While on a five-week break, Rep. Kent Thompson will keep in the know with what occurs in Topeka — particularly state finances.
The regular session came to a halt last Thursday afternoon, with a school finance bill passed on the 67th day of the Legislature’s regular 90-day session. Senators and representatives return on April 27 to wrap up this year’s business.
“Between now and then I’ll closely monitor state revenues,” said Thompson, including forecasts that tax income for March will fall short of estimates. February’s income was $54 million short. That led Gov. Sam Brownback to slice $17.4 million from higher education funding, and make overtures about other means necessary to make budget, none of which include eliminating tax breaks.
If March revenues fall short, Thompson thinks the state’s Consensus Revenue Estimating Group — a consortium of highly placed economists — will lower estimated revenues for the remainder of fiscal 2016 as well as 2017.
What then? “Good question,” Thompson said.
According to Thompson, some leaders are frustrated to the point they would gladly leave the problem at the doorstep of Gov. Sam Brownback.
Trouble is, his likely remedy would be to further cut essential programs and services in his zeal to maintain the 2012 tax cuts.
All services, from education to highways to social services, have been cut to the bone, Thompson allowed.
“We can’t do that,” Thompson said in concession to reality. “It is the Legislature’s responsibility to provide funding for state services and agencies.”
THAT LEADS to the education funding plan the two chambers adopted.
“I voted in support of the measure (it passed the House in resounding fashion),” Thompson said, although he did not support block grant funding that replaced the school finance plan that had been in place for better than 20 years. “The only problem with school finance as it has been for years, is that it was under-funded.”
His support for what essentially is redistributing school revenue to give poorer districts more money was because of the Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling that block grant funding was inequitable. “I didn’t want to see schools closed on June 30,” a provision of the court’s ruling if equity wasn’t met, “and I thought the court might rule on the bill (just passed) before the veto session starts (April 27),” Thompson said.
“However, I have very serious concerns about the process and reservations about the court accepting the solution” the legislation proposed, he said.
Looming is yet another decision of the Supreme Court, which hasn’t been mentioned often. “Still to come is a ruling on financial adequacy,” Thompson cautioned, which could throw Brownback’s and the Legislature’s efforts to balance the state’s budget on a roller coaster ride. The justices pegged equity shortfall at $54 million. Adequacy shortfall will be much more, Thompson predicted.
Meanwhile, Thompson said he found it peculiar that the final bill meant to satisfy the Court’s equity issue came from appropriations committees rather than education, and once the two were meshed by six leaders from each chamber it was limited to a up or down vote in the House.
ONCE an Allen County commissioner, Thompson has a better feel for local government than many in the Legislature. He drew on that experience to oppose a bill that was to have put a lid on local tax rates in 2018. He also opposed moving implementation to 2017, with a bill to do just that expected to come to a vote when legislators reconvene.
