The Kansas budget crisis doesn’t seem to be letting up.
As The Wichita Eagle reports, the Sunflower State missed its September revenue estimates by nearly $45 million. State lawmakers are now asking Governor Sam Brownback to act swiftly to fix the issue. Kansas is only three months into the current fiscal year, and the state is already in the hole by almost $70 million total.
In the short term, more budget cuts will likely be necessary to fill the gap. A spokesman for the governor says he is not planning to institute any budget cuts at this time. Brownback is choosing instead to wait until January when the legislature returns. Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Democrat from Topeka, criticized the governor’s delay. “I believe he should take action now as opposed to waiting until after the elections,” Hensley said.