for WCGME in the revised fiscal year 2009 budget. The governor vetoed the additional money which was added by the Legislature on top of the original $2.5 million.
- Transfer limitation of Health Care Stabilization Fund and Kansas Bioscience Authority. The Governor’s original budget stopped the transfer of money to the Health Care Stabilization Fund as one method for preserving the State General Fund. Additionally, the Kansas Bioscience Authority confirmed earlier this year that they could operate under the proposed transfer limitation, which is why the Governor restored her original recommendation to limit transfers to this agency as well.
I was very pleased that the governor took immediate action on the bill. Now that the 2009 budget debate has been settled, we must swiftly begin working through the 2010 budget. This process was drastically delayed by disputes over 2009 reductions, but I am hopeful all lawmakers will return to the table to negotiate responsible appropriations in 2010 that will also protect our most important investments.