Legislators approve budget bill for 2010
The House and the Senate passed a $13 billion budget bill on Tuesday. As soon as the bill was passed, the Dept. of Revenue released preliminary figures indicating that tax collections would be $57 million less than expected, creating an even larger deficit. “It’s going to get bleaker,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Kevin Yoder. “We’re going to have to make further reductions.”
"The Senate voted 35-5 for a bill containing the spending plan for the state’s 2010 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Hours later, the House approved the measure, 71-53, sending it to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
The final version of the budget bill was drafted by House and Senate negotiators, who reconciled dozens of difference between their chambers. But the Republican-controlled Legislature followed the Democratic governor’s plan to use $585 million in federal stimulus dollars to avoid a deficit in fiscal 2010.
Legislative researchers projected that the state would end fiscal 2010 with $172 million in cash reserves. But the estimate assumed revenues wouldn’t keep falling below expectations.
Instead, the Department of Revenue said, the state collected about $344 million in general tax revenues in March, when it expected $401 million. Legislative staff will have new budget projections by next week."
Read more from article:
