Gov. Sam Brownback submitted his budget on a wing and a prayer Wednesday. The budget includes a $600 million increase in school funding — with no way to pay for it.
Administrators have their fingers crossed the Kansas economy — thanks to reinstated income taxes — will continue at a robust pace.
Even with those stars aligned, the necessary funds are still wanting.
The governor’s budget allots $200 million in increased school funding for this and next year. Of that, $87 million has already been approved by legislators. The other $400 million is to be spread out over four years. How the bulk of that is to materialize, Brownback dared not venture.
After the governor’s state address on Tuesday, there’s no love lost between legislators of any stripe and Gov. Brownback.
For two years legislators have known they were far short of adequately funding our public schools, but leadership refused to act. The Kansas Supreme Court’s ruling in October that still more is needed, came as no surprise. So for the governor to admonish legislators that they must now face the music — it’s too rich.
Moderate and Democratic legislators are livid the responsibility to find the necessary funds has been dumped in their laps as Brownback, presumably, heads to Washington, D.C. for an ambassadorship.
And conservatives? They are spitting nails.
They do not want a governor who suggests they spend more — on anything.
Need we say this is a lesson that when the skies are rosy, clouds are on the horizon. Kansas had no business cutting taxes in 2012. We will be paying for that lesson for years to come.
To think all this farcical melodrama could have been avoided is not a little distressing.
Even so, it came with a modicum of relief that Brownback did not ignore the education issue, the previous modus operandi of the administration.
In addition, Brownback proposed to raise teacher pay to help make Kansas competitive with its neighbors, to add 150 psychologists and counselors, provide full funding for high school students who want to take dual-credit classes at a community college, provide $3 million for improved internet access and an additional $2.1 million to those serving in the National Guard who want to attend university.
Of course for everything given, something must be taken away.
So once again, all the oxygen in the room will be consumed by K-12 education to the detriment of other valuable services and programs, including the state’s universities and colleges, our court and judicial systems and the pension fund for state employees.
Expanding Medicaid will once again go to the back burner. And yes, the state highway fund will be used for general expenditures.
The captain has jumped ship leaving his shipmates to steer the course. Hold your noses.
— Susan Lynn
